Funny / The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Spoilers Off applies to all "Moments" pages, so all spoilers are unmarked.

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• In the prologue of the film, Frodo tells Bilbo that people think he's becoming "unsociable." Bilbo scoffs at this and then orders Frodo to put up the "No Admittance Except On Party Business" sign.
  • As part of the conversation, Frodo brings up the rumours that Bilbo has his corridors overflowing with riches. Bilbo points out that he had brought home one small chest, which was hardly overflowing with gold... and after sixty years, it still smells of Troll.
• Something must be said for Martin Freeman's distinctly British flavour of awkward stuffiness when he's trying to dissuade Gandalf from roping him into an adventure. He suddenly becomes very interested in the mailbox, takes a few puffs of his pipe, and then looks up as if to say, "Oh, you're still here?"
• When Balin comes in and notices Dwalin trying to get some biscuits out of a jar except his hands are too big. And later, if you're looking, the biscuits are on the table on a plate, and Dwalin seems a bit fidgety with them.
• Gandalf deciding that Bilbo's having an adventure whether he likes it or not.
  Gandalf: It will be very good for you, and most amusing for me.
• Bilbo is already exasperated by the number of Dwarves in his house, only to have half a dozen of them fall in on top of each other when he opens the door again.
  Bilbo: You can't come in. You've come to the wrong house!
  [Bilbo tries to close the door, but Kíli stopped him.]
  Kíli: What? Has it been canceled?!
  Fíli: No one told us.
  Bilbo: No, nothing's been canceled!
  Kíli: (he and Fíli walked in) That's a relief.
• As the Dwarves raid his pantry, Bilbo notices Bombur taking three wheels of cheese, to which he asks if they have a cheese knife. Bofur responds with, "Cheese knife? He eats it by the block!"
• Take a good look at the glass Dori brings Gandalf, who asked for "a little red wine". Even at Hobbit scale that thing is tiny. Given Hobbits' reputation for overindulgence in good food and drink, you have to wonder just what possible use Bilbo would have for something so small (maybe this is what he brings out when the Sackville-Bagginses come to visit). Gandalf gives it a slightly disappointed look and hums after downing the stuff in one go.
  • It's probably a shot glass for when Bilbo breaks out the hard stuff, like whiskey or whatever. Gandalf asked for "a little red wine" and Dori brought him just what he asked for.
• The Company trolling Bilbo in the beginning, describing all manner of horrible things in an attempt to freak him out. Starting with the "That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!" song and going from there.
  Bofur: Think furnace, with wings. Flash of light, searing pain, and then poof! You're nothing but a pile of ash.
  Bilbo: ...Nope. [faints]
  • Adding to the hilarity is Gandalf's reaction.
    Gandalf: Very helpful, Bofur...
  • And Bilbo's comments to Gandalf regarding the Dwarves...
  Bilbo: They pillaged the pantry. I'm not even going to tell you what they've done to the bathroom, they all but destroyed the plumbing. I don't understand; what are they doing in my house?
  • A few highlights from the song itself include Ori winding up with a huge pile of plates and Balin casually bouncing plates over his shoulder with an expression of "Ugh, we're doing this? Really?".
    • Don't forget Bombur being used to clean the food off the dishes by eating the scraps!
    • Óin playing the teapot by blowing into it, using the lid like a mute. (A Shout-Out to The Triplets of Belleville, where one of the triplets plays on a teapot the same way.)
  • Thorin losing his way twice on his way to Bilbo. Just the thought of Thorin wandering around The Shire haplessly is amusing.
  • The contract that the Dwarves present to Bilbo is also pretty hilarious; it starts out standard enough until Bilbo reaches the Liability section and discovers that all the methods by which he could be maimed or killed require several fold-outs.
    • The fact that it is described as "just the usual". Dwarves have a standardised contract for hiring people for adventures and have an actual bureaucracy to enforce such contracts.
• During the Dwarves' meeting, Balin points out that they aren't exactly the most well-equipped for dragon hunting. Kíli then claims that they'll have no problem since Gandalf the great wizard is with them — he's no doubt slaughtered hundreds of Dragons in his time. Gandalf's response is to splutter protests and stuff his pipe in his mouth. When Dori demands an exact number, he starts choking on it. The whole image of Gandalf wrong-footed like that is hilarious. Made even funnier because, as a Maiar, essentially an angel, he's been flustered by a simple Dwarf.
• Gandalf describing (with some embellishment) the achievements of Bilbo's legendary Tookish great-great uncle, who decapitated a goblin named Golfimbul and sent his head flying straight into a rabbit hole, casually summing it up with "And the game of golf invented in the same moment." When Bilbo calls him out on the fact that some of that has to be made up, he's not in the least embarrassed.
  • When Gandalf asks Bilbo if he's aware of Bulroarer Took's heroics Bilbo closes his eyes and lets out a curt "Yes", as if it were a family story he's heard too many times already.
• When Bilbo catches up to the party after changing his mind about going with them, he notices the dwarves exchanging money, to which Gandalf says that they placed bets on whether he would come or not. When Bilbo asks what he wagered, a purse is tossed to Gandalf right on cue. Gandalf proudly says that he never doubted Bilbo for a moment.
  • In general, the party seems to continue their good-natured ribbing of Bilbo and his reluctance to join them on their adventure. The scene is not unlike a group of country kids teasing a city kid for being a Fish out of Water.
• Bilbo asking Gandalf about Radagast: "So is he a great wizard, or is he more like you?"
  • Even funnier is Gandalf's expression immediately afterward. He’s well aware that Bilbo just insulted him.
• After arguing with Thorin in The Trollshaws, Gandalf storms off to seek the company of "the only person who makes sense around here". When Bilbo asks who that is, Gandalf shouts, "Myself!"
• Bilbo doesn't seem comfortable on his pony at first but is later shown fussing over "Myrtle" when he thinks no one's watching. The fact that The Company is meant to be a group of tough, gritty adventurers yet they name their ponies things like "Daisy", "Minty" and "Bungle" is also hilarious.
• Kíli and Fíli convincing Bilbo to go rescue the ponies after they were taken by the trolls.
  Kíli: Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small. They'll never see you! It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you.
  Fíli: If you run into trouble, hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl.
  Bilbo: Twice like a brown... Twice like a barn... [turns around to find Fíli and Kíli have vanished]
  • When Bilbo first approaches Fili and Kili, you can tell something's gone wrong by their faces: Kili has this thousand-yard stare going on, and Fili looks a bit grim. When they tell Bilbo the ponies are missing and he suggests they tell Thorin, Fili is awfully quick to dissuade him from that idea. Probably because he's picturing what Thorin will do to them when he finds out.
  • The fact that when trolls are first mentioned and the two brothers go charging off to get a better look Bilbo starts to follow them, before returning to get their stew bowls and take them along, is also pretty hilarious.
• The trolls. Especially when Tom thinks that he sneezed out Bilbo!
  • Before that, Bilbo was behind Tom trying to get his knife. Then Tom briefly stands up to scratch his butt. The look on Bilbo's face after his Double Take is priceless.
  • Poor Bert's efforts at fine cooking going sadly unappreciated by his two compatriots.
  • The trolls in general get up to a lot of comedic moments that may go unnoticed if you're paying sole attention to Bilbo. Such as when he approaches, and Tom sneezes right into the soup:
    Bert: Oh, that's just lovely that is... a floater!
    William: Might improve the flavour!
    Tom: I got more where that came from!
    Bert: [grabs Tom by the nose] Sit down!
  • Thorin is in the background trying to bite his way out of the ropes.
  • Bilbo's first attempt to distract the Trolls:
    Bilbo: You are making a terrible mistake!
    Dori: You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!
    Bofur: "Half-wits"? What does that make us?
  • As if to illustrate his point, Bofur says this while going round on a spit.
  • Bilbo trying to save Bombur when he is in imminent danger of being eaten alive by Tom, grasping desperately for a convincingly medical-sounding reason not to eat him: "No, not that one! He's infected! He's got worms, in his... tubes!" the tone of his voice and the kind of panicked, wincing expression with the last word, shows that he's less-than-convinced at his own explanation.
  • He then starts telling them that they're cooking the dwarves all wrong. Thus, they get into a discussion fitter for a civilised kitchen, with many loud (and understandable) Dwarven protests and denouncements of Bilbo as a traitor. Except for Thorin, who's yet to bat an eyelid at any of this, gives the group one good kick followed by a small glance gets the rest declaring that they too have parasites ("I've got parasites as big as my arm!") and stink and are highly unfit for the spit half their number are currently lashed to.
    Kíli: Mine are the biggest parasites! I've got huge parasites!
    • Actually, Thorin has a lot of Not So Stoic moments before he catches on to Bilbo's ploy. From calling Bilbo a "traitor" to yelling "NO" and struggling helplessly against his ties when he suggests skinning them.
  • In particular, Bilbo's exasperated expression at the Dwarves being slow to catch on and Kíli's indignant, "We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" He's clearly thinking, "Please play along you idiots!"
  • A Funny Background Event: when the Dwarves all start declaring they have parasites, Ori still doesn't get it and goes "WHAT?!" at the others like they're all crazy.
  • Meanwhile, poor Fíli has been trying desperately to flip over after being dumped face down for the entire scene.
    • It turns out the reason he was face down was because the original actor for Fíli had to leave and Dean O'Gorman hadn't been cast yet, so they had to use a stand-in.
  • William starts to cotton onto Bilbo's plan and suspiciously asks "What would ya have us do then? Let 'em all go?" and Bilbo answers, "Well..." in the most hilariously would-be casual way!
  • The three trolls' complete under-reaction to Gandalf's Big Damn Heroes moment, looking blankly at him and asking "Who's that then?", before wondering if they could eat him, too. Seconds before turning to stone. It's probably the only time in the entire Middle Earth saga that characters don't recognise Gandalf.
  • And after the trolls turned into stone, Gandalf taps one of the petrified trolls with his staff as if to say, "Now, stay down, for the next sixty years or so."
• Thorin's expression on happening upon Orcrist in the troll cave goes from shiny-eyed admiration straight to Eww, I touched it, when Gandalf tells him that the weapons are of Elven make.
• Dwalin's look of utter exasperation at the others burying a chest of treasure found in the troll cave, as part of "a long-term deposit".
• As Radagast is running from the Necromancer/Sauron, his rabbit sleigh takes off without him, and he has to catch up to them! What makes the scene hilarious is the sight of the rabbits itching to run away... they obviously decided to just abandon Radagast.
• When Radagast is getting excited explaining what happened at Dol Guldur, Gandalf has him take a smoke of his pipe (after wiping the mouthpiece with his beard). Radagast's eyes briefly roll back into his head and smoke comes out of his ears.
• This exchange between Gandalf and Radagast (paraphrased):
  Gandalf: Those are Gundabad wargs! They will outrun you!
  Radagast: These are Rhosgobel rabbits! [Gandalf stares at him, clearly worried.] I'd like to see them try!
• Humour of a rather tension-filled variety: while Radagast volunteers to distract the pursuing warg-mounted orcs, Thorin and Company take off in the opposite direction, only to see Radagast go zipping by right in front of their escape route, hotly pursued by more orcs than you'd care to meet...Thorin and Co. slope off in another direction, and there goes Radagast again! Three. Freaking. Times.
• During the warg attack, Ori gets out his slingshot and fires a rock at a Warg three times his size, which doesn't even flinch, and realises that that wasn't the best idea.
• In Rivendell:
  • The dwarves are having a lovely meal, when Bofur (who is about to eat a sausage), notices Bombur sitting on a nearby table, his plate piled high, and hears the table creaking...
    Bofur: Bombur! [throws him the sausage]
    [Bombur catches the sausage, looks at it happily for a few seconds, then ends up on his back as the table collapses out from underneath him]
  • The scene where Elrond makes a request of the dwarves (in Elvish), and Glóin think he's offering them insult... then Gandalf mildly says "He's offering you food." Cue "Oh, well, lead on, then!" responses from the company. But only after they have a short huddle to vote on it!
    • Two things make it funnier. First, Elrond puts his icy Agent Smith face on and trolls the dwarves. Second, he's actually talking to his servants, telling him to start the fires because "we must feed our guests tonight". This makes his reaction nearly identical to Bilbo's "I like visitors as much as the next hobbit". No wonder they get along so well.
    • A third thing: it could be taken as Elrond directly responding to Thorin's standoffishness and rudeness, in this case by trolling the Dwarves. A light-hearted way to remind the Dwarves that they are guests and ought to drop the hostilities.
  • Then, at supper, there's the reaction of The Company to Elvish diets—which seem to consist mostly of salads. Dori tries to convince Ori to try "just a mouthful" of the salad, and the other fellow sniffs "I don't like green food!" Ori then asked if the Elves have any chips (i.e. French fries).
    • Double the fun for French-speaking viewers who're familiar with Le Donjon de Naheulbeuk, where the cooking habits of dwarves and elves are explored at length (of course, Elves are "green-eaters", and Dwarves are awfully fond of beer).
  • While the other dwarves are complaining about the vegetables, Bifur is happily munching away on some flowers.
  • Óin gets annoyed at the music being played by the Elves, so he stuffs his ear-horn with his napkin with a smug grin. Especially funny considering he might have just not used his ear-horn in the first place! For her part, the flutist seems to be trolling him, as she leans toward him while playing and is likely aware of his distaste.
  • They also make firewood out of furniture, and attempt to roast their lettuce.
  • In the Extended Edition, Kíli winks at one of the Elf women, only to get glared at by Dwalin. He tries to make excuses, saying that he thinks Elves are too skinny, with not enough facial hair, though he points out one as "not bad". And then the Elf turns around. Kíli gets an Oh, Crap! expression followed by laughter from the other Dwarves at his expense.
    Dwalin: That's not an Elf maid.
  • Gandalf defending the Dwarves in front of Elrond by saying they are a noble, decent, and cultured folk, while Nori steals a salt shaker, then turns around and rudely tells the harpist to change her tune because it sounds like a funeral, to which Óin agrees. Meanwhile, Bombur shows his Jabba Table Manners.
  • Later in that scene, Bofur's song:
    • Bofur hops onto a pedestal to sing a drunken folk song. Sixty years later, the One Ring will be placed on that same pedestal.
    • In the book of The Lord of the Rings, Frodo jumps on a table at The Prancing Pony to sing this very song. Perhaps it's not a song to be sung at ground level.
    • The elves are mortified, especially the harpist who has been eyeing Kíli, but the dwarves start singing and stamping their feet vigirously as if they're in a pub. What sells it is a quick look to the side of Thorin tapping his foot in rhythm.
    • Bofur plays air violin while Bifur knocks his head with a knife and fork like a drum.
    • Lindir rolling his eyes as a piece of food nearly hits him in the ensuing food fight.
  • And again, in the Extended Edition, the scene where Figwit/Lindir is complaining to Elrond about the strain the dwarves are putting on Rivendell's kitchens, only for both to freeze in horror upon seeing the 13 dwarfs (minus Thorin) butt-naked and frolicking/wrestling in one of Rivendell's fountains, with poor Lindir looking on the verge of tears, while Elrond looks as if he's about to reenact the sack of Nogrod.
  • The Extended Edition scene between Elrond and Bilbo, taken from a scene in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with Frodo instead:
    Elrond: I've heard that Hobbits are very resilient... [and] they're fond of the comforts of home.
    Bilbo (whispers): Well I've heard that it's unwise to seek the council of Elves, for they will answer both yes, and no.
    (Elrond glares at Bilbo before smiling in self-awarenenss)
• The White Council gathering actually has a lot of pretty sly, funny moments, all done with great subtlety. Examples include:
  • The moment Elrond reveals that Galadriel is among them, and upon seeing her, Gandalf turns on the charm. You can see Elrond behind him with a very amused smile.
    • This also hearkens back to a Truth in Television moment mentioned in the DVD Commentary when Peter Jackson talks about how Ian McKellen fell utterly in love with Cate Blanchett during the filming of The Lord of the Rings and Peter jokes about how Sir Ian must have been tempted to get back into the closet for her.
  • When Saruman shows up not too long after that, Gandalf's beleaguered sigh is one of the best portrayals of utter exasperation ever seen.
  • Then we learn why, when pre-Face–Heel Turn Saruman turns out to be a total Narc, giving a lecture about how Radagast is not to be trusted since he uses mushrooms. One imagines Gandalf and Galadriel sneaking out for a toke of "Old Toby" in the intermissions of White Council meetings.
  • While Saruman's rant about Radagast is funny on paper, it's downright hilarious/awesome with Sir Christopher Lee's deep, elegant voice.
    Saruman: Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown. He is a foolish fellow.
    Gandalf: Well, he's odd, I'll grant you. He lives a solitary life—
    Saruman: It's not that. It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms! They've addled his brain, and yellowed his teeth!
    • It's the indignation with which Saruman adds "...yellowed his teeth!" that does it.
  • Galadriel and Gandalf's mental conversation while Saruman drones on and on is pretty funny.
    Galadriel: They are leaving, aren't they?
    Gandalf: [slowly nods]
    Galadriel: You knew?
    Gandalf: [smiles]

  Done so wonderfully that he manages to say "well, yeah" without having to speak a single line.

  • Also, when he's going off on a tangent about Radagast's behavior, and Gandalf and Galadriel have their telepathic conversation. The next thing we hear from him when Gandalf pulls out the Witchking's blade is "...or I'd think I was talking to myself..."
  • The telepathic conversation is just as Tolkien superfan Christopher Lee is intoning about how the Istari should behave. The only time in the Jackson films the Wizards are given their Quenya name. Perhaps a metajoke about tuning out the superfans when they get going.
• Goblintown:
  • The goblins deduce (incorrectly) that Thorin and Company are in league with the elves after searching through their belongings and coming across elegant silverware and trinkets in Nori's bag. How do they come to this conclusion?
    Goblin: It is my belief, your great protuberance, they are in league with Elves! [Holds up a silver candlestick]
    Great Goblin: [Inspects the bottom] "Made in Rivendell." [appraises it, then rolls his eyes and tosses it away in disgust] Ah, Second Age. Couldn't give it away.
    [The Company all gape at Nori]
    Nori: ... Just a couple of keepsakes.
  • Some of the Goblins' disgusting mannerisms, particularly in the Extended Edition when the Great Goblin is called "your great protuberance" and when he says he wants the truth, "warts and all".
  • From the Extended Edition, when Bofur is making excuses to the Great Goblin, he says they're visiting "some inbreds on me mother's side".
    • The Goblin King lets out an almighty "SHUT UP!" at which Bofur bashfully closes his mouth.
  • Gandalf slices a goblin in the neck. He stands there staring at him for a moment... and then Gandalf taps him on the side of his head, and it goes rolling off.
  • Thorin and Company have nearly escaped the mines when they're suddenly attacked by the Great Goblin! The Great Goblin blusters about how they won't escape and then Gandalf pokes him in the eye and disembowels him.
    Great Goblin: Whaddaya gonna do now, wizard?
    [gets completely eviscerated]
    Great Goblin: [Beat] ...That'll do it.
    • In a behind-the-scenes clip, Barry Humphries on the mocap stage gives an alternate reaction of staring down (presumably at his now-spilled guts) and saying "I don't remember eating this!"
  • After the scaffolding they were stood on falls down a chasm and everyone somehow survives, Bofur says "that could have been worse". When suddenly the Great Goblin's massive corpse lands on top of them.
    Dwalin: You've got to be joking!
  • Prior to that scene, one goblin they knock off the walkways to his death utters the legendary Wilhelm Scream.
  • The look on Kíli's face when he manages to block some Goblin arrows with his sword. He just can't believe it actually worked.
  • Blink and you'll miss it, but Bombur is fighting the Goblins with cooking utensils
• The riddles scene:
  • The following bit. What sells it is Gollum's facial expression. He looks so gleefully hopeful at the prospect of eating Bilbo. There's also the polite, Faux Affably Evil tone and casual nod with which he says "We eats it whole." Gollum doesn't even look all that excited when he explains it to Bilbo so much as mildly apologetic.
    Bilbo: Why don't we... have a game of riddles? Just you and me.
    Gollum: [as Gollum] And if it loses, what then? [as Sméagol] Well, if it loses, Precious, then we eats it! Heheh...
    Bilbo: [eyes widen]
    Gollum: [to Bilbo] If Baggins loses, we eats it whole!
    [Beat]
    Bilbo: ...Fair enough.
  • Even better, you can see him thinking "Well, he wants to eat me. Then again, who hasn't so far?"
  • When the Sméagol personality offers to show Bilbo a way out of the cave, Gollum cuts him off and snaps for him to shut up. A confused Bilbo protests he didn't say anything, only for Gollum to look up and glare at him, muttering "Wasn't talking to you." Then the Sméagol personality insists that he was talking to Bilbo.
  • Gollum presents a riddle. While Bilbo is thinking, Sméagol happily realises that he knows the answer... to his own riddle. Gollum tells him to shut up.
  • And when Gollum loses the riddles game, he throws himself to the ground in the most childish, melodramatic way possible!
  • When Gollum demands three guesses he holds up two fingers. The little guy never learned how to count, did he?
    • Then he gives four guesses.
    • Of course, there's this exchange when he gives his second guess:
      Sméagol: [excitedly hopeful] Knife!
      Gollum: [utterly frustrated] Oh, shut up!
  • During the guesses he shouts out "knife", only to smack himself immediately when he sees Bilbo holding the sword in plain view.
  • His facial expressions when he's trying to guess the answer to the eggs riddle Bilbo gives him. Poor little guy is straining so hard you worry he'll give himself an aneurysm and his head will explode.
  • Finally, when he realises Bilbo has his Ring. The build-up of intense music and his angry snarl makes it seem like he's about to lunge at Bilbo and strangle him. Instead, Gollum flings the nearest rock to hand at him in the most hilariously childish way possible.
• The Running Gag of Gandalf constantly needing to count the dwarves to keep track of them, like an exasperated teacher on a school trip.
• In a rather mean way, the unfortunate end result of Thorin's fight with Azog was rather funny. All that build-up, with intense close-ups, choral music, and a slo-mo Unflinching Walk... Purely hindsight, of course.
• As an eagle swoops in to grab Bilbo, there's a brief cut to his face, his body language perfectly conveying a sense of "Who, me now? Please don't."
  • The Eagle then, unnecessarily, picks up Bilbo and immediately drops him on the back of another Eagle, almost scaring him to death. Why didn't he just carry him like that? It's like he didn't want to be weighed down by the tiny Hobbit. "You take him. I don't want him."
• An unintentional one, but when The Company has just been dropped off by the Eagles, they look up and see Erebor. From their faces, it looks like Erebor is, say, a couple miles away, but then it pans to where they're looking, and it’s so far away you can barely see it.
• It's very easy to miss, but in the final shots, Óin can be seen using his ear trumpet even though it's been crushed flat by the Goblins.
• Bilbo's final line, "I do believe the worst is behind us."

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