One of my favorite books when I was ten was Tolkien's "The Hobbit". An adventure about a little person with big feet who joins many dwarves and a wizard to take treasure from a great dragon. It was magical. It took fortitude to get through the sequel, "The Lord of the Rings", but the pleasure of reading was instilled forever.
Peter Jackson returns to direct the prequel to the greatest trilogy in movie history and the trailer touches the bases of that earlier saga. All the characters return: Gandalf, Bilbo and Gollum. All of this is nostalgic comfort to the legions of fans who saw and grew up with the original movies. So the trailer plays it safe.
But what's a gamble is the dwarves singing of the legend of the quest they're about to pursue. This is true to the book, and what is remarkable about Jackson and his crew is they're not afraid to present the unique charms of the text. Singing in a big budget movie. Not done. But their faith to the book was what was so rewarding in The Lord of the Rings. They took enormous risks to have talking trees, a falling demon battling a wizard to the ends of existence, and time out to show daily life in the Shire. "The Hobbit" has many risks beyond singing. A big one is animals and a dragon who talk. You don't want this to be Dr. Doolittle. But watching the dwarves join in a chant is what makes you want to return to Middle Earth. An unexpected journey well worth taking.
Opening December 14, 2012, Verdict: Must See
Wow! I wish we didn't have to wait a year for the movie but it looks great - no surprise since Jackson is returning as director. This is obviously a very personal series for him and I'm sure he'll put everything he's got into it. Another important talent returning to Middle Earth is Howard Shore - his score for LOTR was magnificent. Can't wait to see (and hear) The Hobbit.
Posted by: Bobabernathy | December 21, 2011 at 08:12 PM