Middle Earth’s Mighty Return to the Big Screen
Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit,” based on the beloved children’s book by J.R.R. Tolkien, is a film that has appeal for both newcomers, as well as avid fans of “the Lord of the Rings” and Tolkien. However, though the original storyline of the popular prequel is well-preserved, Jackson revealed some of his own twists.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first installment of three films. It saw the return of familiar faces including Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Lord of the elvish realm of Rivendell, who also played a role in the book.
Elijah Wood also made a return as Frodo Baggins. However, interestingly enough, Frodo was not yet a character during the writing of the book as Tolkien thought him up in the years leading to the writing of “the Lord of the Rings.”
It’s difficult to picture anyone else but Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, one of the most popular wizards in literature. As usual, McKellen portrayed his character the only way that he knows how: brilliantly.
With Gandalf as a guide and the hardened dwarf leader, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the Company of twelve dwarves plans to take back their once prosperous city from the claws of Smaug the Terrible, a dragon that drove away all the inhabitants of the Lonely Mountain and surrounding areas.
Enter Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a hobbit of Hobbiton in the Shire, who may be thought of as one of the world’s biggest loafers and one of the biggest homebodies in literary history.
Freeman seems to possess the perfect persona to portray such a creature who loves only tea, food, pipe, peace, and the comfort of his own home. The abrupt entrance of the dwarves looking for a burglar to help them steal back their Mountain is certainly comical as we watch Bilbo transition to a hobbit ready for an adventure.
The familiar sights of Middle Earth, as well as the inclusion of some themes in “the Lord of the Rings” soundtrack, bring fans back to a place that has not been seen on the big screen since 2003. The cinematic aesthetics are no less fantastic than those we saw from Jackson’s crew with the previous films.
Jackson also brought back Saruman the White (Christopher Lee), who later becomes a dangerous rival, as well as Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), a royal elf and the only female in the entire film.
Although these characters were not mentioned in the book, Jackson managed to weave them into the plot and is not stopping there. It has been confirmed that Orlando Bloom will return as his character Legolas Greenleaf, who also goes unmentioned until later in Tolkien’s work.
Although filming has wrapped on all three films, fans now look to the release of the second installment, “the Desolation of Smaug,” set to be in theaters on Dec. 13.