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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 [ ]

The Great Goblin by John Howe.

External Links [ ]

  • The Great Goblin on the Lord of the Rings Wiki

Navigation [ ]

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Movie Review

Bilbo Begins His Ring Cycle

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the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

By A.O. Scott

  • Dec. 13, 2012

In “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first Middle-earth fantasy novel, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) sets out with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a posse of dwarfs to battle a fearsome dragon. [Spoiler alert] they do not kill the dragon, although [spoiler alert] they eventually will, within the next 18 months or so, because [spoiler alert] this “Hobbit,” which is [migraine alert] 170 minutes, is the first installment in [film critic suicide-watch alert] a trilogy .

What’s that old saying so memorably garbled by a recent president? Fool me twice — won’t get fooled again! This is not to say that Mr. Jackson is a con man. On the contrary: He is a visionary, an entrepreneur, a job creator in his native New Zealand. And his “Lord of the Rings” movies, the last of which opened nine years ago, remain a mighty modern gesamtkunstwerk , a grand Wagnerian blend of pop-culture mythology and digital magic now available for easy, endless viewing in your living room.

“The Lord of the Rings” was the work of a filmmaker perfectly in tune with his source material. Its too-muchness — the encyclopedic detail, the pseudoscholarly exposition, the soaring allegory, the punishing length — was as much a product of Tolkien’s literary sensibility as of Mr. Jackson’s commitment to cinematic maximalism. These were three films to rule them all, and they conjured an imaginary world of remarkable complexity and coherence. This voyage, which takes place 60 years before Frodo’s great quest, is not nearly as captivating.

Part of this has to do with tone. The “Rings” trilogy, much of which was written during World War II, is a dark, monumental epic of Good and Evil in conflict, whereas “The Hobbit,” first published in 1937 (and later revised), is a more lighthearted book, an adventure story whose comical and fairy-tale elements are very much in the foreground.

The comparative playfulness of the novel could have made this “Hobbit” movie a lot of fun, but over the years Mr. Jackson seems to have shed most of the exuberant, gleefully obnoxious whimsy that can be found in early films like “Meet the Feebles” and “Dead Alive.” A trace of his impish old spirit survives in some of the creature designs in “The Hobbit” — notably a gelatinous and gigantic Great Goblin and an encampment of cretinous, Three-Stooges-like trolls — but Tolkien’s inventive, episodic tale of a modest homebody on a dangerous journey has been turned into an overscale and plodding spectacle.

Also, not to be pedantic or anything, but “The Hobbit” is just one book, and its expansion into three movies feels arbitrary and mercenary. This installment takes Bilbo and his companions, led by the exiled dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage), son of Thrain, through a series of encounters with orcs, elves, trolls and other beings, some scarier or more charming than others. The only character who manages to be a bit of both is the incomparable Gollum, once again incarnated by Andy Serkis in what remains an unmatched feat of computer-assisted performance.

The meeting between Bilbo and Gollum, which takes place in a vast, watery subterranean cavern, is the one fully enchanted piece of “An Unexpected Journey.” It’s a funny, haunting and curiously touching moment that summons the audience to a state of quiet, eager attentiveness. Even if you aren’t aware of the apocalyptic importance of Gollum’s precious ring, you feel that a lot is at stake here: Bilbo’s life and integrity; Gollum’s corroded soul; the fate of Middle-earth itself.

If only some of that feeling animated the rest of the movie. There are, of course, plenty of shots of noble characters turning their eyes portentously toward the horizon, and much talk of honor, betrayal and the rightful sovereignty of dwarfs over their dragon-occupied mountain. But it all sounds remarkably hollow, perhaps because the post-“Lord of the Rings” decade has seen a flood of lavish and self-serious fantasy-movie franchises. We have heard so many weird proper names intoned in made-up tongues, witnessed so many embodiments of pure evil rise and fall and seen so many fine British actors in beards and flowing robes that we may be too jaded for “The Hobbit,” in spite of its noble pedigree.

But I don’t mean to blame the cultural situation for the specific failings of the movie, which rises to weary, belated mediocrity entirely on its own steam. Mr. Jackson has embraced what might be called theme-park-ride cinema, the default style of commercially anxious, creatively impoverished 3-D moviemaking. The action sequences are exercises in empty, hectic kineticism, with very little sense of peril or surprise. Characters go hurtling down chutes and crumbling mountainsides or else exert themselves in chaotic battles with masses of roaring, rampaging pixels.

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It seems harder and harder to bring any real novelty or excitement to this kind of thing, though it is not clear how much Mr. Jackson really tries. (“Giants! Stone giants!” someone cries, and a couple of mountains dutifully slug it out.) When the initial rush of a chase or a skirmish dissipates, you are left with the slightly ripped-off feeling of having been here before, but with different costumes, in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie or “Clash of the Titans.”

And near the end, when giant birds arrive to pull “The Hobbit” out of the squall and muck of tedious combat, your pleasure at this soaring aerial tour of New Zealand may be accompanied by a shrug of recognition, since the flight plan retraces the routes of “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

“The Hobbit” is being released in both standard 3-D and in a new, 48-frames-per-second format, which brings the images to an almost hallucinatory level of clarity. This is most impressive and also most jarring at the beginning, when a jolly dwarf invasion of Bilbo’s home turns into a riot of gluttonous garden gnomes.

Over all, though, the shiny hyper-reality robs Middle-earth of some of its misty, archaic atmosphere, turning it into a gaudy high-definition tourist attraction. But of course it will soon be overrun with eager travelers, many of whom are likely to find the journey less of an adventure than they had expected.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Mass slaughter of digital monsters.

Follow A. O. Scott on Twitter, @aoscott , and watch The Sweet Spot , with A. O. Scott and David Carr on culture and criticism.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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This page concerns the real world.

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

Gandalfthehobbit

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.

Quizzing the Dwarves

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 with Dwarves

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 [ ]

DVD Combo set

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 Galadriel

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2012, Fantasy/Adventure, 2h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth is an earnest, visually resplendent trip, but the film's deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty. Read critic reviews

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Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.

Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Frightening Images|Intense Fantasy Violence)

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Peter Jackson

Producer: Carolynne Cunningham , Zane Weiner , Fran Walsh , Peter Jackson

Writer: Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson , Guillermo del Toro

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2012  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $303.0M

Runtime: 2h 49m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: WingNut Films

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Datasat

View the collection: Lord of The Rings

Cast & Crew

Ian McKellen

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

William Kircher

James Nesbitt

Stephen Hunter

Dean O'Gorman

Aidan Turner

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

Mark Hadlow

Elijah Wood

Hugo Weaving

Cate Blanchett

Christopher Lee

Peter Jackson

Screenwriter

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo del Toro

Carolynne Cunningham

Zane Weiner

Executive Producer

Toby Emmerich

Carolyn Blackwood

Andrew Lesnie

Cinematographer

Jabez Olssen

Film Editing

Howard Shore

Original Music

Production Design

Andy McLaren

Art Director

Brian Massey

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Critic Reviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Audience reviews for the hobbit: an unexpected journey.

having read the books a long time ago in a galaxy far away (inc. the silmarilion or whatever the F) and having seen the LOTR's films when they came out too but not really paying any attention to it all since then, this was a reminder of the imagination and creativity of J.R.R. Tolkien expertly put to screen once again by peter jackson. now fervently waiting to devour the desolation of smaug whenever it plays on TV.

the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

Precious Gollumses!!

It's definitely no LOTR...But it's still a pretty cool movie. Sure, it took it's time to try to tell the story and dragged on for a little too long, but other than that, the special effects were great, and it was entertaining as hell. It's a good introduction to The Hobbit franchise.

The decision to split up The Hobbit, has in turn split audiences. Many decry it as a simple money making scheme (which in essence it is), others struggle to see how on book only a quarter the size of any LotR book is expected to stretch the same amount of cinema time as the whole Rings trilogy combined. I however, see it as a positive. I don't mind in the least paying an extra $15 out of my own pocket for an extra 6 hours of quality film like this. It's only when they expects people to pay actual money for shite like the Twilight franchise or the Death at a Funeral U.S. remake that I have a problem with Hollywood's greed. The Hobbit, on the other hand, is perfectly capable of backing up its ticket price. And then... Lots. And lots extra. Which is nice. It differs greatly from the book in many aspects, though it has been so damn long since I've read it that I'm not sure what's actually been changed, what's new, what's gone, and what I just don't have right in my head. Martin Freeman (Sherlock, Hot Fuzz, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead, Love, Actually, Ali G Indahouse) is a fantastic Bilbo, he manages to sort of create this halfway point between Frodo and the Bilbo of the LotR trilogy. Which is really kind of perfect when you think about it. Gandalf's the same as ever, really nothing to recap (which is a solid move in my mind). Frodo's also back for some flashback/forward scenes (depending on how you look at it). Which totally makes sense, flaunt 'em if you got 'em. This isn't a line by line adaptation of The Hobbit, it's the first film of the Peter Jackson prequel to the Peter Jackson trilogy of the Rings, both of which are somewhat based on the books. So in his version of the world (which is still very loveable, just different) it makes perfect sense to have these great cameos. The Dwarves are where it all gets a bit confusing. Remembering names and faces, all that jazz. Before I continue though, let me get myself decapitated by all of Tumblr. Why the fuck is everyone going so goddamn schizoid over Kili (Played by Aidan Turner [Being Human, The Tudors]) when he's the one Dwarf without a motherhuggin' beard!? I may not be as beard-savy as L'alice (whose Tumblr is MainliningBeards) but I do appreciate the shit out of them (on that, how amazing is Thror's beard? All armoured and junk, goddamn). He's this skinny fucker with no beard, and does archery all over the place. I mean, yes it does seem like they somehow managed to fuse together Legolas and Aragon to create this dude, which is a nice touch, but he's not that babin' and he sure as shit isn't a Dwarf. Now the other two "sexy" members of the party (is sexy not heterosexual enough, should that be "eye-candy"... Nah, fuck it. Sexy) I can totally get behind. Thorin Oakenshield (Played by Richard Armitage [Captain America, Robin Hood, Strike Back, Spooks]) and Fili (Played by Dean O'Gorman[Xena, Young Hercules, Toy Love]) are not only very, very attractive, but I also totally buy them as fantasy creatures from Middle Earth. The actors playing Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori weren't overly familiar to me. Though Graham McTavish (Green Street Hooligans 2, Rambo, The Bill, Rome, King Arthur, Erik the Viking, Dante's Inferno, Call of Duty franchise, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Dawn of War II) as Dwalin is clearly a fuckin' badass. I do have some qualms with changes made, not from novel to screen, but from LotR to The Hobbit. Given that both are Peter Jackson's work, and they're meant to be in his world, why was it necessary to change the appearance of firmly grounded canonical things? The Goblins of The Hobbit (above) are great, but look nothing like the original ones. The Wargs seem to have actually taken a backwards step in my eyes, and are also unfamiliar in this screen world. It's difficult to back up my statements about "It's okay to not be the same as the book, it's Jackson's world" if Jackson keeps changing his mind about what his world even looks like. Azog not looking like any other orc was fine by me though. He was an incredible looking bad guy, with a back story, a great actor behind him (Australian Manau Bennett [Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, Spartacus series, Sinbad and the Minotaur, 30 Days of Night, The Condemned]). Ultimately, the only killer for me about The Hobbit, is knowing that despite the fact that it's completely finished, it's still only being released at a rate of one film a year, and that hurts, because honestly, The Hobbit's great. Watch it as an adaptation of the book, watch it as a fantasy epic, watch it as the LotR prequel, watch it as a heart-warming tale of adventure from mediocrity, watch it as a cinematic marvel, or just plain watch it as Beard-Porn, whatever, it's maybe not life changing, but it's enjoyable as Hell. 79% -Gimly

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"You will have to do without pocket-handkerchiefs, and a great many other things before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead." — Gandalf the Grey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film in the three-part cinematic adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien 's classic fantasy novel The Hobbit , directed by Peter Jackson and adapted for the screen by Jackson and Guillermo del Toro . It is a prequel to Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings , telling the story of eponymous hobbit Bilbo Baggins's ( Martin Freeman ) adventure with the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. It was released on December 2012.

The film starts with Bilbo Baggins having a peaceful life in the Shire. One day, Gandalf shows up at his house and tries to convince Bilbo to go on an adventure. When Bilbo refuses, Gandalf invites a party of thirteen dwarves for dinner regardless. Bilbo discovers that the dwarf leader is none other than Thorin Oakenshield, and they plan to reclaim their homeland of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. Despite his reservations, the next morning Bilbo decides to follow the Company, beginning a journey that will change his life forever, and also of all the Middle-Earth...

An Unexpected Journey contains examples of:

  • Action Prologue : Bilbo narrates a description of Smaug's takeover of the Lonely Mountain at the beginning of the movie.

the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

  • Adaptational Angst Upgrade : Though the books (particularly the "Quest of Erebor") also imply that revenge is a significant motivation for the quest, the movie emphasizes Thorin's desire for his homeland rather than revenge or the recovery of their treasure.
  • Radagast the Brown doesn't do much in The Fellowship of the Ring besides telling Gandalf that Saruman wanted to see him and later sending the eagles to save him. In The Hobbit , he leads a pack of warg-riding orcs on a merry chase on a sled pulled by giant rabbits, heals a hedgehog whilst driving away giant spiders, and disarms the Witch-King of Angmar .
  • While the dwarves and Bilbo are (or in Bilbo's case, become) reasonably badass in the original books, the dwarves are more competent in some ways in the film than in the book ( fighting the trolls rather than all but Thorin being captured by them by surprise ), and Bilbo shows his competence and toughness earlier on (whereas in the book he's basically The Load until they enter Mirkwood).
  • Bilbo's family history from the very beginning of the novel is omitted.
  • Occasional descriptive details along the journey are also left out. Among them is that shortly after leaving the Shire, the company passes through the Lone-lands, where sinister-looking castles are mentioned, and there is a brief segment where one of the ponies runs off and Fili and Kili nearly drown in a river trying to get it back.
  • Likewise, parts of the adventure inside the Misty Mountains are condensed, such as Bilbo spending more time wandering through the tunnels before and after meeting Gollum, and a longer segment with him trying to evade the goblins' notice. He spends a bit more time with Gollum too, featuring a few extra riddles that aren't in the film.
  • After the company escapes from the mountain in the novel, they journey further on and some time passes before the goblin and warg attack. Whereas in the film, Azog's forces attack them almost immediately after they make it out of the mountain.
  • The eagles have a larger role in the novel. Not only are they shown with the ability to fully speak, but after rescuing Thorin and company, the eagles take them to their eyrie and let them stay the night, and then the following morning the eagles carry them further on before departing. Their leader, the Lord of the Eagles, is not identified in the film, and his dialogue with Gandalf is removed.
  • The film provides an expanded role for Radagast, who is only mentioned by name in the novel , and whose presence in all of Tolkien's writings is very minor in general. Similarly, there is the addition of an extra villain in Azog, who was dead in the novel, to tie events together.
  • A lot of backstory is depicted, including the splendour of the original Kingdom Under the Mountain, Smaug's attack on it, and the Battle of Azanulbizar, which are only mentioned in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings .
  • Material is added that was inspired by "The Quest of Erebor" in Unfinished Tales , where Gandalf lays out much of the story's behind-the-scenes action to the rest of the Fellowship.
  • Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole : Neither Glamdring or Orcrist glow blue when orcs are near in accordance with The Lord of the Rings where Sting alone glowed blue, but Gandalf states that Sting glows blue because it was made by the Elves raising the question of why the other two don't.
  • Radagast in The Lord of the Rings is portrayed as a simple wizard who lives in the forest with animals rather than help the people of Middle-Earth. Saruman considers him to be a fool for this, although his personality traits are unmentioned. The Hobbit film portrays the wizard as a Cloud Cuckoolander who has odd habits such as keeping birds under his hat making Sauruman's disdain somewhat understandable.
  • Bofur is considered the comic relief among the Company, while his book counterpart was a Flat Character that had only two lines. The same could also be said of Ori and several other dwarves.
  • In the book, Thorin and Balin were young when Smaug attacked Erebor (24 and 7 respectively), and it's another 174 years before the dwarves set out to reclaim it. Here, the two look about the same age during the two events, so much less time has passed. It's implied to be sixty years ago, since it's said that the dragon was last seen at that time. note  In the book he was seen several times since then, as he ventured out for a while, but that's not mentioned here.
  • The scenes with the goblins and with Gollum originally took place one after the other, with many hours in-between, while here they take place at the exact same time.
  • Adaptational Villainy : The Great Goblin, only in comparison due to being a villain in both versions. The sole reason is his willingness to help kill Thorin for Azog even before the dwarves are caught in Goblintown, whereas in the book, he and the goblins believe the dwarves are spies and have come to attempt to destroy them. It doesn't help that Gandalf kills him in attempt to save the dwarves. Not to mention the goblins pursued Thorin's company to avenge their ruler, and even worse, later in the book after the slaying of Smaug, the goblins believed the dwarves, elves, and men to be more of a threat with Smaug's treasure, regardless of the three armies not exactly willing to share the treasure. In the first film, Gandalf's killing of the Great Goblin is justified as Azog and his own orcs are pursuing the dwarves since the beginning, and instead of the Goblintown goblins following Thorin's company, Azog's orcs continue to follow.
  • Alone with the Psycho : Bilbo when stuck with Gollum who's contemplating whether or not to eat him . He uses the riddles game to stall him/convince him to show him the way out.
  • Ambiguously Human : Kili approaches this, being taller and lankier than the other dwarves and nearly clean-shaven (this in a race where even the females have beards!), despite even his brother Fili looking like a full-blooded dwarf. Thorin himself has fairly noble features (being a king, after all) except for his large nose and short stature.
  • An Arm and a Leg : Thorin is shown to have cut off Azog's forearm in a flashback and naturally assumed he bled to death. Azog returns with a Hook Hand consisting of a metal rod impaled all the way through the arm from the stump to the elbow with a nasty looking claw on the end.
  • Anger Born of Worry : Thorin confronts Bilbo furiously after Bilbo takes on Azog, keeping him from killing Thorin. After listing Bilbo's perceived failings, he embraces Bilbo , declaring, "I've never been so wrong in all my life!"
  • Arc Words : "Home is behind. The world [is] ahead." Originally taken from a song in The Lord of the Rings (the song, called "A Walking Song," was written by Bilbo in the book and sung by Pippin to Denethor in the film version) but thematically appropriate for the theme of this film too.
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking : Saruman's list of reasons he disdains Radagast's (alleged) habit of eating mushrooms ends with how they stain his teeth. This is an allusion to a similar conversation Saruman had with Gandalf in the Fellowship of the Ring film, where he accused Gandalf of having grown "too fond of the halflings' weed." It may also allude to the books ( Unfinished Tales ), where Saruman does scold Gandalf for smoking while with the White Council.
  • Arson, Murder, and Lifesaving : Thorin chews out Bilbo, listing all his potential failings and finishing with "I have never been so wrong in my life!".
  • One of the trolls chastises the others saying that he does not want sunlight to turn him into stone. Might or might not be in play too when Gandalf talks to Bilbo about one of Bilbo's ancestors.
  • After making clear in the prologue that he's writing his account expressly for the edification of his nephew Frodo, Bilbo nonetheless opens the main portion of his narrative with Tolkien's passage, nearly verbatim note  Tolkien has "Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." Jackson has "Not a nasty, dirty wet hole full of worms and oozy smells. this was a hobbit-hole and that means good food, a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home." , describing what a hobbit hole is like for someone who's never heard of them—but Frodo would be well familiar with hobbit holes and especially this particular hobbit hole, given that he has been living there. This is compounded by the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where he also writes and narrates the "Concerning Hobbits" prologue from The Lord of the Rings in the first person, again as though for the benefit of non-Hobbits.
  • Asskicking Leads to Leadership : Though Thorin's claim to the throne comes from being of the royal line of Durin, the respect he gets from the other dwarfs stems from his victory over Azog at Moria in the battle that gave him the name Oakenshield.
  • Attack Animal : The wargs note  upon hearing their howls, Bofur says: "that is not a wolf " who hunt our band of dwarves. Azog has an albino-looking one, like himself. In the books they were actually a fully sentient race with their own society and language; here that's reduced to using complex tactics based on a single command.
  • Audible Sharpness : Bilbo's sword effectively sings when he pulls it out of the sheath, but continues to do so as he holds it. Another is when Thorin pulls out Orcrist when fending off wargs. Thing is, he wasn't carrying it in the sheath.
  • Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other : The dwarves' relationship with Bilbo shows steadily through the journey that they come to see him as one of their own, despite their initial doubt of him. Kíli was the first one to attack the trolls when they discover Bilbo and later on, Thorin had to pull him back when the trolls threatened to rip Bilbo apart . Most of the dwarves were quick to help Bilbo when he twice almost went over the edge of the mountain path they were taking. They're also very quick to push Bilbo towards the centre of the group whenever a dangerous situation presents itself. Later on, Bofur attempts to comfort Bilbo after Thorin harshly claims Bilbo wasn't one of them and then sincerely wishes Bilbo the best when he tries to leave. And finally Thorin after Bilbo saves his life and pulls him into a hug in his gratitude.
  • Badass Boast : Radagast volunteering to draw the warg-scouts away from Gandalf and his party: Gandalf : These are Gundabad Wargs! They will outrun you! Radagast: These are Rhosgobel rabbits! I'd like to see them try !
  • Battle Amongst the Flames : Thorin's confrontation with Azog at the end of the film.
  • Battle Bolas : Dori uses a set of metal bolas as a battle weapon.
  • Battle Cry : Thorin shouts the ancient dwarven battle cry when he rallies his troops at the Battle of Azanulbizar. " Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! " or " The axes of the dwarves! The dwarves are upon you! "
  • Beast of Battle : The Gundabad orcs ride wargs .
  • Behemoth Battle : The battle of stone giants.
  • "Be Quiet!" Nudge : When the party is captured by trolls, Bilbo tries to gain time and avoid them being eaten by claiming the dwarves have parasites. To which Kíli protests, until Thorin (despite being tied up in a bag) kicks him so that he changes his tune.
  • Betrayal by Inaction : Thranduil does not come to the dwarves' defence against Smaug or help the refugees of Erebor. Years later, this is still a sore spot for Thorin.
  • Bofur appears to develop one towards Bilbo, who despite being an adult is the smallest and least experienced when it comes to fighting, pushing Bilbo to the centre of the group whenever a dangerous situation occurs.
  • Fíli towards Kíli, as well, which makes sense since Fíli is Kíli's older brother.
  • Thorin frantically calls out for Fíli when it appears he's been killed in the stone giants' crossfire (Which also makes sense, considering Fíli and Kíli are his nephews), and he's very quick to intervene when the Goblin King orders his minions to start torturing the youngest dwarf (Ori).
  • Gandalf pulls his blindingly flashy entrance just in time to save the dwarves from the goblins.
  • Just as an Orc is about to cut Thorin's head off, Bilbo tackles the Orc and stabs him . Bilbo then becomes cornered by Azog's wargriders after he saves Thorin ; cue the other dwarves coming in to save his ass and the eagles coming in to save theirs.
  • Elrond and his riders inadvertently saving Thorin and Co. from the warg-riders at the Hidden Pass.
  • Big Good : Although the White Council is supposed to be this - watching over Middle-Earth and keeping it safe from evil, particularly that of Morgoth, Sauron and their deputies—it is really Galadriel who deserves the title. Saruman is shown to be already succumbing to his own ego and bias, dismissing those he thinks are beneath him like Radagast, and ignoring theories that clash with his world view, while Elrond and Gandalf despite having their independent viewpoints both take their cues from Galadriel—Elrond because she's a close relative, mother figure and his mother-in-law and Gandalf because he is her old friend and mentor. Galadriel is not only constantly watching over Middle-Earth—diligently noticing even small things—but she cares about the fate of Middle-Earth and the creatures in it, having the perspective, wisdom and power to guide its destiny in the right direction.
  • Thrór when he loses the Arkenstone in the prologue.
  • Thorin when Thrór is killed. And later when he thinks that Fíli and the others have died in the thunder battle.
  • Balin when Thorin rushes out to face Azog.
  • "They'll never see you! It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you."
  • Shortly afterwards, Bilbo's Batman Gambit of telling the trolls that the dwarves all have parasites.
  • Bloodless Carnage : Despite the battlefield of Azanulbizar being drenched in blood, there's surprisingly little of it when Thorin cuts off Azog's arm.
  • Book Ends : The film begins and ends with close-ups of eyes. The first eye belongs to the MGM lion, the second eye belongs to Smaug.
  • Boom, Headshot! : Happens twice to orcs during the Battle of the Hidden Pass, once by Kíli, the other by an elf archer.
  • Bond Villain Stupidity : The trolls try to cook the dwarves without killing them first - and keep their word of not 'disarming' Bilbo if they throw down their weapons.
  • Butt-Monkey : Tom the troll gets abused freely by Bert for virtually anything.
  • The film opens with Frodo leaving to surprise Gandalf, which he does at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring .
  • Bilbo and Frodo are shown setting up for the birthday party later that night, seen in Fellowship of the Ring .
  • The Ring pops onto Bilbo's finger exactly as it did (or will) onto Frodo's.
  • Gandalf has trouble with the chandelier, exactly as he has in Fellowship of the Ring .
  • Gandalf calls on the eagles through the help of a moth/butterfly... again.
  • Gandalf splitting the boulder into two to defeat the trolls is a call back to what he did with the Balrog in the Fellowship of the Ring . Not to mention that he does so just as the sun rises. "At dawn, look to the east" ring a bell?
  • The elven cavalry's trumpet sounds the same as the one Haldir's reinforcements use at the Battle of Helm's Deep.
  • Saruman comments disparagingly on Radagast's fondness for mushrooms, much like his comment in Fellowship of the Ring about Gandalf's "love of the halflings' leaf".
  • During the same conversation, Saruman's comment to Gandalf - "Always you must meddle" - has a strong ring of familiarity towards Grí­ma Wormtongue, who refers to Gandalf as a meddler.
  • When Gandalf is explaining to Bilbo about true courage being knowing when to spare a life, the music is a rendition of the music played in Moria when Gandalf and Frodo are discussing the incident where Bilbo spares Gollum's life , which is where Bilbo applied Gandalf's advice, and it appears again for that moment in An Unexpected Journey . From The Fellowship Of The Ring : Frodo: It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance. Gandalf: Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand.
  • Bilbo's sparing of Gollum's life is of course Calling Forward to when Frodo does the same at Emyn Muil. This is a critical part of the story as it sets in motion a chain of events that allows for the destruction of the One Ring.
  • The three trolls turn to stone in the exact same positions we see them in during Fellowship . Funny because they are visibly arguing, with one pointing down (at what was evidently the dwarves they were discussing eating). This made sense as it's how the scene happened in the book. Here, the scene is played differently (as Gandalf doesn't pit them against one another), but yet as they turn to stone their postures shift to have them face one another and for one to point downwards with his index finger.
  • Gandalf catches a glimpse of Bilbo pocketing the ring, setting up his knowing that Bilbo has it in The Lord of the Rings . Similarly, Bilbo keeps the ring in the same pocket as he does in Fellowship of the Ring (the front left pocket of his waistcoat).
  • Balin carries the big Book of Mazarbûl that the Fellowship finds in Moria, recording the last moments of the colony.
  • The original trilogy is the Trope Namer for Kneel Before Frodo - Bilbo earns a big hug from Thorin, rightful king of the greatest dwarf civilization after Moria , acknowledging this.
  • The warg riders' meeting place with Azog to tell him that they've lost Thorin's Company is Weathertop.
  • When Radagast goes to investigate Dol Guldur, he is attacked by the Witch-King of Angmar's ghostly human form, using a similar knife to the one which stabbed Frodo in Fellowship . According to the director's commentary, that blade is in fact the very same Morgul blade that the Witch-King stabs Frodo with later, although how it comes back into his possession has yet to be elaborated upon.
  • During the unexpected party, when the dwarves' arguments that Gandalf chose wrong by Bilbo start to heat up, Gandalf berates them by standing up, with his shadow filling the room, as his voice gains a threatening tone (the look on Bilbo's face here is priceless), just like he did in Fellowship , when Bilbo accuses him of wanting the Ring for himself.
  • Thranduil's actions in the prologue establish the reason why dwarves still harbor a deep distrust of elves many decades later in Fellowship of the Ring . In particular, it explains Gimli's immediate dislike of Legolas at the Council of Elrond in Fellowship , since Legolas is Thranduil's son and Gimli is Glóin's son.
  • The Extended Edition offers a reason why the elves don't trust the dwarves: before Smaug came, Thranduil paid Thrór homage in Erebor. During this visit, Thrór dangled a necklace belonging to Thranduil's late wife in front of him, and then refused to give it back to him. Thranduil's expression at this makes it clear that this was the beginning of their rift, from his side.
  • Thranduil's reluctance to aid the dwarves in fighting Smaug shows that he is no lover of hopeless battles; a trait that may have rubbed off on his son Legolas, judging by his own despair at the seeming hopelessness of defending Helm's Deep against Saruman's army.
  • In Fellowship , Bilbo offers Gandalf some wine, but Gandalf would prefer to have "just tea". During the unexpected party, Dori offers Gandalf camomile tea, but Gandalf prefers wine!
  • Kíli deflecting Goblin arrows with his sword (and looking surprised it worked) echoes Aragorn's Throw It In! moment in Fellowship where he deflects Lurtz's thrown knife. invoked
  • When Radagast spots the Necromancer's shadowy form, the camera employs the Vertigo Effect , which was previously done early in the first LOTR film when the Nazgûl are approaching the Hobbits on the Shire road, and again in the third one when Frodo gazes into Shelob's Lair. All three times are linked to an evil presence.
  • Glóin notably carries an axe that Gimli will later inherit.
  • The flashback of Azog's defeat bears a strong resemblance to Sauron's defeat in The Battle of The Last Alliance: the good forces are almost overrun and their king is struck with fear upon seeing the Evil Overlord 's literal Foe-Tossing Charge (also, both Sauron and Azog are using a mace). The evil leader then kills the king effortlessly. The king's heir (Isildur and Thorin, respectively) first has a Heroic BSoD and then steps up to avenge his father/grandfather, is almost defeated himself and with one last desperate attack cuts his opponent's hand. This seals the Evil Overlord 's defeat and turns the tide of the battle.
  • Gandalf tells Bilbo (basically) "Home is behind, the world is ahead"; In The Return of the King Pippin sings a song that starts with that phrase to Denethor.
  • When they fall into the hidden passage to Rivendell, Thorin pulls an arrow from the dead Orc that has fallen after them, looks at it, and says "Elves". Much in the same way, when the Fellowship enters Moria, Legolas pulls an arrow from a Dwarven corpse, scrutinizes it, and announces "Orcs".
  • In the extended addition, there's a scene of Bilbo quietly exploring Rivendell. Aside from a moment when he sees a painting of the battle against Sauron (in particular his Ring), it's very clear from his body language and expression that he finds the place delightful. When Elrond comes upon him admiring the view, he promises the Hobbit that he's welcome to stay there if he wants. Many years later, Bilbo would wind up spending the last years of his life in Rivendell after leaving The Shire behind.
  • The Call Knows Where You Live : And has inscribed its mark on your front door.
  • Camera Abuse : The extended edition has the Great Goblin throw one of his minions directly at the camera during his Villain Song .
  • Cassandra Truth : Both Gandalf and Radagast are convinced The Necromancer is Sauron, or somebody as dangerous as him. However, some members of The White Council are either not convinced (Saruman) or don't see a threat (Elrond) to do anything about it. Averted with Galadriel, who senses that something genuinely sinister is going on and puts her faith in Gandalf. The books let us know that by this time Saruman was actively looking for the Ring himself, which is why he is pushing the Ring-went-down-to-the-Sea hypothesis.
  • The Cavalry : The Elven cavalry party, and a less literal one in the Eagles.
  • In the flashbacks, the Elves refused to help the Dwarves, both against Smaug in Erebor and against the Orcs in Moria. This led to the grudge of the Dwarves towards Elves. The White Council was about to be a third one, but the Dwarves (for good reason) left before they could refuse to help.
  • Thorin states that the Dwarves of The Iron Hills have refused to aid The Company in retaking Erebor.
  • Cerebus Rollercoaster : The first 1/3 of the film feels this way.
  • Changed My Mind, Kid : Bilbo attempts to leave The Company while in the Goblin cave, feeling he doesn't belong among them on this adventure. After his adventures in The Misty Mountains, he forgoes the chance to escape with the Ring and returns to The Company.
  • Between Radagast the Brown and the orcs. Gandalf: Those are Gundabad Wargs. They'll outpace you. Radagast: These are Rhosgobel Rabbits ! I'd like to see them try !
  • Also, later in Goblin-Town when Gandalf and the Dwarves run to escape the Goblin horde .
  • Chekhov's Skill : The game the dwarves play with Bilbo's dishes seems like just a bit of harmless fun at Bilbo's expense. But it also serves to establish their skill at passing items between each other during frenetic situations, which they put to use during their escape in the barrels and the Battle of Five Armies when they pass weapons between one another in the midst of battle.
  • Clean Cut : By Gandalf to a goblin. He nudges its head with his staff and it slides away.
  • Cold Open : Kind of a tradition now. Like the other Jackson movies set in Middle-Earth, this one begins this way, providing very useful Backstory about Erebor , Thorin , his grudge towards the Elves, and last but not least, the scale of Smaug's destructive power.
  • Contrived Coincidence : Elrond reveals that the map Thorin has contains moon runes that can only be read on a certain day in the year — and only if the moon is in the exact same phase as it was when they were written, meaning that the opportunity to read them comes only one night every thirty years . It just so happens that Thorin's Company arrives in Rivendell on that exact same day with the moon in the correct phase. Elrond even lampshades this, saying that fate must be driving their quest .
  • Cooking the Live Meal : After The Company is captured by a party of three Trolls , half of them are tied to a spit without being killed first, which means they end up shouting and complaining about the flames whilst the Trolls turn them over. That said, the Trolls are very divided on how exactly they should prepare their dinner.
  • Cool Car : Radagast's Rabbit-drawn sleigh.
  • Covered in Gunge : Bilbo after his involuntary service as a troll hanky.
  • Creator Cameo : With Peter Jackson at the helm, it's a matter of where in the movies, he'll be, not if he'll be in it. Turns out it is a very difficult cameo to spot in AUJ, where he is a Dwarf fleeing Smaug in the prologue.
  • "Blunt the Knives" — Justified in that it comes across as a drinking song that the Dwarves all know and adapt to include Bilbo's name.
  • "Misty Mountains" — In this case, it's a song that the Dwarves know by heart because it's a poignant part of their oral history.
  • Cue the Sun : Gandalf cracks the boulder to expose the trolls to the dawn.
  • Deathly Dies Irae : A statement is heard during Balin's telling of the failed attempt to retake Moria, right as Azog the Defiler takes the head of Thrór.
  • Decapitation Presentation : In a flashback, Azog does this with Thrór .
  • Demanding Their Head : Azog the Defiler ( who survived the Battle of Azanulbizar that killed him in the book ) has put a price on the heads of the entire company of Thorin Oakenshield—but especially with Thorin himself , who cut off Azog's left arm in the Battle. In addition to the Goblins of Goblin-Town trying to collect it, Azog happily sends one of his own Orcs to bring him Thorin's head after he's already worn Thorin down with his mace and his Warg . The Great Goblin himself lampshades it when confronting Thorin and revealing Azog's still alive to him . Great Goblin: I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. ( Evil Laugh ) Just a head. Nothing attached .
  • Description Cut : Gandalf describes Radagast the Brown as a great wizard, the watcher and protector of the forest. We then immediately cut to Radagast, a doddering old man covered in bird poop and dirt.
  • Developer's Foresight : When first discovered, Sting lacks the Elvish inscription seen in The Lord of the Rings , which reads, "Sting is my name, I am the spider's bane." In the film, Bilbo is told that swords get names based on their deeds, and his "letter opener" blade hasn't seen battle. Clearly Bilbo had the inscription added after he named Sting in Mirkwood.
  • Divided for Adaptation : One of three movies adapted out of a single novel.
  • Saruman's appearance plays this for all it's worth since he declares that Sauron couldn't possibly be coming back... even though he himself has suspected it and at the time of The Hobbit was trying to locate the One Ring so he could usurp Sauron.
  • Furthermore, when Bilbo asserts "I really believe that the worst is behind us." at the end of the film, we are then privy to a shot of Smaug briefly awakening from his slumber (due to a thrush knocking an acorn on the side of Erebor, said thrush being said to be a good omen, no less).
  • Drugs Are Bad : Saruman's chief opposition to Radagast's evidence seems to be all the mushrooms he ingests. Coupled with his disparaging remarks about pipeweed in Fellowship of the Ring , it can be seen that whatever his evils are, the man does at least have a strong anti-drugs stance. Also see G-Rated Drug .
  • Dude, Not Funny! : In-universe example where Thorin is quick to sternly lecture Kíli who had casually joked about orcs to a nervous Bilbo. It is understandable why Thorin doesn't think it's something to be joked about since he had seen many of his kin killed by orcs, including his grandfather. In fact, if you look closely you'll see that Thorin actually starts awake when he hears Bilbo say "Orcs?", and he looks around expecting an attack.
  • Dynamic Entry : Gandalf appears out of nowhere in the Goblin caves to give the Dwarves the distraction they need to grab their weapons to make their escape.
  • Radagast the Brown is an odd case: he was in the book version of The Lord of the Rings , but his role in the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring was filled by a moth Gandalf used to summon Gwaihir, Lord of Eagles.
  • The Witch-King of Angmar, in his spectral form , tries to kill Radagast.
  • There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it instant when we catch a glimpse of Girion, firing ballast bolts at Smaug when the Dragon's attacking Dale.
  • Both Bolg and the bearded jailer Orc from Dul Guldur (himself an early design of Bolg) show up for blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos at the Battle of Azanulbizar. Dwalin beats them up just after Thorin cuts off Azog's arm. Bolg is lacking the scars and metal plates in his head, suggesting that he got those because of Dwalin's attack.
  • Frodo appears early in the film, asking Bilbo about his book.
  • Saruman comes to the aid of Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel in their fight against The Necromancer.
  • Galadriel is in Rivendell when The Company arrives and manages to fend off The Necromancer at the cost of a great deal of energy.
  • Elfeminate : Lampshaded in the extended edition, where Kíli mistakes a male Elf for an Elf-maiden.
  • Elmuh Fudd Syndwome : William the troll zigzags with this.
  • Empathy Doll Shot : A burning one is seen as Smaug attacks Dale.
  • When Thorin first enters Bilbo's home, he doesn't introduce himself, bow, or offer his services to Bilbo, unlike the other Dwarves, showing how proud and dignified he is.
  • Dwalin is surly and rudely takes Bilbo's food without much of a word.
  • Balin is rather more friendly and later guides the dwarves in organizing the table.
  • Fíli and Kíli, as the youngest and least secure, noticeably panic when Bilbo denies the existence of a meeting.
  • Dori, with his talk of chamomile tea and his wine enthusiast's description of the wine that he brings to Gandalf, shows that he regards himself as something of a cultural sophisticate.
  • Ori, when he asks Bilbo what to do with his plate, asks in a tone of voice that shows him to be somewhat timid and possibly not too bright.
  • Younger Bilbo is first seen sitting in front of Bag End, peacefully puffing on a pipe with not a care in the world.
  • The first time we see Azog in flashback, he beheads Thrór . When we next see Azog in the main story's timeframe, he feeds his own henchman to his Warg pack. Clearly, his title of "The Defiler" is by no means strictly honorary.
  • All the riddles played between Bilbo and Gollum rely on this. Justified , as riddles by their very definition rely on the Exact Words of their formulation. It took a bit further in the last one. Impatient that Bilbo was taking so long, Gollum demands that Bilbo quickly ask him a question. While thinking, Bilbo muses to himself "What have I got in my pocket?". Gollum mistakes it for a riddle and complains before Bilbo, using Gollum's earlier words, retorts he is asking a question and decides to use that as his riddle.
  • During the unexpected party, Gandalf's drink request is "a little red wine". Dori brings him his wine in a ludicrously tiny glass, much to Gandalf's disappointment.
  • When Bilbo greeted him with a "Good morning", Gandalf lampshaded this trope by whimsically questioning the exact meaning of that phrase. Is Bilbo having a good morning, is he saying it is a good morning no matter what does Gandalf thinks, is he wishing for Gandalf to have a good morning or is it a morning to be good on? Bilbo simply replied: "All of them at once".
  • When Bilbo greets Balin with a "Good Evening", the dwarf treats it as a commentary on the night itself, adding that "although it might rain later".
  • "Why isn't it working? It's not like it's witchcraft!"
  • This dialogue:
  • Eye Awaken : Combined with Hellish Pupils , this is done for Smaug at the end of An Unexpected Journey .
  • Face Death with Dignity : The Great Goblin , whose reaction to having his stomach cut open (after a short scream, admittedly — more like an "ouch", really) is to nod and calmly declare "That'll do it." (for context, he had just asked Gandalf — in a much more enthusiastic manner — what he was going to do, "wizard").
  • Fake Shemp : Ian Holm 's scenes as elderly Bilbo were filmed in the UK, as he was unable to travel to New Zealand due to his advanced age. For the scene of Bilbo and Frodo speaking outside Bag End (which was filmed on location) the crew put Martin Freeman in old-age prosthetics and filmed him from a distance with Holm's voice added in later.
  • Fat Bastard : The Great Goblin. He is grotesquely fat with an underchin nearly as big as the entire rest of this head. He's also a torturer, a Bad Boss , and cooperating with Azog.
  • Fire-Forged Friends : Thorin and Bilbo after Bilbo rescues him from being beheaded by one of Azog's mooks. Literally in this case since they were battling amongst flames .
  • Fire of Comfort : Bilbo's opening narration for his book describes this, and one is also seen during some scenes when he is camping out with the Dwarves.
  • Foe-Tossing Charge : Smaug's attack on the Dwarven stronghold. He barely seems to notice the Dwarves flying through the air as he walks right over the defenders.
  • Food Porn : Quite a bit of it during the party scene in Bag End, complete with a lingering pan over all the food on the table.
  • The movie opens with Bilbo blowing an uncannily perfect smoke ring . That is all.
  • Thrór's case of Gold Fever serves as this, as Thorin will come down with a similar "ailment" after The Lonely Mountain is reclaimed from Smaug, which stops him from negotiating with the men of Laketown and the Wood Elves (although the interracial tension and being a prisoner of the Elves earlier probably didn't help).
  • Bilbo considers the rumors that he has "tunnels full of gold" silly, as he only has a single chest that "still smells of Troll". Glóin, Nori and Bofur are shown burying a box of treasure taken from the troll hoard.
  • When Gandalf presents Bilbo with his Elvish sword, he tells Bilbo that true courage comes from knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare a life. Bilbo contemplates killing Gollum but decides not to. This is a turning point, as he then shows considerable courage against Azog.
  • Thorin and Gandalf have a brief argument over whether or not to go to Rivendell. Later, while fleeing pursuing wargs, Thorin loudly wonders where Gandalf is leading them.
  • After seeing Glamdring and Orcrist, Bilbo wonders if his own Elvish sword has a name, and Balin tells him swords gain names depending on their deeds. "Sting" gets its name from slaying the Spiders in Mirkwood. Balin: More of a letter-opener, really.
  • Gandalf lights his pipe with a Finger-Snap Lighter and later uses the same effect to set pine cones on fire, throwing them at the Wargs.
  • The musical cue for the Ring Bilbo finds. Though even Gandalf doesn't know its true nature yet, he senses something sinister.
  • The odd way that The Ring behaves when dropped — it seems far heavier than it ought to be (an effect memorable in the LOTR films which was achieved using magnets).
  • Annoyed at Thorin's refusal to confide in Elrond, Gandalf mutters that Thorin's pride will be his downfall. The Battle of the Five Armies, during which Thorin dies, is directly a result of his pride and greed.
  • A subtle one: the rock the eagles leave the dwarves on at the end is shaped like a bear's head. It's called Carrock and is where they will meet the skin-changer Beorn.
  • Elrond helps Thorin read the secret runes on the map, only visible by the light of the moon. In the next film, it is the light of the moon which winds up being "the last light" on Durin's Day that reveals the secret door, not the setting sun.
  • As Elrond reads the moon runes on the map, he mentions a door appearing "when the thrush knocks". In the final scene the camera follows a thrush as it flies towards Erebor, then starts knocking snails against a rock. The noise wakes Smaug.
  • The rock the aforementioned thrush lands on is almost definitely the secret entrance, and the thrush itself plays a role in helping Bilbo find the keyhole and also Bard slay Smaug.
  • Radagast's home is attacked by giant spiders. Guess what's waiting for the Company when they arrive in Mirkwood.
  • Thorin's father Thráin went missing but was never confirmed dead, and Azog mentions having encountered him. Gandalf found Thráin in Dol Guldur, where he had been captured, tortured, and driven mad.
  • In the extended edition, Kíli takes an interest in the elves at Rivendell. He later develops a crush on Tauriel after arriving in Mirkwood.
  • Forging Scene : Quite a few, seeing as how this was the main industry of Erebor. One showed Thorin working as a blacksmith as a testament of How the Mighty Have Fallen .
  • Fork Fencing : The Dwarves do this when eating at Bilbo's house, much to his chagrin. It leads to the "Blunt the Knives" song being performed.
  • Fourth Wall Psych : Gandalf, when Galadriel asks why he chose Bilbo to accompany the Dwarves. He gives her a speech about how small, everyday acts of kindness and love are what he's found most effective as a bulwark against evil. He delivers this speech while facing the camera and staring contemplatively, almost (but not quite ) looking directly at the audience.
  • Friend to All Living Things : Radagast appears like this, even letting birds nest (and crap!) in his hair rather than disturbing them.
  • Óin's Ear Trumpet is stomped on and crushed flat when The Company is captured in Goblin-Town . Later, after they escape , he's shown using it, anyway.
  • Lots in Bag End during the party. One involves Fíli and Kíli trying to work out how to operate the tap on a beer barrel, then apparently giving up and just bringing the barrel itself.
  • When Bilbo suggests that the Trolls skin the Dwarves, Thorin is yelling and flailing around in anger, along with the others (who are all lying on their backs aside from Fíli, who is desperately trying to turn over).
  • After the Dwarves light their campfire in Rivendell, Bofur cooks a sausage over the fire. Next to him, Bifur is doing the same thing, but instead of a sausage, Bifur is attempting to cook a large piece of lettuce. Then, when Bofur throws the sausage to Bombur and causes Bombur's bench to collapse, all the Dwarves are doubled over with laughter except for Bifur, who is concentrating on his piece of lettuce as though he's determined to roast the heck out of it.
  • Genre Blind : The line "The worst is behind us". Oh boy...
  • Giant Spider : Some attempt to break into Radagast's cottage before his magic scares them back to Dol Guldur.
  • Gold Fever : Thrór, king of Erebor and Thorin's grandfather, is shown in flashbacks to be so obsessed with gold that it's even described to be a "sickness", and his obsession with filling his treasure rooms with enough gold to build a castle out of it is implied to have attracted Smaug to Erebor in the first place.
  • Gory Discretion Shot : When Sméagol is preparing to eat a goblin he dragged onto his rocky outcropping, the Goblin is shown to be hit several times, but then the camera cuts to Bilbo and the fading of Sting's blue glow (a sign there are live Goblins about) shows he dies. When Bilbo looks up, the rock in the lake is bare.
  • Go Through Me : Bilbo does this after tackling Azog's mook and standing between Azog and the semi-conscious Thorin .
  • G-Rated Drug : Radagast seems to get high when he takes a whiff from Gandalf's pipe (another suggestion that "pipeweed" may not be tobacco, though tobacco also has a reputation for calming the nerves), and later Saruman comments disapprovingly of his worrying fondness for mushrooms.
  • Groin Attack : Bert the troll catches one from Dori's bolas.
  • Ground-Shattering Landing : Bombur does this in Goblin-Town, punching through two layers of Goblin scaffolding and dislodging the goblins that had been swarming over him.
  • Headbutt of Love : How Dwalin and Balin greet each other—although, since they are Dwarves, it's more like a full-contact headbutting. There's also a more weary version in Balin's flashback when they discover they've both survived the Battle of Azanulbizar, surrounded by a field of dead Dwarves.
  • Heroism Motive Speech : Bilbo gives one near the end when he explains why he wants to go on with Thorin and Company despite the danger: Bilbo: I know you doubt me, I know you always have, and you're right. I often think of Bag End . I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong; that's home, and that's why I came, 'cause you don't have one...a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can.
  • He's Dead, Jim : While Gollum drags a wounded Goblin away and starts bashing its head in with a rock, Bilbo sees Sting's glow begin to flicker and then finally go out.
  • Hit-and-Run Tactics : The Company's method of dealing with the Trolls they encounter, due to the heights of both parties.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard : Gollum would've eaten Bilbo if he hadn't said "Time's up", leading to Bilbo's figuring out the answer.
  • Holding Hands : Galadriel takes Gandalf's hands as part of her assurance that he has her support.
  • Hollywood Darkness : In The Misty Mountains. When the Dwarves are camping on the Goblins' front porch, it's night, there are clouds outside, no fires are allowed, they're not in direct sight of the entrance, and there isn't an opening above them. However, it's as light as any normal cloudy day — brighter even than the mountainside was minutes before. Gollum's cave is also surprisingly well-lit, although we do see a streak of light shining on to the spot where he plays the riddle game with Bilbo.
  • The Elvenking rides a stag in the flashback to Smaug's original attack.
  • Radagast's sled is drawn by large rabbits.
  • Saruman criticizes Radagast's stained teeth. Saruman's teeth are awful.
  • While Bilbo is writing There and Back Again , Frodo tells him that people say that he's becoming "unsociable." Bilbo denies it and then orders Frodo to put up the sign saying No Admittance Except on Party Business .
  • I Was Quite a Looker : First part of the film, where the older Bilbo saw his younger portrait. Look at his hand gesture.
  • I'm a Humanitarian : Gollum and the three trolls. If you substitute "human-like" for "human", at least.
  • There's a reason Thorin is called Oakenshield. By the time of his rematch with Azog, he has fashioned an actual armoured gauntlet, reinforced with iron fittings, out of that same oak branch.
  • While trapped in a tree, Gandalf ignites several pine cones to use them as impromptu firebombs.
  • The dwarves break off a railing when being chased by goblins and use it to swat them away. Shortly after that they pull down a ladder and use its steps to grab goblins by their necks.
  • Info Dump : The first half hour of the movie is basically an exposition. But made fun.
  • In the extended edition, after the Great Goblin finishes his Villain Song . Balin: That's not a song. It's an abomination! Great Goblin: Abominations, mutations, deviations! That's all you're gonna find down here.
  • Also after the Trolls capture the Dwarves Dori: You can't reason with them, they're half-wits! Bofur: Half-wits? What does that make us?
  • It's for a Book : Gandalf gives a variation of this as his initial explanation for why they needed the map translated by Elrond.
  • Jerkass Has a Point : A lot of people have criticized Saruman for being a bigoted jerk (not to mention a hypocrite given The Reveal of his own smoking habit in The Lord of the Rings ) in dismissing Radagast's information about Dol Guldur, but he's actually pretty justified in pointing out that Radagast's mushroom eating compromises his intel since the context makes it quite clear that the said mushrooms are hallucinogens of some sort.
  • Smaug burning Dale and taking over Erebor.
  • Elvish Archer Cavalry led by Elrond vs. Warg Riders
  • The eagles against Azog and his warg-riders.
  • Gandalf killing the Goblin King with a One-Hit Kill
  • Azog vs. Thorin, who is smacked with a mace multiple times, bitten by a Warg, and rendered incapable of even moving the two inches he needs to reach his sword, all without getting in a single blow.
  • Kev Lard : Completely averted with the Great Goblin, who is done in by a single slash across the gut by Gandalf wielding Glamdring. While he isn't Gutted Like a Fish , even he quips in his own Pre-Mortem One-Liner that the slash did the job.
  • As the goblins confiscate the Dwarves' weapons, one of them snatches Óin's earhorn and stomps it flat.
  • One from the extended edition: when Thranduil comes to pay homage to Thrór, King Under the Mountain, the latter holds out a box containing the White Gems of Lasgalen, a memento of Thranduil's late wife. Before Thranduil can touch the gems, the box snaps shut. The look on Thranduil's face strongly suggests that this could have been the real cause of his later rift with the Dwarves.
  • Know When to Fold 'Em : Even with an almost fully armed Company of 15, with many capable fighters, they are not going to win when the odds are either something like 5-to-1 plus the disadvantages of Beast of Battle (against Orcs) or 1000-to-1 (against Goblins). Thus rather than continue fighting against large enemies and overwhelming numbers, they are forced to retreat more than once.
  • The Last Straw : The sausage that causes Bombur's bench to collapse.
  • Line in the Sand : Invoked by Balin towards Thorin at the beginning. He tells Thorin that they don't have to go on the quest and can continue the life of peace and plenty they have built in the Blue Mountains.
  • Toyed with when Gandalf meets Bilbo and their conversation about the meaning of "Good morning." However, it is revealed that Gandalf was doing it intentionally, partly to remind Bilbo of who he was and partly because it amused him to do so.
  • Living in a Furniture Store : Played with. In the main storyline, Bilbo's house is very clean and tidy, showing how uptight and organized he is. But sixty years later, Bag End noticeably has more books and things scattered around the floor and tables.
  • Living Statue : Of the possessed kind. As Radagast explores Dol Guldur, he passes some statues of the Nazgûl... one of which tightens its grip on its sword as he walks past it. When Radagast turns to examine it, the Witch-King of Angmar emerges from the other statue behind him and tries to ambush him from above.
  • The Load : Thorin thinks Bilbo is this in the beginning. By the end, when Bilbo saves him from Azog's mook, Thorin declares he was wrong.
  • Made in Country X : Apparently, " Made in Rivendell " was on the bottom of some candlesticks the Dwarves stole from Rivendell. Type 1 as the Great Goblin dismisses them as "Second Age, couldn't even give them away."
  • Major Injury Underreaction : Great Goblin : That'll do it.
  • Man Hug : Dwalin and Balin share a couple. Thorin gives one to Bilbo after Bilbo saved him from Azog's mook.
  • Manly Tears : Dwalin and Balin after surviving the Battle of Azanulbizar.
  • Meaningful Echo : When the dwarves first arrive at Bilbo's home, Gandalf is seen ticking off his fingers when counting how many dwarves are present. Later on, Gandalf does the same thing when escaping from the Goblin caves but realizes someone is missing: Bilbo .

the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

  • Monster-Shaped Mountain : The Eagles set the travellers down on a bear-shaped rock formation, foreshadowing Beorn's upcoming appearance in Desolation .
  • Motivational Lie : Subverted. Gandalf tries to give Bilbo a motivational speech by talking about a famous ancestor of Bilbo's, "Bullroarer" Took. At the end, Bilbo says that he thinks Gandalf made most of that up, and Gandalf shamelessly says that good stories can use a little embellishing every now and then. Ironically, while Gandalf's line can be seen as the filmmakers lampshading the Adaptation Expansion of the book, the story about Bullroarer Took inventing golf is not one of their additions .
  • Mundane Utility : In the meeting Gandalf discreetly uses a small fire spell to light his pipe. He uses the same spell at the end to greater effect by turning pine cones into firebombs.
  • Gandalf can't quite remember the names of the blue wizards. They're Alatar and Pallando, or perhaps Morinehtar ("Darkness-slayer") and Rómestámo ("East-helper"). The names are given in Literature/{{Unfinished Tales|of Númenor and Middle Earth}} and The History of Middle-earth , but Christopher Tolkien has refused to sell the movie rights to those. However, the film actually gets away with naming them the Blue Wizards since their colour was only revealed in Unfinished Tales .
  • With respect to the following film, Smaug isn't surprised by Bilbo's presence in the Lonely Mountain and they have a calm, though tense, conversation rather than him realizing that a piece of the treasure has been taken and yelling, "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" So Radagast yells it when he first rides up to Thorin's Company instead.
  • The Great Goblin bears a strong resemblance to his animated counterpart . Also, his followers resemble their counterparts from the 2003 video game .
  • In the extended edition, Bofur sings part of the "Cow Jumped over the Moon" that Frodo sings in the Lord of the Rings book at the Prancing Pony.
  • Bilbo says to Elrond, "Go not the Elves for counsel for they will say both yes and no", a line Frodo says to Gildor Inglorion in The Fellowship of the Ring''
  • In some shots, it looks like Glamdring and Orcrist glow, which they did in the books.
  • While the sun was clearly rising on its own, the way Gandalf breaks the stone in two to expose the trolls to sunlight gives the impression that he summoned the sun like in the 1977 animated film.
  • The first few notes of the film's version of "Misty Mountains Cold" is very similar to the same piece from the animated film.
  • Naked People Are Funny : In the extended cut, while the Dwarves are staying at Rivendell and generally making a nuisance of themselves, Elrond's aide worriedly asks how long they'll be staying. Elrond replies he isn't sure, and then suddenly both Elves react to something offscreen — cut to the Dwarves swimming naked in a big fountain and slapping each other's asses with rolled-up towels.
  • Near-Villain Victory : Thorin sees Azog in person for the first time since their old battle, and charges him. Powerful elven sword in one hand, a fashioned branch armguard in the other, awesome music in the background along with a Battle Amongst the Flames theme going on, he prepares to finish the fight they started... and he's laid out in seconds by Azog's warg (who had an advantage in height, powerful legs/jaws, and a big advantage in mobility), allowing Azog a staggering hit just as he's getting back up, then gets bitten by the Warg and can only manage a glancing blow that sends him sprawling heavily. Only Bilbo's intervention saves him from himself.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero : Downplayed example with Biblo sharing his name and home country with Gollum before the Riddle Game. In the context of the rest of the Hobbit Trilogy, this will have no further repercussions. However, in the larger context of the Middle-Earth narrative, this will come back to haunt Bilbo and his family 60 years later and serve as one of the catalysts of the War of the Ring.
  • Noble Bird of Prey : The Giant Eagles. They don't just rescue the Dwarves in the movie but attack Azog's forces directly, killing nearly half of them before finally winging off with their charges.
  • No One Could Survive That! : Thorin's opinion of cutting Azog's arm off. The look that Gandalf and Balin exchange suggests they (accurately) suspect Azog may still be alive.
  • Not-So-Omniscient Council of Bickering : Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond, Galadriel, the wisest and most powerful wizards and Elves of Middle-Earth... who could not even agree that Sauron has returned, much less form a plan to stop him.
  • Obliviously Evil : The Stone Giants aren't trying to put the protagonists in horrible danger and possibly get them killed, they're just too busy fighting each other and the company is too small and insignificant to them for the Giants to notice they are there.
  • Obstructive Bureaucrat : Saruman is one to the point where he intends to forbid the Dwarves from embarking on their quest, not realising as Gandalf and Galadriel do that the Dwarves have already left.
  • Offscreen Teleportation : Galadriel does this to Gandalf.
  • Thrór is decapitated by Azog in the failed attempt to re-claim Moria from the Orcs.
  • One of the gargantuan stony giants has its head knocked off by a boulder flung by another such giant.
  • Gandalf decapitates a Goblin via Clean Cut .
  • The Great Goblin completely freaks out the moment he identifies the Elven swords.
  • Ori's expression when the Great Goblin orders his cronies to kill the Dwarves "starting with the youngest".
  • Elrond and Galadriel have the equivalent reaction when they see the Witch-King's sword.
  • Bilbo when he sees Sting is glowing blue and remembers what that means...
  • Also, when he realizes that Gollum figured out where his 'Precious' is.
  • Blink and you miss it, but at Rivendell, when Gandalf meets Galadriel, he closes his eyes and puts on a VERY fake-looking smile when seeing Saruman has come to check up on him.
  • Ominous Latin Chanting : During Thorin's Unflinching Walk . It is actually the language of Númenor, taken from "Revelation of the Ringwraiths".
  • The Only One Allowed to Defeat You : Azog makes it clear to his mooks that they can kill the other Dwarves, just as long as they leave Thorin for him. When Thorin goes down easily, he seems to lose interest and orders a mook to behead him.
  • Orcus on His Throne : From what we see of The Great Goblin, he sits on his throne and rules Goblin-Town, and that's about it.
  • Our Giants Are Bigger : The Stone Giants, briefly mentioned in the book. They are actually made of stone, coming alive and literally wrenching themselves free from the sides of the mountains.
  • Out of the Frying Pan : The party escapes from the Goblins of The Misty Mountains, only to get cornered by a worse group of orc warg-riders. Furthermore, they climb trees to escape and use fire to keep the Orcs and Wargs at bay — which backfires and leaves most of them dangling from a tree over a cliff's edge. Gandalf and Thorin even lampshade it, saying, "Out of the frying pan ... and into the fire," in a nod to the chapter of the book named after the phrase.
  • Painting the Fourth Wall : During the Goblin King's song, he spears a hapless Mook through the chest and hurls him away — the goblin goes flying towards the screen and jostles the camera with his arm as he passes.
  • Picky Eater : Played for laughs. The Dwarves aren't exactly thrilled to eat Elvish vegetables and seem downright confused by the lack of meat.
  • Put Down Your Gun and Step Away : The trolls use Bilbo to make the dwarves surrender. Tom: Lay down your arms or we'll rip his off!
  • Plummet Perspective : In the "Out of the Frying Pan" sequence, Gandalf sees the branch from his tree fall down from the cliff.
  • Primal Fear : Eating and feasting are important throughout the story. When enemies are encountered, they often also want to eat the heroes.
  • Pyrrhic Victory : The battle of Azanulbizar. The Dwarves were victorious, but the majority of their forces were dead or mortally wounded, including their king.
  • Rack Focus : This is used several times in the first film, in particular during a telepathic conversation between Gandalf and Galadriel. The focus fades forwards and back several times within one shot to indicate who is "talking".
  • Railing Kill : Literally — the dwarves take up a handrail and use it to swat groups of incoming goblins off a catwalk.
  • Rasputinian Death : The Orc who attacks the Company while they flee across the plains. He gets thrown off his warg and pinned when Kíli shoots his mount, Dwalin bashes him in the head with his hammer, Bifur impales him, and Thorin jumps in to hack at him. His growls wind up alerting his comrades to where the Company is.
  • Refusal of the Call : Bilbo's initial reaction to Gandalf and the dwarves' offer. Becomes Jumped at the Call when he wakes up the next morning and realises his normal life just wouldn't be enough for him if he didn't do it.
  • Really 700 Years Old : Gandalf apologizes to Galadriel for the ravages time has wrought on his appearance compared to her. She's not bad for someone who has been in Middle-Earth two full Ages longer than the wizards (though along with the other wizards, Gandalf is actually older than Galadriel and even the universe).
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech : Delivered to Thorin by the Great Goblin. Great Goblin: Well, well, well! Look who it is. Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór. King Under the Mountain! Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you... nobody, really.
  • The Resenter : Implied in the prologue when Thranduil the Elvenking shows deference to Thrór, there is a subtle expression of displeasure on his face. Likewise, when he turns away from aiding the Dwarves after Smaug invades, his face shows a hint of satisfaction.
  • The illustration of Smaug on Gandalf's map of Erebor showed him with four legs and a pair of wings. The glimpses of Smaug in this film's prologue matched this — until The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug portraying him with two winged forearms and hindlegs. This was later revised in the Extended Edition to mirror his appearance in the later films. However, the illustration of Smaug on the map was not changed.
  • When Bilbo told the children about his encounter with the trolls, he said that their attempt to cook the Dwarves was delayed by their arguing over how to do it. In this film, they only have a minor discussion over it – instead, it's Bilbo who attempts to delay them.
  • The brief glimpses of "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale" mentioned the trolls dropping a key and the Company using it to unlock the door to their cave. Here, the cave is open.
  • The prologue shows Bilbo crawling along the ground when he finds the Ring, and Gollum yells that his "Precious" is lost. Here, Bilbo is standing up when he finds it, and Gollum yells that the Goblin he is eating has too many bones. The prologue was narrated by Galadriel, who was not present, so it's justified.
  • Revealing Hug : Bilbo's face when Thorin hugs him in gratitude for saving his life is rather shocked-looking. No surprise since by that point he thought that Thorin would never accept him.
  • Riddle Me This : The game between Gollum and Bilbo.
  • Ridiculously Cute Critter : Radagast tends a few.
  • Robotic Torture Device : The denizens of Goblin-Town attempt to use these on The Company. One is essentially a giant press with two plates full of nails, the others are two barrels covered in nails where a victim is meant to be pushed in between. Ironically, after seeing one of the dwarves has an elven sword, the Great Goblin simply orders them to be killed without the use of the devices.
  • Rock Monster : The stone giants.
  • Running Gag : Everybody's tired of eating mutton.
  • Sadistic Choice : The trolls tell the Dwarves to surrender or else they will rip Bilbo apart . They surrender.
  • Savage Wolves : The Wargs are enemies.
  • When Thorin confronts Azog towards the end.
  • Fíli yells Thorin's name with concern as he is being carried unconscious by the eagles.
  • Dwalin when Thorin is bitten by Azog's warg. He tries to go help and ends up almost falling off of the tree.
  • The landscape shots of New Zealand are as beautiful as the ones in The Lord of the Rings . There's a reason why Peter Jackson wanted to keep filming there.
  • The CGI ones deserve a mention — the sweeping shots of Erebor may be the first time this trope was pulled off underground! Except for Moria, which was actually BIGGER. If you look closely, you can see similar designs on the pillars. This makes sense since the Dwarves had to leave Moria because of the Balrog and moved to Erebor.
  • Bilbo keeps Gollum from eating him by proposing to Gollum to play a game of riddles.
  • Also when Bilbo stalls the trolls hoping for the sun to come up.
  • Attempted by the Dwarves in Goblin-Town to protect Thorin. The Great Goblin puts the kibosh on that, though.
  • Screw You, Elves! : Though not without reason. However, Thorin is so disdainful of them that he very nearly refuses to wield one of the finest and mightiest blades ever forged in Middle-Earth, purely because it is of Elvish make.
  • Sequel Hook : An Unexpected Journey ends with Smaug awakening.
  • In the Extended Edition, Smaug is retconned into being a wyvern to reflect his design from the subsequent films, but the drawing of him on Gandalf's map of Erebor still depicts him with the four legs and two wings he originally possessed.
  • Gandalf tells Bilbo that Elvish blades glow when orcs and goblins are nearby, but Orcrist and Glamdring don't glow at all while Azog's scouts are chasing the Dwarves and Gandalf.
  • To Braveheart in the Nanduhirion scene when the dwarves all charge at once.
  • Even to The Adventures of Tintin (2011) . Here, Jackson shouts out to himself as Thorin makes his badass entrance down a tree trunk to face Azog. The falling tree sequence some minutes before is also suspiciously familiar for all Tintin viewers (as the falling masts of the Unicorn).
  • Also Asterix with Bombur being similar to Obelix, envisioned with a big belly, no beard, whiskers, and long red braids, and for extra points, someone stops him from drinking directly from the cauldron.
  • In the extended version, Bilbo and Elrond have a little chat where they use lines that belong respectively to Frodo and Gildor in The Lord of the Rings
  • On several occasions, the Orc warlord Azog gives of a cry of WAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!!
  • One of the livestock Bilbo dashes past as he leaves Bag End is a pig that's been harnessed to pull farm equipment .
  • Silence, You Fool! : From Thorin when the other twelve Dwarves burst into a random blowout over how many dragons Gandalf killed.
  • Silly Song : "Blunt the Knives", the song the Dwarves mock Bilbo with when he complains about their table manners.
  • Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer : Azog is completely absent from any promotional material for the first film despite being the main antagonist of the trilogy. The reason for this is that he went through several redesigns during the production and his look was finalized only two months before the premiere, after both main trailers have been released.
  • So Much for Stealth Silencing a potential Orc witness is not as easy as it seems since Kíli hesitates to shoot and his aim is off. Their victim's screams soon alert the rest of the Orcs of the Dwarves' whereabouts.
  • The ponies bolted after the Warg-Riders attacked The Company, so they weren't captured and eaten by Goblins as in the book. They also manage to avoid being eaten by Trolls earlier on.
  • Azog died before the context of the story in canon.
  • Squashed Flat : Hard to see it, but it happens to a couple of Goblins when the Dwarves are rolling a boulder ahead of them during their escape.
  • Kíli and Fíli do it to Bilbo after encouraging him to go rescue the ponies.
  • Galadriel does this after she encourages Gandalf to continue helping the Dwarves.
  • Gollum pulls this on Bilbo during the game of riddles. Bilbo is distracted by a bat, and when he looks back, Gollum has disappeared... and his leering voice is echoing off the walls as he tells his final riddle and menacingly wonders out loud how Hobbits taste .
  • Stealth Pun : In the extended version, the Great Goblin performs a Villain Song before the captured Dwarves despite them not enjoying it one bit. He has a captive audience.
  • Stock Scream : Late in the film when the heroes are escaping from the goblins, one goblin is knocked off a bridge into a pit and utters the Wilhelm Scream .
  • Take My Hand! : The dwarves do this when Bilbo is dangling over the edge after the Stone Giants' fight. Fíli actually yells it to Kíli as the Stone Giant Fíli is on starts to move and they're separated. Kíli's face when Fíli is pulled just out of reach is devastating .
  • Take That, Audience! : In one scene, Gandalf recites a story of Bullroarer Took's defeat of the Orc-King Golfimbul (in which he knocked the orc's head off and it went down a rabbit hole, inventing the game of golf). note  Gandalf doesn't mention Golfimbul's name in the film, making this moment both less witty and less silly than in book canon. Bilbo mentions that some of that story has to be made up. Gandalf counters that all good stories deserve embellishment. This same claim could be applied to the film adaptation, which embellished the original book to make three films.
  • Talking the Monster to Death : What Bilbo does to delay the trolls from eating the dwarves until the sun rises. He also tries this with Gollum, to less success.
  • Talking to Themself : Gollum, of course, although his Split Personality is emphasized more (a lot more) than it was in the book. Sméagol: Ooh! Ooh! We knows! We knows! Gollum: Shut! Up!
  • Tastes Like Chicken : The trolls complain that all they eat is this trope, except for chicken itself, which to them tastes like fish.
  • Bilbo does this at Bag End as Dwarves keep pouring in.
  • The Goblin King taunts Gandalf and is killed with ease .
  • After the Dwarves survive their fall into the depths of the Goblin Kingdom (relatively) unscathed, Bofur points out "Well, that could've been worse"... and then the Goblin King's huge corpse crashes on top of them . Dwalin : You've got to be joking!
  • Bilbo's statement at the end of An Unexpected Journey : "I really believe that the worst is behind us." Cue Smaug awakening... .
  • That's No Moon : The mountain pass Bilbo and the Dwarves must traverse is already precarious, but it gets even worse when it turns out they're actually walking along the shins of one of the Stone Giants .
  • The Thing That Would Not Leave : Dwarves make terrible house guests, as Bilbo and Elrond can attest.
  • Title Drop : Thorin and Gandalf together say the original chapter title when The Company have just escaped from the Goblin caves and are now being hunted by wargs . Thorin: Out of the frying pan... Gandalf: ...And into the fire.
  • During the party, Bilbo angrily says to Gandalf that he doesn't even want to talk about what the Dwarves have done to the bathroom and that they've all but destroyed the plumbing.
  • The art book reveals that the Great Goblin's throne is also his throne .
  • Took a Level in Badass : Bilbo, who goes from an ordinary hobbit who as a responsible adult shows disdain for adventures to killing a huge Orc warrior, killing a Warg, and fending off Azog to protect Thorin.
  • Too Powerful to Live : Gandalf's justification to Saruman, Galadriel, and Elrond for sponsoring Thorin's quest: he believes that while Smaug only cares about Erebor and its treasure, Dragons once worked for Sauron's master Morgoth (whose return is truly impossible) and still might be persuaded to ally himself with Sauron if he were ever to return, and the power Smaug would bring to Sauron's armies would be too horrible to imagine.
  • Trampled Underfoot : The Great Goblin uses a pile of his own minions as a willing footstool who get Squashed Flat whenever he steps down from his throne.
  • Traveling at the Speed of Plot : Radagast's arrival to Rhudaur to warn Gandalf and give him the sword is quite jarring for both geographical and chronological matters. Though it's never cleared where he crossed The Misty Mountains by nor how much time it took for him, the only possible option is that he entered by The High Pass (the place where The Company firstly intended to go before being captured by the Goblins), which is quite a feat given that it is still very away from Rhosgobel or Dol Guldur. Justified in that he probably made it in time thanks to the speed of his bunny-sled, which had been shown as incredibly fast and reliable.
  • Unflinching Walk : Thorin does one as he is confronting Azog for the second time, while surrounded by flaming trees and attacking wargs.
  • Ungrateful Bastard : The Dwarves in Rivendell. Elrond and his soldiers save them from an Orc ambush and let them stay in his house and give them food (even after Thorin is rude to him and he first sees them as an armed group on his doorstep). In response, they ridicule the food he offers, the music, break some of his furniture (Bombur's table scene), make a mess (in the extended edition), and then leave without even a "thank you". When Elrond helps Thorin, Gandalf had to strong-arm him into accepting Elrond's help and Thorin proves stubborn and unwilling every step of the way. Even with Thorin's anti-Elf grudge, that's petty.
  • Unsettling Gender-Reveal : In the extended edition, Kíli is checking out some Elf-maids, to Dwalin's disapproval. Kíli reassures the dwarves that he doesn't fancy them, although "that one there is not bad". The Elf then turns around...
  • Veganopia : Rivendell is portrayed as this, with most of their food being fruits and vegetables. Many of the dwarves are perplexed by the Elves' diet, wondering where the meat is.
  • Vertigo Effect : When Radagast sees The Necromancer at Dol Guldur.
  • Villainous Glutton : The Trolls are a problem to the main characters purely because they are hungry. Gollum too, but his emaciated appearance clearly sets him apart.
  • Villain Song : Goblin Town appears in the Extended Edition as a number for the Great Goblin.
  • Visual Pun : Radagast's hair is a literal bird's nest.
  • The Misty Mountains' Goblins do a lot of this, though the Dwarves seem to pretty much always see them coming.
  • And, true to his character, Gollum "introduces" himself to Bilbo this way as well.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy : Kíli appears to want to impress his uncle Thorin and becomes embarrassed when he makes a mistake while Thorin is watching or gets reprimanded by him.
  • What Happened to the Mouse? : Radagast disappears from the movie without a comment after distracting a warband of Orcs.
  • When Bilbo doesn't kill Gollum.
  • And a small one, when Bilbo is listening to the Dwarves talking about him deserting them after they all escape the Goblins in the mountains. He is wearing The Ring at the time, so he's free to let them believe he's gone for good and go back to Rivendell. Of course, he reveals himself and continues the journey.
  • Wild Card : The reason Gandalf wants Smaug out of the picture; the Dragon isn't loyal to anyone but could be recruited by the forces of evil. See Too Powerful to Live above.
  • The World Is Just Awesome : Especially in the final shot but throughout the film we get nice pullbacks seeing just how awesome Middle-Earth is. Even a bit of I Can See My House from Here : with them looking at The Lonely Mountain which is the Dwarves' home.
  • Writing Around Trademarks : When telling Bilbo about the other wizards, Gandalf mentions the two Blue Wizards, but claims to be unable to remember their names. Their names are Alatar and Pallando, but the filmmakers do not have the rights to Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth or The Silmarillion , and as such they cannot be legally named. This also resulted in the backstory of the Nazgûl being rewritten.
  • You and What Army? : Inverted by Balin; he comments that even if the dwarves had an army to take back Erebor, the task would still be monumentally difficult — and yet the thirteen of them are going to try with no backup whatsoever.
  • You Are Not Alone : Galadriel reassures Gandalf that he has her support after Saruman dismisses Gandalf's concerns and proof about the Necromancer. Galadriel: Do not be afraid, Mithrandir. You are not alone. If you have need of me, I will come .
  • You Have Failed Me : Azog does not tolerate failure, feeding one of his soldiers to the Wargs for failing to kill Thorin or die in the attempt.
  • Zerg Rush : The hordes of goblins pursuing Thorin and Co.

Video Example(s):

Yazneg gets eaten alive.

Yazneg returns to Azog empty-handed, trembling with fear about how he barely escaped alive from the Elves after they foiled their chance to capture and kill Thorin Oakenshield. Azog tells him that paying for his failure with his life was better than at the hands of the Elves, holding him by his neck and then feeding Yazneg to the Wargs before declaring to his minions to get the word out on finding the Dwarven King, starting by placing a bounty on his head.

Example of: You Have Failed Me

Escaping goblin...

Smaug Attacks E...

The Necromancer

Alternative Title(s): An Unexpected Journey

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Yazneg gets Eat...

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the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

  • DVD & Streaming

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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

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the hobbit an unexpected journey great goblin

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.

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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 (2012)

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Every Middle Earth Movie, Ranked by Action

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies are filled with action and adventure. Conflict often forms a central part of the story, and traveling in some of the wildest places in Middle Earth means the characters are always dealing with danger. As a result, the series is filled with many battles and duels, providing some excellent action scenes that defy belief and send jaws to the floor.

Despite being smaller in scale, the Hobbit trilogy still features some great action scenes, like the fight against the dragon Smaug or the climactic clash between the five armies that closes out the story. Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings set the standard for fight scenes in fantasy cinema , with sequences like the epic Battle of Helm's Deep and the huge siege of Minas Tirith. Each of these scenes remains awe-inspiring and breathtaking, ensuring that some Middle Earth movies are more highly regarded for their action than others .

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012)

A worthy new chapter in the story.

The first Hobbit movie isn't the most action-packed in the series . Its main hero, Bilbo Baggins, is a comfort-loving Hobbit who gets thrown into an adventure and realizes he's taken on more than he bargained for. He's no great warrior, and as a result, he often has to rely on his wits rather than his skill with a sword to get out of trouble. Most of the big action scenes are saved for the later movies, but The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey does have its own fair share of excitement, like the encounter with the three trolls who want to roast and eat Thorin's party.

The scenes in Goblin Town provide the most action by far, as the dwarfs fight their way through hordes of goblins to escape the underground city. Even then, Bilbo isn't involved in the fighting and instead has to use his brain power to win the riddle game with Gollum. Unfortunately, An Unexpected Journey has some of the worst action sequences in The Hobbit series , ensuring its less-than-stellar reputation when discussing the franchise's action contributions.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Release Date 2012-12-14

Director Peter Jackson

Cast Ian McKellen, Graham McTavish, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, William Kircher, Ken Stott

Rating PG-13

Runtime 169 minutes

Genres Adventure, Fantasy

Watch on Max

'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (2001)

The film that would change cinema.

The first entry in The Lord of the Rings trilogy gets off to a relatively gentle start, with Bilbo's birthday party set in the pleasant surroundings of the Shire. It's not until the Ring's true origin is discovered that things begin to heat up, with Frodo leaving Hobbiton and traveling to Rivendell while chased and almost killed by the Ringwraiths. Even once the Fellowship has been formed, the action is still limited in comparison with the next two movies. The real battle for Middle Earth has yet to begin , and Sauron hasn't committed to an all-out war yet.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring still has moments of high adrenaline, though, as the Fellowship fights a desperate battle in the dark tunnels of Moria, ending with Gandalf falling to the Balrog . He isn't the only hero to meet a tragic end, as Boromir dies in battle against Saruman's soldiers at Amon Hen, setting the stage for the bigger battles to come.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Release Date 2001-12-19

Cast Alan Howard, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom

Runtime 178 minutes

Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Fantasy

'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' (2013)

A visit to lonely mountain.

The Hobbit has a much smaller scope than The Lord of the Rings , with its main protagonist not being much of a fighter and its story lacking the high stakes of a villain like Sauron. Nevertheless, Peter Jackson cranked the action up to eleven with his trilogy. Scenes like the fight against the powerful giant spiders in Mirkwood were often expanded, making them more fast-paced and exciting. This was particularly the case with The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , where there was less of the original story to adapt.

Even more epic was the infamous barrel ride down the river to escape the Elves. What had been a relatively minor chapter in the book became a central scene in the movie, providing one of the most elaborate action set pieces, as the dwarfs negotiated the treacherous white water rapids while being pursued by Orcs, with Legolas carrying out some impressive feats of acrobatics. Similarly, the final act was greatly expanded, as Thorin's party fought back against Smaug, trying to encase the dragon in molten gold before he escaped the mountain. And while not every scene is a winner, The Desolation of Smaug certainly feels like a step up in action compared to its predecessor .

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Release Date 2013-12-11

Runtime 170 minutes

Genres Drama, Adventure, Fantasy

'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' (2014)

A worthy ending to the second trilogy.

As expected from the title, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies delivers an explosive conclusion to the Hobbit trilogy. It opens with Smaug attacking Lake Town, razing it to ash and rubble before he's brought down by Bard, the bowman. With nowhere else to go, the residents leave their ruined homes and travel to the Lonely Mountain, hoping the dwarfs will help them by sharing some of their gold.

It isn't long before news of Smaug's death spreads, and Thranduil arrives, also seeking some of the wealth, while an army of dwarfs also comes to Thorin's aid. Meanwhile, the Orc chiefs, Azog and Bolg, lead their forces to Erebor, and what follows is one of the most destructive battles in Middle Earth, as the five armies of Dwarfs, Men, Elves, and Orcs come to blows over the vast treasure inside the mountain, culminating in a showdown between Azog and Thorin that leaves both leaders mortally wounded. The Battle of the Five Armies offers plenty of spectacle and amazing action setpieces , and while most of it comes at the expense of the quality that made the original trilogy such a success, the film remains compelling enough to satisfy.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Release Date 2014-12-10

Cast Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom

Runtime 144 minutes

Genres Action, Adventure, Fantasy

'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002)

The incredible middle child.

The action intensifies in the second Lord of the Rings movie, The Two Towers . The Fellowship has split, with Frodo and Sam going on alone to destroy the Ring. Unable to help them, and knowing that open war is coming, Aragorn and Gandalf prepare for the conflict and try to get King Theoden on their side as Saruman makes his move and unleashes an army of Uruk-Hai on Rohan. Theoden refuses to join the conflict and instead leads his people to safety in the fortress of Helm's Deep.

This leads to one of the greatest sieges ever committed to film, as the outnumbered defenders desperately try to hold out against the overwhelming Uruk Hai forces. The Battle of Helm's Deep is brutal and realistic , with its rain-soaked nighttime setting providing the perfect backdrop to the fighting. Knowing all the hard work that went into creating this scene and the hardships endured by the cast and crew only makes it even more powerful and awe-inspiring. Helm's Deep stands as one of the greatest action sequences in cinema , ensuring The Two Towers ' legacy as one of the best fantasy films.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Release Date 2002-12-18

Cast Bruce Allpress, Sala Baker, John Bach, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom

Runtime 179 minutes

'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003)

The epitome of fantasy action.

The climax of the Lord of the Rings brings to a close one of the most epic trilogies in film history, providing a powerful and satisfying resolution to the story. The fight against Sauron comes to a head here, as the free peoples of Middle Earth have to choose between standing and fighting a terrifying enemy or trying to flee from the power of Mordor. As the most powerful kingdom, Gondor forms the center stage for the ensuing conflict as Sauron's forces invade the country in huge numbers.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King features some of the greatest battles in the franchise, doing justice to the destructive nature of the War of the Ring. The Battle of the Pellenor Fields provides some truly iconic scenes: the Ride of the Rohirrim against the Mumakil, the Orcs laying siege to Minas Tirith, breaking through the gates with the wolf-headed battering ram, and the arrival of the powerful Army of the Dead , led by Aragorn. While this might be the biggest battle, the struggle for Middle Earth actually ends at the Black Gate, as the heroes risk everything to take the fight to Mordor, hoping to distract Sauron's attention long enough for Frodo to reach Mount Doom and destroy the Ring. The Returns of the King is the apex of fantasy action , a groundbreaking piece of cinema that stands as a modern-day masterpiece.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Release Date 2003-12-17

Cast Alexandra Astin, Noel Appleby, David Aston, John Bach, Sean Astin, Sean Bean

Runtime 201 minutes

NEXT: The 15 Best Quotes From 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy, Ranked

Every Middle Earth Movie, Ranked by Action

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COMMENTS

  1. Great Goblin

    The Great Goblin in front of the captured Dwarves. In Peter Jackson's film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), Barry Humphries, who is more commonly known for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, is the voice and motion-capture performer of the Great Goblin, an entirely computer-generated character.He appears as a giant, obese, bloated goblin (more akin to a troll) with lots of warts, lumps ...

  2. Great Goblin

    2012: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: The Great Goblin, also referred to as the Goblin King, recognizes Thorin immediately, and is greatly interested in him because of the bounty put on him by Azog. He is temporarily incapacitated by Gandalf, when he arrives.

  3. Great Goblin

    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 ...

  4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.It is the first installment in The Hobbit trilogy, acting as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.. The story is set in Middle-earth sixty ...

  5. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

    Great Goblin : Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain, and you're not a king, which makes you nobody, really. Great Goblin : [singing] Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung! You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung! You will die down here and never be found, down in the deep of Goblin Town!

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  7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

    Bilbo Baggins 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, 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 ...

  8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    IMDB. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first part of Peter Jackson 's The Hobbit film trilogy and it is based on J.R.R. Tolkien 's 1937 novel The Hobbit, although some elements are taken from the story and The Appendices of The Lord of the Rings. It was released on 14 December 2012 in North America.

  9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Directed by Peter Jackson. With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott. 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.

  10. 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' by Peter Jackson

    In "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," Peter Jackson's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's first Middle-earth fantasy novel, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) sets out with the wizard Gandalf ...

  11. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    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 ...

  12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Movie Info. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on ...

  13. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Film)

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film in the three-part cinematic adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novel The Hobbit, directed by Peter Jackson and adapted for the screen by Jackson and Guillermo del Toro.It is a prequel to Jackson's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, telling the story of eponymous hobbit Bilbo Baggins's (Martin Freeman) adventure with the wizard ...

  14. The 66 Best Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Quotes

    66 of the best quotes from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one. Always evil will look to find a foothold in this world. If we are to be successful this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking ...

  15. The Goblin King

    The Goblin King | The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey 4K HDR! Leave recommendations for movies that have been released in true 4K!Watch the Hobbit today! - ht...

  16. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    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.

  17. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... Great Goblin: Jeffrey Thomas ... Thror: Michael Mizrahi ... Thrain (as Mike Mizrahi) Lee Pace ... Thranduil: Manu Bennett ...

  18. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth with the first of three films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's enduring masterpiece. Set in Middle Earth 60 years before the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, the adventure follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the ...

  19. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)

    Available on iTunes. This Extended adventure follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and ...

  20. Goblin King Voice

    Goblin King. Barry Humphries is the voice of Goblin King in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and Takaya Hashi is the Japanese voice. Movie: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Franchise: Lord of the Rings.

  21. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: The Goblin King [HD]

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  22. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    The adventure follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer. Although their goal ...

  23. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)

    This Extended adventure follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer. Although their goal lies ...

  24. Every Middle Earth Movie, Ranked by Action

    'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' (2012) A worthy new chapter in the story. The first Hobbit movie isn't the most action-packed in the series. Its main hero, Bilbo Baggins, is a comfort-loving ...