Keep Calm and Watch The Hobbit

I told you I am a nerd, right?
Well...

I have been excited for The Hobbit movie for the whole of 2012. I loved The Lords of the Rings trilogy, I have seen it more often than I can count and as my dad is what is probably the biggest LotR fan ever, we have the very extra special editions of all three movies. These editions each consist of four DVDs, two contain the movie itself and then there are many many great information on Tolkien, the LotR world, the making of the movies, the costumes, the characters, the philosophy behind some elements et cetera (I could go on for ages) on the other two DVDs. Whenever I watch LotR I admire the elves hair jealously, have the music stuck in my ear for weeks, start sewing/making something that reminds me of the costumes and consider learning elvish. Therefore I simply HAD to watch The Hobbit.

Things I liked about the movie:

• The soundtrack is AMAZING! The song of the dwarfes touches me every time I hear it, it creates a really strong atmosphere. I honestly could press eplay again and again and again...
• The length of the movie. People complain that it is too long, that such a short book should not be made into three movies that are each nearly three hours long, that they're just doing it for the money, blah blah blah... I completely disagree with those complaints! The length gave room for things that are not necessarily relevant for the plot but which gave the book this very special vibe and feeling. They could have shortened the scenes where the dwarfes are introduced and where they come to Bilbo's house, the story would still make sense. BUT: These are the scenes where we get to know them, where we start to love each of them with their little habits and quirks.  The scenes are also important to underline the contrast between them and Bilbo's way of life which again is important to understand why this whole journey is so hard for him. Another scene I loved was the riddle guessing between Bilbo and Smeagol/Gollum, the movie makers really took their time to allow the viewers to appreciate the wits of both Bilbo and Smeagol/Gollum.
• The costumes. As always. I mean, they're almost perfect! My favourites were Bilbo's vest with the golden buttons (and the loss of them as a symbol for leaving behind his comfortable and quiet life) and Thorin's costume. The rich blue fits him so very well!
• The dwarfes. They are funny, they are serious, they each have their very own character traits even though there are so many of them. My favoruites are a bit cliche: Thorin, obviously and his nephews Kíli and Fíli. It's the contrast of the stereotypical picture probably everyone has of dwarfes (which was partially manifested through the character Gimli in the LotR series) which struck me. Thorin is tall, smart and moody. Kíli and Fíli are young, light-hearted and reminded me a bit of Merry and Pippin. Also, Kíli's weapon is the bow, a typical elf weapon and he doesn't even have a beard but only a bit of stubble. Which leads me to the next thing: Thorin, Kíli and Fíli are HOT!!! Dwarfes are not supposed to be hot, at least that's what I first thought but hey, it doesn't hurt the story and their attractiveness again critisises the misconception of how dwarfes are supposed to be. A short question: What were they doing when they should have been watching the ponies? ^^
• The colours and pictures were even more beautiful than they were in the LotR trilogy.

What I didn't like about the movie:

•   The rhinestones on Galadriel's dress. What were the costume designers thinking when they applied them? They make the whole dress look cheap and costume-ish. Ugh.
• The 3D version. I saw the movie twice, once in 3D, once in 2D and I didn't enjoy the second version any less. I simply wasn't impressed by the 3D-effects and looking back I would have rather saved the money it costs to watch the 3D-version and invest it in seeing the movie a third time.

Have you seen the movie? Did you like it?
Have a great day,
The Countess