Review Detail

The best Hobbit edit so far (I've watched Maple FIlms, The Bilbo Edition, The Spence Edit, and The Tolkien Edit) and my only remaining wishes are things the editors don't have material to work from. (Thrush telling Bard, how close everything is together, the Beorn meeting, Bilbo not being invisible when knocked out [it made the point that the ring isn't all powerful get out of jail card], many of Tolkien's songs, how Bilbo rescues the dwarfs from the spiders in Mirkwood [the lack of the parties showing the callousness of the elves and the desperation of the dwarfs vs Mirkwood's enchantment doing it all])

I do wish there was a way to bring a more book like entrance to Rivendell to establish that these elves are different than the remote and ethereal elves of Lorien, or the provincial and woodsy elves of Mirkwood. Rivendell should have more cheer and connection to the outside world in it. (knowing who they are, teasing them, etc) Although I acknowledge this wouldn't match how LOTR established them but perhaps the change would be explained by the realization of the return of Sauron.

One thing that I really liked about this edit is Thorin and Bilbo's progression and how this edit refocus the emotional arc around it and how Bilbo's love of home helps him come to understand the dwarfs.

The edit strikes a good balance between keeping the fantastical that is in the book but lining up with the limits that the LOTR setup on the use of magic. Although I think I point could be made that with this being set farther from the ending of the Third Age that perhaps more magic could be allowed (talking animals, elvish parties, etc).

Without someone with great VFX skills donating time to create some of the missing bits (especially the thrush scenes) I think this will be the last word in Hobbit edits for me.