The Hobbit

I saw “The Hobbit” a few days ago and pretty went through the entire movie feeling like I was back in 7th grade, excitedly watching “The Return of the King” when it came out in theaters, wishing I could escape to Middle Earth (or New Zealand). Needless to say, I loved the movie, and I personally loved how many times the filmmakers deliberately played up the tie-ins and nostalgia factor in the movie. Hearing all the familiar leitmotifs for the Shire, the Ring, Rivendell, and even Gandalf calling the Great Eagles made me smile. I loved how the Misty Mountain theme takes the place of the Fellowship theme in highlighting the dwarves’ crowning moments of awesome, to quote a TV trope term. I loved seeing the old actors reprise their roles, and I grinned like an idiot when Ian Holm’s Bilbo and Elijah Wood’s Frodo interacted on screen again. 

Also, I could just go on and on about wonderful I found Martin Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo. He does it all so well: adorably awkward, brave, scared, conflicted, clever, fussy. I nearly shed a tear when he decides against killing Gollum in the cave. Despite being a silent scene, his acting was just that good. “Riddles in the Dark” was easily one of my favorite scenes, and poor, conflicted Gollum has even better CGI this time around. I thought Martin Freeman was spot-on with his characterization and it’s made Bilbo pull on my heartstrings in a way that the four hobbits in the original trilogy didn’t quite do, as good as they were. 

Also, the dwarves. Humorously, I distinctly recalled thinking back in the seventh grade that if they ever made a Hobbit movie, I’d miss all the eye candy that the cast of the Fellowship provided. I was very wrong. Can I just mention for a second how Bryonic Thorin is? He’s dark, brooding, suffering from a tragic past, and he acts like a proper Bryonic hero, complete with moments of staring out over a cliff top. I’m sure some viewers find that overdone, but I’m a sucker for anything that hints at that Romantic “Wanderer above a Sea of Fog” aesthetic. And that unflinching walk towards the Pale Orc… definitely goosebumps during that scene. I love that they went that direction with his characterization. I’m a bad Tolkien fan who didn’t reread “The Hobbit,” so I haven’t read that book for over ten years. I wasn’t particularly drawn to Thorin at that age, but this time around, I was mesmerized by his character onscreen. I enjoyed his adaptational attractiveness quite a bit, and I loved the time they spent developing his backstory. Balin’s loyalty to Thorin is sweet. Additionally, Fili and Kili are complete, adorable, attractive female fan service. It has got to be intentional. They even act like the Weasley twins. Not that I mind :) 

I suppose if I were to do a full-in depth review of the movie, or if I were watching it critically, I’d notice its various flaws and pacing issues more. But I pretty much watched it with the mindset and the expectations of an excited fan and as such, was pretty much swept away by the experience.