The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey - Pebbles + Pomegranate Seeds

It is strange to me how a movie like, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, can receive such mixed reviews. Some were loving it and others not. I? Yes, I loved it. It has everything that you expect of a retelling of such an epic tale.

I think that is the key… read the book first and fall in love with that, then it is hard not to be pleased with this visual masterpiece, directed by the very talented Peter Jackson.

Adapted from the novel, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (first published in 1937), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first installment of a three part movie adaptation.

It tells a tale of beautiful courage, as Bilbo Baggins, the star Hobbit, steps out into the world beyond his home to battle dragons, orcs, wizards, goblins and multitude others on his quest to help the Dwarves reclaim their homeland…

I was especially thrilled with the casting…

Eye Candy One (Kili – Aidan Turner)
Eye Candy Two (Fili – Dean O’Gorman)
And… Distinguished Eye Candy (Thorin Oakenshield – Richard Armitage).

Now would perhaps also be a good time to confess to my girl crush on the Elfin queen, The Lady of the Lorien (Cate Blanchett) and an elf crush – Elfin king (Elrond – Hugo Weaving – and how did he not age???). Oh, and Eye Candy Four plus (cute elf… several of them).

And then there is the ring… that ‘precious’ little prize that all who come in contact with it covet… and the love of my life… Gollum… his character could not possibly be cuter (in the ‘endearingly ugly’ sense of the word).

Rivendell, is still my choice of ‘places that I would like to live’. The pavilion would be kind of cool in my own backyard… gentle stream surrounding… epic sunrise/sunset views… I don’t think it is a lot to ask… I need to locate that secret entrance…

I read The Hobbit some 25 years ago, so this movie has been a long time in the making for me. After such extended wait I had managed to forget most of the original story, so not entirely sure how true they stayed to the novel. I do know they have brought in elements from appendices of Tolkien’s The Return of the King, but I think it adds background and perspective, so I am quite happy with that liberty.

Essentially, I was totally captivated by the story, and totally enraptured by the movie… my eyes didn’t leave the screen for a second, even when I was being hurled with fireballs. So the next thing for me is to revisit the original… so this weekend I will be digging through old boxes to try and find my slightly dog-eared copy so I can revisit Middle Earth and Rivendell and everywhere in between.

And my favourite quote, spoken beautifully by Gandalf when asked by Galadrial “Why the Hafling?”…

“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay… small acts of kindness and love.”