Trailer Trashin’: We’re Heading Back to Middle-Earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

My dear readers, this is a day I’ve been eagerly awaiting. At long last, I get to write about what is one of my most anticipated films of 2012. On this week’s Trailer Trashin’, it is time for me to look with adoring eyes on the second trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first part of the three-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s first Middle-Earth book.

Premise: Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is swept into a 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 (Ian McKellen), Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen Dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). 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 (Andy Serkis). 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 hold unexpected and useful qualities….

My take: Let me get this out of the way first: Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy is my absolute favorite collection of movies of all time. And as such a big fan, the long, tortured saga of Jackson and company’s attempt to adapt The Hobbit to film has been nerve-wracking for me. The collapse of New Line Cinema, the involvement and subsequent departure of Guillermo del Toro, the financial troubles at MGM, and so on. But all that was finally resolved, the movies are being made, and the first installment of The Hobbit is finally coming to theaters this December. The second trailer has arrived, and I think it looks fantastic.

There aren’t a lot of big names in the cast, but that was the case with The Lord of the Rings, and we all know that worked out fantastically. Way back when I first saw The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), I had the thought that Martin Freeman would be a great choice for the young Bilbo Baggins, so when he was cast in the role years later, it was a dream come true. Ian McKellen was the absolute perfect choice to play Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings, and it’s great to see him back in the role. Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Dwarves, looks pretty much exactly the way I’ve always imagined the character. It’s great to hear Andy Serkis as Gollum again, and the CGI character looks even better than he did before. The Dwarves are mostly unknowns, but I think they all look like they suit their roles. The crazy forest guy who rides the sleigh pulled by rabbits is Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, another wizard from Gandalf’s order, and I’m interested to see what role he plays. And it’s nice to once again see Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel. As for some of the other major characters who don’t show up here, such as Smaug and Bard the Bowman, we’ll probably have to wait for the second and third movies.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy had truly amazing production and art design, and the new films are clearly maintaining that element. It’s great to see places like Bag End and Rivendell again, and I’m excited for new locations like the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood. And I can’t wait to see other places like the town of Dale and Erebor in the subsequent movies.

Another thing I loved about the first trilogy were the monsters and creatures, and that aspect is returning in full force. I like the variations on creatures we’ve seen before, like the trolls and wolves. And the brief shot of a spider’s leg punching through the roof of Radagast’s home hints at the Mirkwood Spiders being much bigger and more formidable than I was expecting. And all this just makes me more excited to finally see what Smaug the dragon will look like.

However, there is one thing that gives me pause. I’m still not sure how the filmmakers can turn The Hobbit – the shortest of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth books – into three films. I’m kind of worried that they’ll have to stretch things out too much or have to invent too many new things to fill time. However, after the incredible job Jackson and company did with The Lord of the Rings and their obvious love of the source material, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

But no matter what, I’m still chomping at the bit to see this movie. I’ve been hoping for this project for almost a decade, and it looks like it could deliver. If I was only able to see one new movie in the remainder of 2012, it would be The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

ANTICIPATION: We wants to see it, Precious! We wants to see it now!

Release Date: December 14^th, 2012

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Hugo Weaving, Barry Humphries, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy, Manu Bennett, and Conan Stevens
Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro