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bedlamsbardThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles (a.k.a., the concept art book) is a TREASURE. *cuddles it* I love concept art with a fiery passion, so I was predisposed to like it anyway, but it is a TREASURE because they also talk about the stuff they filmed but which didn't make it into the theatrical release.
Like for example, and this has been mentioned elsewhere, a flashback sequence to the Old Took's garden party where we get BELLADONNA TOOK and TINY BILBO BAGGINS and the Old Took and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Gandalf pulling a dragon out of his sleeve because, well, Gandalf, and all the little hobbit kids except Bilbo running away. *fans self* And this was actually filmed, it's not just theoretical.
And and and they talk about the Green Dragon Inn and the market in Hobbiton -- and this is something else that wasn't in the theatrical release, but which must have been filmed because there's a shot from the trailer there. Apparently they didn't have any photos of the original Green Dragon, so they had to do it all from scratch and what's in the LotR films. THEY ARE PRECIOUS.
Interestingly, some of the phrasing in the book suggests that at one point the movie didn't begin with the flashback to Erebor; my hunch is that it might have started more firmly rooted in the Shire and building up Hobbits (in...a manner of speaking...) and the dwarves, arriving at Bilbo's front door, came completely out of nowhere, the way they do in the book. There's a line somewhere about a flashback to Erebor occurring during the unexpected party (like it does in the book), which makes me think that that was something that was changed later on.
And then we get DWARVES. There are a lot of photos from the book floating around on Tumblr -- check out the dwarven ladies, because they're awesome, and also because I'm tickled that they used an Asian-ish looking model even if none of that made it into the actual movie. (Look, I am still living in hope that sometime PJ gives us a flashback with Dis and tiny baby Fili and Kili. Honestly, I almost don't care if it bloats the EEs, I am ready for anything here. GIVE IT TO ME GIVE ALL OF IT TO ME.)
I love concept art because you get to find out what was going through the designers' heads -- like how at one point Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin weremarried to each other supposed to have friendships travel rings, but it didn't work with Dwalin's knuckle-dusters so only Thorin ended up with a ring. And that Dwalin's axes are named after Emily Bronte's hounds. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT. DWALIN'S AXES ARE NAMED AFTER EMILY BRONTE'S DOGS (Grasper and Keeper, apparently). And Gloin carries around a locket with pictures of his wife and ITTY BABY GIMLI in it (which apparently Legolas sees and makes snarky comments about, MY HEART).
Of course there's all the beard design concept art, and because they tried different beard designs on different dwarves, this is where you want to go if you want to see Nori's starfish braids on Bofur. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT. Or all the different hats they tried on Bofur. Or what I fondly call the mad scientist hair. (I love Bofur. Who doesn't love Bofur? If it's you, don't tell me.)
There's some pretty epic fantasy battle art in here too, if you like that sort of thing and I assume that if you're here you probably do. AWW YEAH. And Dramatic! Fantasy! Action Hero! Thorin! Balin! and Dwalin! (with flashback battle mohawk! That will never not be hilarious.) And of course the infamous picture of sweat-covered hunky younger SHIRTLESS Thorin at the forge. It's hard to see in the picture, but he's also got tattoos on his chest. Why deprive us, PJ? (Okay, probably because the actors were all wearing padding. But that's what CGI is for!)
I am probably in the minority here, but I am hopeful that in the EE we get more journey montage, because there's some really lovely setting art in here (plus some ordinary traveling dangers, like falling off cliffs and/or crossing rivers).
As far as more things that aren't in the movie, there's an interesting section on the High Fells, where the tombs of the Nazgul are -- this is apparently where Gandalf is while the dwarves are being tossed around by stone giants. And that's not in the movie! It is in the trailers, but not in the movie, so either they cut it entirely or it's in the second movie instead. Either way: oooooooh.
Plus there's stuff on the wizards, Rivendell, goblins, the trolls, wargs, Gollum's cave, and so on. Here are three things that are not in the book that are in the movie: Thranduil and his elven army (but they're probably saving that for The Desolation of Smaug), Dol Guldur (again: I suspect they're saving that for later), and Azog and the orcs. The last one I find an interesting choice, given that he's such a major point in the movie. (Actually, I think in some ways there's some misdirection in the movie: everyone (including the dwarves!) believes that the main antagonist is Smaug, and in fact the main antagonist is Azog. (Which, okay, I am actually in favor of? Because anything that makes the Most Gratuitous Battle in Literary History make sense is good for me. Even if I'm probably going to need to be sedated during There and Back Again.)
AND THE BEST PART, omg, is that they have THE ENTIRE CONTRACT. And yes, reader, I read it. Which Bilbo clearly didn't, and which I don't blame him for, but it is the BEST, it actually the BEST THING. Like, it states that there are no second breakfasts! "Burglar is 'at the Service' of Thorin and Company until released therefrom." (Yes, I'm sure a trillion fanfics on that note have already been written.) "A plaque shall be erected and dedicated to Burglar's honour if he meets an untimely end in attempting this feat. Material, size, and location of such a plaque is to be decided at Director's sole whim and desire." There's an interesting thematic part that I can't find write now because this thing is actually a nightmare to read -- it's in fancy script, it's pretty small, it gets smaller because it has stuff written in the margins and along the sides -- where it states the Burglar is not actually technically legally part of the Comapny. And given Bilbo and Bofur's conversation just before the goblin fiasco, that's...interesting. I overuse this word, but still. (Though you also have Balin telling Bilbo, "Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," so, you know.) In conclusion: Bilbo should totally have read the whole contract, because I can tell you right now that he did not do so in the time between Balin giving it to him and passing out.
In conclusion: this book is a treasure and I LOVE IT. There is also a fold-out Thorin's map, which is changed a little from Tolkien's version (yeah, I have The Hobbit right here, so I can check it: like I said before, world-consumingly fannish right now). A TREASURE.
Oh, hey, whaddaya know, I guess I can still be fannish on DW/LJ!
Like for example, and this has been mentioned elsewhere, a flashback sequence to the Old Took's garden party where we get BELLADONNA TOOK and TINY BILBO BAGGINS and the Old Took and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Gandalf pulling a dragon out of his sleeve because, well, Gandalf, and all the little hobbit kids except Bilbo running away. *fans self* And this was actually filmed, it's not just theoretical.
And and and they talk about the Green Dragon Inn and the market in Hobbiton -- and this is something else that wasn't in the theatrical release, but which must have been filmed because there's a shot from the trailer there. Apparently they didn't have any photos of the original Green Dragon, so they had to do it all from scratch and what's in the LotR films. THEY ARE PRECIOUS.
Interestingly, some of the phrasing in the book suggests that at one point the movie didn't begin with the flashback to Erebor; my hunch is that it might have started more firmly rooted in the Shire and building up Hobbits (in...a manner of speaking...) and the dwarves, arriving at Bilbo's front door, came completely out of nowhere, the way they do in the book. There's a line somewhere about a flashback to Erebor occurring during the unexpected party (like it does in the book), which makes me think that that was something that was changed later on.
And then we get DWARVES. There are a lot of photos from the book floating around on Tumblr -- check out the dwarven ladies, because they're awesome, and also because I'm tickled that they used an Asian-ish looking model even if none of that made it into the actual movie. (Look, I am still living in hope that sometime PJ gives us a flashback with Dis and tiny baby Fili and Kili. Honestly, I almost don't care if it bloats the EEs, I am ready for anything here. GIVE IT TO ME GIVE ALL OF IT TO ME.)
I love concept art because you get to find out what was going through the designers' heads -- like how at one point Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin were
Of course there's all the beard design concept art, and because they tried different beard designs on different dwarves, this is where you want to go if you want to see Nori's starfish braids on Bofur. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT. Or all the different hats they tried on Bofur. Or what I fondly call the mad scientist hair. (I love Bofur. Who doesn't love Bofur? If it's you, don't tell me.)
There's some pretty epic fantasy battle art in here too, if you like that sort of thing and I assume that if you're here you probably do. AWW YEAH. And Dramatic! Fantasy! Action Hero! Thorin! Balin! and Dwalin! (with flashback battle mohawk! That will never not be hilarious.) And of course the infamous picture of sweat-covered hunky younger SHIRTLESS Thorin at the forge. It's hard to see in the picture, but he's also got tattoos on his chest. Why deprive us, PJ? (Okay, probably because the actors were all wearing padding. But that's what CGI is for!)
I am probably in the minority here, but I am hopeful that in the EE we get more journey montage, because there's some really lovely setting art in here (plus some ordinary traveling dangers, like falling off cliffs and/or crossing rivers).
As far as more things that aren't in the movie, there's an interesting section on the High Fells, where the tombs of the Nazgul are -- this is apparently where Gandalf is while the dwarves are being tossed around by stone giants. And that's not in the movie! It is in the trailers, but not in the movie, so either they cut it entirely or it's in the second movie instead. Either way: oooooooh.
Plus there's stuff on the wizards, Rivendell, goblins, the trolls, wargs, Gollum's cave, and so on. Here are three things that are not in the book that are in the movie: Thranduil and his elven army (but they're probably saving that for The Desolation of Smaug), Dol Guldur (again: I suspect they're saving that for later), and Azog and the orcs. The last one I find an interesting choice, given that he's such a major point in the movie. (Actually, I think in some ways there's some misdirection in the movie: everyone (including the dwarves!) believes that the main antagonist is Smaug, and in fact the main antagonist is Azog. (Which, okay, I am actually in favor of? Because anything that makes the Most Gratuitous Battle in Literary History make sense is good for me. Even if I'm probably going to need to be sedated during There and Back Again.)
AND THE BEST PART, omg, is that they have THE ENTIRE CONTRACT. And yes, reader, I read it. Which Bilbo clearly didn't, and which I don't blame him for, but it is the BEST, it actually the BEST THING. Like, it states that there are no second breakfasts! "Burglar is 'at the Service' of Thorin and Company until released therefrom." (Yes, I'm sure a trillion fanfics on that note have already been written.) "A plaque shall be erected and dedicated to Burglar's honour if he meets an untimely end in attempting this feat. Material, size, and location of such a plaque is to be decided at Director's sole whim and desire." There's an interesting thematic part that I can't find write now because this thing is actually a nightmare to read -- it's in fancy script, it's pretty small, it gets smaller because it has stuff written in the margins and along the sides -- where it states the Burglar is not actually technically legally part of the Comapny. And given Bilbo and Bofur's conversation just before the goblin fiasco, that's...interesting. I overuse this word, but still. (Though you also have Balin telling Bilbo, "Welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," so, you know.) In conclusion: Bilbo should totally have read the whole contract, because I can tell you right now that he did not do so in the time between Balin giving it to him and passing out.
In conclusion: this book is a treasure and I LOVE IT. There is also a fold-out Thorin's map, which is changed a little from Tolkien's version (yeah, I have The Hobbit right here, so I can check it: like I said before, world-consumingly fannish right now). A TREASURE.
Oh, hey, whaddaya know, I guess I can still be fannish on DW/LJ!