Okay, so I’ve just watched The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey again; it being Peter Jackson’s rendition of the book (the first part at least). I just fell to thinking about how it measures up to my preconceptions having read the book, and the LOTR Appendices.
As a film, I like it. It’s pretty good, and I love Martin Freeman as Bilbo, I think he’s a splendid character match.
Right, I can’t wait any longer, I need to rant about the things I don’t agree with!
Thorin: I like the character portrayal, he seems dark and brooding. I just don’t like the way some of the ways he pronounces his words. He has a little bit of an accent I find slightly out of character. For example, he says ‘Gandolf’ instead of ‘Gandalf’. I think it a bit odd how all of the Dwarves are from the same background, yet only Thorin has the accent. Odd.
The Trolls: Okay, I know that The Hobbit’s target audience is a bit younger than LOTR was, it’s meant to entertain children to some extent. However, I find the trolls just a little too comical. The part when the one blows his nose over Bilbo I find very displeasing to my tastes; I should have preferred it more serious. But hey, that’s just my taste and a deep respect for the literature of which it was born.
Azog: I’m sorry. There are no words for my dislike of this plotline. Azog dies in the Battle of Azanulbizar in Third Age year 2799. His son Bolg features much later in the Hobbit.
Radagast: In my mind, Radagast has always been, and will continue to be a wise man. A master of birds and beasts and in tune with the forest. Peter Jackson has painted him as some crackpot with bird droppings down his face and a birds nest under his hat. Absolutely not. I have always imagined Radagast as a tall, silver haired man of green cloak with a raven on his shoulder. I won’t let the film chap cut that from my head. For the role of the crackpot though, the actor does remarkably and I commend him.
So, yes. Little bit of a rant but there you have it.
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