Growing up, one of my favourite books was the hobbit. I've read it loads of times, can pick it up from anywhere and know exactly whats happening straight away, and know the full mythology. I really enjoyed the lord of the rings film, so with peter jackson now making the hobbit, with the excellent martin freeman in the lead role, I was excited. Only to be let down.
Before I launch into a tirade, I should note that as a film it was very good. It just wasn't the hobbit, the book from my childhood that I loved.
I will admit to being a purist; I think Tolkein's words are great, and shouldn't be messed with. So the fact that a large section of the plot was changed just to elongate the film and turn it into 3 so they can get more money really offended me. The main character differs from the one in the book, and the reason for the dynamic changing within the group is also wrong. The narrative voice from the book, a fantastic part of it, which really sets the tone of it is lost, and I'm not sure its even attempted. Nothing is made about going over the edge of the wild, key from the book, and things happen on the wrong side of the edge, losing the whole raison d'etre of it.
But all of this pales in comparison to what they do to the characters. The dwarves "look" wrong, and are far too silly. Thorin is too young. Saruman, who shouldnt be seen, is far too silly and not respected, which ruins a link that is needed for the start of the fellowship of the ring. Radagast is humiliated, and shouldn't even be in the film, he's not in the book. Azog, whose being dead is pretty necessary for the book, is miraculously alive and suddenly a main character. This is when akl thats said of him is "whose father you slew in moria", azog being the father. Its so far removed from the book its not even funny. I was so disappointed in a film that could have been brilliant.
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