There was a lot of hate forThe Hobbitmovies on their release and to this day, but I will always love many things about them. From some immaculate casting down to impressive sequences, the movies had a lot going for them, despite the divided fan response.Peter Jackson’sHobbitandLord of the Ringstrilogiesfaced inevitable comparisons, withThe Lord of the Ringsmovies launching in 2001 and changing the fantasy landscape forever. These are some of my favorite movies, like many otherLotRfans, but unlike the masses, I appreciate the different beast that isThe Hobbit.
Jackson had years and years to prepare for the filming ofThe Lord of the Rings, having secured a risky budget from big players to adapt a relatively little-known novel, in the context of the commercial mainstream. He ended up creating some of the best (and highest-grossing) movies in the genre and the world. ButThe Hobbitwas plagued with more difficulty from the start, originally tapping Guillermo del Toro to direct. Rewinding inThe Lord of the Ringstimelinefrom the original trilogy to a time before Frodo was born,The Hobbitendured development hell to emerge pretty strong.
10Aidan Turner As Kíli In The Hobbit
The Hobbit’s Dwarf Was Made To Stand Out
Aidan Turner killed his role as one ofThe Hobbit’sDwarves, Kíli. He was made to stand out from a commercial perspective, adding an element of romance to an otherwise unromantic story. While Kíli’s romance with the trilogy’s invented Elf, Tauriel, felt like an unnecessary and, at times, obstructive addition to the story,Turner was a delight. Now famous for playing the BBC’s eponymous Poldark, Turner’s heartthrob credentials were evident from the get-go.
The costuming, hair, and makeup were flawless, introducing a new aesthetic for Dwarves that invited a different audience to relate to the storied species.
Not only did Turner appear as an unlikely hero alongside his older comrades, but he also carried a pretty significant role, made larger by Peter Jackson than what it was in the book. The costuming, hair, and makeup were flawless, introducing a new aesthetic for Dwarves that invited a different audience to relate to the storied species.They were no longer just hoary old woodcutters, opening a door into Tolkien’s lore for younger and newer fans.
9The Hobbit’s Dwarves Singing A Capella
Thorin’s Company Could Hold A Tune In The Hobbit
The Dwarves' singing was a highlight ofThe Hobbitfor me, no matter what other fans might say.The Lord of the Ringswas an action adventure movie but also quite serious in tone a lot of the time, whereasThe Hobbittook frivolity to new heights. Many critiqued some of this. For instance, Gandalf’s conversation with Bilbo about good mornings. But light-hearted exchanges like this and Dwarvish singing truly reflected the tone of the children’s book.
Thought The Hobbit Trilogy’s Tauriel & Kili Romance Was Controversial? One Adaptation Gave Bilbo A Love Interest
Bilbo Baggins lost his bachelor status in what may be The Hobbit’s strangest movie yet, giving Tauriel and KiIi’s romance a run for its money.
I loved the Dwarves bursting into song over Bilbo’s dinner table, letting viewers know what they were in for with the trilogy for the first time inThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The odd bit of song is essential in aHobbitorLord of the Ringsadaptation, but thankfully,The Hobbitnever descended into a full-blown musicaleither. What may have been even better than the dinner table tune was the medieval dirge sung by the Dwarves. As far as departures from the book went, this was a magical one.
8Smaug Turning Gold In The Hobbit
An Unforgettable Image Of Violence Made Oddly Beautiful
There were a fewcharacters inThe Hobbitmovie that weren’t in the book, but Smaug was a blessedly faithful adaptation of one of Tolkien’s best villains. WhenBilbo, Thorin, and the Dwarves finally succeeded in getting to EreborinThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, they carried out a cunning plan to defeat the evil dragon. Managing to melt Smaug’s hoarded gold, the company poured it over Smaug.
Smaug was a blessedly faithful adaptation of one of Tolkien’s best villains.
This was one of the fantasy trilogy’s most unforgettable visuals. Though greedy and selfish, Smaug was a feat of CGI and a beauty to behold.Bilbo had the Midas touch inThe Hobbitand took this impressive specimen to new heights, turning him gold and even more beautiful, in a strange and violent kind of way. I know a lot of people hated the overt CGI in the trilogy, but I found this part laudable, especially as Smaug stunned viewers by bursting out of the gold and flying free.
7The Development Of Sauron’s Terrifying Eye
The Hobbit Dragged Viewers Into The Eye
The Hobbitmovies leave much to be desired in terms of sticking to the plot of the children’s book religiously, butI did appreciate the trilogy’s diversion into Necromancer territory. Although the Necromancer was mentioned inThe Hobbitnovel, released in 1937, his fight with the White Council was not. However, the White Council did go to Dol Guldur, according to the appendices ofThe Lord of the Rings.
Benedict Cumberbatch was the voice of the Necromancer inThe Hobbit.
This jot of faithfulness was enough to convince me that the feeling of falling into Sauron’s core was definitely one of the times thatThe Hobbitwas as good asLord of the Rings. This played on the setup of Peter Jackson’s giant, disembodied eye - unfaithful but brilliant.Just as the Eye consumed Frodo, it consumed viewers, taking up the whole screen when it appeared.The Hobbittook this a step further with the Necromancer, zooming into his center in a dizzying fractal infinity.
6A Glimpse Into Legolas' Relationship With His Father
The Hobbitopened a fascinating window onto Legolas' home life. Amazingly,Orlando Bloom may revive Legolas forThe Hunt for Gollum, because he was incredible in bothThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbit. He also worked well with Lee Pace, another highlight of the trilogy.The background of both Legolas and Gimli was obscure in the trilogy, but their camaraderie made them some of the most intriguing characters of the Fellowship.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumis the working title of Warner Bros.' nextLord of the Ringsmovie, coming out in 2027.
The Hobbitadded Legolas to a story he had no need to be in, but it drew inThe Lord of the Ringscrowd from the first trilogy, helping to bridge the gap between the two trios. This commercial decision could have been a lot more frustrating had the trilogy’s exploration of Thranduil’s woodland realm not been such a treat. From the set design to the complex and layered dynamic between Legolas and his father,this is one element of invention that I don’t begrudgeThe Hobbit.
5Luke Evans Was A Revelation As Bard In The Hobbit
Evans Gave Bard The Bowman Main Character Energy
Luke Evans was a total revelation inThe Hobbit- the Welsh actor brought stoic and heroic life to a roughly sketched character. Playing an important part in the Third Age ofLord of the Rings,Bard the Bowman is a critical character in lore, but he didn’t get a huge amount of actual time on the page in the children’s book or legendarium. Evans did a lot with a little and made every viewer root for him and care about him.
More can be discovered about Bard inThe History of the Hobbit, published in 2007.
The Hobbithad many differences from the book, butEvans' portrayal of Bard was quite spot-on. The trilogy didn’t need a whole three movies to tell its story - one or two would have been enough. But the time taken to explore Bard’s family and make him sympathetic was one of the benefits of this protracted runtime. Evans' star quality made Bard into the center point that he needed to be inThe Desolation of Smaug.
4Howard Shore’s Soundtrack
The Lord Of the Rings Movie Franchise’s Soundtrack Is Outstanding
Howard Shore and his ensemble never fail to disappoint, butThe HobbitwasThe Lord of the Ringsrefresher that everyone needed. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Howard Shore’s soundtrack was the main character ofThe Lord of the Ringsif it hadn’t been so perfectly cast that almost every character felt somehow “main.” For millennials like me, growing up with fantasy franchises likeHarry PotterandThe Lord of the Rings, those soundtracks were a rite of passage.
Before time
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Elves awoke in Cuiviénen
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War of Wrath ended
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Shore’s “Concerning Hobbits” is still spine-tingling in the warmest possible way and probably always will be, the ultimate reminder that home is somewhere, even if it’s far away. This refrain made a triumphant comeback inThe Hobbittrilogy and was probably a large part of its success. The trilogy was juggling diversions from lore with embellishments to the story with original characters and familiar ones, butthe soundtrack was inarguably brilliant throughout.
3Lee Pace As Thranduil
Pace Made Lord Of The Rings' Perfect Elf
The Gollum movie could finally do Lee Pace’s Thranduil justice, which is a blessing since the right level of praise for his performance got lost inThe Hobbit’smixed reception.Lee Pace was haughty and icy as Thranduil, which was the right characterization for an ambivalent role. He was a threat but not a villain, a good guy on the wrong side of the Dwarves. Characterizing Thranduil this way was a stroke of genius.
It helped communicate the historical rift between the Elves and the Dwarves, which made the idea of his son befriending Gimli inThe Lord of the Ringseven better. This, in turn, made the somewhat fractured relationship between Thranduil and his son, Legolas, seem sadder and more understandable all at the same time.Thranduil was stuck in his ways but not past admitting wrongdoing, with a Tolkienian moral complexity.
2Benedict Cumberbatch Voicing Smaug
Cumberbatch’s Voice Talents Can’t Be Imitated
Smaug must be one of the best parts of bothLord of the Ringstrilogies, and the best thing about him was the immaculate voice talents of the inimitable Benedict Cumberbatch. Giving substance to the stereotype that British actors just sound more evil than those with other accents,Cumberbatch imbued Smaug with monstrous disdainthat barely needed to be edited at all to sound like a fire-breathing dragon. He will forever be the voice of any fantasy dragon I read about.
Even more impressively, Cumberbatch was the voice of villainy inThe Hobbittrilogy in general. He also voiced the Necromancer, proving the diversity of his skill and the range of his vocal cords.Cumberbatch wore a motion capture suitto make his movements match the cadence of his lines, which helped make Smaug realistically emotive and convincing. This was great work on the part of the crew ofThe Hobbit.
1Martin Freeman As Bilbo Baggins
The English Actor Was Born To Play The Hobbit
Martin Freeman is, of course, the best thing aboutThe Hobbit. Also known for playing John Watson in the fantasticSherlock, Freeman is the quintessential middle-class Brit, both on-screen and off.On-screen, he excels as quiet types, not shy, just polite. But exceptionally, Freeman has a core of ferocity that comes out when you least expect it. He was hilarious as the bumbling and conflicted Bilbo, becoming heroic when the situation called for it.
Freeman is inevitably one ofThe Lord of the Ringsmovies' greatest assets. In a way, it is a shame that there aren’t other stories that could bring Freeman’s Bilbo back to life. However, it may be a blessing so thathis groundbreaking performance can remain exemplaryand unpolluted by future attempts at dragging out the franchise. The unlikely and reluctant hero had never looked quite as unlikely as Freeman did inThe Hobbit, making his dynamic turn as the beloved Baggins a national treasure.
The Hobbit
The Hobbitfilm series is a fantasy adventure trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novelThe Hobbit. Set 60 years beforeThe Lord of the Rings, the films follow Bilbo Baggins' quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The series grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and is known for its elaborate visuals and epic storytelling.
