The Hobbit Movie Trailer!

[Rumil]

Ooooh nice,

Interesting, so what's happening, what clues do we have, what do we think my preciousssessss?

Bilbo I like but should be fatter at least at the beginning

We've commented on the Dwarves before, and the extreme lengths they had to go to to differentiate them, especially regarding hairstyles.

Bombur looks to be the comedy relief, to an extent he was in the Book, but I expect the film to be less subtle

Agree Esty, missing clarinets, drums and whatnot! Also a lack of colour-coded hoods, which you'd have thought would have been helpful.

Thorin seems dark and brooding which fits well, not sure he's properly dwarf-shaped though but I guess we'll see.

Where's Gandalf supoosed to be at 1.19? I can't think where open-air ruins fit except for maybe the remains of Dale or his earlier mission to Dol Guldur?

Gandalf meeting Galadriel - White Council scene presumably

1.36 Gandalf in Goblin-Town or Dol Guldur?

Who are the elves(?) on horseback at 1.52 Rivendell? (if so, then not terribly tra-la-lalally) or Thranduil's place, in which case it looks too Rivendelly?

1.58 Where's Gandalf fighting??

Must say I'm quite looking forward to it!

[Galadriel55]

I'm very glad to see that two best aspects of LOTR (IMO, of course) will be present in TH as well: the music and the scenery.

[Lalwendë]

I've been geeking out and watching on freeze frame and there are musical instruments at Bag End! I spied a lute (or similar) behind Nori at 0:44.

I'm very pleased with the Dwarves as they don't look like an amorphous mass of hairy, belching, short people. Lots of creative hair styles going on, some of the moustaches remind me of the kind of thing you see in these bizarre moustache growing competitions. And Kili is excused because maybe not having a beard is a sign of being a young rebel Besides, that's Aidan Turner, and he's no Orlando Bloom, he's capable of being perfectly 'brooding' as any Being Human fan knows.

There's something puzzling me though. At 0:52 there appears to be a Man in Bag Eng. It's not Gandalf, he is to the left, and I don't think it's a Dwarf sitting on a table. He has no beard and he has a tankard. Who is this?

I'm very pleased with Martin Freeman as Bilbo.

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

I'm very pleased with Martin Freeman as Bilbo.

Originally Posted by Ben K.

Freeman feels fantastic already.

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Martin Freeman does make a good Bilbo...

I agree, and I think his talent will cover a lot of other sins. For me, many of the problems with LotR stem from, in my humble opinion, a miscast Elijah Wood. Just imagining Freeman in the Frodo role in the original films takes them up to a whole new level for me.

[Pervinca Took]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

For me, many of the problems with LotR stem from, in my humble opinion, a miscast Elijah Wood. Just imagining Freeman in the Frodo role in the original films takes them up to a whole new level for me.

My thoughts exactly! But I think it was really more down to the role being, both from the outset and throughout, badly written, badly conceived and badly directed.

Martin Freeman in those scenes reminds me very much of the character of Frodo as I see him. Also, Gandalf seems to be having a "rather more compassionate than canon" conversation with Bilbo about the fact that he may not come back from the quest. That, too, is more in spirit with "The Shadow Of The Past" than the style of "Very amusing for me, very good for you, and profitable, too, if you ever get over it." I didn't really expect the "style" of The Hobbit to transfer to the films (it didn't with PJ's LOTR either) - but it seems to work better here. I wasn't able to love PJ's LOTR. I think I might like this better, though. The dwarves' song seems to hit the right notes, too (in both senses of the word).

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

And what is up with that!? A teaser for a spinoff movie? Coming Fall 2014: The Council of Seduction or, One Night With a Wizard.

Ahahaha! I look forward to that!

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Is it my imagination but does Thorin's nose change size..? When he's shown starting the song is looks all big but later when he's whispering to Gandalf it looks normal sized again.

I find it more likely it was just your imagination because I usually pay a lot of attention to noses but didn't see anything. Or of course they might be having trouble with the prostheses (I'm assuming even Richard Armitage's nose wasn't good enough for them).

I was pleasantly surprised because there were few things I found outrageous. The lack of beards was one of them, though. I know they can't be true to the entire book, but how am I supposed to take a Dwarven prince seriously if his beard is about as long as Aragorn's? Fili and Kili are alright in the sense that they're very young and it could be argued theirs haven't grown yet, but Thorin? I am truly and deeply sad about it.

Edit: huh, crossed with Gal, Legate and Lal!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

One thing: okay, after rewatching it for about fourth or fifth time, I can start to see what might be nice about it - if it works out. It can be epic. (I have been now paying attention to the transformation of the song into the theme, which is probably going to be the main theme of TH.)

But still, what I said above, holds.

[Aganzir]

I feel so shallow now. Here I am, chattering about noses and beards, while some people go through the pains of explaining why Peter Jackson's vision is wrong. And no, I'm not poking fun at Legate - he has a point. That's what I felt too while watching the trailer, but being naturally inclined towards everything dark and gloomy and serious, I didn't mind. I think it might be a good movie, but I can also add my voice to Legate's one-man choir and say it's not going to be The Hobbit I know.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I feel so shallow now. Here I am, chattering about noses and beards, while some people go through the pains of explaining why Peter Jackson's vision is wrong. And no, I'm not poking fun at Legate - he has a point. That's what I felt too while watching the trailer, but being naturally inclined towards everything dark and gloomy and serious, I didn't mind. I think it might be a good movie, but I can also add my voice to Legate's one-man choir and say it's not going to be The Hobbit I know.

Well, as for noses and beards - I went through that already when I first have seen the pictures of the Dwarves So I have sort of accepted that they look the way they look. Many of the Dwarves look like 17-century Warsaw militia, but I am fine with that. At least they do not look all like Vikings, which would have been the easiest, most "mainstream" (and most stupid) way anyway. I would second that the colored hoods are missing, though: one more, if not one of THE most important things, also related to the mood of the "real Hobbit".

But of course, beards should be long. Especially Thorin's, since he's the most prominent Dwarf. (See what I said about him looking not like a Dwarf, but more like Jon Snow's father... or whatever they have there.)

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

But of course, beards should be long. Especially Thorin's, since he's the most prominent Dwarf.

Gimli's was longer, and he's just Gimli.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well, as for noses and beards - I went through that already when I first have seen the pictures of the Dwarves So I have sort of accepted that they look the way they look.

I remember thinking they'd have time to make at least Thorin's beard longer - I never accepted it the way it was. Seems they didn't (which was just to be expected). Ah well. That automatically makes Thorin less awesome.

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Gimli's was longer, and he's just Gimli.

"Gimli, you're a Longbeard."
"But I'm just Gimli."

[Ben K.]

Meh, it's a trailer, the director doesn't usually make them. Check out early LOTR trailers and see how much bearing they have on the movie. The aim of this trailer was to sell an LOTR prequel to general audiences - probably why Gandalf has such a disproportionate focus, one would think the title is "The Wizard".

A great trailer for what it was trying to achieve - and Freeman feels fantastic already.

I'm wondering how much focus Gandalf will have given the additional plot. The story they're selling here is Gandalf the chess-player putting his loved ones in harms way for the greater good, somewhat unsure of the outcome. This was a major thread in the LOTR movies as well. I started to suspect with the casting of Radagast that they were going to explore this aspect of Gandalf, with Radagast having too much love of the world to achieve his mission and Saruman having too little to achieve it, in a sense mirroring the ultimately successful Gandalfs potential duality. Maybe I'm looking too much into it, but since Gandalf is essentially carrying the other half of these movies (indeed, the half that will act to prequel-ise it) I wouldn't be surprised to see the writers do that.

I'd probably like it to, since I've come to enjoy Jacksons reinterpretations of some characters.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

One thing: okay, after rewatching it for about fourth or fifth time, I can start to see what might be nice about it - if it works out. It can be epic. (I have been now paying attention to the transformation of the song into the theme, which is probably going to be the main theme of TH.)

But still, what I said above, holds.

An argument in favour of it being more epic can be demonstrated in the contrast between RTD era Doctor Who and Moffat era Doctor Who. The former was epic, the latter wanted to be more 'fairy tale' - and it just doesn't work as well especially when you are expecting 'epic'. I think to be 'fairytale' in film a modern audience just can't take it without hefty dollops of irony (see Stardust - one of my favourite films, incidentally) and I'd rather not have loads of irony in The Hobbit.

However...this is a trailer and they're known for ramping up the action and it may all turn out differently in the final cut. And Martin Freeman has a knack for carrying off a role like Bilbo with a light touch.

Originally Posted by Galadriel 55

I thought it's one of the younger beardless Dwarves.

That would mean it was Kili, and being a seasoned Aidan Turner watcher (ahem) I'm sure it's not him.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Do you have a particular GoT character in mind, or is it just the general air around Thorin?

Like I said, I haven't really seen it (except for a few glimpses, trailers, pictures etc.), so it's the general air.

Yes, it could have. They could have ruined the scenery and the music. Then it would be as bad as it gets.

True. But it isn't much (what I said about that being enough for a documentary about nature, but nothing else).

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

An argument in favour of it being more epic can be demonstrated in the contrast between RTD era Doctor Who and Moffat era Doctor Who. The former was epic, the latter wanted to be more 'fairy tale' - and it just doesn't work as well especially when you are expecting 'epic'. I think to be 'fairytale' in film a modern audience just can't take it without hefty dollops of irony (see Stardust - one of my favourite films, incidentally) and I'd rather not have loads of irony in The Hobbit.

I did not expect them to make a fairytale, but there still was the chance to preserve at least a bit of the atmosphere.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I did not expect them to make a fairytale, but there still was the chance to preserve at least a bit of the atmosphere.

I always think of it as being more of a 'fairytale', but that's possibly davem's influence! Really, I don't know how they could uncouple it from what was portrayed in the LotR films, as that is what audiences will expect, and I have to say it's what I'd expect myself from a Peter Jackson adaptation of the book. So I'm coming to this with those expectations in mind.

I can't explain away Thorin's beard! He does look a bit like an escapee from Westeros but maybe that's not such a bad thing.

[Kuruharan]

I'm very pleased with the Dwarves as they don't look like an amorphous mass of hairy, belching, short people.

I’ve been doing some more thinking about the look of the dwarves (more in fact than I did when their look was first published) and I’m coming around to this point of view. I still think that there could be some more bits of beard but I think Lal is right and it *is* a good thing that the dwarves are not going to just be short masses of hair (we will see about the belching…I would be very surprised if there is no belching).

Looking at real world cultures where beards are customarily worn, there are all kinds of variety and lengths that are employed. They don’t just wear huge unkempt messes.

Still, all of them should have actual beards, though even if they are braided up or otherwise dealt with so they aren’t so prominent on their faces. Even a very large beard can be tied up into a pretty small package…in fact, I would imagine dwarves would have to do this frequently when they are working in the forge to keep from setting themselves on fire.

Many of the Dwarves look like 17-century Warsaw militia, but I am fine with that. At least they do not look all like Vikings, which would have been the easiest, most "mainstream" (and most stupid) way anyway

And I heartily concur with this sentiment. At least they avoided going for the drunken, rampaging Viking theme.

Besides, that's Aidan Turner, and he's no Orlando Bloom, he's capable of being perfectly 'brooding' as any Being Human fan knows.

That’s not my point. He’s Lego-like in the sense that I believe he’s there to be gurl-food.

I'm assuming even Richard Armitage's nose wasn't good enough for them

Part of the dwarf motif they seem to have selected is instead of giving them all beards is to make their noses and ears very large. The nose thing does have some basis in Tolkien…not so much the ears.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Kuruharan

Still, all of them should have actual beards, though even if they are braided up or otherwise dealt with so they aren’t so prominent on their faces. Even a very large beard can be tied up into a pretty small package…in fact, I would imagine dwarves would have to do this frequently when they are working in the forge to keep from setting themselves on fire.

Bombur also has no beard - it might be practical because he obviously enjoys his gravy

That’s not my point. He’s Lego-like in the sense that I believe he’s there to be gurl-food.

I actually don't mind this, because it might drive some more people into investigating Being Human which is one of the best programmes the BBC have ever made, and I'd quite like it if more people had seen it and could discuss it with me!

Has anyone else noticed the antimacassars on the back of Bilbo's chair? Perfect for him.