The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Difference between revisions

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*A long-standing feud between the [[Dwarves]] and the [[Elves]] was invented for the film, beginning with Thrór's refusal to give [[Thranduil]] a payment of gems (seen only in the [[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (extended edition)|Extended Edition]]), and fully manifesting when Thranduil then brings his Elf army to Erebor when Smaug is sacking it, only to then turn around and leave, offering no aid to the battling and fleeing [[Dwarves of Erebor|Dwarves]].
*A long-standing feud between the [[Dwarves]] and the [[Elves]] was invented for the film, beginning with Thrór's refusal to give [[Thranduil]] a payment of gems (seen only in the [[The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (extended edition)|Extended Edition]]), and fully manifesting when Thranduil then brings his Elf army to Erebor when Smaug is sacking it, only to then turn around and leave, offering no aid to the battling and fleeing [[Dwarves of Erebor|Dwarves]].
*Elijah Wood also appears briefly as [[Frodo Baggins]] toward the end of the prologue, whereas the character does not appear at all in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the beginning of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where Bilbo is also seen writing his book the day of his [[Bilbo's Farewell Party|Farewell Party]], and Frodo leaves to await [[Gandalf]]'s arrival.
*Elijah Wood also appears briefly as [[Frodo Baggins]] toward the end of the prologue, whereas the character does not appear at all in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the beginning of ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where Bilbo is also seen writing his book the day of his [[Bilbo's Farewell Party|Farewell Party]], and Frodo leaves to await [[Gandalf]]'s arrival.
*In the Extended Edition, Bilbo is seen visiting a market being somewhat paranoid because of Gandalf's visit in the morning, which doesn't happen in the book.
*The Dwarves do not quite arrive at Bag End in the same manner (first [[Dwalin]], then Balin, then both [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]], and then [[Óin]], [[Glóin]], [[Dori]], [[Nori]], [[Ori]], [[Bifur]], [[Bofur]], and [[Bombur]] all at once with Gandalf; Thorin arrives significantly later), and they do not have multi-colored hoods as they did in the book. Only Dwalin and Bofur appear to have musical instruments. Furthermore, Gandalf has a grey hat instead of a blue one, and his beard is grey, not white, as described in the book.
*The Dwarves do not quite arrive at Bag End in the same manner (first [[Dwalin]], then Balin, then both [[Fíli]] and [[Kíli]], and then [[Óin]], [[Glóin]], [[Dori]], [[Nori]], [[Ori]], [[Bifur]], [[Bofur]], and [[Bombur]] all at once with Gandalf; Thorin arrives significantly later), and they do not have multi-colored hoods as they did in the book. Only Dwalin and Bofur appear to have musical instruments. Furthermore, Gandalf has a grey hat instead of a blue one, and his beard is grey, not white, as described in the book.
*In the film, [[Bifur]] has an axe stuck in his head, disabling him to speak Westron, which is why he only speaks [[Khuzdul]].
*The Dwarves arrive in the evening, not afternoon, and only get a supper; no cake.
*The Dwarves arrive in the evening, not afternoon, and only get a supper; no cake.
*Dwalin says "Thorin travelled North to a meeting of our kin," and asks later if [[Dáin Ironfoot]] would be with them. In the books, there is no hint that there had been a meeting or that Thorin had asked Dáin to join them on the Quest. Also, the information that "The Dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years" isn't mentioned in [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s history.
*Dwalin says "Thorin travelled North to a meeting of our kin," and asks later if [[Dáin Ironfoot]] would be with them. In the books, there is no hint that there had been a meeting or that Thorin had asked Dáin to join them on the Quest. Also, the information that "The Dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years" given by Thorin and later on by [[Elrond]] (in the Extended Edition) isn't mentioned in [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]]'s history.
*The morning after the Unexpected Party, Bilbo awakes to see that Gandalf and the Dwarves have already gone, and he is alone. He ultimately decides of his own free will to "go on an adventure" rather than being initially reluctant, as in the book, where Gandalf essentially railroads Bilbo into going. In the film, Gandalf persuades Bilbo to live up to and take pride in the legacy of the [[Baggins Family|Bagginses]] as unconventional [[Hobbits]].
*The morning after the Unexpected Party, Bilbo awakes to see that Gandalf and the Dwarves have already gone, and he is alone. He ultimately decides of his own free will to "go on an adventure" rather than being initially reluctant, as in the book, where Gandalf essentially railroads Bilbo into going. In the film, Gandalf persuades Bilbo to live up to and take pride in the legacy of the [[Baggins Family|Bagginses]] as unconventional [[Hobbits]].
*Bilbo finds the Dwarves in the wood instead of first reading their letter saying they shall meet him at the [[Green Dragon]] in [[Bywater]].
*Bilbo finds the Dwarves in the wood instead of first reading their letter saying they shall meet him at the [[Green Dragon]] in [[Bywater]].
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*Two Orcs watch the Company resting and many will pursue them later on their whole journey. The leader of the Orc pack is revealed to be Azog, who has survived the Battle of Azanulbizar in these films (his left forearm replaced by a spike with a claw at the end), and appears as an additional antagonist who wants to kill Thorin (having long sworn "to wipe out the line of [[Durin]]"). Therefore, almost all the pursuits of Orcs in the trilogy are invented for the films, and only one of them appears in the book.
*Two Orcs watch the Company resting and many will pursue them later on their whole journey. The leader of the Orc pack is revealed to be Azog, who has survived the Battle of Azanulbizar in these films (his left forearm replaced by a spike with a claw at the end), and appears as an additional antagonist who wants to kill Thorin (having long sworn "to wipe out the line of [[Durin]]"). Therefore, almost all the pursuits of Orcs in the trilogy are invented for the films, and only one of them appears in the book.
*All of the Orcs speak [[Black Speech]] in these films. In the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'' film series]], and in all the books, the Orcs speak predominantly [[Westron]].
*All of the Orcs speak [[Black Speech]] in these films. In the [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''Lord of the Rings'' film series]], and in all the books, the Orcs speak predominantly [[Westron]].
*Gandalf tells Bilbo about the five [[Wizards]], introducing [[Radagast|Radagast the Brown]], who is only ever briefly mentioned in the books. He is first seen discovering a darkness growing in [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]]. Here, the timeframe of the movie is also very much shortened, for the first shadow fell on the Greenwood around {{TA|1000}}, 1900 years before the main events of this story. After having his home ambushed by [[spiders]], he wards them off with a spell while curing a [[Sebastian|hedgehog]] from witchcraft. He then follows the spiders' path to [[Dol Guldur]], where he encounters a [[Sauron#Sauron's Return|Necromancer]] and the [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]], with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes its [[Morgul-knife|Morgul blade]]. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of these incidents.
*Gandalf tells Bilbo about the five [[Wizards]], but says he had forgotten the names of the two [[Blue Wizards]], probably since their names Alatar and Pallando don't appear in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'', but only in works which the filmmakers didn't hold the rights for.
*The viewer is introduced to [[Radagast|Radagast the Brown]], who is only ever briefly mentioned in the books. He is first seen discovering a darkness growing in [[Mirkwood|Greenwood the Great]]. Here, the timeframe of the movie is also very much shortened, for the first shadow fell on the Greenwood around {{TA|1000}}, 1900 years before the main events of this story. After having his home ambushed by [[spiders]], he wards them off with a spell while curing a [[Sebastian|hedgehog]] from witchcraft. He then follows the spiders' path to [[Dol Guldur]], where he encounters a [[Sauron#Sauron's Return|Necromancer]] and the [[Witch-king]] of [[Angmar]], with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes its [[Morgul-knife|Morgul blade]]. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of these incidents.
*Bilbo goes to the [[Trolls]] because they steal the Dwarves' [[ponies]].
*Bilbo goes to the [[Trolls]] because they steal the Dwarves' [[ponies]].
*Bilbo is caught by the Trolls attempting to steal [[Tom]]'s knife to set the stolen ponies free rather than being given away by [[William]]'s [[talking purse|"talking" purse]].
*Bilbo is caught by the Trolls attempting to steal [[Tom]]'s knife to set the stolen ponies free rather than being given away by [[William]]'s [[talking purse|"talking" purse]].
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*In the book, Bilbo finds [[Sting]] and takes it. In the film, Gandalf comes upon it and gives it to Bilbo.
*In the book, Bilbo finds [[Sting]] and takes it. In the film, Gandalf comes upon it and gives it to Bilbo.
*The group is attacked by a pack of the Orc [[Wargs|Warg]] Riders on the way to [[Rivendell]] just after the Trolls sequence in the film, where Radagast aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orcs near Rivendell by diverting their attention on his [[Rabbits|rabbit]]-pulled sled, which did not happen in the book (along with nearly all of the Orc pursuits).
*The group is attacked by a pack of the Orc [[Wargs|Warg]] Riders on the way to [[Rivendell]] just after the Trolls sequence in the film, where Radagast aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orcs near Rivendell by diverting their attention on his [[Rabbits|rabbit]]-pulled sled, which did not happen in the book (along with nearly all of the Orc pursuits).
*In the film's Extended Edition, Bofur gets up and sings "[[The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late]]" while the Company is dining with the Elves in Rivendell, and the other Dwarves join him. This song does not appear in the [[legendarium]] until ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where Frodo sings it at [[the Prancing Pony]].  
*In the film's Extended Edition, Kíli is shown to somewhat fancy female Elves. Tolkien never alluded to any Dwarves in [[Middle-earth]] having any romantic interest in someone of another race.
*Also in the Extended Edition, Kíli is shown to somewhat fancy female Elves. Tolkien never alluded to any Dwarves in [[Middle-earth]] having any romantic interest in someone of another race.
*Also in the Extended Edition, Bofur gets up and sings "[[The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late]]" while the Company is dining with the Elves in Rivendell, and the other Dwarves join him. This song does not appear in the [[legendarium]] until ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', where Frodo sings it at [[the Prancing Pony]].
*The second storyline is mainly taken from the Appendices of ''The Lord of the Rings'', and its timeframe is also very much shortened: [[Elrond]] refers during the session of the [[White Council]] to the [[Watchful Peace]] by saying "For four hundred years we have lived in peace." At the start of the peace, Dol Guldur's growing power was already feared to be [[Sauron]]'s doing. Also in the movie, Elrond calls the Watchful Peace "hard-won," which isn't really correct because the Appendices tell that in {{TA|2063}}, Gandalf only goes to Dol Guldur whereupon the shadow retreats, thus, there can be no talk of a hard-won peace. In Tolkien's writings, the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron, and was at Dol Guldur during the events in ''The Hobbit'', since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and [[Saruman]] had discovered two years prior that Sauron had learned of [[Isildur]]'s [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields|loss]] of [[the One Ring]] at the [[Gladden Fields]] by the river [[Anduin]] and the Dark Lord's [[Nazgûl|servants]] were searching the area (though he did not inform the Council of this discovery).
*An extended scene shows Elrond to be worried about Thorin's Quest since he fears that Thorin will suffer the same sickness [[Thráin|Thráin II]] and Thrór succumbed to. There's no hint to this in the book.
*The second storyline is mainly taken from the Appendices of ''The Lord of the Rings'', and its timeframe is also very much shortened: [[Elrond]] refers during the session of the White Council to the [[Watchful Peace]] by saying "For four hundred years we have lived in peace." At the start of the peace, Dol Guldur's growing power was already feared to be [[Sauron]]'s doing. Also in the movie, Elrond calls the Watchful Peace "hard-won," which isn't really correct because the Appendices tell that in {{TA|2063}}, Gandalf only goes to Dol Guldur whereupon the shadow retreats, thus, there can be no talk of a hard-won peace. In Tolkien's writings, the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron, and was at Dol Guldur during the events in ''The Hobbit'', since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and [[Saruman]] had discovered two years prior that Sauron had learned of [[Isildur]]'s [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields|loss]] of [[the One Ring]] at the [[Gladden Fields]] by the river [[Anduin]] and the Dark Lord's [[Nazgûl|servants]] were searching the area (though he did not inform the Council of this discovery). Thus, the council's trying to figure out what this threat could be and Gandalf's worrying about the "vanishing" of the last of the [[Seven Rings]] and its [[Thráin|bearer]] (seen in an extended scene of the meeting) don't correspond with the books' timeline.
*The White Council is described as having more members than depicted in the film.
*The White Council is described as having more members than depicted in the film.
*Also at the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near [[Fornost Erain]], had been killed and sealed in a tomb in the [[High Fells of Rhudaur]] that could not be opened. This is a significant departure from Tolkien's writings, in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In {{TA|1974}}, [[Glorfindel]] had stopped pursuit of the Witch-king and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall" (which presages the dramatic moment in ''[[The Return of the King]]'' when [[Éowyn]] is able to kill him because she is not a man).<ref name="AppA">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''The Lord of the Rings,'' Appendix A (I, iv).</ref> Furthermore, per Tolkien, the White Council knew the Witch-king had not been killed because he and the rest of the [[Nazgûl]] had previously been fighting with [[Gondor]], and had captured (and presumably killed) the last [[Kings of Gondor|King of Gondor]] at [[Minas Morgul]] in {{TA|2050}}, long after he had fled the North.<ref name="AppB">J.R.R. Tolkien, ''The Lord of the Rings,'' Appendix B</ref> The High Fells of Rhudaur and the story of the Morgul blade are invented for the film.
*Also at the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near [[Fornost Erain]], had been killed and sealed in a tomb in the [[High Fells of Rhudaur]] that could not be opened. This is a significant departure from Tolkien's writings, in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In {{TA|1974}}, [[Glorfindel]] had stopped pursuit of the Witch-king and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall" (which presages the dramatic moment in ''[[The Return of the King]]'' when [[Éowyn]] is able to kill him because she is not a man).<ref name="AppA">[[J.R.R. Tolkien]], ''The Lord of the Rings,'' Appendix A (I, iv).</ref> Furthermore, per Tolkien, the White Council knew the Witch-king had not been killed because he and the rest of the [[Nazgûl]] had previously been fighting with [[Gondor]], and had captured (and presumably killed) the last [[Kings of Gondor|King of Gondor]] at [[Minas Morgul]] in {{TA|2050}}, long after he had fled the North.<ref name="AppB">J.R.R. Tolkien, ''The Lord of the Rings,'' Appendix B</ref> The High Fells of Rhudaur and the story of the Morgul blade are invented for the film.
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*When travelling along the mountain pass in the book, Bilbo and the Dwarves observe the stone [[Giants]] hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley," whereas, in the film, they become unwittingly involved when the mountainside on which they are standing comes to life and joins in the "thunder battle."
*When travelling along the mountain pass in the book, Bilbo and the Dwarves observe the stone [[Giants]] hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley," whereas, in the film, they become unwittingly involved when the mountainside on which they are standing comes to life and joins in the "thunder battle."
*In the movie, after Thorin has shown his dislike for Bilbo several times, while inside the [[Front Porch|Goblin cave]], Bilbo finally wants to go home, but Bofur tries to persuade him to stay.
*In the movie, after Thorin has shown his dislike for Bilbo several times, while inside the [[Front Porch|Goblin cave]], Bilbo finally wants to go home, but Bofur tries to persuade him to stay.
*It was Bilbo who alerted the party when the trap doors in the Goblin cave open in the book. In the film, Bofur recognizes Sting gleaming blue, and the other Dwarves realize the danger just as the ground gives way and they begin to fall into the hole.
*It was Bilbo who alerted the party when the trap doors in the Goblin cave open in the book. In the film, Bofur recognizes Sting gleaming blue, and the other Dwarves realize the danger just as the ground gives way and they begin to fall into the hole.
*In the book, the [[Orcs#Orcs and Goblins|Goblins]] only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
*In the book, the [[Orcs#Orcs and Goblins|Goblins]] only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
*Bilbo's encounter with [[Gollum]] in the book occurs after he is lost during the Company's escape from Goblin-town, whereas here it happens concurrently with the Dwarves' audience with the [[Great Goblin|Goblin King]] (due to Bilbo's eluding captivity from the Goblins and falling down a chasm during the struggle with one of them).
*Bilbo's encounter with [[Gollum]] in the book occurs after he is lost during the Company's escape from Goblin-town, whereas here it happens concurrently with the Dwarves' audience with the [[Great Goblin|Goblin King]] (due to Bilbo's eluding captivity from the Goblins and falling down a chasm during the struggle with one of them). The Great Goblin also sings a variation of a song which is sung in the book by the Goblins escorting the captured Dwarves to the big cavern.
*The Company appears to have stolen some equipment from Rivendell, which the Great Goblin then examines.
*In the books, Fíli and Kíli are said to be the youngest, but in the movie, the Goblin King points out Ori as the youngest.
*In the books, Fíli and Kíli are said to be the youngest, but in the movie, the Goblin King points out Ori as the youngest.
*In the book, Bilbo finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In the film, he sees Gollum fighting with the same Goblin with whom he fell down the chasm, and then we see the Ring fall out of Gollum's loincloth during the tussle. After Gollum drags off the Goblin's body, Bilbo then goes over, picks it up, examines it, and puts it in his pocket. The scene is quite different from the one in the prologue of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', even without the different actors.
*In the book, Bilbo finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In the film, he sees Gollum fighting with the same Goblin with whom he fell down the chasm, and then we see the Ring fall out of Gollum's loincloth during the tussle. After Gollum drags off the Goblin's body, Bilbo then goes over, picks it up, examines it, and puts it in his pocket. The scene is quite different from the one in the prologue of ''The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'', even without the different actors.

Revision as of 00:36, 27 July 2016

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit. It was released on 14 December 2012 in North America. It was followed by The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 and by The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014.

Synopsis

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Warner Bros. Press Release[5]

Plot

On his eleventy-first (111th) birthday, the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins decides to write down the full story of the adventure he took 60 years before for his nephew Frodo. Bilbo writes about how, prior to his own actual involvement, the Dwarf Thrór was king of Erebor and brought an era of prosperity to his kin until the arrival of Smaug the Dragon. Drawn by the amount of gold that the Dwarves have amassed, Smaug destroyed the nearby town of Dale before driving the Dwarves out of Erebor. Thrór's grandson, Thorin Oakenshield, sees King Thranduil and his Wood-elves on a nearby hillside and is dismayed to find them taking their leave rather than aiding his people. This makes Thorin develop an everlasting hatred of Elves.

Following this, Bilbo is tricked by the Wizard Gandalf the Grey into hosting a party for Thorin and his band of Dwarves, which doubles as Bilbo's recruitment as the Dwarves' "burglar" to help them recover their treasure and their home from Smaug. Bilbo reluctantly joins the company on their journey to the Lonely Mountain, Thorin previously believing he would refuse. The group is captured by 3 Mountain Trolls, Tom, Bert, and William, but Bilbo is able to stall the Trolls from eating them until dawn, when Gandalf saves the company by exposing the Trolls to sunlight, turning them into stone. They search the Trolls' cave and find treasure and Elven blades. Thorin and Gandalf each take an Elf-wrought blade -- Orcrist and Glamdring, respectively. Gandalf also finds an Elven short-sword, later to be known as Sting, which he gives to Bilbo. Being Elven blades of the First Age, Gandalf says they glow when near Orcs or Goblins. However, only Sting actually does so.

The group encounters Radagast the Brown, a Wizard who lives in the forest of Greenwood. He tells them of a strange presence he encountered at Dol Guldur and how it is poisoning the forest. The group is then chased by Orcs on Wargs, with Radagast drawing them off with his Rhosgobel Rabbits-pulled sled. Gandalf leads them through a stone passage to Rivendell as the Wargs and Orcs above are slain by Elven riders. Elrond discloses the map's indication of a secret door that will be visible only on Durin's Day. Gandalf talks with the White Council (Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the White) about his involvement with the Dwarves, explaining the presence Radagast encountered and expresses mild suspicion that this Necromancer is the Dark Lord. The others are skeptical, believing Sauron to have been defeated forever, and that this Necromancer is not a true threat. Elsewhere, at Weathertop, Yazneg, the leader of the attacking Orc party, reports back to his master Azog of his failure, who then kills the unfortunate Orc. Azog then issues a bounty upon Thorin's head, and races off with the rest of his party.

Against the Council's wishes, Gandalf sends Bilbo and the Dwarves toward the Misty Mountains. While passing through the mountains, Bilbo and the Dwarves encounter a battle between three stone giants, and are forced to take refuge in a cave. Elsewhere, Azog and his Orcs follow the Dwarves' trail to the Misty Mountains. While the company sleeps, Bilbo decides to leave and return to Rivendell after talking to Bofur, who believes in him. He is overheard by Thorin, who believes he has been proven right that the hobbit is not up to the quest. But before Bilbo can leave, they are all captured by Goblins and taken to their leader, the Goblin King. Gandalf arrives and saves the Dwarves from the Goblins. They then fight their way out of Goblin-town, killing the Goblin King during their escape. Bilbo was separated from the Dwarves right after their capture and encounters Gollum, who accidentally drops a mysterious ring while killing a stray Goblin to feed on. Picking up the ring and placing it in his pocket, Bilbo finds himself confronted by Gollum. They play a Riddle-game, wagering that Bilbo will be shown the way out if he wins, or eaten by Gollum if he loses. After Bilbo wins by asking Gollum what he has in his pocket, Gollum realizes Bilbo has stolen the ring and attacks him. Bilbo discovers the ring grants him invisibility and evades a furious Gollum, following him to find the way out and deciding out of pity not to kill him, despite having the chance to do so.

Bilbo rejoins the group once he sees them after hearing Thorin voice his doubts he will return, keeping the ring he found secret. The moment of triumph is cut short as they are ambushed by Azog and his hunting party. After taking refuge in cliffside trees before the Wargs uproot most of them, the final tree is partially uprooted, leaving most of the Company hanging over the cliffside. Thorin then charges Azog in an attempt to save the others, but is badly wounded and knocked to the ground. Bilbo defends Thorin from being killed, and as Azog's other Orcs move in, Fíli, Kíli and Dwalin rush in and attack them, and a fight ensues. The group is then saved by Eagles, who fly them to safety on the Carrock. Gandalf wakes the unconscious Thorin, who finally accepts Bilbo for his courage and bravery. As the party sees the destiny of their journey, the Lonely Mountain in the distance, Smaug awakens.

Scenes

  1. Prologue: The Fall of Erebor **
  2. "In a Hole in the Ground There Lived a Hobbit"
  3. Very Old Friends
  4. Mr. Baggins *
  5. An Unexpected Party
  6. "Blunt the Knives" **
  7. A Map, a Key and a Contract
  8. "Misty Mountains"
  9. "... The World Ahead"
  10. The Battle of Azanulbizar
  11. Radagast the Brown
  12. Trollshaws
  13. Roast Mutton
  14. A Troll-hoard
  15. The Hill of Sorcery
  16. Warg-scouts
  17. Rivendell **
  18. A Short Rest **
  19. Moon Runes
  20. The Defiler
  21. The Last Homely House *
  22. The White Council **
  23. "Why the Halfling?"
  24. Over Hill
  25. Under Hill
  26. The Great Goblin **
  27. Riddles in the Dark
  28. Biter and Beater
  29. The Ring
  30. Escape from Goblin-town
  31. The Pity of Bilbo
  32. "Home Is Behind..."
  33. Out of the Frying Pan...
  34. A Good Omen
  35. Credits

* denotes a scene only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.
** denotes a scene which includes extended content only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.

Cast

See also: The Hobbit (film series)#People involved
Actor Role
Richard Armitage Thorin[6]
Erin Banks Lobelia Sackville-Baggins (Extended Edition only)
Timothy Bartlett Master Worrywort
Manu Bennett Azog
Cate Blanchett Galadriel[6]
Jed Brophy Nori[6]
Adam Brown Ori[6]
John Callen Óin[6]
Benedict Cumberbatch The Necromancer
Smaug
Luke Evans Girion (Extended Edition only)
Sonia Forbes-Adam Belladonna Baggins (Extended Edition only)
Martin Freeman Bilbo Baggins[6]
Tim Gordon Old Hob (Extended Edition only)
Mark Hadlow Dori[6]
Bert[6]
Peter Hambleton Glóin[6]
William[6]
Dan Hennah The Old Took[7] (Extended Edition only)
Ian Holm Older Bilbo Baggins[6]
Brian Hotter Otho Sackville-Baggins (Extended Edition only)
Barry Humphries Goblin King[6]
Stephen Hunter Bombur[6]
Katie Jackson Hobbit (Extended Edition only)
Peter Jackson Erebor Dwarf refugee
William Kircher Bifur[6]
Tom[6]
Christopher Lee Saruman the White
Sylvester McCoy Radagast the Brown[6]
Ian McKellen Gandalf the Grey[6]
Bret McKenzie Lindir
Graham McTavish Dwalin[6]
Mike Mizrahi Thráin
James Nesbitt Bofur[6]
Mary Nesbitt Girl of Dale
Peggy Nesbitt Girl of Dale
Dean O'Gorman[note 1] Fíli[6]
Lee Pace Thranduil
John Rawls Yazneg
Thomas Robins Young Thráin
Andy Serkis Gollum[6]
Kiran Shah Goblin Scribe
Merv Smith Tosser Grubb (Extended Edition only)
Oscar Strik Young Bilbo Baggins (Extended Edition only)
Conan Stevens[note 2] Bolg[6]
Ken Stott Balin[6]
Jeffrey Thomas Thrór
Aidan Turner Kíli[6]
Stephen Ure Fimbul
Grinnah
Eric Vespe Fredegar Chubb (Extended Edition only)
Hugo Weaving Elrond[6]
Richard Whiteside Dwarf guard
Elijah Wood Frodo Baggins[6]

Deviations from the source material

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey covers the first six chapters of The Hobbit with a few elements added from the Appendices from The Lord of the Rings. While it follows the story quite closely, a number of liberties were still taken:

  • The film begins with a prologue in which Bilbo Baggins awakens in the early hours of the morning of his 111th birthday and begins to write There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Holiday in what would become the Red Book of Westmarch. In The Hobbit, he had already begun to write the book shortly after returning to Bag End.
  • Before beginning the first chapter of his book, Bilbo also details the background of his adventure, first recounting the rise and fall of Erebor and Dale, and then the arrival of Smaug - much of the same information recounted by Thorin and the other Dwarves during the Unexpected Party. The Arkenstone is found under Thrór's rule instead of that of Thráin I, and is not carried away into the Grey Mountains by Thorin I and ultimately carried back by Thrór. Thrór interprets its discovery as his divine right to rule. Thorin and Balin are shown as adults, although in the books at the time of the sack they were a mere 24 and 7 years old, respectively. Thorin is even shown as a captain giving orders, and, thus, not outside the Mountain during the attack of the Dragon, as written in the book.
  • A long-standing feud between the Dwarves and the Elves was invented for the film, beginning with Thrór's refusal to give Thranduil a payment of gems (seen only in the Extended Edition), and fully manifesting when Thranduil then brings his Elf army to Erebor when Smaug is sacking it, only to then turn around and leave, offering no aid to the battling and fleeing Dwarves.
  • Elijah Wood also appears briefly as Frodo Baggins toward the end of the prologue, whereas the character does not appear at all in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, where Bilbo is also seen writing his book the day of his Farewell Party, and Frodo leaves to await Gandalf's arrival.
  • In the Extended Edition, Bilbo is seen visiting a market being somewhat paranoid because of Gandalf's visit in the morning, which doesn't happen in the book.
  • The Dwarves do not quite arrive at Bag End in the same manner (first Dwalin, then Balin, then both Fíli and Kíli, and then Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur all at once with Gandalf; Thorin arrives significantly later), and they do not have multi-colored hoods as they did in the book. Only Dwalin and Bofur appear to have musical instruments. Furthermore, Gandalf has a grey hat instead of a blue one, and his beard is grey, not white, as described in the book.
  • In the film, Bifur has an axe stuck in his head, disabling him to speak Westron, which is why he only speaks Khuzdul.
  • The Dwarves arrive in the evening, not afternoon, and only get a supper; no cake.
  • Dwalin says "Thorin travelled North to a meeting of our kin," and asks later if Dáin Ironfoot would be with them. In the books, there is no hint that there had been a meeting or that Thorin had asked Dáin to join them on the Quest. Also, the information that "The Dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years" given by Thorin and later on by Elrond (in the Extended Edition) isn't mentioned in Tolkien's history.
  • The morning after the Unexpected Party, Bilbo awakes to see that Gandalf and the Dwarves have already gone, and he is alone. He ultimately decides of his own free will to "go on an adventure" rather than being initially reluctant, as in the book, where Gandalf essentially railroads Bilbo into going. In the film, Gandalf persuades Bilbo to live up to and take pride in the legacy of the Bagginses as unconventional Hobbits.
  • Bilbo finds the Dwarves in the wood instead of first reading their letter saying they shall meet him at the Green Dragon in Bywater.
  • Gandalf and the Dwarves had bet on whether or not Bilbo would ultimately join them.
  • Bilbo was shown to be allergic to horses.
  • The time of 171 years between the Sack of Erebor in T.A. 2770 and the Quest of Erebor in T.A. 2941 has been somewhat reduced and compressed for these films.
  • The War of the Dwarves and Orcs is condensed into just the Battle of Azanulbizar (recounted by Balin in a flashback, and also referred to as the Battle of Moria throughout the trilogy), where Thrór leads an army of Dwarves against an army of Orcs in an attempt to reclaim Moria as their home not long after the Sack of Erebor. Thrór is decapitated by Azog during the battle instead of prior to it (which was the actual reason for the war), and Thorin cuts off Azog's left forearm, while Dáin (who ultimately kills Azog during the battle in the books) does not appear at all in the sequence.
  • Two Orcs watch the Company resting and many will pursue them later on their whole journey. The leader of the Orc pack is revealed to be Azog, who has survived the Battle of Azanulbizar in these films (his left forearm replaced by a spike with a claw at the end), and appears as an additional antagonist who wants to kill Thorin (having long sworn "to wipe out the line of Durin"). Therefore, almost all the pursuits of Orcs in the trilogy are invented for the films, and only one of them appears in the book.
  • All of the Orcs speak Black Speech in these films. In the Lord of the Rings film series, and in all the books, the Orcs speak predominantly Westron.
  • Gandalf tells Bilbo about the five Wizards, but says he had forgotten the names of the two Blue Wizards, probably since their names Alatar and Pallando don't appear in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, but only in works which the filmmakers didn't hold the rights for.
  • The viewer is introduced to Radagast the Brown, who is only ever briefly mentioned in the books. He is first seen discovering a darkness growing in Greenwood the Great. Here, the timeframe of the movie is also very much shortened, for the first shadow fell on the Greenwood around T.A. 1000, 1900 years before the main events of this story. After having his home ambushed by spiders, he wards them off with a spell while curing a hedgehog from witchcraft. He then follows the spiders' path to Dol Guldur, where he encounters a Necromancer and the Witch-king of Angmar, with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes its Morgul blade. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of these incidents.
  • Bilbo goes to the Trolls because they steal the Dwarves' ponies.
  • Bilbo is caught by the Trolls attempting to steal Tom's knife to set the stolen ponies free rather than being given away by William's "talking" purse.
  • While Bilbo does manage to set the ponies free during the Company's skirmish with the Trolls, it is the last they see of them. In the book, the Company had the ponies until reaching the cave in the Misty Mountains.
  • The Dwarves surrender when the Trolls catch Bilbo and threaten to rip him apart instead of being overpowered and popped into bags.
  • Bilbo - not Gandalf - stalls the Trolls until dawn's arrival in the film. They are turned to stone when Gandalf exposes them to the sun upon his return by breaking a large boulder behind them in half with his staff.
  • The Trolls' cave is wide open, and there is no locked door blocking it.
  • In the book, Bilbo finds Sting and takes it. In the film, Gandalf comes upon it and gives it to Bilbo.
  • The group is attacked by a pack of the Orc Warg Riders on the way to Rivendell just after the Trolls sequence in the film, where Radagast aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orcs near Rivendell by diverting their attention on his rabbit-pulled sled, which did not happen in the book (along with nearly all of the Orc pursuits).
  • In the film's Extended Edition, Kíli is shown to somewhat fancy female Elves. Tolkien never alluded to any Dwarves in Middle-earth having any romantic interest in someone of another race.
  • Also in the Extended Edition, Bofur gets up and sings "The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late" while the Company is dining with the Elves in Rivendell, and the other Dwarves join him. This song does not appear in the legendarium until The Fellowship of the Ring, where Frodo sings it at the Prancing Pony.
  • An extended scene shows Elrond to be worried about Thorin's Quest since he fears that Thorin will suffer the same sickness Thráin II and Thrór succumbed to. There's no hint to this in the book.
  • The second storyline is mainly taken from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, and its timeframe is also very much shortened: Elrond refers during the session of the White Council to the Watchful Peace by saying "For four hundred years we have lived in peace." At the start of the peace, Dol Guldur's growing power was already feared to be Sauron's doing. Also in the movie, Elrond calls the Watchful Peace "hard-won," which isn't really correct because the Appendices tell that in T.A. 2063, Gandalf only goes to Dol Guldur whereupon the shadow retreats, thus, there can be no talk of a hard-won peace. In Tolkien's writings, the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron, and was at Dol Guldur during the events in The Hobbit, since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and Saruman had discovered two years prior that Sauron had learned of Isildur's loss of the One Ring at the Gladden Fields by the river Anduin and the Dark Lord's servants were searching the area (though he did not inform the Council of this discovery). Thus, the council's trying to figure out what this threat could be and Gandalf's worrying about the "vanishing" of the last of the Seven Rings and its bearer (seen in an extended scene of the meeting) don't correspond with the books' timeline.
  • The White Council is described as having more members than depicted in the film.
  • Also at the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near Fornost Erain, had been killed and sealed in a tomb in the High Fells of Rhudaur that could not be opened. This is a significant departure from Tolkien's writings, in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In T.A. 1974, Glorfindel had stopped pursuit of the Witch-king and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall" (which presages the dramatic moment in The Return of the King when Éowyn is able to kill him because she is not a man).[8] Furthermore, per Tolkien, the White Council knew the Witch-king had not been killed because he and the rest of the Nazgûl had previously been fighting with Gondor, and had captured (and presumably killed) the last King of Gondor at Minas Morgul in T.A. 2050, long after he had fled the North.[9] The High Fells of Rhudaur and the story of the Morgul blade are invented for the film.
  • Gandalf stays with the White Council and the Dwarves leave Rivendell in secret (though Gandalf already knows of their departure), partly because the Council (especially Saruman) doesn't endorse the Quest, whereas in the books the Council never is concerned with it. In the book, Gandalf accompanies the Dwarves until the cave and follows them afterwards secretly to Goblin-town.
  • When travelling along the mountain pass in the book, Bilbo and the Dwarves observe the stone Giants hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley," whereas, in the film, they become unwittingly involved when the mountainside on which they are standing comes to life and joins in the "thunder battle."
  • In the movie, after Thorin has shown his dislike for Bilbo several times, while inside the Goblin cave, Bilbo finally wants to go home, but Bofur tries to persuade him to stay.
  • It was Bilbo who alerted the party when the trap doors in the Goblin cave open in the book. In the film, Bofur recognizes Sting gleaming blue, and the other Dwarves realize the danger just as the ground gives way and they begin to fall into the hole.
  • In the book, the Goblins only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
  • Bilbo's encounter with Gollum in the book occurs after he is lost during the Company's escape from Goblin-town, whereas here it happens concurrently with the Dwarves' audience with the Goblin King (due to Bilbo's eluding captivity from the Goblins and falling down a chasm during the struggle with one of them). The Great Goblin also sings a variation of a song which is sung in the book by the Goblins escorting the captured Dwarves to the big cavern.
  • The Company appears to have stolen some equipment from Rivendell, which the Great Goblin then examines.
  • In the books, Fíli and Kíli are said to be the youngest, but in the movie, the Goblin King points out Ori as the youngest.
  • In the book, Bilbo finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In the film, he sees Gollum fighting with the same Goblin with whom he fell down the chasm, and then we see the Ring fall out of Gollum's loincloth during the tussle. After Gollum drags off the Goblin's body, Bilbo then goes over, picks it up, examines it, and puts it in his pocket. The scene is quite different from the one in the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, even without the different actors.
  • Gollum has nine teeth in the film, rather than six.
  • Some of the riddles are omitted in the movie.
  • It isn't made clear that the Company spends several days under the Mountains. In general in the trilogy, it isn't mentioned how long all the journey lasts. For example, Bilbo finds the Company immediately after leaving the caverns; in the book, he looks for them much longer.
  • The Dwarves get trapped by Wargs and Orcs not on a clearing, but on a cliff with all trees falling until all the Company sits on one tree hanging over the cliff, almost falling to their deaths.
  • Bilbo and some of the Dwarves do not come down from the fir tree and charge the Goblins (or Orcs, in this case) and Wargs in the book once they've been trapped in them. Of course, Azog isn't there, either, pursuing especially for Thorin. Thus, Bilbo doen't save Thorin's life by fighting the Orc ordered by Azog to decapitate him.
  • As in the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf sends for the Eagles by catching a moth and giving it a message. In the book, the Eagles see the fire in the distance and fly over to investigate, and, thus, their rescue of the Company was mostly circumstantial.
  • As in the Lord of the Rings films, the Eagles do not speak.
  • The Eagles take the Company directly to the Carrock, bypassing the Eyrie.
  • The film features a final reconciliation between Thorin and Bilbo after Thorin's heavy resentment against Bilbo through most of it. In The Quest of Erebor, Gandalf says that Thorin's disfavour against Bilbo was stronger than he showed openly.

Music

The score for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was composed by Howard Shore, and was performed and recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.[10]

Two editions of the soundtrack was released by WaterTower Music on 11 December 2012:

The song featured in the credits to An Unexpected Journey, Song of the Lonely Mountain, was performed by Neil Finn and released 12 November 2012. It was first released on RollingStone.com.[11]

Distribution

Theatrical release

An Unexpected Journey had its world première in Wellington, New Zealand, on 28 November 2012. The film was released in cinemas in New Zealand on 12 December, 13 December in Europe, 14 December in India, Canada and United States, and 26 December in Australia.

Home media

An Unexpected Journey was released on DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, and as a digital download on 19 March 2013.[12] The release date in the United Kingdom was 8 April.[12]

An extended edition of An Unexpected Journey, which includes an additional thirteen minutes of footage, was released in the UK on digital download on 22 October and on Blu-ray and DVD on 4 November.[13]

Promotion

Promotional posters

See also: Category:Images of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey posters
Promotional posters for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The first promotional poster.  
The second promotional poster.  
The third promotional poster.  
The fourth promotional poster.  

Trailers

Template:VideosHD

See also

External links

Notes

  1. Rob Kazinsky was initially cast as Fíli. (see: Peter Jackson, "Casting news!" dated 30 April 2011, Facebook (accessed 21 December 2011)
  2. Conan Stevens was initially cast as Azog. (see: Peter Jackson, "Casting News for The Hobbit" dated 19 May 2011, Facebook (accessed 21 December 2011)).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Titles and Release Dates Announced" dated 31 May 2011, The Hobbit Blog (accessed 21 December 2011)
  2. "Andy Serkis to serve as Second Unit Director" dated 8 April 2011, The Hobbit Blog (accessed 21 December 2011)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Peter Jackson, "Production begins in New Zealand on The Hobbit" dated 20 March 2011, Facebook (accessed 21 December 2011)
  4. "The Hobbit Trilogy titles and release dates" dated 2 September 2012, The Hobbit Blog (accessed 2 September 2012)
  5. "THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY", Warner Bros. (accessed 19 November 2012)
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 Brian Sibley, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Official Movie Guide (2012)
  7. Daniel Falconer, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Chronicles: Art & Design, p. 30
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A (I, iv).
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B
  10. Doug Adams, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack Album Coming December 11" dated 1 November 2012, Doug Adam's Blog (accessed 20 November 2012)
  11. "Neil Finn Reaches Epic Heights on 'Song of the Lonely Mountain' – Song Premiere" dated 12 November 2012, RollingStone.com (accessed 20 November 2012)
  12. 12.0 12.1 lilymilos, "Sneak Peek of ‘Desolation of Smaug’ on Hobbit Blu-ray" dated 6 February 2013, Middle-earth Network News (accessed 9 February 2013) Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "UKDVD" defined multiple times with different content
  13. Orlando Parfitt, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition deleted scene (Exclusive)" dated 31 July 2013, Yahoo Movies (accessed 19 August 2013)

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