Josh’s thoughts on the Hobbit movie

    I got to the theater at 4:00 p.m. to buy tickets for the midnight show. I also got a ticket for Red Dawn and was planning to watch a few other movies waiting for midnight. Then I see a group of nerds dressed as hobbits. No shoes, with hair drawn with marker on their feet, wearing elvish cloaks and nice vests. In their hands were LOTR Trivial Pursuit and LOTR Risk board games. We played games and geeked out, first in line! I had a great time with those nerds and all the other people who got in line behind us.

   The first thing you need in an epic fantasy story is a good prologue, and this delivers well. I loved how it started with old Bilbo telling the story to Frodo. We get his character introducing us to the great back story of Smaug, Erebor and the King under the mountain. It immediately brings us as the audience back into the wonderful world of Middle Earth.

 Martin Freeman as young Bilbo was wonderful, he played awkward and funny and a Bilbo who has never seen adventure before. I am glad they had the dishwashing song at the beginning. It shows the dwarves aren’t that dirty and they do have respect for Bilbo… and his pantry. I don’t understand why Gandalf picks Bilbo as a burglar in the first place. Is it because dragons don’t know what hobbits smell like? Or is it because Bilbo is part Took and he knows Bilbo can handle a little adventure…

 The three trolls were pretty fun. (Troll Bogeys!) In the story I think it’s just a random encounter, they even loot the bodies afterward! I did want to see a little more first level spells by Gandalf. Where was his ventriloquism?

 I am glad they added the whole back story about the necromancer (who is really the dark lord). The ring is really just a horcrux. I think that whole story is an appendix somewhere.

  Radagast the Brown was fun to watch, his giant bunnies were… unexpected. What was on the side of his face? I hope it was mushrooms starting to grow there.

  The meeting with Elrond was pretty good. I don’t understand why they keep saying Saruman is such a great wizard when every time we see him he is being evil? He must be a Sith Lord or something. Galadriel was nice to see, we got a glimpse of how clever and powerful she really is. She does resist the temptation of the ring though, which is pretty hardcore.

  My favorite and most expected scene was of course riddles in the dark, when we get to see Gollum again. The acting for both characters was great. What I liked the most in that scene was how suspenseful it was. Gollum was very threatening and gave an intense life or death situation. In the book we don’t really feel how vicious Gollum really is. They cut a few riddles that were in the book, but it was not a big deal. “It was pity that stayed Bilbos hand”

  I am also glad they added the history with Thorin and the evil pale goblin. It gives the dwarves a relatable connection to the audience and a face to the bad guys. Like how they added Lurtz to the LOTR trilogy.

  I had a lot of fun with the escape from the goblin kings halls. The action got kind of cheesy but it was typical Peter Jackson action. The dwarves all working together was great but not very believable.

  I forgot about the eagles saving the day in the book. I don’t think Thorin had a near death experience there in the book. But for movie purposes it adds suspense and that’s all right with me.

 Overall the Hobbit is awesome. I had a lot of fun watching it, and it was great to get back to Middle Earth. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Especially what happens with The Necromancer at Dol Guldur, Beorn, and Barrels out of Bond should be fun. Or was that Kegs out of capture?