the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

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Great Goblin

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The Great Goblin , also known as the Goblin King , is a supporting antagonist in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Hobbit and one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Yazneg ) in Peter Jackson's 2012 film adaptation The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . He is a goblin leader who lived within the Misty Mountains in Middle-earth during the Third Age. 

In Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy, he was portrayed by the late Barry Humphries . In Rankin-Bass' 1977 animated adaptation of The Hobbit , he was voiced by the late John Stephenson , who also played Black Knight Ghost , the Mummy of Ankha , the Caveman , and Redbeard in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? , and Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse in the mid-1970s run of the Tom & Jerry franchise.

• 1.1 The Hobbit
• 1.2 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• 2.1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• 4 External Links
• 5 Navigation

Biography [ ]

The hobbit [ ].

In the original novel, the Goblin King's followers captured Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo and company during the Quest of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain, and took them to their underground stronghold, Goblin-town. When he found the group was carrying an Elf-made blade which had killed many Goblins , he gave orders for them to be imprisoned and tortured. He tried to attack Thorin, but was slain by Gandalf. His death incites the Goblins to go after the company.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey [ ]

In the film, he attempted to collect the reward Azog the Defiler put on Thorin's head when he, the other dwarves, and the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins stumbled into Goblin Town through a trap door. Bilbo managed to slip away, but during a sword fight with one of the Goblins, he and the Goblin both fell down into the Goblin tunnels, where the creature  Gollum  resided. Bilbo eventually managed to escape after finding and taking the One Ring .

Meanwhile, the Dwarves were brought before the Goblin King. When Thorin stepped up and revealed himself, the Goblin King revealed his intention to sell him out to Azog the Defiler for the "pretty price for his unattached head". He sent his messenger to inform Azog that he had found his prize.

Later, while sadistically singing about brutally torturing and killing the Dwarves, the goblin lieutenant Grinnah searching Thorin discovered the sword that was recognized as the "Goblin cleaver". Enraged, the Goblin King ordered the execution of the Dwarves, but before they could kill them, Gandalf the Grey reappeared and scattered the goblins into disarray. He encouraged the Dwarves to fight and escape. Thorin's company proceeds to fight their way through Goblin Town, only to be confronted by the Goblin King as he bursts up from the bridge allowing their escape. He jeers at Gandalf, saying "you thought you could escape me" and asking him "what will you do now wizard?" Gandalf swiftly retaliates by ramming his staff into the Goblin King's left eye and slashing his stomach with his sword.

The Goblin King, now at the mercy of Gandalf, utters "that'll do it" before the latter slices his neck, killing him.

Personality [ ]

The Great Goblin was a vile and sadistic individual. Taking pleasure in watching others suffer. Even his own people. He was very sarcastic and enjoyed talking down to people. He was very disliked by his people after years of him enslaving them.

He was an extremely selfish king who didn't care about anyone, but himself. He used his people to get what he wanted. Putting many of them in danger and even killing some of them himself along the way. He used some of his minions as foot stools and foot massages, and he would even step on them to get on and off his throne, likely killing most of them. He was also very gluttonous. He enjoyed an extravegant lifestyle hoarding as much food as he could while his people starved. He also didn't like to get his hands dirty, often commanding his people to do all the hard work for him. After years of sitting on his throne eating most of the kingdoms food he became extremely obese. He barely managed to walk without using his staff for support.

He was also a very greedy individual and he loved treasure and riches. His biggest motivation in the movie is to increase his wealth. Either by stealing the dwarves' treasure or getting money for Thorin's head.

His cowardice is also a key trait of the king. He rarely went into battle himself and relied mostly on his guards and soldiers. When he feels like he himself is in danger he jumps back yelling and screaming at his guards to take care of it while he would sit there quivering of fear. The only time he would join a battle was when he was sure his enemy wasn't paying attention to him. Using his own people as decoys. One of the reasons for the king's cowardice was probably because of his lack of skills in battle. Despite his tall stature, his lifestyle made him quite weak physically. He couldn't even defeat people who were way smaller than him.

Gallery [ ]

External Links [ ]

• The Great Goblin on the Lord of the Rings Wiki

Navigation [ ]

• 1 Miss Circle
• 2 The Boiled One
• 3 Skar King

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film of The Hobbit film trilogy , lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes. It was directed by Peter Jackson , who previously had directed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . It was a major box office success, grossing over $1.017 billion worldwide. The film is the fourth Middle-earth film adaptation to be released, and the first chronologically.

Martin Freeman portrays a young Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm reprises his role as an older Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum , respectively, as do Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett , as Elrond and Galadriel .

The character of Radagast the Brown appears in the movie and is portrayed by Sylvester McCoy , who had been known mostly for his portrayal as the seventh incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who .

• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3 Development
• 4.3 Extended Edition only
• 4.4.1 Men of Dale
• 4.4.2 Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains
• 4.4.3 Mirkwood Elves
• 4.4.4 Hobbits of the Shire
• 4.4.5 Hunter Orcs
• 4.4.6 Elves of Rivendell
• 4.4.7 Goblins
• 5 Appearances and mentions
• 7 Extended Edition
• 10 Translations
• 11 References
• 12 External links

A reluctant Hobbit , Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of Dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug . [1]

Memorable quotes [ ]

Gandalf: Agreed. "

Development [ ]

Credits [ ].

• Ian McKellen as Gandalf
• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
• Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
• Ken Stott as Balin
• Graham McTavish as Dwalin
• William Kircher as Bifur
• James Nesbitt as Bofur
• Stephen Hunter as Bombur
• Dean O'Gorman as Fíli
• Aidan Turner as Kíli
• John Callen as Óin
• Peter Hambleton as Glóin
• Jed Brophy as Nori
• Mark Hadlow as Dori
• Adam Brown as Ori
• Ian Holm as Old Bilbo
• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• Christopher Lee as Saruman
• Andy Serkis as Gollum
• Sylvester McCoy as Radagast
• Barry Humphries as Great Goblin
• Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór
• Michael Mizrahi as Thráin
• Lee Pace as Thranduil
• John Rawls as Yazneg
• Stephen Ure as Fimbul
• Timothy Bartlett as Master Worrywort
• William Kircher as Tom
• Peter Hambleton as Bert
• Mark Hadlow as William
• Bret McKenzie as Lindir
• Stephen Ure as Grinnah
• Kiran Shah as Goblin Scribe
• Manu Bennett as Azog
• Conan Stevens as Gundabad Orc Chieftain
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and Necromancer
• Glenn Boswell as Dwarf Miner
• Thomas Robins as Young Thráin

Extended Edition only [ ]

• Luke Evans as Girion
• Dan Hennah as The Old Took
• Stephen Gledhill as Old Gammidge
• Tim Gordon as Old Hob
• Oscar Strik as Little Bilbo
• Sonia Forbes-Adam as Belladonna (Took) Baggins
• Erin Banks as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
• Brian Hotter as Otho Sackville-Baggins
• Eric Vespe as Fredegar Chubb
• Mervyn Smith as Tosser Grubb
• Ruby Acevedo as "Cute Young Hobbit"
• Katie Jackson
• Honor McTavish
• Louis Serkis
• Ruby Serkis
• Sonny Serkis

Uncredited [ ]

Men of dale [ ].

• Mary Nesbitt
• Peggy Nesbitt
• Many unknowns

Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains [ ]

• Peter Jackson
• Jabez Olssen
• James Wells
• Richard Whiteside

Mirkwood Elves [ ]

• Brendan Casey
• Cameron Jones
• Carl Van Room
• Few unknowns

Hobbits of the Shire [ ]

• Joan Z. Dawe
• Melissa Kern
• Aaron Morgan
• Kaela Morgan
• Ravi Narayan

Hunter Orcs [ ]

• Frazer Anderson
• George Harach
• Christian Hipolito
• Ane Kirkeng Jørgensen
• Joseph Mika-Hunt
• Elliot Travers

Elves of Rivendell [ ]

• Jared Blakiston
• Shane Boulton
• Melanie Carrington
• Andrew Fitzsimons
• Luke Hawker
• Dean Knowsley
• Luke Wilson

Goblins [ ]

• Renee Cataldo
• Ben Fransham
• Tim McLahlan
• Nathan Meister
• Terry Notary
• Thomas Rimmer
• James Trevena-Brown
• Mark Trotter

Appearances and mentions [ ]

Species and creatures

Factions, groups and titles

Objects and artifacts

Miscellanea

Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, in a photo from the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Deviations from the book [ ]

• [1] Elijah Wood appears briefly as Frodo Baggins , while this character does not appear in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the movie, as the Red Book of Westmarch is being written and read by Bilbo, shortly before the start of The Fellowship of the Ring .
• The Dwarves do not arrive in order (first Dwalin, then Balin, then Kíli and Fíli, then Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur all at once, and then Thorin arrives significantly later) and they do not have their multi-colored hoods or beards as they did in the book.
• Bilbo was shown to be allergic to Horses .
• The Dwarves surrender when the Trolls threaten to rip Bilbo in two instead of being overpowered and popped into bags.
• Bilbo goes to the Trolls because they steal the Dwarves' ponies.
• In the book, it was Gandalf that stalled the trolls until they turned into stone. This was done by Bilbo in the film.
• 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 Orcs on the way to Rivendell , just after the Trolls sequence in the movie. This did not happen in the book.
• Radagast the Brown aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orc Warg-riders near Rivendell. In contrast, Radagast did not appear in the book at all, and there is only one mention of him.
• Radagast investigates the darkness of Mirkwood, and at Dol Guldur encounters the Necromancer and the Witch-king of Angmar , with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes a Morgul Blade. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of any such incident.
• Azog has survived the War of the Dwarves and Orcs in which he was wounded by Thorin, who cut off his arm, and hunts Thorin Oakenshield and his followers. In contrast, in the Tolkien literature Azog was beheaded by Thorin's cousin Dáin Ironfoot in the Battle of Azanulbizar , well before the events of The Hobbit . The events of leading to and included in the battle are also altered: Thrór leads an army to Moria to reclaim it as opposed to investigating it with a single companion, and he is beheaded during the battle while in the books this occurred several years beforehand. The origin of Thorin's name of Oakenshield is taken from the appendices of The Return of the King , but here takes place during battle with Azog and involves him picking up an oaken branch rather than cutting it off a tree.
• While at Rivendell with Thorin's party, Gandalf meets with Elrond , Galadriel , and Saruman (the film's version of the White Council ) and relates Radagast's news about Mirkwood, but Saruman discounts Radagast's news about the Necromancer, who he says must be no more than a human pretending to be a wizard. This conflicts with Tolkien's version, in which the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron and was at Dol Guldur , since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and Saruman had discovered two years earlier (although he did not inform the Council of this) that Sauron had learned of Isildur 's loss of the One Ring at the Gladden Fields by the river Anduin and his servants were searching the area. Accordingly, in Tolkien's original version, in the year of the events of The Hobbit , Saruman finally agreed to an attack on Dol Guldur because he wanted to prevent Sauron from finding the Ring. [2]
• There is no mention of Galadriel in the book, although she is part of the White Council.
• At the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near Fornost , had been killed and sealed in a tomb in that could not be opened in the High Fells . This is a serious departure from canon (Tolkien's writings), in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In fact, 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." [3] This prophecy, of course, was the basis for the later dramatic moment in The Lord of the Rings in which Éowyn was able to kill the Witch-king because she was not a man. This prophecy no longer makes sense if the Witch-king had already been killed and is now (as Saruman implies) just a spirit raised by a necromancer who could "summon the dead." 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 TA 2050, long after he had fled Fornost [2] . It is possible, however, that the Ringwraiths could not die due to their Wraith nature and were imprisoned in the tombs, and only Sauron had the power to call them forth. As for how they presumably killed the last King of Gondor , Galadriel never specifically says if the other Ringwraiths were sealed in the High Fells along with the Witch-king when Angmar fell. So it is possible that the other Ringwraiths challenged and killed Eärnur , and were defeated and sealed with their leader centuries later.
• When traveling along the mountain pass, Bilbo observes the stone-giants hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley." Bilbo and his companions take refuge under a hanging rock during the thunderstorm (thunder-battle), but are never involved in the stone-giants' game.
• In the book, it was Bilbo that alerted the party when the trapdoors in the Front Porch open. In the film, the Dwarves realize this just as they fall into the hole.
• In the book, the Goblins only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
• In the book, Bilbo is with the Dwarves when they are taken to the Great Goblin and later rescued by Gandalf. In the film, Bilbo is separated from the group and falls to Gollum's cave before the Dwarves are taken to the Great Goblin.
• In the book The Hobbit , as in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring film , Bilbo Baggins 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 this film, Bilbo sees Gollum fighting with a Goblin and we see Gollum drop the Ring during the fight.
• Gollum has six teeth in the book, not nine.
• In the book, when Gollum and Bilbo were playing the game of riddles, the cave was pitch black and Bilbo could only see Gollum's glowing eyes and hear his voice echoing through the walls of the cave. In the film, the cave was partly lit up and Bilbo could see Gollum entirely.
• In the book, Gandalf saves the Dwarves in the goblin cave with a storm of burning smoke and instantly slays the Goblin King with his blade. In the film, the Goblin King is merely knocked aside in this scene (though many of his minions die in the telekinetic blast), and slain later on.
• In the film, Gandalf does not use multi-colored fire when lighting the pine cones.

Extended Edition [ ]

The extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on October 22 , 2013 for digital downloads and November 5 2013 for hard copies. It includes these scenes:

• The introduction. The Elvenking Thranduil is given more screen time. He approaches the throne while Thráin gestures for a Dwarf to show Thranduil a chest of gems. As Thranduil looks entranced and reaches for it, the Dwarf closes the lid. Bard's ancestor Girion is given screen time. He is seen behind his Wind lance attempting to shoot down Smaug during the dragon's attack on Dale .
• Bilbo's introduction to himself. A flashback wherein a young hobbit boy comes running up to Gandalf and plays with him. His mother Belladonna runs after him and acknowledges Gandalf as an old friend.
• After Bilbo meets Gandalf on the front bench, he buys supper from Hobbiton while suspiciously looking around everywhere to make sure Gandalf is not around.
• Kíli glances over to a female Elf in Rivendell and winks at her. Dwalin sees him and Kíli begins making excuses. In one of his excuses, he mistakenly calls another male Elf a female and Dwalin corrects him. The rest of the Dwarves laugh much to Kíli's embarrassment.
• While eating, Nori and Óin complain about the song played by the Elf musicians. Bofur climbs up a platform and begins singing. The other Dwarves join in and start throwing food around. Elrond and Lindir look surprised and angry about Dwarves activities because they start throwing fruit to Elrond, Lindir and Bofur but they say nothing about it.
• Bilbo is wandering around Rivendell during the daytime. He approaches the statue holding the shards of Narsil before a particular painting catches his eye. The painting depicts Isildur about to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Bilbo is particularly interested in the One Ring on Sauron's hand.
• A conversation between Bilbo and Elrond in Rivendell. Elrond also welcomes Bilbo to stay in Rivendell if he wishes.
• Lindir complains to Elrond about the Dwarves' behavior. They find them swimming in a large fountain.
• Gandalf and Elrond further discuss Thorin and Company's quest. Elrond voices his concern of Thorin himself, since both his grandfather and father succumbed to madness. Bilbo and Thorin overhear this conversation.
• At the White Council, Gandalf brings up the fact that the Ring of Power once owned by Thorin's father mysteriously vanished. Saruman dismisses this as it would be of no use since all believe the One Ring was lost long ago.
• A new song from the goblin king and longer interrogation.

Bilbo in Rivendell with the Dwarves

• Guillermo del Toro was originally on board to direct, but bowed out due to "ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming."
• When it appeared Martin Freeman would not be available to play Bilbo in The Hobbit films due to scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock , other actors such as James McAvoy and Tobey Maguire were considered. A false rumour was spread online that David Tennant was considered, but both Tennant and Jackson denied this. Tennant was actually considered for (and offered) the role of Thranduil but had to turn it down when his girlfriend discovered she was pregnant.
• Ryan Gage was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins , father of Frodo Baggins . According to Peter Jackson , "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part."
• This is the only film in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies in which Legolas makes no appearance.
• The scene when Bilbo first puts on the Ring is very similar to the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Frodo puts on the Ring in The Prancing Pony .
• The filmmakers titled the project Little Rivers to aid in hiding the film's identity.
• When a Giant Eagle grabs Thorin's unconscious body, his oak-log shield falls off his arm and is permanently left behind.
• This was both the last film not distributed by Disney, Universal or Paramount and the last film distributed by Warner Bros . to gross $1 billion until the release of Aquaman in 2018.

Gallery [ ]

Translations [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings , Appendix B
• ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings , Appendix A (I, iv).

External links [ ]

• Official site of The Hobbit films
• Trailer for the movie
• Differences between the book and the film Art
• Lord of the Rings
• 3 Aragorn II

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• DVD & Streaming

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

• December 14, 2012
• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Ian McKellen as Gandalf; Richard Armitage as Thorin; Ken Stott as Balin; Graham McTavish as Dwalin; William Kircher as Bifur; James Nesbitt as Bofur; Stephen Hunter as Bombur; Dean O'Gorman as Fili; Aidan Turner as Kili; John Callen as Oin; Peter Hambleton as Gloin; Jed Brophy as Nori; Mark Hadlow as Dori; Adam Brown Ori; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Andy Serkis as Gollum; Sylvester McCoy as Radagast; Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin; Jeffrey Thomas as Thror; Michael Mizrahi as Thrain; Lee Pace as Thranduil; Manu Bennett as Azog; Elijah Wood as Frodo

Home Release Date

• March 19, 2013
• Peter Jackson

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

“Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner.”

That’s how hobbit Bilbo Baggins responds when a certain gray-garbed wizard by the name of Gandalf shows up to “invite” Bilbo on an adventure. The hobbit has the temerity to think he can say no.

Then the dwarves show up.

First there’s Dwalin, a mighty warrior nearly as wide as he is tall. Then there’s the aging Balin, as old and frail as Dwalin is stout. And as those two begin rummaging through Bilbo’s well-stocked pantry, 11 more of their bearded kin tumble through his round front door, with Gandalf in tow: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori. The last dwarf to arrive is the proud, would-be dwarf king Thorin.

Their purpose? Nothing less than launching a brazen assault on the dragon Smaug, who slumbers within a mountain the dwarven people once called home. Sixty years before, Smaug drove the dwarves from Erebor—now called Lonely Mountain—taking up residence and scattering the dwarves into exile throughout Middle-earth.

Now the dwarves believe the time has come to right that ignominious wrong.

There’s just one thing: They need a … burglar. Someone slight and quiet, someone capable of creeping into Smaug’s lair without the ol’ worm noticing. Someone, Gandalf has suggested, like Bilbo Baggins.

Hobbits, however, are hardly natural-born adventurers. They’re more like natural-born gardeners. Thus, Bilbo tries to say no. After all, there’s no guarantee he’d make it back alive. But the dwarves have barely taken their leave of homebody halfling when Bilbo has second thoughts … and races to join them.

It’s an epic, perilous quest, one that leads Bilbo and the dwarves from his cozy hobbit hole into lands that are anything but warm and inviting. Goblins, trolls, giants, orcs, wargs and all manner of other nasties await the short-and-stout company.

As does a certain precious ring … and the guardian who’s loathe to lose it to the reluctant hobbit who wasn’t sure he really wanted to go on this unexpected adventure in the first place.

As was true in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, heroism, loyalty and sacrifice permeate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of three films from Rings director Peter Jackson bringing British author J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved tale to life on the big screen.

Positive Elements

Early on, a flashback depicts Smaug decimating Erebor and the city of Dale near the mountain. The dwarves are powerless to stop him, and many die trying to resist. This leads to their dispersion, a humiliating end for a proud race.

Thus Jackson’s take on Tolkien’s tale pushes the story to more epic proportions. It’s not just about marching off to reclaim loot from an interloping dragon; it’s about the dwarves reclaiming a kingdom and a sense of dignity and destiny. In this sense, there are parallels between Thorin, the rightful heir to the throne, and Aragorn, who stages a similar struggle in The Lord of the Rings .

More personally, the dwarves repeatedly rescue Bilbo from various dangers. The group eventually ends up at Rivendell, home of Elrond’s elves. And despite Thorin’s hatred from them (they did nothing to help his people battle Smaug when they could have), the elves treat the dwarves kindly, initiating a reconciliation of sorts.

Thorin initially doesn’t think much of Bilbo, either, repeatedly criticizing the hobbit. But when Bilbo risks his life to protect Thorin, the hobbit earns the dwarf leader’s respect.

Talking about his rationale for choosing Bilbo, Gandalf tells the elf queen Galadriel, “Saruman [another wizard] believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I’ve found. I found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I’m afraid, and he gives me courage.”

Thorin says of his compatriots, “I would take each and every one of these dwarves over the mightiest army. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that.”

Spiritual Elements

The milieu of The Hobbit is a magical, fantastical one. Gandalf employs wizardly abilities in splitting a huge rock, speaking to a moth, turning pinecones into improvised incendiary devices and using his staff to battle orcs and goblins, among other things. Another wizard, Radagast, communes amongst animals and seems to speak to them. When a plague begins wiping out wildlife in Radagast’s forest, he restores a dead hedgehog to life and seems to (at least temporarily) keep the evil magic that is encroaching at bay.

Radagast is alarmed by the animals’ deaths, which leads him to investigate an abandoned castle where he encounters a malevolent force called the Necromancer. The Necromancer is, in fact, Sauron, and he’s begun to reassert his evil powers in Middle-earth. Radagast discovers that Sauron has begun reanimating (if not quite resurrecting) the deceased spirits of wicked kings (who will later become the Nazgûl). Saruman doesn’t believe such a thing is possible, but Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel are deeply troubled by Radagast’s report nonetheless.

Throughout the film, we hear references to chance and fate guiding the outcome of events. We also hear about the portents (such as birds returning to Lonely Mountain) that indicate the time has come for the dwarves to retake their home.

Sexual Content

Violent content.

After Bilbo is given a short sword, Gandalf tells him, “True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.” It’s awesome advice. And Bilbo takes it when he has the chance to kill the wretched keeper of the One Ring of Power, that subterranean interloper known as Gollum.

But Bilbo’s grasp of the concept doesn’t do much to curtail the overall bloodshed shown here.

Those who’ve read The Hobbit might be surprised at the amount of violence presented. That’s due in part to the fact that Peter Jackson has included two major battle sequences not described in Tolkien’s original. As the film opens, we watch the devastation that Smaug wreaks on Dale. Explosions topple towers, unfortunate victims get hurled to and fro. Indeed, Smaug’s attack is akin to a World War II bombing raid in its destructive effect.

The second such scene is a massive battle—similar in scale to the final battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King —between armies of orcs and dwarves. The combat is mostly bloodless, but it’s fierce and intense as the age-old foes engage violently, dealing limb- and head-removing blows with various medieval weapons. A culminating beheading is followed by the assailant holding his victim’s bodiless head high, then mockingly bowling it down a slope. Avenging that death, Thorin cuts off the attacker’s hand.

Afterward, the camera pans over a vast battlefield filled with the dead.

A cacophonous clash between two stone giants generates flying boulders. A ferocious melee between Thorin and an orc king ends with the dwarf unconscious and carried in a wolf-like warg’s mouth. Three trolls capture Bilbo and his friends and are on the verge of eating them (we see several dwarves beginning to roast on a spit) when the rising sun turns the trolls to stone. Fissures in a mountain cave send Bilbo and Co. tumbling down a chute into the clutches of a goblin horde. Gandalf’s arrival yields a battle royal as the fleeing dwarves traverse narrow passes and rope bridges. Arrows and swords fly and flash, resulting in the deaths of many goblins, several of which are decapitated. Gandalf slashes the stomach of the enormous Great Goblin, then slashes again across his throat, killing him. Elsewhere, a goblin victim makes a peculiar face before his head rolls bloodlessly off his shoulders.

Gollum brutally beats and kills a goblin that’s fallen into his clutches, and is glad for the food the dead creature provides. He also thinks Bilbo will prove to be a savory morsel, and threatens to eat the hobbit if he loses a game of riddles.

Crude or Profane Language

Discussing the game of croquet, one dwarf says, “Wonderful game if you’ve got the balls for it.” Elsewhere, another dwarf says he looks forward to delivering some “dwarvish iron right up [Smaug’s] jacksy” (British slang for backside ).

Drug and Alcohol Content

That the dwarves are quite fond of ale is an understatement. One scene pictures them imbibing greedily, with the liquid running down their beards as they guzzle. Gandalf drinks a cup of red wine.

Gandalf, Bilbo and Radagast smoke their pipes and blow smoke rings. The latter takes a drag on Gandalf’s pipe at one point, crosses his eyes and blows smoke out his ears in a way that humorously hints at the smoke’s effect.

Saruman disdainfully says that Radagast’s affinity for mushrooms has made him crazy.

Other Negative Elements

We hear a belching contest among the dwarves. Radadast’s hair is filled with bird droppings because he has a nest tucked under his hat. While pondering how best to cook the captured dwarves, a troll quips about their “stinky parts.”

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is often viewed as a children’s story in comparison to the more serious Lord of the Rings saga. Indeed, Tolkien imbued his characters in The Hobbit with a dose of whimsy that’s largely absent from the grimmer, gravitas-filled trilogy that follows it.

Peter Jackson didn’t get that memo.

Jackson, who helmed the cinematic versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003, has crafted a prequel that arguably feels closer in spirit to that story than the book itself does. That’s partly because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey strives to connect all the narrative dots between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

The first result is a tale I suspect many Tolkien fans will approve of (though purists may take issue with the ways Jackson has tinkered). The second result is a movie that is squarely in PG-13 territory in terms of its violence, some of which is magically generated. Decapitations, severed limbs, intense battle sequences and a high body count are just as pulse-quickeningly frenetic as anything in the Rings trilogy. The third result, of course, is a story crammed with bravery and heroism. A fable that inspires as it teaches. A Middle-earth parable that profoundly speaks to all of us who deal with the dilemmas of good and evil in the real world.

Still, my last thought on this first chapter remains: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not The Hobbit you might remember reading years ago.

A postscript: Much has been made of Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit films at 48 frames per second, twice the 24 frames-per-second rate at which movies are typically filmed. More than a few critics have said the preternaturally high-definition realism of the resulting images has undermined the story. And, personally, I did find it a bit off-putting. A colleague, though, couldn’t even tell the difference. And the story itself is so immersive that whether you think the new technology awesome or annoying, you’ll probably forgot all about it by the time Bilbo and the dwarves begin their adventure in earnest.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

While Peter Jackson's prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" delivers more of what made his earlier trilogy so compelling -- it doesn't offer nearly enough novelty to justify the three-film, nine-hour treatment.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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Fulfilling just a fraction of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “ There and Back Again ” subtitle, “The Hobbit ” alternately rewards and abuses auds’ appetite for all things Middle-earth. While Peter Jackson’s prequel to “The Lord of the Rings ” delivers more of what made his earlier trilogy so compelling — colorful characters on an epic quest amid stunning New Zealand scenery — it doesn’t offer nearly enough novelty to justify the three-film, nine-hour treatment, at least on the basis of this overlong first installment, dubbed “An Unexpected Journey .” The primary advance here is technical, as Jackson shoots in high-frame-rate 3D, an innovation that improves motion at the expense of visual elegance.

Though international B.O. success seems all but assured for a franchise that has already commanded nearly $3 billion in worldwide grosses, splitting the source material into multiple pics here mimics a frustrating trend among lucrative fantasy adaptations, from the two final “Harry Potter” films to the bifurcated “Twilight Saga” finale, stringing fans along with incomplete narratives. Whereas “ The Lord of the Rings ” naturally divided into the three books, “ The Hobbit ” contains scarcely enough story to support a single feature, as those who recall Rankin/Bass’ 1977 animated made-for-TV version know all too well.

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Tolkien’s delightful yet easier-going novel, written with young readers in mind, recounts the relatively simple tale of how Bilbo Baggins (“The Office’s” Martin Freeman, affable as ever) traveled with dwarves to face the dragon Smaug and, in so doing, came to acquire the fabled ring.

A mythologically dense, CG-heavy prologue details how Smaug raided the dwarf stronghold of Erebor, taking possession of the Arkenstone, a glowing gem of ambiguous power. Conjured by Jackson and returning co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (credited along with Guillermo del Toro, who at one point planned to direct) for the sake of spectacle, this unnecessary pre-title sequence recalls setpieces from the second and third “Lord of the Rings” movies, as if to assure fans they can expect more of the same — and sure enough, “The Hobbit” offers familiar run-ins with orcs, trolls , goblins and even Gollum before interrupting the adventure halfway to its destination, the Lonely Mountain, to make room for the next installment.

But Bilbo’s “unexpected journey” is awfully slow to start. The film first locates him in Bag End, the cozy home in the Shire where the eleventy-one-year-old halfling hero (played briefly by Ian Holm and accompanied by Elijah Wood’s Frodo) narrates the adventure that first brought Hobbits into the affairs of Middle-earth’s more bellicose species. That tale begins six decades earlier, when the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) appears with a challenge for the younger Bilbo (Freeman), leaving a magic sign that brings a swarm of dwarves to the reluctant hero’s door.

With names like Balin and Dwalin (Ken Stott and Graham McTavish), Oin and Gloin (John Callen and Peter Hambleton) and Fili and Kili (Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner), the 13 dwarves are virtually indistinguishable apart from their facial hair — though one needn’t be Galadriel (Cate Blanchett’s future-seeing Elf queen) to recognize O’Gorman as a Kiwi heartthrob in the offing. In the absence of clearly defined characteristics, the unwieldy lot make Snow White’s companions seem downright three-dimensional.

Speaking of 3D, the technique adds a level of dynamism to Andrew Lesnie’s swooping camerawork, which once again cuts from the closest of closeups to the widest of wide shots, in addition to plunging down and around elaborate enemy encampments, such as the underground Goblin-town, where spindly rope bridges teeter over gaping chasms. But 3D also complicates the forced-perspective tricks Jackson used in the earlier films, making for odd, eye-boggling moments, especially in the crowded Bag End scene, where Gandalf somewhat unconvincingly towers among characters half his size.

More disconcerting is the introduction of the film’s 48-frames-per-second digital cinematography, which solves the inherent stuttering effect of celluloid that occurs whenever a camera pans or horizontal movement crosses the frame — but at too great a cost. Consequently, everything takes on an overblown, artificial quality in which the phoniness of the sets and costumes becomes obvious, while well-lit areas bleed into their surroundings, like watching a high-end homemovie. (A standard 24fps projection seems to correct this effect in the alternate version of the film being offered to some theaters, but sacrifices the smoother motion seen in action scenes and flyover landscape shots.)

After Bilbo finally accepts his calling 40 minutes into the picture, such technical distractions virtually disappear as Jackson draws auds into his familiar world, particularly a troll-infested forest and the film’s darker, more expressionistic realms. Recognizing the limitations of their source material, Jackson and his co-writers pilfer freely from Tolkien’s other writings, including appendices to “Lord of the Rings” that reveal such details as where Gandalf goes during his long disappearances.

With few exceptions, these insights bog down a tale already overtaxed by a surfeit of characters. The film introduces Radagast (Sylvester McCoy), a comical brown wizard with an ordure-streaked beard, and an unsatisfying subplot involving a Necromancer that’s clearly an early form of Sauron, out of place in this story. It also makes room for cumbersome reunions — or “preunions,” perhaps — with Galadriel, Elrond ( Hugo Weaving ) and Saruman ( Christopher Lee ) in the elf city of Rivendell, hinting at the greater roles they will play in “The Lord of the Rings.”

The pic stands on firmer footing when embellishing the book’s more cinematic sequences into full-blown setpieces, such as a perilous cliffside passage complicated by the fact the mountains themselves appear to be doing battle, like giant stone Transformers. An expanded subplot pitting dwarf captain Thorin (Richard Armitage, nobly trying to match Viggo Mortensen ‘s smolder) against a battle-scarred and vengeance-bent orc helps disguise the fact that this particular road trip has no immediate villain.

Still, Jackson and his team seem compelled to flesh out the world of their earlier trilogy in scenes that would be better left to extended-edition DVDs (or omitted entirely), all but failing to set up a compelling reason for fans to return for the second installment. The film hints at a looming run-in with Smaug, but makes clear that this mission serves more to win back the dwarves’ lost kingdom than to protect the fate of Middle-earth. Bilbo’s arc, therefore, consists of proving his value to a mission that doesn’t concern him personally.

In keeping with the child-friendly tone of the source book, “The Hobbit” is more comical, features a couple of amusing songs, and doesn’t dally on funerals the way “The Lord of the Rings” did. But it’s no kinder on small bladders or impressionable eyes, running every bit as long and violent as Jackson’s initial trilogy.

While it would have been fascinating to see del Toro’s take on “The Hobbit,” there’s something to be said for continuity. Few film series have achieved the consistency of look and feel maintained across these Middle-earth-set stories, and once the adventure gets going, Jackson reminds auds of his expertise at managing action on a scale that would have made David Lean wish he’d had CGI in his toolbox.

That connection is clearest in the character of Gollum, once again performed by Andy Serkis , who loses not only an unmistakably schizophrenic game of riddles to Bilbo, but also his precious ring. Below-the-line contributions, including those of composer Howard Shore and the entire production and costume design teams, support the illusion that we never left Middle-earth.

• Production: A Warner Bros. release of a New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presentation of a Wingnut Films production. Produced by Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson. Executive producers, Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins, Carolyn Blackwood. Co-producers, Philippa Boyens, Eileen Moran. Directed by Peter Jackson. Screenplay, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien.
• Crew: Camera (color, widescreen, HD, 48fps, 3D), Andrew Lesnie; editor, Jabez Olssen; music, Howard Shore; production designer, Dan Hennah; supervising art director, Simon Bright; art directors, Andy McLaren, Brad Mill, Brian Massey; set decorators, RA Vincent, Bright; costume designers, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, Bob Buck; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat/SDDS/PRP), Tony Johnson; sound designers, David Farmer, Dave Whitehead; supervising sound editors, Brent Burge, Chris Ward; re-recording mixers, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges; stunt coordinator, Glenn Boswell; armor, weapons, creatures and special makeup, Taylor/Weta Workshop; senior visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri; visual effects supervisor, Eric Saindon; visual effects and animation, Weta Digital; animation supervisor, David Clayton; special effects supervisor, Steve Ingram; assistant director, Carolynne Cunningham; second unit director, Andy Serkis; second unit camera, Richard Bluck; casting, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Victoria Burrows, Scot Boland, Liz Mullane, Ann Robinson. Reviewed at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Calif., Nov. 30, 2012. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 169 MIN.
• With: Gandalf Ian McKellen Bilbo Martin Freeman Thorin Richard Armitage Balin Ken Stott Dwalin Graham McTavish Bifur William Kircher Bofur James Nesbitt Bombur Stephen Hunter Fili Dean O'Gorman Kili Aidan Turner Oin John Callen Gloin Peter Hambleton Nori Jed Brophy Dori Mark Hadlow Ori Adam Brown Old Bilbo Ian Holm Frodo Elijah Wood Elrond Hugo Weaving Galadriel Cate Blanchett Saruman Christopher Lee Gollum Andy Serkis Radagast Sylvester McCoy Great Goblin Barry Humphries Thror Jeffrey Thomas Thrain Mike Mizrahi Tom Troll William Kircher Bert Troll Mark Hadlow William Troll Peter Hambleton Necromancer Benedict Cumberbatch (English, Elvish, Orcish dialogue)

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YMMV / The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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• Anticlimax Boss : Given the Great Goblin is enormous and intimidating (almost as big as a Troll), an epic fight between him and Gandalf seems likely when he blocks the party while they're on the verge of escaping from Goblin town. Thanks to Gandalf, an Eye Poke from his staff and Glamdring , the Great Goblin goes down easily .
• The stick insect on Radagast's tongue.
• The Goblin King's impromptu song performance in the extended edition.
• The stone giant sequence. For anyone who doesn't remember the short passage it was adapted from, it seems even more so, as unlike the trolls and spiders there's zero explanation given for the giants. In the commentary Peter Jackson even says "I wonder what they're fighting about?"
• Crosses the Line Twice : The Goblin King's corpse crashing down on top of the party after they just narrowly escaped the goblins.
• A scene in the extended edition has Kíli jokingly flirt with an Elven woman before assuring the others he's not really into their kind. Come The Desolation of Smaug , he falls for Tauriel.
• Thranduil's screentime in the prologue is minimal, but fandom nonetheless went nuts.
• Gollum's scene is frequently cited as the best part of the film.
• The Necromancer has only one scene, but what a scene it is .
• Pandering to the Base : The Adaptation Expansion of The Hobbit into an epic three-part prequel setting up The Lord of the Rings with added action scenes, LOTR characters and other Continuity Nods , and subplots only loosely based on the later books has led to accusations of this, from those who would have preferred something closer to the simpler, less complicated book - which can be taken as a standalone tale while the films, by design, cannot be. For the first film, the sticking points include the Azog and White Council subplots, as well as old Bilbo and Frodo's cameos.
• Portmanteau Couple Name : Via a Heartwarming Moment involving a Man Hug and the sentence, "I have never been so wrong in all my life" between Bilbo and Thorin, spawned a veritable army of Thorin/Bilbo fangirls who immediately dubbed the pairing "Thilbo", "Bagginshield", or, most properly, "Thilbo Bagginshield".
• Slow-Paced Beginning : Because this first film is quite faithful to the book (at the beginning, at least), the first act of the film is spent with several flashbacks involving the dwarves and Smaug, and the entire sequence of the unexpected party at Bag End, with bland exposition. Because of that, it takes 40 minutes for Bilbo to finally leave the Shire and set out on his journey with Gandalf and the dwarves.
• Sting's blue glow is inconsistently applied during the final battle with Azog.
• Pay attention during the unexpected party. Dwalin punks Óin by pouring ale down his ear trumpet. Óin deals with it by blowing the ale out. With his mouth.
• Bilbo being mistaken for a troll's hanky and subsequently ending up Covered in Gunge .
• As if the goblins weren't disgusting enough, the Great Goblin orders Thorin and company to be searched in every crack and crevice .
• The Great Goblin's throne doubles as a toilet. His actor describes him as "grossly incontinent".
• The Great Goblin's beard of neck fat .
• Azog's iron prosthetic is just stuck through his arm and pokes out on the other side.
• Gollum flips between adorable and terrifying constantly, especially when he's struggling to come up with answers to Bilbo's riddles. (In other words, between Sméagol and Gollum ...)
• A lot of the goblins as well, like the Goblin King's tiny secretary. Having similar character designs to the goblins in Labyrinth doesn't hurt.
• While the film's many battle scenes, vistas, and creatures are undeniably impressive, a very subtle one qualifies too. Saruman may have met and talked with the white council, but Sir Ian McKellen revealed that Sir Christopher Lee wasn't on set at all during filming; all his shots were filmed in England, then spliced in afterwards. Considering how natural his interactions are with the others, it's an impressive achievement.
• Gollum and the Goblin King are both incredible achievements in motion capture technology, similar to Gollum’s impact on the technology in 2002. But the real star is Azog, who is on the same level as those two, and whose screentime was all done in 4 weeks!
• Smaug's eye opening at the end. Everything about it, from the pupil contracting in the light to the inner eyelid sliding back, is incredibly well-made.

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