My mother drove two hours up to my city so that we could go see The Hobbit yesterday. We planned it for right after my first final — which was an oral exam that was quite terrifying, if I must be honest.
I was a little torn about The Hobbit since I didn’t like the book so much. Bilbo drove me a little crazy with all his whining about home, which made it hard for me to get into the book. But, I figured if anyone could make his character likable for me, it would be Martin Freeman, who I’ve loved as an actor forever.
And I was right. Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo was wonderful. He whined a bit, but Freeman was able to make me understand why Bilbo was so out of place.
The surprise for me was Richard Armitage as Thorin. The man downright captivated me as Thorin. As a writer, I am constantly watching for those things that really define a hero. You know, the kind of hero everyone wants to rally for, who gets up after getting knocked down and faces a foe they know they can’t defeat but fights anyway. Armitage made that kind of a hero.
I loved it.
There were some awkward moments in the beginning that felt far more comical than I was expecting, and I nearly face-palmed myself when Bilbo said he had to go back for his handkerchief (though, if I’m remembering correctly, that was in the book) but Freeman’s Bilbo made that an understandable moment for me. Rather than being annoyed, as I was when I read the book, I was amused.
My Mom did mention that she should have taken a motion sickness pill before we went, though. She loved the movie, too, but I just thought I’d warn everyone. If you get motion sickness a lot, you might want to take a pill before.
So! It’s a great movie. I’m looking forward to the rest of them and, if I could applaud the actors and crew for their work, I would.
AJMaguire 