An epic adaptation that some fans dare to claim is even better than Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones is currently dominating Netflix's charts. At the time of writing, two entries from The Hobbit trilogy hold places in the top 10 most-watched films among subscribers, with the first entry in seventh place and the second in tenth. The concluding third film is likely not far behind.
Peter Jackson's Return to Middle-earth
Peter Jackson returned to direct the films set in Middle-earth following the success of his Lord of the Rings trilogy. While The Hobbit consisted of only one book, the story was split into three titles to create another epic screen saga. They hit the big screen between 2012 and 2014, with all three now streaming on Netflix: An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies.
The films are based on J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit. However, Jackson also took inspiration from the appendices to his 1954–55 The Lord of the Rings series, which expand on the story told in the original book.
Plot and Cast
According to its synopsis, the overarching story across the three films sees Bilbo Baggins join a hardy group of dwarves on a dangerous quest to reclaim their lost kingdom. On this journey, he encounters Orcs, the fearsome dragon Smaug, and even meets a strange creature named Gollum along the way.
Former Sherlock and The Office actor Martin Freeman leads the cast as Bilbo Baggins. He is joined by recognizable names, though their characters' appearances might not be immediately familiar. Richard Armitage, star of multiple Harlan Coben adaptations, also stars as Thorin, who leads the dwarf company. Other dwarves in the group are played by Graham McTavish, Aidan Turner, Ken Stott, and James Nesbitt.
Several Lord of the Rings stars return to reprise their roles in special appearances or cameos, including Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, Lee Pace, Cate Blanchett, and Christopher Lee, among others.
Fan Reactions
While the Hobbit films did not achieve as high a score as the Lord of the Rings trilogy according to Rotten Tomatoes ratings, many fans still rate them highly. One fan posted on Reddit: "Despite their flaws, the Hobbit trilogy is better than the Lord of the Rings trilogy." They explained that the characters are better adapted from the books, praising Martin Freeman as Bilbo.
Another fan offered a different viewpoint, saying: "Watched The Hobbit recently, the production, the directing, the fighting scenes, I was like this is better than Game of Thrones." One fan acknowledged that it might not be better than Lord of the Rings but still considered it an underrated gem, scoring it 9/10 and strongly recommending it. Another added: "An almost flawless masterpiece. Captured the feeling of the book and transcended it onto a screen."
The Hobbit collection is streaming on Netflix.
