Yes, Bilbo was knocked out during the battle, and we don't really "see" much of it in the book.  I think it's very much about personal taste, but also that people feel invested in the books as they were so widely read and influential (i.e. they influenced a lot of the other stuff we read as kids and adults too!).  For me, The Hobbit has quite a different feel from LOTR and I would prefer that it was filmed in a different way.  It's more important to me that the feel of it is captured than that there is continuity with LOTR.   Especially as they've been flimed the "wrong" way round.  The Hobbit wasn't written as a prequel, but as a standalone children's story, with (I think) no thought of the adults' stories that would follow.   It's more simple and playful than LOTR.  For instance, I think Bilbo uses the ring at the end to hide from unwanted visitors  - it's a toy, rather than an evil One Ring.  But at the same time, it feels more scary and magical because it IS a children's story. 

I think most people read The Hobbit as a small child, or have it read to them.  Then they usually read LOTR in their teens.   (I was a feminist teen and gave up on LOTR in disgust at what I saw as Tolkien's lack of understanding of women.  I'm more forgiving now, so should really give the books another go!).  I feel happier with The Hobbit's almost complete lack of female characters, than I do with shoe-horning in a female character as a love interest.  I know things were changed for LOTR (such as Tom Bombadil), but I don't feel as invested in that as I do in one of my favourite childhood books. 

Peter Jackson is obviously completely brilliant, and the LOTR trilogy is amongst my favourite films ever, so don't think I'm saying this is a load of rubbish!   But I agree, Solar, I think I would have liked to see a different vision for The Hobbit - a completely different feel.

Long, very Hobbit-focused interview with Martin by TheOneRing.net. (So no surprise that it was a very Bilbo-focused interview!) 

Martin (et al.) were on the Today Show this morning: Actors Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom and Martin Freeman join director Peter Jackson and NBC’s Keir Simmons to talk about “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” which concludes more than a decade of movie-making. That's a video there, although I can't get it to play for me, but if it's just what aired on the show, it's very short. 

On The Hobbit's Facebook there's a video in which  the cast of #TheHobbit describes what it was like to go back to Middle-earth #OneLastTime. There's some bits from Martin, and a few shorter bits from Benedict as well, which is a bonus for me!

Last edited by REReader (December 8, 2014 6:25 pm)

There's quite a good Hobbit-centered interview with Martin on Movies.ie.

I like how the last line of the intro para is "Movies.ie sat down with the actor, who was sporting a very impressive beard for his role as Richard III on the London stage, to find out how he feels now that THE HOBBIT is coming to an end..." and then the next line is the first question, which is "How do you feel now that THE HOBBIT is coming to an end?" It's one way to find out, I suppose...

Interesting comments about using the screenplay rather than the book for inspiration (unlike Ian McKellen).  I suppose different actors have different approaches.  Benedict seems to like to study the source material, but I can see Martin's point that that's not what he's working to.  Liked the bit about not asking Ian Holm's advice about playing Bilbo - "it's my go!" .

Some more video interviews: 

RTE Ten 

ContactMusic 


And a written interview in the Mirror.

Last edited by REReader (December 12, 2014 8:12 pm)

I ddin't want to say.
But I'd just been calming  down a girl on facebook who was upset about Tumblr gossip on a rift between the boys,,,
I completely rubbished it!
But now I've seen the vid...
Yes, Martin's humour.
But yes too, Martin is honest.
It's the look on his face...
Boy is he cross with the stupid interviewer.
Yes I think he';s getting fed up with the constant link to Benedict.
But I hope he knows it's not Benedict's fault.

Last edited by besleybean (December 14, 2014 9:46 pm)

I really think they are good enough friends to take this...Benedict will just laugh.

From what I've seen/heard/read about Martin, he won't give a flying fig.

I think that was just a joke. Martin is known to be really sassy in interviews.

I feel a bit sorry for the two of them. Sherlock in particular has made them very popular, and they are in demand all over. Meaning they have to put up with a lot of stupid interviews asking them stupid questions. And I get the feeling Martin isn't as patient and diplomatic as Benedict. ;)