'The Hobbit' - Movie Review

Walking into the cinema for The Hobbit I told myself, "Don't be upset if it doesn't stay true to the book - Tolkien won't mind." I needn't have worried about worrying(!) because I was thrilled from start to finish. But I have one bone to pick with the film... in the novel Tolkien creates a new phrase, or 'proverb', as he puts it. When the group of merry gold hunters leave the mountain of Goblins and see the wolves, Bilbo says,

'Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!' - Imagine people using it today!

I love that saying and was hoping it would be included in the movie so popular culture can adopt it!

You know what one of my favourite parts of The Lord of the Rings movies is? When the history of middle earth is explained at the start of The Fellowship. This might be due to the fact that I'm an epic history nut. I absolutely love the history and applaud Marquette University in the US for offering Tolkien classes in the English and history departments! No it's not 'real' history but as a history and English major I feel I'm able to give it a stamp of approval. History can be done and taught in an  interesting manner, you just might have to get off your snobbish academic high horse. So when this film opened with the history behind the dwarves and the Lonely Mountain, I was right there in the thick of it. I never wanted it to end and didn't care that it took 45 minutes to get to the actual adventure story of The Hobbit. I mean often when you have a preface or a history at the beginning of a book you just want to skim it - did anyone feel the same about the start of the film? 

Ah Bilbo Baggins, we meet again. As a child I wasn't the most adventurous lad, I left a lot of that to the pages of books, so in Bilbo I found a mate. Our introduction in the film was pleasing as it matched the book - with the much loved interplay between the worrywart hobbit and the mischievous wizard. "Good morning", it put a smile on my face. 

Bilbo is a typical Hobbit, in a well-to-do Hobbit hole, who enjoys a smoke, a sit and a read. But one day Bilbo is bothered silly when Gandalf invites a team of dwarves to Bilbo's to plan an adventure. What kind of adventure? That depends whether you are reading the book or watching the film. The film's motive is to win back the Lonely mountain from the evil dragon who killed many dwarves and took their mountain and gold. In the book the dwarves just want to steal back the gold but I suppose with all the talk of honour, duty, service and power the film has to be about more than just stealing back gold... but they still call Bilbo the "burglar" which confuses me. If they were going to take back their home by force then where's the need for a burglar Hobbit? But if their plan was to steal back the gold, then a burglar makes perfect sense. Did anyone else pick that up? 

Finally the tale of the dwarves is brought to the big screen!

Meeting the dwarves was as fun on screen as it is in the book - and it was delightful to sit in my seat and sing the "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates" song!

The dwarves are an interesting bunch. Some reviewers write that apart from Thorin they lack individual personalities. I see where they are coming from but in the book even Thorin (who doesn't come with the immense back story shown in the movie) isn't explored in depth. They make their rowdy and lovable entrance and then are simply seeking the gold. Peter Jackson and the crew seem to want the dwarves to be sentimental favourites as they seek their home (which tugs at the heart strings in a different way to the book). 

Perhaps the screenwriters didn't flesh out the dwarves enough if they wanted to change their motive? But then if they did wouldn't the movie be 4 hours? I'd have my own dwarf beard by then!

Thorin was interesting - in the book he is by far the most intriguing dwarf but in the movie they include a deep back story and in many ways he's the Aragon of the tale. There is no pale Orc chasing him this early in the book and there is no mention of Moria either - actually I'm wondering if The Silmarillion or Unfinished Tales was consulted for the extended back story? Some will wonder why/if the back stories were needed but I'm convinced that it added depth and flavour to the story. 

The dwarves work well in the movie, which is more than I can say for the tangent which is the brown wizard. And their costumes, beards and weapons will surely equate to an Oscar nomination!

The picture of Bilbo which accompanies the novel. Itty bitty thin

I think I knew as much about Martin Freeman as I did about Elijah Wood before he played Frodo. Actually if it wasn't for my fiancé's love for everything British I wouldn't have even known Martin Freeman existed. He played the hesitating, fast talking Hobbit quite well and definitely nailed Bilbo's famous trepidation. He's a tad tall, as the hobbit was carried by dwarves in the book, but we can forgive a few inches here and there. And already I'm more interested in Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo than Wood's portrayal of Frodo (I got tired of Frodo's whimpering by the third movie). 

Who could play Gandalf  better than Ian Mckellen? He brings the charisma which is needed for the character who Tolkien poured so much responsibility into. Of course Gandalf fits succinctly into the old fashioned hero quest archetype, and yet despite the predictable role of the wizard, you still feel your breathing ease when he's on the scene. 

Once again though Jackson and the crew forged a new path from Tolkien in that the movie draws viewers towards the growing evil, whereas in the book Tolkien builds everything a lot slower in leading to Lord of the Rings. I was also caught off guard by the whole meeting of the great minds in Rivendell. It was interesting and had you thinking, but it does somewhat take away from the pace and central plot of the adventure to Lonely Mountain. It's like they told Jackson that he has to blatantly connect The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings every 30 minutes. 

There's even a cameo for one of my favourite/funniest Aussies, 

Barry Humphries!

Visually this movie is everything The Lord of the Rings was - and that's saying something. My mind could've never conjured up quite what I saw on the screen... especially that rock throwing fight between the stone giants! My mind had pictured something totally different in reading the book. It's like Tree Beard in the trilogy, most people would picture men who look like trees not actual ancient trees! Oh and don't forget the suicide run through the goblin cave - what a rush! All I could think at the end was,

 "How long will it take theme parks to open Hobbit rides?!" 

A sight to be seen!

 I didn't even see the film in 3D and I was in awe. I've been underwhelmed by 3D movies (I also don't like putting glasses on top of my already geeky glasses) but I've heard the film is shot differently in 3D to others. My mother went to see it in 3D and still hasn't gotten over the experience! Even my Dad, who enjoys nothing but lawyer movies and John Grisham novels, couldn't stop raving about the 3D experience. Perhaps it's worth a shot?

It needs to be made clear though that this movie is not an excuse to bypass the book. It's high time our generation picked up a decent book (I understand that's quite subjective) and engaged our minds, senses and imagination. Too often I hear people say, 

I'll wait till it comes out at the movies!

 Why would I read 300 pages when I can watch it in 2 hours?!

Having read The Hobbit I felt like my experience of the movie was enriched. I was still on the edge of my seat and enjoyed making note of how I imagined something or someone to look compared to the film - and often I was left in awe! Noticing lines which were lifted from the book, songs which were superbly adapted from the book and scenes which scared me as a kid was a joy. I can't stress it enough, go and read the book! Smell the goblins, see the majestic eagles (who even talk in the book), touch the blades of the magnificent swords which Tolkien has given such vast histories. Just sit back and experience the brilliance which is Tolkien's story telling. In the book Tolkien is not a character but he is an external narrator who directs us through, gives us history lessons, informs us of the thoughts of many characters and has us singing songs of many different creatures! In the book you are privy to the thoughts of characters whereas in the movie you aren't. It's the little things.

Memories of reading flooded back when the movie got to the famous riddle scene!

The screenplay is fine. It has twists and turns from the novel and yet it's Tolkienesque. Characters come to life and when our heroes are in peril our hearts respond in kind. Isn't that what we want? Some will say that the start isn't needed, others will say that scenes felt laborious and a few may critique the subplots but I like that they attempted to take the novel and add a new flavour. I did however walk into the cinema wondering how this movie was 3 hours of a trilogy based on a 360 page book, but I left quite satisfied with what I saw. 

Andy Serkin is once again outstanding as Gollum!

I don't know how they managed to make Gollum as frightening as he was in my mind as a boy. Andy Serkis, take a bow! When I reread the book recently I was surprised that Gollum only has one scene. My memory had me thinking Gollum was behind every twist and turn as he frightened me something terrible! I don't know how they do the whole Gollum thing on the screen but I must applaud them. 

Look, I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure if that's partly because I loved the book or if I showed the adaption too much grace. There are sideplots and cameo characters I'm not overly crazy about but I'd like to think I'm wise enough to know that these sideplots will grow and not detract from the adventure of Bilbo and the dwarves.  The scenery of New Zealand, the costumes and the special effects alone would have my bum in a seat but add in a thrilling tale and I'm one of those people - gasping and applauding in my seat. 

9/10

Bruce Springsteen: 'Wrecking Ball' tour!

Some Springsteen albums I found laying around

They say you ought to play classical music for a baby when it’s in the womb – makes the baby smart, or something like that. Well, my Mum missed that cue because when I was in her belly she was playing nothing but Bruce Springsteen. And it’s about time I thank her for that.

Thank you.

How do I explain what Bruce Springsteen has meant to me?

Well last Thursday I took the most beautiful woman to ever cross my path out through the bush of Burleigh Heads (Queensland, Australia) and down to the beach where I asked her if she would marry me. But before I left the hotel room and guided her down to the beach I played one song – the song which has driven me through the good times and the bad. This song.

- I remember being 16 and having to make the decision as to whether I’d leave my family in Holland and go and live with a guardian family because I wasn’t doing well in life (that’s just an eloquent way of saying that I was being ‘a little shit’ and was depressed). So I popped Springsteen’s Born to Run into the discman, listened to the title track, and then made a decision.

- I can also remember a year on from that point; I was 17 and had just been released from juve.  Mum had come to hear my case at the courthouse and she ended up driving me home. When I got home I made a beeline for my room, shut the door and began opening and closing the window (in juve I had spent a lot of time staring at the barred doors and windows). After I finished opening and closing the window and bedroom door, I put my iPod on and sat on the side of my bed listening to Bruce (I’d say this was the first time Springsteen’s This Hard Land spoke to me).

Now that I think about it, I can also remember one of my favourite memories as a child... we were living in Malaysia at this point. When I was a young boy we would pack the car and head up to Penang for Chrissy at the beach. No one really wanted a part in packing the car, until it came time to pick the music. There were 6 cd slots and Mum and Dad always put Queen, John Williamson, Bee Gees, Forrest Gump Soundtrack, Simon and Garfunkel and Bruce Springsteen in. What a great concoction, right? I was happy with whatever as long as Springsteen’s Greatest Hits was on the go. And it always was, Mum made sure of that. I can still picture bending around the hills of Malaysia with Bruce blaring down on us. It was in hearing Born in the USA which first sparked my historical interest (I now am a modern history graduate from Macquarie University). It was a song with umph but also a message which I hadn’t heard before... until I started listening to the lyrics in the Forrest Gump Soundtrack (still the greatest soundtrack ever assembled, by the way). In Born in the USA I began to tap into the protest music which would soon consume my life – and people wonder why I’m akin to the new left movement?

Yes, Springsteen has traveled across the world with me and has kept me company at all points... even in a cell. I would hear Clarence Clemens shoot his Born to Run and Jungleland saxophone solos at me during those sleepless nights.

Bruce and Clarence - together again.

In the last few years I've tapped more into Bruce’s older stuff. 

Nebraska was resurrected (I had deemed the album a bit ‘boring’ when I was a kid). I call Mansion on the Hill the perfection of the harmonica. The title track is the album's version of torn lovers trying to make do. You'll realise when you get into Springsteen that every album has the torn lovers song - and they all seem to end in either heartbreak or destruction (yes, there's a difference). Johnny 99 is that country/folk swing Springsteen always enjoys a bit of. And I've never heard a catchier beat than in State Trooper.

Greetings from Asbury Park took its rightful place (I had thought Born to Run was his first album for the longest time!).

The Wild, The Innocent, And the E Street Shuffle exploded into my ear drums with Rosalita (Come out Tonight), The E Street Shuffle (this version of E Street Shuffle is from the Hammersmith live album, which happens to be the greatest live album ever) and 4th of July, Asbury Park.

Darkness on the Edge of Town was always about Badlands for me. When I lived in Holland I remember stealing some money from my parents and taking off one morning to Amsterdam and spent the day and night getting an education in the existence of depravity. After this event I would listen to Badlands regularly. I don’t know how I ever looked past Racing in the Street but it would come to smack me in the face when I was given The Promise to listen to.

The Promise is a bunch of old songs Bruce did during the time he was making Darkness on the Edge of Town. The 1978 version of Racing in the Street became my mix of Badlands and Thunder Road. I played this double album back and forth too many times for even iTunes to count. I remember... I was sitting in the church office doing some uni work last year, and a mate pops his head in the room and asks, 

“Is that Bob Dylan?” 

I laugh and recall all those comparisons I read over the years, 

“This is Bruce Springsteen!”

 Born To Run has to be Springsteen's greatest album. I've heard the arguments which go against this but I just scoff. The real question to me is which side of the two side album is better? Thunder Road is one of those heartbreaking songs. It has my favourite line/moment in music -

Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk

The way he plays the guitar with that line - it's perfect. It makes me smile each time I hear it and wonder why I haven't learned to play the guitar just to be able to do that. Oh, and the way he says that line,

You aint a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

Most guys would get slapped for that - I doubt Springsteen would though.

Oh-oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh thunder road, oh thunder road oh thunder road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
Oh thunder road, sit tight take hold
Thunder road

I guess what made me love Springsteen through this album is how in nearly every song, he talks to, and connects with, those who just want to get out of where they are! I'm quite content with where I am now but it took some two decades to get here.

The whole album is littered with lyrics you wouldn't expect to find in a New Jersey rock band. For example, I call Jungleland Springsteen's version of Dylan's Desolation Row. They remind me of one another in that the lyrics are deep, sometimes bizarre but very imaginative and rich with imagery.

Well the Maximum Lawmen run down Flamingo
Chasing Rat and the barefoot girl
And the kids round there live just like shadows
Always quiet, holding hands
From the churches to the jails
Tonight all is silence in the world
As we take our stand
Down in Jungleland.

But of course it's the title track of the album which snared me from a young age. I think it's the gun-ho tempo of it which first gave me the rush. I loved the saxophone work of Clemens and the screeching of Bruce! And here was a song you could relate to as we all go through times of chaos and desperation. But if you watch them perform it (I've only watched them through Youtube) they all seem to have so much damn fun! 

There are two live albums which I've listened to death. The first I don’t actually own but keep playing on Spotify, The Seeger Sessions.  In The Seeger Sessions Springsteen gets together with Pete Seeger and they take on folk music. You have to check out the Jesse James number – it’s my favourite. He retells the history/folklore behind James in such an entertaining and interactive way. In the live version of The Seeger Sessions (Dublin, Ireland) Bruce actually does more songs than what is on the album. I love how he also takes on sing-along-songs such as, When The Saints Go Marching In, and This Little Light of Mine. I’ve made a playlist of Springsteen on Spotify – check it out.

The other live album I blogged about last year - so check that out because I don't want to start getting into the '75 Hammersmith album or you'll be here all day! It's an album and a half - and you'll be moving in your seat! But it's in the slowest song of the whole set that you will be most impressed by - For You. The song first came out on the Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. album but they changed the whole song up for the live version... and I can never listen to the original again! The live version is slow and haunting. It's the kind of story I'd expect to find in a Hemingway short story about his war experience and the ladies of his past. Check it out.

And now we come to the Wrecking Ball tour. Over the past few months I’ve been checking Bruce’s facebook page and his website to see if they would tour Australia for the Wrecking Ball album which came out this year. I saw dates for US gigs. I saw dates for European gigs. I heard rumors about an Aussie tour... but they seemed to fizzle out. I began to give up hope and reminded myself that it's been a decade since Bruce has ventured out this far. But just as the last bit of hope faded, a bloke rushed up to me as I was leaving church last night and said,

“The 14^th!”

I had no idea what he was talking about.

“The 14^th!”

Still no idea.

“Tickets go on sale on the 14^th!”

I knew exactly what he was talking. 

Wrecking Ball is a fantastic album. I rate it higher than Working on a Dream (Outlaw Pete and The Wrestler are ones to remember though) and up there with The Rising for 21st century albums. In Wrecking Ball Bruce seems to go back to his roots - Love us or hate us, we here. He’s also returning to his Jersey roots in the lyrics. Yet he's also tapping into spirituality in a more direct way, like he did in The Rising. For a Christian Wrecking Ball actually goes the whole nine yards in having Michelle Moore sing in the spiritual songs. He even has songs based on books of the bible (e.g. Swallow Up (In the Belly of the Whale)). Yet it’s in Rocky Ground where Bruce returns to his heart stirring best...

Rise up shepherd, rise up
Your flock has roamed far from the hills
The stars have faded, the sky is still
The angels are shouting "Glory Hallelujah"

(Sounds like something we could sing at church...)

Forty days and nights of rain have washed this land
Jesus said the money changers in this temple will not stand
Find your flock, get them to higher ground
Flood waters rising and we're Caanan bound.

(He has a real theme of sacrificial love and service in this album.)

Tend to your flock or they will stray
We'll be called for our service come Judgement Day
Before we cross that river wide
Blood on our hands will come back on us twice

(I feel like Bruce has really sat down for this album with the attitude that he doesn’t just want to churn out another one... which he could well do.)

You use your muscle and your mind and you pray your best
That your best is good enough, the Lord will do the rest
You raise your children and you teach 'them to walk straight and sure
You pray that hard times, hard times, come no more
You try to sleep, you toss and turn, the bottom's dropping out
Where you once had faith now there's only doubt
You pray for guidance, only silence now meets your prayers
The morning breaks, you awake but no one's there.

Something tells me the passing of Clarence Clemens last year had something to do with the power and triumph of this album. 

Tickets for Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball Tour go on sale thisweek... I gotta get me one of those.