Posted on May 30th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
… but who will the actor be?
According to Empire Online, Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro had this to say about casting the pivotal role of Bilbo for the upcoming films, “We are writing based on [Ian Holm's performance], but other than that, we have ideas [of who could play him]. I can tell you that it’s down to a few names that we all agree upon. And that our first choice…completely, magically, we said the same name. All of us!”
It seems obvious to base the upcoming role on the convincing performance of Ian Holm, who portrayed Bilbo in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films. But who could this “magical” choice to play Bilbo in the new films be?
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Posted on May 24th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Producer Peter Jackson and Director Guillermo del Toro held a chat today on the upcoming Hobbit movies. Below is a summary outline of their chat (keep in mind that, unless you’ve read The Hobbit, the chat outline will contain spoilers):
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Posted on May 21st, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Variety has reported that, in addition to Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Andy Serkis (Gollum) being approached to reprise their roles for the upcoming Hobbit films, there has also been “preliminary contact” with Viggo Mortensen to reprise his role as Aragorn.
In the same article, Hobbit director Guillermo del Toro is quoted as saying, “I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow.” So where would that leave a potential role for Arwen? IGN has a report on whether or not actress Liv Tyler would be willing to return to Middle Earth. Her response? She said, “Oh, are you kidding? In a heartbeat! I’ll buy my own ticket and be on the plane in a second.”
The question is: would there be a possible role for Arwen in, perhaps, the second Hobbit film — the one that bridges The Hobbit with The Fellowship of the Ring? That will be up to the script writers as they sit down within the next week to begin writing the script. Keep in mind, her role in the Lord of the Rings films was written based on the Appendices, as well as other materials. So even though Arwen isn’t a part of the Hobbit book, the same approach could be taken for the Hobbit films.
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Posted on May 13th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings novels is a daring attempt to present a faithful interpretation of the story. In many respects, Bakshi’s attempt seems to be a direct rebuttal of the Rankin/Bass version of Middle Earth. Whereas Ranking/Bass created a colorful, juvenile style, Bakshi’s is darker, grittier and (usually) more mature. But while Bakshi’s effort is darker and more ambitious, it is also more uneven and more flawed. The end result is that, when compared to The Hobbit (1977), Bakshi’s film pales in comparison. And it’s only slightly better than The Return of the King (1980).
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Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The Return of the King (1980) is a trainwreck of near catastrophic proportions. Put simply, it’s an exercise in how to take a compelling premise and an excellent and turn it into the worst sort of product imaginable. Truly, in spite of a couple of acceptable moments, the film itself is entirely unwatchable. The film, a made-for-TV adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s culminating book to the Lord of the Rings saga, comes from the same duo (Rankin and Bass) that produced The Hobbit (1977). And if the juvenile presentation was a liability for The Hobbit 1977, it’s an utter disaster for The Return of the King – a story of epic, tragic, and profound proportions. It’s a story that, unlike The Hobbit, does not lend itself to whimsical singsong moments. And it’s a story, unlike the Hobbit, that cannot be told in the broadest of brushstrokes. Even worse, though, is the simple fact even with these choices – mistakes as they may be – the execution of these choices is just as problematic.
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Posted on May 11th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The Hobbit (1977) was a made-for-TV animated film that adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary classic by the same name. The results are mixed. For one, the film does a decent job of telling the main plot points of the novel across all of 78 minutes of screen time. And it stays, more or less, quite true to the story itself. But there are a number of questionable decisions and outright mistakes that make this adaptation, especially more than thirty years later with a live-action film on the way, outdated. (Editor’s note: This review will focus on the craft of the film. For a discussion of the story of the Hobbit, please visit the BOOK REVIEW.)
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Posted on May 10th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The Silmarillion is a difficult book to read. For fans of The Lord of the Rings, and especially the Hobbit, the dense language of The Silmarillion may appear to be rather daunting, especially in its earlier pages. However, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort to get deeper into the book, you will be rewarded with insights into Middle Earth well worth your investment. This is because The Silmarillion is replete with back stories of epic, and often tragic, proportions.
It starts at the beginning of time and brings us right up to the edge of The Hobbit, detailing the creation of the world, the arrival of Elves and Men and evil, and conflict of catastrophic proportions. This is not a book for the faint of heart – but it is a book for any Tolkien fan who wants to know more about the grand history that is presented only in tantalizing asides during the Lord of the Rings books.
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Posted on May 6th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
Like any J.R.R. Tolkien fan, I was absolutely thrilled to learn that, in April 2007, there would be a new book, titled The Children of Húrin, on the shelves. It was a chance to return to Middle Earth, to learn more about the world that Tolkien so meticulously created. It wouldn’t be another Hobbit Tale, or even a tale of the great Sea Kings of Númenor. But it was a return to a familiar story – briefly told in Chapter XXI of The Silmarillion, titled “Of Túrin Turambar” and once again in The Unfinished Tales. And being a big fan of Tolkien, needless to say, I was primed to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, the finished product is both underwhelming and overbearing. Indeed, the main plot is so pointless that there is only one reason to read this book – to learn more about the ancient history of Middle Earth, which is presented only tangentially to the main story.
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Posted on May 5th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The Return of King score, much like the film itself is vast, epic and powerful – and yet sublimely beautiful. Opening with a tender renditions of Ring themes, as Sméagol and his cousin Déagol discover the Ring, the score quickly turns dark and sinister as murder is done and the Ring claims a new Master. It is as if Howard Shore were really there when these events unfolded, establishing a nuanced, purposeful score for to the epic events of Middle Earth. The result is a soundtrack that many will consider to be their favorite of the trilogy – and rightly so.
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Posted on May 5th, 2008 by Samuel Walters
The following list is a cue-by-cue breakdown for all three CDs of The Return of the King: The Complete Recordings. You can also download the list in a spreadsheet format.
The Return of the King: The Complete Recordings
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