The Hobbit

Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
As a fan of J.R.R Tolkien I was skeptical to see this movie it might ruin the book that I enjoy so much. But all worries aside I decided to see the movie. It is not as good as the book but it stays true to Tolkien's vision.

Bilbo Baggins the star character of The Hobbit is a very likeable character. Bilbo is a regular hobbit doing everything he should, he has his home in the side of a hill like he should, and he never looks for adventure. But one day adventure knocked on Bilbo’s round front door. Gandalf the Grey a wizard has helped a dwarf named Thorin Oakenshield by recovering information about Thorin’s old home in the east on the other side of the Misty Mountains. A dragon had run Thorin’s family out of their home years before. The information Gandalf has recovered is a key and a map to a secret entrance to a mountain which is Thorin’s home. All together there are 13 Dwarves, 1 Hobbit, and a Wizard. But since Gandalf can’t stay with the company all the time he got the dwarves Bilbo so that their would be 14 members instead of the unlucky 13.

The animated movie of the Hobbit retains much of the books storyline. But due to time restraint some of the storyline was dropped for instance Beorn the skin changer was not included. But something that the movie does include is the songs that are in the book. J.R.R. Tolkien made a history background for his stories: history of men, elves, dwarves; when you read the book it is like it is real, the movie cuts out a lot of the myths that are told in the book. The animation has a middle-ages gothic look, this helps tell the story since this is only a tale; the animation might look like something you would use your imagination to make up. Surprisingly enough when I read the book the animation is not too far off what I picture in my own mind.

The voices of the characters are incredibly matched John Huston who plays Gandalf the Grey has a commanding voice that I would associate with a wizard:
Bilbo Baggins………Orson Bean
Gandalf the Grey……John Huston
Thorin Oakenshield…Hans Conried
Gollum………………Theodore

As the Movie storyline progresses you learn about the characters backgrounds. The company starts off one spring morning. Traveling east towards the Misty Mountains. They have a run in with three monstrous trolls. They meet Elrond the elf in Rivendale. They are captured by goblins in the Misty Mountains. Bilbo picks up the ring of power and encounters a crazy creature called Gollum. In the forest called Mirkwood they have a run-in with spiders. On to Laketown in the valley that is shadowed by the mountain that is their destination. At the mountain through the secret entrance Bilbo went. As circumstances progress smaug is killed and the dwarves take control of the mountain.

This movie is likeable by children and Tolkien fans. But I would have to say that if I had a choice between watching the movie and reading the book, the book is more enjoyable, the plot is deeper and easier to get enthralled by.