THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY trailer is up. We need to watch it about 39 more times before we can really render judgement, but Empire has a nice breakdown, including this guide to the dwarves, and already some “how they did it” info.
The tone is pure LORD OF THE RINGS, none of this kid’s tale stuff. And obviously the story is going to borrow liberally from the appendices — Dol Gulder! Galadriel and Gandalf (The White Council!) The shards of Narsil!
If they are going with the White Council, maybe we’ll get some Imrahil and Cirdan action?
Speaking of action, some are surprised the dwarves look so young. It is a BIT of a different take, but not necessarily one against Tolkien’s intention—and takes the dwarves a bit out of the comedy role into which they are usually put. By that token, it’s interesting that Balin looks so old. Maybe after THE HOBBIT, Jackson can make a horror film called “The Mines of Moria” about the abortive colonization attempt in T.A. 2994.
Also Peter Jackson and Co. clearly knew that the slash faction based on the making of video alone is worth millions here. Just the way Richard Armitage’s Thorin says “fate” gave us chills.
Bottom line: we sense Bofur as the breakout dwarf. He looks equally at home in the halls of the Iron Mountains and filling up his Growler with Goose Island down at the Duane Reade on Bedford.
And Martin Freeman: thumbs up.
While the squees of glee among Tolkienistas at the trailer’s appearance could be heard all the way to the sea of Rhûn, some viewers were underwhelmed. We admit, that Lemmiwinks song did not help matters. Singing is a big part of the original, but the tunes from the Rankin Bass version may have ruined the idea of jolly hobbit songs in a serious epic. We’ll have to see how this plays out.
Short version: I HAVE TO STAY ALIVE UNTIL DECEMBER 2012.
Larger version of the trailer here.
I watched this last night and then went back and watched the production diaries they’ve been releasing sporadically this year. They drop some spoilers here and there in them, some of which are surprising, and I’m really curious to see how they pan out. Have you seen them, Heidi? Looks like everyone’s favorite obscure member of the White Council, Radagast the Brown, is going to be in it, although to what extent remains to be seen.
I’m not judging you for spelling Judgment wrong in the first paragraph. A lot of people misspell it that way, it’s a tough hobbit to break.
Judgement is the Brit spelling, upon my honour.
“Judgement is the Brit spelling, upon my honour.”
When we were doing TRINITY, one of the most difficult recurring bits of proofreading was:
It’s spelled “judgment,” unless we’re referring to the Tarot card, which is “Judgement.” British spelling.
Had to be fixed (sometimes multiple times, after it got fixed back by someone helpful) virtually every time.
kdb
I prefer “judgement” myself, personally. After all, how do you get a soft “g” without the “e” after it?
The word judgement is merely a variant of judgment.
SRS
Beware! Prepare for events new to all your past experiences! This is the strange assignment upon which Heidi M. and her young friends of the internet have embarked! Come to The Beat–the sub-world of bizarre sub-cultures who live with a secret–a secret Heidi M. hopes to ferret out–
Heidi M. must come to grips with THE MOUNTAIN OF JUDGMENT!
And the greatest obstacle in Heidi’s path is her pals the Grammar Police!