How The Hobbit book compares to the movie.

[Shell moved to StoryGraph]

For those of you who have read the book AND had the privilege of seeing the movie, this thread is dedicated to the comparisons of both.
Ideas for discussion:
- Were there any parts of the book that you were disappointed to see left out of the film adaptation?
- How you imagined the characters VS. How the characters were portrayed/played
- True of False: Is Gandalf a bamf?
- How did you imagine the songs VS. the songs in the movie
- Were there any extra scenes/stories in the movie that were not present in the book?
- How the heck can they break a 300 page book into a movie trilogy?
- Who was your favorite in the book? In the movie?

[Angie]

I'm quite interested to see how things are going to play out.
I liked where they ended the first movie, but I'm wondering where they're going to end the second. I've been playing around with ideas for a few days.
I guess it all depends on when they address the Necromancer. It seems as though this character is going to have a much larger part in the movies than it did in the book (as Benedict Cumberbatch is confirmed for the role in all three movies.)
I wonder if Radagast will continue to have a larger part in the movies. I like that they added more of a storyline to Azog. I think that will change up the final battle scene.
To answer your questions:
- I can't remember at this time if there were any major parts missing. (maybe I'll have to read it again and see it again LOL)
- I saw the movie before I read the book, so I can't really picture the characters being any way other than how they were portrayed. They all fit in quite nicely into my imagination for the rest of the book.
- True. Gandalf is a major BAMF.
- Again...saw the movie first, so it was cool to read through the songs that were in the movie and sing them in my head.
- Yes, but I feel like they all added enough depth to have been allowed. (except maybe the rock giants in the thunderstorm...but, really. that was pretty fuckin cool.)
- There are a lot of little details in the book that could be expanded exponentially. (Gandalf was off with the wizards fighting the necromancer...that will add hours to the films if they address it as much as I hope they do)
I don't know if I had a favorite in the book...maybe Balin. But the movie: Bilbo. He's made out to be much more of a hero in this film vs the corresponding text. (Plus I have a giant lady boner for Martin Freeman)

My only question to add:
Where do you think they'll end the second movie/begin the third?

I think they'll make it to the lonely mountain. I've even thought that they may get to the part where Smaug tries to attack the group, but they're already shut up inside the mountain. (I envision them just shutting the door, Smaug breathing fire and getting all sorts of pissed off when there isn't anything there to kill...angry dragon roar, back to a look of sheer terror on dwarf faces, END)
I think they'll maybe touch on the necromancer a teeeeeny bit, but save the wizard/necromancer battle, dragon/men battle, men/elf/goblin/dwarf/ork battle for movie 3.

[Dawn]

My question is: "Where in The Hobbit were the Orc's"?

I am having trouble finding ORC's in The Hobbit except for them being briefly mentioned from some war that took place in the past. However, I could not find them actively having a role in The Hobbit (book).

In the movie, they had Orc's... nemesis of Thorin?

[Shell moved to StoryGraph]

Have you guys ever read The Quest of Erebor by Tolkien? From what I understand, The Hobbit was written before any of the rest of the Middle Earth stories, so there really was no specific universe for it to fit into at the time. Also, it was written singularly from the point of Bilbo Baggins, so a lot of the backstory is missing (such as whyyyy on Middle Earth would Gandalf choose Bilbo for an adventure). It worked, though, at the time because it was just a standalone fairytale.

However, after stories like The Lord of the Rings and the other adventures taking place in Middle Earth, Tolkien actually went back and changed The Hobbit to fit more in with the timeline of events.
I know that the riddles were changed to allow the ring as a prize.

Thus, The Quest of Erebor was born.
If you haven't looked into it, I recommend it. It is a larger story, written to encompass all of the events surrounding the ring - Not just Bilbo's tale, but also the events involving the orcs and the necromancer, as well as the stories of Gandalf and Thorin (& company), and Saruman's growing obsession with the One Ring.
It's all very interesting!
And it seems to me that Peter Jackson is making a film adaptation of The Quest of Erebor, rather than just The Hobbit.

And if you'd like an even MORE broad history, of course, there is always The Silmarillion. <3
Now THAT is a tale.
Explains how Middle Earth came to be...
How the races were created, how the trees learned (and forgot) to speak, the history of Shelob (the spider), among many other things.

I can't get enough.

[Dawn]

Rochelle wrote: "Have you guys ever read The Quest of Erebor by Tolkien? From what I understand, The Hobbit was written before any of the rest of the Middle Earth stories, so there really was no specific universe f..."

Thank you Rochelle :)
You have a lot of great information. I will look into reading the books you mentioned... "Silmarillion & The Quest of Erebor".
The question of the Orcs in "The Hobbit" just came up because Orc's were in the movie just was recently
released. I read The Hobbit a couple of years ago.
I just started reading "Fellowship of the Ring". I have never seen any of the Lord of the Ring movies. I wanted to read the books FIRST and I am just getting around to doing that now. It is an exciting undertaking and I am enjoying it very much.

[Shell moved to StoryGraph]

Dawn wrote: "Rochelle wrote: "Have you guys ever read The Quest of Erebor by Tolkien? From what I understand, The Hobbit was written before any of the rest of the Middle Earth stories, so there really was no sp..."

You're very welcome! I've become ridiculously obsessed with the universe that Tolkien has created, and I'm a firm believer in that if I could live on Middle Earth, I would be the happiest dwarf woman to ever exist!

I really hope that you enjoy the Lord of the Rings books. They're fantastic. And I do definitely recommend the movies, of course. They did a very good job with them in relation to the books. Not much is left out. If you get a chance, make sure you watch the extended editions! 12 full hours of Middle Earth Madness! :D