The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

WARNING: May be spoilers for The Hobbit. No, there are definitely spoilers. You've been warned.

Last night I went and saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I went with my dad, which was awesome because we saw each of the Lord of the Rings movies together, just the two of us (except the third one when my 7 year old brother decided he wanted to come too and ruined the tradition. I'm kidding... kinda).

We'd discussed it before whether we wanted to see the movie or not, because dad wasn't sure if he really wanted to see it given they stretched a tiny book into three movies; and me.... well, truthfully, I haven't read all of The Hobbit. I started, but I read Lord of the Rings first, so found it kind of boring. Especially when the whole plot of The Hobbit, is summarised at the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, in "A note about Hobbits".

But anyway, we saw it last night. And I loved it. Although I'm not sure what the point for the next two movies will be. Wasn't the whole point of the book to tell how Bilbo got the One Ring? And they've already covered that now! They have the whole dragon thing left, so that's one movie, which makes two. Still one short...

But nonetheless, I thought it was a great movie. And here are my thoughts, maybe not so much in order:

1. I loved how they set the movie up, with Bilbo beginning to write his book, There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale by Bilbo Baggins (yes, I know the title), as doing preparations for his 111th birthday party that night, which of course is where Lord of the Rings begins. Which means we see Frodo! I was so excited to see him I could have cried. So the movie(s) is really Old Bilbo writing his story, like a giant flashback. But it really helped (for me at least) to have it linked with LOTR. If they had just started telling the story of The Hobbit, I don't know if I would have been able to get into it as much from the beginning. Seeing Frodo helped too, it actually felt like a prequel and not just another film set in Middle Earth.
2. There were a few characters and references that pop up to help keep this link going and I loved it. Like Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf (duh) and the Morgul Blade- yep, like the one that stabs Frodo in LOTR. But it does make you want to rewatch LOTR! 
3. I want to be an Elf and live in Rivendell. OK, I don't have to be an Elf, but I definitely want to live in Rivendell. It's so damn beautiful. 
4. I love it when Smeagol/Gollum has conversations with himself and his two sides bicker and converse. It's so funny, and the Smeagol side is kinda adorable. Like a puppy or a kid. When he and Bilbo are doing the riddle contest? Gollum says a riddle, and as Bilbo is thinking, Smeagol pipes up with "we know! We know!" LOL
5. It's not a hilarious movie, but there are funny moments. Just helps to lighten the mood a little.
6. I did laugh at the end when Bilbo's like "I'm sure the worst is behind us." And I"m like, "Dude, you have 2 more movies. That's highly doubtful."
7. Also when Thorin is talking about the Pale Orc, and he's "He died long ago." Gandalf got this look, and I'm like "Yeah, he's not dead."
8. And I love that the dragon, (who we haven't actually seen yet, just a bit of eye, nose and tail- very good technique to build suspense), sleeps under a pile of gold. And seeing that, made an awesome ending for the first part.
9. Gandalf is seriously badass. That's all.
10. I can't work out if Sauraman is evil already, or if he was already a jerk before he turned. He was very insistent that nothing weird/creepy is going on. Covering for himself, or just a personality flaw?
11. Oh, and the giant spiders are back! Thankfully we didn't see much, but still... I hate them.

I think that's about it. I seriously either didn't realise or forgot how much of a LOTR geek I am! 

I was trying to remember which LOTR characters they're bringing back. Frodo (hoping we'll see him again, like at the end of the 3rd part to bookend the film), Legolas (yay! Can't wait to see him!), Elrond, Galadriel, Sauraman, Gandalf... did I miss anyone?

I kinda wish Aragorn was coming back. Because I love him. And Viggo Morteson is hot. 

And so endth this blog post :) 

What did everyone else think of The Hobbit?