I'm Going On An Adventure: A Review of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure"

Oh, the Hobbit. The road goes ever on and on, as Bilbo used to say, and yet, I'm not quite sure I'm satisfied with the road taken by Peter Jackson in his latest Tolkien installment. Yes, I was looking forward to this  much more than any movie I've anticipated... since seeing The Return of the King, in fact. However, this film definitely had a different "feel" when compared to Jackson's other film adaptations of Tolkien's work. That's not a bad thing by any means. And yet, it leaves much to be wanting. I'll explain.

The character development (or lack of): It was disappointing for me to see some of my most beloved literary characters reduced or morphed into something I failed to recognize. As excited as I was to hear that Richard Armitage (if you haven't already, please see BBC's "North and South"! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbLqy2ONnU4)  had been cast as one of the dwarves, his portrayal of Thorin was not what I had expected. Yes, he's a prince among dwarves - which I suppose implies some level of attractiveness - but he's quite a bit older than many of the other dwarves, at least according to the book. I wanted him to be proud, stubborn, a bit arrogant, and regal - not one or the other, depending on the scene. The ending in particular - I'll get to the orcs in a minute - was especially lacking in terms of character.

Some of the casting, however, was done quite well. Martin Freeman as Bilbo was fantastic and completely believable as a younger Ian Holms. I had hoped more for Ian McKellen's and Hugo Weaving's performances, but I mostly alarmed by Galadriel's character. I realize that she doesn't even appear in the book, but I didn't appreciate the strangeness of her relationship with Gandalf (she's married, after all!) and her impersonal presence during the White Council.

I could go on and on about the dwarves, but I'll just say this: they weren't what I had hoped. I wanted slightly grimy, grumpy, gravelly-voiced dwarves, NOT a replacement for Legolas (i.e. Fili and Kili). Yes, they're Thorin's young nephews... but STILL!

On the positive side, this song gave me chills! 

Well done, Howard Shore. Well done. 

The Riddle Game: This was perfect - probably my favorite scene! The introduction of Gollum, the riddling, the moment of mercy..... AHHH, so good. Although I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to book adaptations, I liked the Smeagol/Gollum humor even if it wasn't in the book.

Did I mention how much I liked Martin Freeman? Hmmm, probably - but why not mention him again?

The orcs: gah! The albino, crippled orc?! What on earth? I really didn't thing that they need to include that character - he reminded me too much of Voldemort from Harry Potter! And the goblins... yes, they were disgusting, but I was more amused and annoyed that frightened as I had been by the Moria orcs in the Fellowship. It's almost like Peter Jackson, in his attempt to make a children's book into a movie appealing to adults, he divided up his scenes so that some were for children (the cheesy orc chase in the mountain) and others for adults (the riddle game).

Radagast the Brown: I don't want to talk about him.

The elves: Elves should not ride mutant deer. I'm slightly concerned now for the next film, which will not only include Legolas' fairy father (--->)
but the great golden prince himself. Ugggh, this could be gag-inducing. Pray it is not so!

Alright, I'm finished with my negativity. I'm actually really excited for the next film coming out this summer, mainly because of Smaug. We'll see what happens with that.... For now, I'll patiently await the release of the first film's special edition (coming out around Christmas).

Also, if anyone could be so kind as to inform me on the location of this restaurant, I would be forever grateful! ---->

The Hobbit: "LET IT BEGIN (SOON)!!!!!!!!"

My excitement level, especially now that I've finished all of my finals, has recently manifested itself something like this:

or perhaps this:

Actually, this may be more accurate:

That is all. I'll write more about my reaction to the film... and the theater workers' reactions to me next week! Viva el Hobbit <3

Hobbit Day, Saints, and A New Adventure!

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Adventure"

hobbit |ˈhäbit|nouna member of an imaginary race similar to humans, of small size and with hairy feet, in stories by J. R. R. Tolkien.ORIGIN 1937: invented by Tolkien in his book The Hobbit, and said by him to mean[hole-dweller.]I identify very much with hobbits. Physically, I could be mistaken for one with my honey-brown, curly hair, round cheeks, bright eyes, and rather short stature. We enjoy many of the same pastimes, such as eating, gardening, having a pint of good ale, and smoking (actually, I don't smoke, but I do like the smell of pipes). We're both quiet folk who don't care to be pushed out of our comfort zones, who prefer the country to city life, and who like nothing more than to live simply without any uncomfortable adventures. And, just like Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, I often find myself in the midst of adventures without really planning on doing so. I thought of the two Misters Baggins yesterday, as it was not only their birthday but also the 75th anniversary of the publication of "The Hobbit." I thought of how these two memorable characters have brought joy and inspiration to many people, thanks to Professor Tolkien. I thought of my own current adventures and wondered if Frodo or Bilbo ever had conversations with God similar to my own:"God, I told you that I'd decided that I'm never going to do THAT. It would be too scary and uncomfortable. Why are you making me do THAT?!""My child, don't you trust Me?""....""Well?""Uh..., of course I trust You, God. But this is... really scary. It's not going the way that I wanted!"Yeah. Pretty pathetic, I know, but this has been my attitude about many things in my life. I'm reminded of the quote: "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." Well, that was the first mistake I made in the area of dating. As a precocious twelve-year-old, I gave God my list of qualities that I wanted in a future husband. As a naive high-schooler, I altered the list, planned out my future dating life and asked what was taking so long. Now, as a slightly disillusioned college student, I thank God that He has guarded my heart for so long and taken me on several other adventures prior to this one: just last weekend, I officially became a girlfriend...and I'm still freaking out! But God is good, nonetheless. He takes all of my "freaking out" in stride.I've pretty much decided that God uses reverse psychology. I tell him I'd rather not do something a certain way, and He marks it on His "To Do" list. Ok, perhaps that's a little snarky, but I'm pretty sure that St. Teresa of Ávila felt the same ways sometimes. She had quite a quirky relationship with the Creator of the Universe. One of my favorite stories of her tells of how she fell off her donkey, looked up to heaven, and said, "If this is the way that You treat Your friends, I'm not surprised that You don't have very many!" Dang, talk about gutsy! Or think of Padre Pio, whose feast we celebrate today: after begging God to take away the visible stigmata and allowing him to continue receiving the pain, God gives him even more supernatural gifts in addition to the stigmata! I could go on and on, not just with other saints, but with examples from my own life. My point, though,  is this: God likes to push us a little. Sometimes he only knocks on the door of our hearts, as Gandalf the Wizard knocked on the round, red door of Bilbo's hobbit-hole. Other times, he forcibly pushes us out onto the road, via circumstances, and before we know it, we're in the middle of an adventure. Why does God do this? Isn't it enough that we struggle with concupiscence, with human frailty, with fear? Why does He feel the need to ask us to do hard things? Because He wants us to be SAINTS! Teresa of Ávila, Padre Pio, Rose of Lima, Miguel Pro, Pope John Paul II, Gregory the Great, Angela of Foligno, Kateri Tekakwitha, Joseph the Worker, Clare and Francis of Assisi... the list goes on. Did these people suffer as we do? Yes. Did they struggle with their faith at times? Yes. Did they sometimes doubt that they would reach the end of their adventures intact? Yes. And yet, these people are all held up by the Church as examples of extreme holiness. God pushed them all a little bit (some more than others). He sent His Spirit to speak to their hearts, asking "are you willing to do My will?" And their replies were, "Yes, Lord." With God's grace, I hope that I may one day reach half their level of piety... but until then, I'll continue on my adventure of life and pray.P.S. In honor of yesterday's celebration of Hobbit Day (which I missed due to illness), I end with Bilbo's poem for your enjoyment:

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with weary feet,

Until it joins some larger way,

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.