My top 5 favorite moments in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I will forever be grateful to my dad, who took me to see the Lord of the Rings in theaters when I was 8. Because of this, I grew up loving anything involving Lord of the Rings or Middle-Earth. So of course I went to go see the second Hobbit film at midnight last night! And I am so glad that I did. It was so much better than my expectations. Peter Jackson is such a great director, because he really knows what works. He knows this world so well that he is able to add so much more to the Hobbit. There were so many scenes in the movie that weren't even in the book, but they all flowed seamlessly together, and made the story even better. For example, Legolas wasn't mentioned in the Hobbit, but he is in the movie in many scenes. As an elf, he lives an extremely long life, and as the Hobbit takes place about 60 years before the Lord of the Rings, it makes perfect sense that he is shown. Also, the book never really discusses the evil that is shown in the Lord of the Rings. In the movie, there are several scenes that mention that there is a dark evil force growing. This is later shown to be Sauron regaining his power because of the finding of the ring. Here are my top 5 favorite moments in the movie:

1. Anything involving Legolas
Seriously, any scene that involved Legolas was amazing. But that comes as no surprise, given that Legolas is such an amazing character in all of the Lord of the Rings movies. The moment he first made his appearance was one of my favorites. My 8 year old self was freaking out the entire time. Legolas has always been my favorite character, and for the first time in 10 years, there are new scenes with him!

2. The reference to Gimli
If you know anything about the Lord of the Rings, you know that Legolas and Gimli are pretty much best friends by the end of the series. Gimli's dad, Gloin, was one of the dwarves in the Hobbit. There is one scene where Gloin and Legolas are interacting, and Legolas asks whose picture is on Gloin's locket. And of course, it is Gimli. It is an awesome reference to what happens later on down the road in the Lord of the Rings.

3. Sauron's appearance
Sauron was never mentioned in the Hobbit, but there is an amazing scene with Gandalf approaching the evil that is growing stronger through the movie. In this scene, Sauron appears in complete armor, taunting Gandalf because he has returned. You also see several glimpses of the eye, which of course plays a huge role in the Lord of the Rings. Gandalf knows exactly who he is, and realizes that great danger lies ahead. This scene is great because you're starting to see how it all started, and it works as an amazing backstory before the Lord of the Rings even takes place.

4. The barrel riding scene
I can't even put into words how great this scene was. It was both hilarious, action-packed, and amazing. You just have to trust me on this, and see it for yourself. So much happens within the span of a few minutes, and it is so fun to watch. And yes, this is one of Legolas' best moments.

5. Smaug
I wasn't sure how Smaug was going to look, given that he is CGI, but he looks amazing. The production team did such an amazing job creating Smaug, that he is totally believable. There is so much detail to him, and he really is terrifying.

Obviously, there were so many other great moments in this movie. All of the Hobbit movies make such a great addition to the Lord of the Rings, and make the entire story that much richer and fuller.

The end of the semester is finally here!

After a very busy semester, the end is finally here! It's hard to believe that I'm halfway through Junior Year already! And after that, I only have one more year. I remember someone told me my freshman year, "Each year in college goes by faster." And they are definitely right! In a little more than a year, I will be done with college, and moving on to the next phase of my life. Sometimes thinking ahead is scary, because I have no idea what lies ahead. But then I remember that God is always there with me through every step of my life. My favorite verse is Joshua 1:9, which says: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Reading this verse really comforts me and reminds me that no matter how scary the future can be, God will be with me through everything. Knowing this, I can look to the future and not be scared anymore, and instead be excited for what God has in store!