[Galadriel55]

I watched the first part. I mean, I understand why it was never aired again, it's just weird. But it does have its little gems. For one thing, I love that they used this translation. It's my favourite, and most other LOTR adaptations are based on other translations. You might ask if it makes a difference, and let me tell you, it does. They quote quite a bit directly from the book; in fact, I would say at least half of the dialogue is book-based. It's music to my ears, I enjoyed every moment of those quotes. Of course, by the same token, it's a little disappointing when they do book scenes without the book quotes (eg the Help Us Bombadil rhyme, which I guess they changed to shorten it from 8 to 2 lines).

I would comment on a few scenes too, but I think a lot of them make more sense with the subtitles. I kept half an eye on them, and they are quite decent and mostly accurate.

The Ring makes a couple of appearances too, all under a rather nice song (which is apparently an interpretation of the Verse of the Rings)

That is an excellent deduction, if you've done that without the subtitles. It is indeed a musical rendition of the Ring Verse.

When Comrade Tolkien remembers to look at the camera, he seems to be trying to flirt with the audience.

Hey! He's doing the "I'm narrating for children" act. He's essentially talking to kids behind the screen, or perhaps talking to the audience as if we were kids. Except that I'm not sure if I would want my kids to watch this movie, but that's another story.

Another hobbit, apparently named Tutti Fruttison, just dances, which is probably for the best.

Tutti Fruttison! That's one for the yearbook. Good ear - he says Tut i Bulkinsy, which is quite close, but actually means "the Bulkinses are here' (Bulkins - Breadbunnins? Loafins? And whoever made the subtitle matches them to Boffins).

I have to correct you on the long friendly chat with Lobelia. She spends the whole thing berating Bilbo for spending so much of their inheritance on his party, but he seems to be in too amiable of a mood to bait.


I rather liked the acting in the Gandalf/Bilbo scene about "leave the Ring to Frodo". It's more helpful with the subtitles, I bet. It didn't make as much sense because it was shifted to the middle of the Party, but Bilbo's gollumesque overtones were very well done. What I dislike is how it resolves, with Gandalf essentially magicking Bilbo into agreement with some wizarding hypnotic hand motions.

This young lady is the Figwit of this movie - she, not Frodo, gets the first reaction shot after we see Bilbo is gone.

I'm with you on that one - my reaction too was who was she supposed to be, and with that haircut. Watch her be Rose Cotton or something.

Lobelia argues with… someone. Her husband, maybe?

Probably, but they end with a direct quote of "But why worry? He hasn’t taken the vittles with him."

They're just like I always imagined them!

...Errr, I mean Frodo has red hair! ^.^

Speaking of Frodo, he is quite immature the entire time, both during the Party and with Gandalf. It was rather annoying. And what is it with the sticks? I did not like the "Shadow of the Past" conversation at all. Partially because Frodo was ridiculously immature the whole time, and partially because Gandalf delivered the message so weirdly. He essentially goes: the Ring is deadly, you're gonna take it, go now, and no, I won't help you, cause I'm a wizard and that's not what wizards do (???). Also, I get the impression that Frodo and company depart pretty much right after the Party, which also happens to be right at the onset of winter. I wonder if they had to film the whole thing in snowy weather for scheduling reasons and therefore shifted some dialogue at the time of departure to explain it?

I am not quite sure who The Night Who Say Ni are supposed to be, but perhaps the Nine Mortal Men doomed to die? They are talking about the power of the One at that point, how it would break any mortal.

When Smeagol puts on the Ring, he immediately transforms into Gollum, then sort of flickers in and out of invisibility.

They explain in narration that this happened over time, so that was actually fair game. I actually really liked the Smeagol acting.

Gandalf setting fire to Gollum - in context with the text, it's a direct reference to this: "I endured him as long as I could, but the truth was desperately important, and in the end I had to be harsh. I put the fear of fire on him, and wrung the true story out of him, bit by bit, together with much snivelling and snarling. He thought he was misunderstood and ill-used. But when he had at last told me his history, as far as the end of the Riddle-game and Bilbo’s escape, he would not say any more, except in dark hints. Some other fear was on him greater than mine. He muttered that he was going to gel his own back. People would see if he would stand being kicked, and driven into a hole and then robbed. Gollum had good friends now, good friends and very strong." They decided not to do the whole hunt for Gollum or introduce Mirkwood, and presumably Gandalf just finds Gollum in his cave in the mountains.

Moving onward - you're right again! They come to Maggot's Tavern! Where Maggot tells them his Maggot lines, except that he's also innkeeper and therefore charges them money for the food.

Then they walk, walk, and all of a sudden - whoops, we are in the Old Forest! Uh oh! But we couldn't have passed around it anyways, so we have to go through it. (Huh?) They get lulled to sleep by Slow Mo Willow and the other living trees (presumably). I can't understand most of the SloMo Speech. I was hoping for a direct quote here of a chant the hobbits hear as they are falling asleep that is not present in the original (water by the willow, water will bind you, water will draw you and pull you to sleep....), but I didn't recognize it among the SloMo talk.

Tom Bom! Who, as I said before, doesn't give me too much cognitive dissonance, other than he's a giant. That was weird. His chants are all directly from the book. So are Goldberry's. For the life of me I don't understand why their water-themes colour scheme had to be changed to fire-themed, but it's not the worst visual in that production.

The final images with the horrible face full of make up - is that the Barrow Wight? I guess I'll find out in Part 2.