Who wants to see the Dwarves of the Hobbit?

[Terminal Blue]

I have no doubt the film will be stunning, but it's going to irk me that they just don't look "Dwarven", for the most part.

I'm picking on one complaint here, but it seems everyone has said this.

Here is the thing. JRR Tolkien invented dwarves, not literally, but he took a reasonably vague collection of norse and germanic myths and stole a creature from them and wrote a book with those creatures in it, and that book was the Hobbit.

If you've read Tolkien, you'll know he's not very big on descriptions, and the Hobbit is ostensibly a children's book, so the description is very very light. He doesn't really go into any detail about what dwarves look like or what they are like as species except to say that they are short and live underground. He doesn't imply they are fat (except Bombur). He doesn't imply they like axes and ale. In fact, in terms of character his dwarves are not all that 'dwarven'. They like music. They all play instruments. They're not very tough or brave. Most of the time they're actually pretty incompetent and it ends up being Bilbo who saves them. In fact, only Thorin is particularly stubborn or greedy, and then only about one particular artifact which he's become obsessed with.

Much of what later writers and Tolkien fans seem to have understood about dwarves in fact comes from the brief description of individuals. Bombur is fat, so dwarves are fat. One of the dwarves (I forget who) is described as having a beard, so all dwarves have beards. Thorin is stubborn and greedy, so all dwarves are stubborn and greedy. Gimli is a great warrior who uses an axe so all dwarves are great warriors who use axes. Gimli and Legolas have a rivalry, so dwarves and elves are rivals.

I like that cast. It's a fresh take on a trope which actually needs to be pulled back and expanded outwards a bit. Who wasn't getting sick of generic fantasy dwarves, anyway?

 

[Alon Shechter]

One of the dwarves is skinny and stretched and has no beard.
WTF, guys?
THIS:

Spoiler

is how they should look like.

 

[IamQ]

While they all look great and unique, it's kind of sad that since the movie will only be 2 and a half hour at max, we won't be able to see them that much.

 

[commiedic]

To me it looks like a bad photoshop, sorry

EDIT: I know they are the real thing, cause I know Aiden Turner is playing Kili it just looks bad to me.

I can see what he is talking about. They were definitely touched up in Photoshop if real people.

 

[Zorak the Mantis]

Ugh, needs more beard

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I have no doubt the film will be stunning, but it's going to irk me that they just don't look "Dwarven", for the most part.

I'm picking on one complaint here, but it seems everyone has said this.

Here is the thing. JRR Tolkien invented dwarves, not literally, but he took a reasonably vague collection of norse and germanic myths and stole a creature from them and wrote a book with those creatures in it, and that book was the Hobbit.

If you've read Tolkien, you'll know he's not very big on descriptions, and the Hobbit is ostensibly a children's book, so the description is very very light. He doesn't really go into any detail about what dwarves look like or what they are like as species except to say that they are short and live underground. He doesn't imply they are fat (except Bombur). He doesn't imply they like axes and ale. In fact, in terms of character his dwarves are not all that 'dwarven'. They like music. They all play instruments. They're not very tough or brave. Most of the time they're actually pretty incompetent and it ends up being Bilbo who saves them. In fact, only Thorin is particularly stubborn or greedy, and then only about one particular artifact which he's become obsessed with.

Much of what later writers and Tolkien fans seem to have understood about dwarves in fact comes from the brief description of individuals. Bombur is fat, so dwarves are fat. One of the dwarves (I forget who) is described as having a beard, so all dwarves have beards. Thorin is stubborn and greedy, so all dwarves are stubborn and greedy. Gimli is a great warrior who uses an axe so all dwarves are great warriors who use axes. Gimli and Legolas have a rivalry, so dwarves and elves are rivals.

I like that cast. It's a fresh take on a trope which actually needs to be pulled back and expanded outwards a bit. Who wasn't getting sick of generic fantasy dwarves, anyway?

I can't comment on the rest of the dwarven traits, but the feud between dwarves and elves goes back to the First age (and, of course, the Silmarillion.) There was a dispute over a dwarf-made necklace that, if I remember correctly, had a silmaril set in it, and there was a lot of bloodshed and some egos that were so badly bruised that they still hadn't healed by the third age. Long story short, Dwarves and Elves got along well once upon a time, but then Luthien's dad (who is Elrond's grandpa, if you don't know the genealogy) pissed them off, and they disliked each other ever after. Gimli and Legolas were a huge exception to the rule, becoming friends like they did.

OT: The designs are interesting, but not particularly dwarven looking. People keep pointing out Fili as looking too much like an elf, but Kili is the real offender here; put a blonde wig on him and he'd make a better elf than Orlando Bloom. Balin, Dwalin, Oin and Gloin are the ones who really look spot on -- and they're unique enough that it shouldn't be hard to tell them apart. I think whoever said that they made some of the dwarves look younger and less hairy for reasons of sex appeal had the long and short of it.

 

[HK_01]

With the exception of Fili and Kili, especially Kili, they look pretty good to me. I'm looking forward to the movie.

 

[GrimTuesday]

While they all look great and unique, it's kind of sad that since the movie will only be 2 and a half hour at max, we won't be able to see them that much.

Actually, its going to be two movies, which will likely be around two and a half hours.

 

[Singularly Datarific]

*squeals*
I'm just excited to see any progress on The Hobbit, I can't wait to see the dang thing,

 

[Lilani]

Gloin does look like Gimli's father. I am satisfied :3

 

[Veylon]

I like that cast. It's a fresh take on a trope which actually needs to be pulled back and expanded outwards a bit. Who wasn't getting sick of generic fantasy dwarves, anyway?

Thank you very much! We don't expect every single human character to have the same hair style and build, why expect that of dwarves? I'm still deeply skeptical of this movie, but it looks like they'll take them more seriously than the ale-swilling axe-wielding scotch-accented hirsute stocky low-brows they're usually stereotyped to be.

 

[Cazza]

Where are their coloured hoods?

Nothing like how I thought they would look like. How the book described them and this is completely different. I'm sure Kíli also have a blonde beard etc...

 

[captaincabbage]

*third picture down* Why, there seems to be some lady dwarves inthis picture! Seriously tho, as someone who has never bothered to read The Hobbit, yet has watched the LotR trilogy a thousand times, I can soundly say WHOOOO!!!! GO GLOIN!!!.

 

[Cazza]

In defence of the age of Thorin, he is supposed to be about 200 years old at the time of the quest, considering Dwarves live, on average, 250 years, its possible that they don't start showing the age until near the end of their lives.

I just looked into that. Thorin should have grey hair. Gloin is 37 years younger is is very grey. Balin is 17 younger is white. I couldn't find dates for Dori & Bofur who also have grey hair. I guess Thorin just has awesome genes when it comes to hair.

 

[GrimTuesday]

The only thing that worries me is that Bofur seems to have a chunk of pick-axe sticking out of his head. I hope PJ offers at least some explanation for this, as I think Tolkien would have at least offered some description if one of the dwarves had a chunk of metal lodged in their brain. On the plus side, Bombur looks pretty much exactly how I imagined him, so well done Weta guys on that front.

I think what you're seeing is either the flaps on his hat, or some braids. If you zoom in on the pic I linked to, you can see it very clearly.

 

[TonyVonTonyus]

Why does this just seem like very well done concept art?

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

Would have liked to have seen some stills or photographs, but I recognise some of the actors, so it looks to be simply some nice promotional art.