ThisIsIt wrote:
mck414 wrote:
Overall I found the movie entertaining, though a few parts I don't recall being in the book (Gandalf being imprisoned at Dol Gudoor and the whole dwarfs being imprisoned by the elves). Guess I need to re-read the book.
I couldn't remember either so I picked up the book on Saturday afternoon and read the few chapters that pertain to this movie. The whole Gandalf/Dol Guldor story line, obviously the female elf/love story thing, essentially the stuff about Bard, the whole being chased by Orcs/Elves chasing them, that scene at the beginning in Bree, Smaug chasing the Dwarves around was added. So basically the book story line would have been Beorn's house, Gandalf leaves them (not to be heard from again in this movie), get lost in Mirkwood, fight the spiders, captured and imprisoned by Elves, Bilbo gets them out and they float to Laketown, appeal to the Master for help, he gives it, they go to the mountain, Bilbo sneaks in and interacts with Smaug a couple of times, Smaug flies out and destroys the secret door entrance, so now Dwarves/hobbit stuck inside between the blocked entrance and what they think is a waiting dragon below, Dragon flies off to deal with Laketown...the end. This leaves only a few chapters to go (Dragon killed by Bard who enters the story for the first time here and then a big battle as they all fight over the spoils) which somehow Jackson is going to stretch into another 2.5 hour movie I presume. Funny, my wife asked me if I enjoyed the movie, and after a bit of thought, I said "no." There was so much added that just didn't "happen" that it was very annoying. Why introduce a goblin named the same as the son of Azog (Bolg)? Why does the only female character outside of Galadriel have to have a love interest? Why have a comic scene with Bilbo chasing after the Arkenstone while talking to Smaug? Why? Because Jackson could, I guess.
That said, there is material that describes events during the time of The Hobbit that is not in that book (think Unfinished Tales), that enabled Jackson to make three movies. Included in this material is the description by Gandalf of his "chance meeting" in Bree with Thorin (I believe he told this story to the hobbits after the Ring was destroyed):
Quote:
"
Yet things might have gone far otherwise and far worse. When you think of the great Battle of Pelennor, do not forget the battles in Dale and the valour of Durin's Folk. Think of what might have been. Dragon-fire and savage swords in Eriador, night in Rivendell. There might be no Queen in Gondor. We might now hope to return from victory here only to ruin and ash. But that has been averted--because I met Thorin Oakenshied one evening on the edge of spring in Bree. A chance-meeting, as we say in Middle-earth."
In addition, the Dol Guldur incident did occur, but totally different than what Jackson portrayed. It was the White Council (Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond, Galadriel) that combined power to drive the Necromancer out of Dol Guldur (indeed, this is why Gandalf was absent from the company when they went into Mirkwood). Gandalf was no match for Sauron, and he knew it, and so the idea that he would have gone into Dol Guldur alone, knowing that Sauron was there is silly (although he did go there by himself much earlier: that's actually where he got the map and key!)
(delving into way too much detail)
Sauron allowed himself to be driven from Dol Guldur because his preparations in Mordor (Barad-dur complete, etc.) were done. Saruman agreed to do it because he was worried that Sauron was looking for the Ring near the Gladden Fields, and Saruman was worried Sauron might find it before he did. This is all in the Tolkien "gospel".
I'd guess that Hobbit III contains
- Destruction of Laketown/death of Smaug
- White Council battling to free Gandalf from his cage
- Bilbo conspiring with the Elves/Gandalf over the Arkenstone
- Battle of the Five Armies
- Funeral of Thorin/distribution of loot (expect lots of Irish dirge-y music)
- Return journey of Bilbo (hence the "There and Back Again" title)
- Possible other scenes of Sauron/ringwraiths setting up in Morder to foreshadow the Lord of the Rings books/movies
I don't think they'll go into the Aragorn/Gollum/Mordor stories (no Viggo), or Balin's return to Moria. There is an unexpected name in the imdb entry for Hobbit III with some speculation as to whether it is actually the character so named. Left to the curious for more info (hint: the character had been dead for about 6,000 years before the events of the Hobbit).
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