I seem to keep on forgetting that this little movie exists, but it does (I've seen it twice now). Look, it is probably not the best rendition of the Hobbit, but then again it not only is animate, but it is using 1970s animation technology. We must remember that back then they did not have special effects, and a lot of movies were shot using blue screens and models. These days they simply hire computer programmers and graphic designers, which ends up being a lot cheaper.
There really isn't much to say about this animate feature in and of itself. The drawings and animation are not the best, but the voices seem to work okay, though I thought Bilbo looked a little dorky. Most of the story is present, though unlike the Peter Jackson version of the Hobbit that is due to be released soon, there is not focus on the back story. Basically what we have in the book we have in this feature, and nothing more. This means that we do not know where Gandalf goes off to when he is not accompanying the group.
The basic story is simple, Bilbo is relaxing in his house when Gandalf appears and tells him that he is going to have some guests. Sure enough, a bunch of dwarfs rock up and begin having a party. Gandalf then tells Biblo (he doesn't have a choice in the matter) that they need a robber (or a professional treasure finder, as Bilbo calls himself) and that Bilbo has been chosen. Then off they go on a long journey across Middle Earth to the Lonely Mountain to kill a dragon, claim the treasure, and restore Thorin Oakenshield to his throne. On the way they are captured by Trolls, Goblins, Elves, and Spiders, and once all is said and done, they suddenly discover that they are in the middle of a massive battle between five armies, who are all wanting a piece of Lonely Mountain.
What I discovered from this film was basically how whimpy the dwarfs were. Okay, my thoughts on dwarfs are clouded by the Dungeons and Dragons position, however I would have expected the dwarfs in Middle Earth to be a lot tougher than this lot. If we take into account all the times that they were captured, not once did they actually go out and fight, and if it was not Gandalf rescuing them, it was Bilbo. Even when the go to confront the dragon Smaug, it is Bilbo who sneaks into the mountain, and it is a human from Lake Town that fires the killing blow. The only time the dwarfs actually get involve in a battle is right at the end, and even then half of them are killed.
This is not really a criticism of the film, but rather of the book, though we need to remember that The Hobbit was the pre-cursor to Lord of the Rings, the book that pretty much set the standard for all fantasy fiction to come, though being the precursor, The Hobbit is truly the first of the modern fantasy fiction. It is clear that Bilbo is the hero, and that Gandalf is some sort of guardian angel, but I am still, to an extent, a little baffled as to who the dwarfs are. Only a few of the dwarfs actually have major roles, the rest of them seem to just tag along for the ride. As I said, none of them actually get into a fight until the end. However, I do not think this is allegorical, since Tolkein pretty much hated the concept.
The book does set the scene for the Lord of the Rings, though once again only in a minor way. Pretty much everything that we need to know about the world of Middle Earth is in the Lord of the Rings, and aspects such as Gollum and the ring, are also more fully explained there as well. All we know about Gollum here is that his is some ugly creature lurking deep in the Misty Mountains, crying over his lost precious. In a way, the riddle scene in the book where Bilbo and Gollum face off each other in a challenge of wits is the most famous scene in the book, but we know nothing about the ring until Lord of the Rings, when Gandalf returns to The Shire, has a look at the ring, and discovers that it is indeed the one ring. All it is here is a magical trinket, however the hold that it has over Gollum should give us some clues that there is simply something not right with it.
There really isn't much to say about this animate feature in and of itself. The drawings and animation are not the best, but the voices seem to work okay, though I thought Bilbo looked a little dorky. Most of the story is present, though unlike the Peter Jackson version of the Hobbit that is due to be released soon, there is not focus on the back story. Basically what we have in the book we have in this feature, and nothing more. This means that we do not know where Gandalf goes off to when he is not accompanying the group.
The basic story is simple, Bilbo is relaxing in his house when Gandalf appears and tells him that he is going to have some guests. Sure enough, a bunch of dwarfs rock up and begin having a party. Gandalf then tells Biblo (he doesn't have a choice in the matter) that they need a robber (or a professional treasure finder, as Bilbo calls himself) and that Bilbo has been chosen. Then off they go on a long journey across Middle Earth to the Lonely Mountain to kill a dragon, claim the treasure, and restore Thorin Oakenshield to his throne. On the way they are captured by Trolls, Goblins, Elves, and Spiders, and once all is said and done, they suddenly discover that they are in the middle of a massive battle between five armies, who are all wanting a piece of Lonely Mountain.
What I discovered from this film was basically how whimpy the dwarfs were. Okay, my thoughts on dwarfs are clouded by the Dungeons and Dragons position, however I would have expected the dwarfs in Middle Earth to be a lot tougher than this lot. If we take into account all the times that they were captured, not once did they actually go out and fight, and if it was not Gandalf rescuing them, it was Bilbo. Even when the go to confront the dragon Smaug, it is Bilbo who sneaks into the mountain, and it is a human from Lake Town that fires the killing blow. The only time the dwarfs actually get involve in a battle is right at the end, and even then half of them are killed.
This is not really a criticism of the film, but rather of the book, though we need to remember that The Hobbit was the pre-cursor to Lord of the Rings, the book that pretty much set the standard for all fantasy fiction to come, though being the precursor, The Hobbit is truly the first of the modern fantasy fiction. It is clear that Bilbo is the hero, and that Gandalf is some sort of guardian angel, but I am still, to an extent, a little baffled as to who the dwarfs are. Only a few of the dwarfs actually have major roles, the rest of them seem to just tag along for the ride. As I said, none of them actually get into a fight until the end. However, I do not think this is allegorical, since Tolkein pretty much hated the concept.
The book does set the scene for the Lord of the Rings, though once again only in a minor way. Pretty much everything that we need to know about the world of Middle Earth is in the Lord of the Rings, and aspects such as Gollum and the ring, are also more fully explained there as well. All we know about Gollum here is that his is some ugly creature lurking deep in the Misty Mountains, crying over his lost precious. In a way, the riddle scene in the book where Bilbo and Gollum face off each other in a challenge of wits is the most famous scene in the book, but we know nothing about the ring until Lord of the Rings, when Gandalf returns to The Shire, has a look at the ring, and discovers that it is indeed the one ring. All it is here is a magical trinket, however the hold that it has over Gollum should give us some clues that there is simply something not right with it.