[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/868ad3d2_3a50_4a2a_8218_4fa10d1352b0.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''"It began... well, it began as you might expect. In a hole in a ground, there lived a Hobbit."'']]

->''"You will have to do without pocket-handkerchiefs, and a great many other things before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you; the world is ahead."''
-->-- '''Gandalf the Grey'''

''The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' is the first film in the [[Film/TheHobbit three-part cinematic adaptation]] of Creator/JRRTolkien's classic fantasy novel ''Literature/TheHobbit'', directed by Creator/PeterJackson and adapted for the screen by Jackson and Creator/GuillermoDelToro. It is a prequel to Jackson's [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings adaptation]] of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', telling the story of eponymous hobbit Bilbo Baggins's (Creator/MartinFreeman) adventure with the wizard Gandalf and a company of dwarves. It was released on December 2012.

The film starts with Bilbo Baggins having a peaceful life in the Shire. One day, Gandalf shows up at his house and tries to convince Bilbo to go on an adventure. When Bilbo refuses, Gandalf invites a party of thirteen dwarves for dinner regardless. Bilbo discovers that the dwarf leader is none other than Thorin Oakenshield, and they plan to reclaim their homeland of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. Despite his reservations, the next morning Bilbo decides to follow the Company, beginning a journey that will change his life forever, and also of all the Middle-Earth...

Followed by ''[[Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug The Desolation of Smaug]]''.
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!!''An Unexpected Journey'' contains examples of:
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[[folder:Tropes A to K]]
* ActionPrologue: Bilbo narrates a description of Smaug's takeover of the Lonely Mountain at the beginning of the movie.
* ActorAllusion: Music/FlightOfTheConchords star Bret [=McKenzie=] plays an elf named Lindir. Lindir is Elvish for "singer" (a character of this name does appear in ''The Fellowship of the Ring''.) Also a reference to the unnamed elf (and MemeticBystander) [=McKenzie=] played in ''The Fellowship of the Ring''. If not for that, he probably wouldn't have a role (let alone a ''[[NominalImportance name]]'') in ''The Hobbit''.
* AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Though the books (particularly the "Quest of Erebor") also imply that revenge is a significant motivation for the quest, the movie emphasizes Thorin's desire for his homeland rather than revenge or the recovery of their treasure.
* AdaptationalBadass:
** Radagast the Brown doesn't do much in ''[[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' besides telling Gandalf that Saruman wanted to see him and later sending the eagles to save him. In ''The Hobbit'', he leads a pack of warg-riding orcs on a merry chase on a sled pulled by giant rabbits, heals a hedgehog whilst driving away giant spiders, and disarms [[spoiler: the Witch-King of Angmar]].
** While the dwarves and Bilbo are (or in Bilbo's case, become) reasonably badass in the original books, the dwarves are more competent in some ways in the film than in the book ([[spoiler:fighting the trolls rather than all but Thorin being captured by them by surprise]]), and Bilbo shows his competence and toughness earlier on (whereas in the book he's basically TheLoad until they enter Mirkwood).
* AdaptationalContextChange:
** Gandalf's spiel on the possible interpretations of the phrase "good morning" is now a SecretTestOfCharacter. Gandalf is expecting the adventure-loving son of Belladonna Took he remembers from years past who would love such wordplay, but is disappointed to discover a closeted Baggins instead.
** Gandalf's delivery of the line "I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means... me!" Unlike the original book and [[https://youtu.be/OWTgcgEqQoo prior adaptations]], Gandalf [[{{Beat}} pauses]] before finishing his sentence, as though he forgot what his name actually meant before settling with "[[CaptainObvious me]]", or that he couldn't come up with a better definition than that. This gives him a more fallible image that isn't usually this apparent.
* AdaptationDistillation: While the film is beefed up from the novel in many ways, there are other sections of the narrative which were simplified for the transition to the screen, or other odd details that were left out entirely:
** Bilbo's family history from the very beginning of the novel is omitted.
** Occasional descriptive details along the journey are also left out. Among them is that shortly after leaving the Shire, the company passes through the Lone-lands, where sinister-looking castles are mentioned, and there is a brief segment where one of the ponies runs off and Fili and Kili nearly drown in a river trying to get it back.
** Likewise, parts of the adventure inside the Misty Mountains are condensed, such as Bilbo spending more time wandering through the tunnels before and after meeting Gollum, and a longer segment with him trying to evade the goblins' notice. He spends a bit more time with Gollum too, featuring a few extra riddles that aren't in the film.
** After the company escapes from the mountain in the novel, they journey further on and some time passes before the goblin and warg attack. Whereas in the film, Azog's forces attack them almost immediately after they make it out of the mountain.
** The eagles have a larger role in the novel. Not only are they shown with the ability to fully speak, but after rescuing Thorin and company, the eagles take them to their eyrie and let them stay the night, and then the following morning the eagles carry them further on before departing. Their leader, the Lord of the Eagles, is not identified in the film, and his dialogue with Gandalf is removed.
* AdaptationExpansion:
** The film provides an expanded role for Radagast, who is only mentioned by name in [[Literature/TheHobbit the novel]], and whose presence in all of Tolkien's writings is very minor in general. Similarly, there is the addition of an extra villain in Azog, who was dead in the novel, to tie events together.
** A lot of backstory is depicted, including the splendour of the original Kingdom Under the Mountain, Smaug's attack on it, and the Battle of Azanulbizar, which are only mentioned in the appendices to ''The Lord of the Rings''.
** Material is added that was inspired by "The Quest of Erebor" in ''Literature/{{Unfinished Tales|of Numenor and Middle Earth}}'', where Gandalf lays out much of the story's behind-the-scenes action to the rest of the Fellowship.
* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: Neither Glamdring or Orcrist glow blue when orcs are near in accordance with ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' where Sting alone glowed blue, but Gandalf states that Sting glows blue because it was made by the Elves raising the question of why the other two don't.
* AdaptationalComicRelief:
** Radagast in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' is portrayed as a simple wizard who lives in the forest with animals rather than help the people of Middle-Earth. Saruman considers him to be a fool for this, although his personality traits are unmentioned. ''The Hobbit'' film portrays the wizard as a CloudCuckoolander who has odd habits such as keeping birds under his hat making Sauruman's disdain somewhat understandable.
** Bofur is considered the comic relief among the Company, while his book counterpart was a FlatCharacter that had only two lines. The same could also be said of Ori and several other dwarves.
* AdaptationalTimespanChange:
** In the book, Thorin and Balin were young when Smaug attacked Erebor (24 and 7 respectively), and it's another 174 years before the dwarves set out to reclaim it. Here, the two look about the same age during the two events, so much less time has passed. It's implied to be sixty years ago, since it's said that the dragon was last seen at that time.[[note]]In the book he was seen several times since then, as he ventured out for a while, but that's not mentioned here.[[/note]]
** The scenes with the goblins and with Gollum originally took place one after the other, with many hours in-between, while here they take place at the exact same time.
* AdaptationalVillainy: The Great Goblin, only in comparison due to being a villain in both versions. The sole reason is his willingness to help kill Thorin for Azog even before the dwarves are caught in Goblintown, whereas in the book, he and the goblins believe the dwarves are spies and have come to attempt to destroy them. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero It doesn't help that Gandalf kills him in attempt to save the dwarves.]] Not to mention the goblins pursued Thorin's company to avenge their ruler, [[spoiler: and even worse, later in the book after the slaying of Smaug, the goblins believed the dwarves, elves, and men to be more of a threat with Smaug's treasure, regardless of the three armies not exactly willing to share the treasure.]] In the first film, Gandalf's killing of the Great Goblin is justified as Azog and his own orcs are pursuing the dwarves since the beginning, and instead of the Goblintown goblins following Thorin's company, Azog's orcs continue to follow.
* AdiposeRex: The Great Goblin is [[http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Goblin?file=The_Great_Goblin.jpg enormously corpulent (and pustulent)]], and nearly the size of a troll. His neck fat alone hangs down past his chest. Despite all this, he's also {{Acrofatic}}.
* AloneWithThePsycho: Bilbo when stuck with Gollum who's contemplating whether or not to [[ImAHumanitarian eat him]]. He uses the riddles game to stall him/convince him to show him the way out.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: Kili approaches this, being taller and lankier than the other dwarves and nearly clean-shaven (this in a race where even the females have beards!), despite even his brother Fili looking like a full-blooded dwarf. Thorin himself has fairly noble features (being a king, after all) except for his large nose and short stature.
* AnArmAndALeg: Thorin is shown to have cut off Azog's forearm in a flashback and naturally assumed he bled to death. Azog returns with a HookHand consisting of a metal rod impaled all the way through the arm from the stump to the elbow with a nasty looking claw on the end.
* AngerBornOfWorry: Thorin confronts Bilbo furiously after [[spoiler: Bilbo takes on Azog, keeping him from killing Thorin.]] After listing Bilbo's perceived failings, he [[spoiler: embraces Bilbo]], declaring, "I've never been so wrong in all my life!"
* ArcWords: "Home is behind. The world [is] ahead." Originally taken from a song in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' (the song, called "A Walking Song," was written by Bilbo in the book and sung by Pippin to Denethor in the film version) but thematically appropriate for the theme of this film too.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Saruman's list of reasons he disdains Radagast's (alleged) habit of eating mushrooms ends with how they stain his teeth. This is an allusion to a similar conversation Saruman had with Gandalf in the ''Fellowship of the Ring'' film, where he accused Gandalf of having grown "too fond of the halflings' weed." It may also allude to the books (''Unfinished Tales''), where Saruman does scold Gandalf for smoking while with the White Council.
* ArsonMurderAndLifesaving: [[spoiler: Thorin]] chews out [[spoiler: Bilbo,]] listing all his potential failings and finishing with "I have never been so wrong in my life!".
* AsYouKnow:
** One of the trolls chastises the others saying that he does not want sunlight to turn him into stone. Might or might not be in play too when Gandalf talks to Bilbo about one of Bilbo's ancestors.
** After making clear in the prologue that he's writing his account expressly for the edification of his nephew Frodo, Bilbo nonetheless opens the main portion of his narrative with Tolkien's passage, nearly verbatim [[note]]Tolkien has "Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort." Jackson has "Not a nasty, dirty wet hole full of worms and oozy smells. this was a hobbit-hole and that means good food, a warm hearth, and all the comforts of home."[[/note]], describing what a hobbit hole is like for someone who's never heard of them--but Frodo would be well familiar with hobbit holes and especially this ''particular'' hobbit hole, given that he has been ''living'' there. This is compounded by the scene in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' where he ''also'' writes and narrates the "Concerning Hobbits" prologue from ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' in the first person, again as though for the benefit of non-Hobbits.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Though Thorin's claim to the throne comes from being of the royal line of Durin, the respect he gets from the other dwarfs stems from his victory over Azog at Moria in the battle that gave him the name Oakenshield.
* AttackAnimal: The wargs [[note]]upon hearing their howls, Bofur says: "that [[HellHound is not a wolf]]"[[/note]] who hunt our band of dwarves. Azog has an albino-looking one, like himself. In the books they were actually a fully sentient race with their own society and language; here that's reduced to using complex tactics based on a single command.
* AudibleSharpness: Bilbo's sword effectively sings when he pulls it out of the sheath, but continues to do so as he holds it. Another is when Thorin pulls out Orcrist when fending off wargs. Thing is, he wasn't carrying it in the sheath.
%%* AwardBaitSong: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zakVfDY0xZk "Song of the Lonely Mountain"]].
* AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther: The dwarves' relationship with Bilbo shows steadily through the journey that they come to see him as one of their own, despite their initial doubt of him. Kíli was the first one to attack the trolls when they discover Bilbo and later on, Thorin had to pull him back when [[spoiler: the trolls threatened to rip Bilbo apart]]. Most of the dwarves were quick to help Bilbo when he twice almost went over the edge of the mountain path they were taking. They're also very quick to push Bilbo towards the centre of the group whenever a dangerous situation presents itself. Later on, Bofur attempts to comfort Bilbo after Thorin harshly claims Bilbo wasn't one of them and then sincerely wishes Bilbo the best when he tries to leave. And finally Thorin after [[spoiler: Bilbo saves his life and pulls him into a hug in his gratitude.]]
* BadassBoast: Radagast volunteering to draw the warg-scouts away from Gandalf and his party:
-->'''Gandalf''': These are Gundabad Wargs! They will outrun you!
--> '''Radagast:''' These are Rhosgobel rabbits! I'd like to see them ''try''!
* BattleAmongstTheFlames: Thorin's confrontation with Azog at the end of the film.
* BattleBolas: Dori uses a set of metal bolas as a battle weapon.
* BattleCry: Thorin shouts the ancient dwarven battle cry when he rallies his troops at the Battle of Azanulbizar.
-->"''Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!''" or "''The axes of the dwarves! The dwarves are upon you!''"
* BeastOfBattle: The Gundabad orcs ride [[HellHound wargs]].
* BehemothBattle: The battle of stone giants.
* BeQuietNudge: When the party is captured by trolls, Bilbo tries to gain time and avoid them being eaten by claiming the dwarves have parasites. To which Kíli protests, until Thorin (despite being tied up in a bag) kicks him so that he changes his tune.
* BetrayalByInaction: Thranduil does not come to the dwarves' defence against Smaug or help the refugees of Erebor. Years later, this is still a sore spot for Thorin.
* BigBrotherInstinct:
** Bofur appears to develop one towards Bilbo, who despite being an adult is the smallest and least experienced when it comes to fighting, pushing Bilbo to the centre of the group whenever a dangerous situation occurs.
** Fíli towards Kíli, as well, which makes sense since Fíli ''is'' Kíli's older brother.
** Thorin frantically calls out for Fíli when it appears he's been killed in the stone giants' crossfire (Which also makes sense, considering Fíli and Kíli are his nephews), and he's very quick to intervene when the Goblin King orders his minions to start torturing the youngest dwarf (Ori).
* BigDamnHeroes:
** Gandalf pulls his blindingly flashy entrance just in time to save the dwarves from the goblins.
** Just as an Orc is about to [[spoiler:cut Thorin's head off, Bilbo tackles the Orc and stabs him]]. Bilbo then becomes cornered by [[spoiler:Azog's wargriders after he saves Thorin]]; cue the other dwarves coming in to save his ass and [[spoiler: the eagles coming in to save theirs.]]
** Elrond and his riders inadvertently saving Thorin and Co. from the warg-riders at the Hidden Pass.
* BigGood: Although the White Council is supposed to be this - watching over Middle-Earth and keeping it safe from evil, particularly that of Morgoth, Sauron and their deputies--it is really Galadriel who deserves the title. Saruman is shown to be already succumbing to his own ego and bias, dismissing those he thinks are beneath him like Radagast, and ignoring theories that clash with his world view, while Elrond and Gandalf despite having their independent viewpoints both take their cues from Galadriel--Elrond because she's a close relative, mother figure and his mother-in-law and Gandalf because he is her old friend and mentor. Galadriel is not only ''constantly'' watching over Middle-Earth--diligently noticing even small things--but she cares about the fate of Middle-Earth and the creatures in it, having the perspective, wisdom and power to guide its destiny in the right direction.
* BigNo:
** Thrór when he loses the Arkenstone in the prologue.
** Thorin when [[spoiler: Thrór]] is killed. And later when he thinks that [[spoiler:Fíli and the others]] have died in the thunder battle.
** Balin when Thorin rushes out to face Azog.
* BilingualBonus: For those who understand Quenya, the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPY-CK-yhlU&t=4m5s lyrics]] of the EtherealChoir that plays when Thranduil pays homage to Thrór is an early hint that the white gems that the Elvenking desires have a connection to his wife, and that they are made from pure starlight.
-->''[Nin]quë silë misë nár (A white fire shines within her)\\
Nóna sil[më] anda[né] (The light of a star, born long ago)''
* BlatantLies:
** "They'll never see you! It's perfectly safe! We'll be right behind you."
** Shortly afterwards, Bilbo's BatmanGambit of telling the trolls that the dwarves all have parasites.
* BloodlessCarnage: Despite the battlefield of Azanulbizar being drenched in blood, there's surprisingly little of it when Thorin cuts off Azog's arm.
* BookEnds: The film begins and ends with close-ups of eyes. The first eye belongs to the [=MGM=] lion, the second eye belongs to Smaug.
* BoomHeadshot: Happens twice to orcs during the Battle of the Hidden Pass, once by Kíli, the other by an elf archer.
* BondVillainStupidity: [[spoiler:The trolls try to cook the dwarves without killing them first - and keep their word of not 'disarming' Bilbo if they throw down their weapons.]]
* ButtMonkey: Tom the troll gets abused freely by Bert for virtually anything.
* CallForward:
** The Extended Edition offers a reason why the woodland elves don't trust the dwarves: before Smaug came, Thranduil paid Thrór homage in Erebor. During this visit, Thrór dangled a necklace belonging to Thranduil's late wife in front of him, and then refused to give it back to him (allegedly due to not receiving their rightful pay). Thranduil's expression at this makes it clear that this was the beginning of their rift, from ''his'' side.
** Dwarven women do in fact have beards, as described by Gimli in ''The Two Towers''. They're just [[http://i.stack.imgur.com/DLKgz.png softer and wispier]] (however, they could hardly be mistaken for Dwarf men unless one were being especially ignorant, as Legolas will in ''Desolation of Smaug'').
** Thranduil's reluctance to aid the dwarves in fighting Smaug shows that he is no lover of hopeless battles; a trait that may have rubbed off on his son Legolas, judging by his own despair at the seeming hopelessness of defending Helm's Deep against Saruman's army.
** Thranduil's actions in the prologue establish the reason why the Erebor dwarves still harbor a deep distrust of elves (woodland elves in particular) many decades later in ''Fellowship of the Ring''. In particular, it explains Gimli's immediate dislike of Legolas at the Council of Elrond in ''Fellowship'', since Legolas is Thranduil's son and Gimli is Glóin's son. For his part Legolas is much cooler about it, having already simmered down somewhat over his journey in ''The Hobbit'' trilogy.
** The Hobbiton framing device concludes with Frodo leaving to surprise Gandalf, which he does at the beginning of ''Fellowship of the Ring''. It also calls forward to when Gandalf actually arrives at Bag End at the end of ''Battle of the Five Armies'', which also refers to ''Fellowship''.
** Bilbo and Frodo are shown preparing for the birthday party later that night, seen in ''Fellowship of the Ring''.
** Balin carries the big Book of Mazarbûl that the Fellowship finds in Moria, recording the last moments of the colony.
** Glóin notably carries the "walking stick" axe that he holds at the Council of Elrond and Gimli will later inherit (since he broke his own attacking the Ring).
** Gandalf has trouble with the chandelier, exactly as he does in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' (although he doesn't knock into the beam... this time).
** In ''Fellowship'', Bilbo offers Gandalf some wine, but Gandalf would prefer to have "just tea". During the unexpected party, Dori offers Gandalf camomile tea, but Gandalf prefers wine!
** During the unexpected party, when the dwarves' arguments that Gandalf chose wrong by Bilbo start to heat up, Gandalf berates them by standing up, with his shadow filling the room, as his voice gains a threatening tone (the look on Bilbo's face here is priceless), just like he did in ''Fellowship'', when Bilbo accuses him of wanting the Ring for himself.
** After Bilbo officially joins the Company and they leave the Shire, Gandalf tells Bilbo "Home is now behind you. The ''world'' is ahead"; In ''The Return of the King'' Pippin sings a song that starts with a very similar phrase to Denethor, and in the books the song is attributed to Bilbo.
** The flashback of Azog's defeat bears a strong resemblance to Sauron's defeat in The Battle of The Last Alliance: the good forces are almost overrun and their king is struck with fear upon seeing the EvilOverlord's literal FoeTossingCharge (also, both Sauron and Azog are using a mace). The evil leader then kills the king effortlessly. The king's heir (Isildur and Thorin, respectively) first has a HeroicBSOD and then steps up to avenge his father/grandfather, is almost defeated himself and with one last desperate attack cuts his opponent's hand. This seals the EvilOverlord's defeat and turns the tide of the battle.
** Gandalf splitting the boulder into two to defeat the trolls is a call back to what he did with the Balrog in the ''Fellowship of the Ring'' by splitting the Bridge of Khazad-dum.
** The three trolls turn to stone in the exact same positions we see them in during ''Fellowship''. Interestingly they are visibly arguing, with one pointing down (at what was evidently the dwarves they were discussing eating), which made sense as it's how the scene happened in the book. In the movie, the scene is played differently as Gandalf doesn't pit them against one another, yet as they turn to stone their postures shift to have them face one another and for one to point downwards with his index finger, the implication being that they were going to argue despite being turned to stone already.
** Gandalf also cracks the boulder at the [[{{Pun}} crack]] of dawn. "At dawn, look to the east" ring a bell?
** When Gandalf is explaining to Bilbo about true courage being knowing when to spare a life, the music is a rendition of the music played in Moria when Gandalf and Frodo are discussing the incident where Bilbo spares [[spoiler:Gollum's life]], which is where Bilbo applied Gandalf's advice, and it appears again for that moment in ''An Unexpected Journey''. As Gandalf says in ''The Fellowship of the Ring'':
--->'''Frodo:''' It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance.\\
'''Gandalf:''' Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand.
** The warg riders' meeting place with Azog to tell him that they've lost Thorin's Company is Weathertop.
** When Radagast goes to investigate Dol Guldur, [[spoiler:he is attacked by the Witch-King of Angmar's ghostly human form]]. According to the director's commentary, [[spoiler: he uses the very same Morgul blade that he stabs Frodo with 60 years later, although how it comes back into his possession is never explained.]]
** When Radagast spots the Necromancer's shadowy form, the camera employs the VertigoEffect, which was previously done early in the first LOTR film when the Nazgûl are approaching the Hobbits on the Shire road, and again in the third one when Frodo gazes into Shelob's Lair. All three times are linked to an evil presence.
** The elven cavalry's trumpet sounds the same as the one Haldir's reinforcements use at the Battle of Helm's Deep.
** When the Company fall into the hidden passage to Rivendell, Thorin pulls an arrow from the dead Orc that has fallen after them, looks at it, and says "Elves". Much in the same way, when the Fellowship enters Moria, Legolas pulls an arrow from a Dwarven corpse, scrutinizes it, and announces "Orcs".
** In the Extended Edition, there's a sequence of Bilbo quietly exploring Rivendell and, aside from a moment when he sees a painting of the battle against Sauron (in particular his Ring), it's very clear from his body language and expression that he finds the place delightful. When Elrond comes upon him admiring the view, he promises the Hobbit that he's welcome to stay there if he wants. Many years later, Bilbo would wind up spending the last years of his life in Rivendell after leaving The Shire behind.
** Saruman comments disparagingly on Radagast's fondness for mushrooms, much like his comment in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' about Gandalf's "love of the halflings' leaf".
** During the same conversation, Saruman's comment to Gandalf - "Always you must meddle" - has a strong ring of familiarity towards Grí­ma Wormtongue, who refers to Gandalf as a meddler.
** Bilbo's [[spoiler:sparing of Gollum's life]] is of course Calling Forward to when Frodo does the same at Emyn Muil. Both are critical parts of the story as they set in motion a chain of events that allows for the destruction of the One Ring.
** Kíli deflecting Goblin arrows with his sword (and looking surprised it worked) echoes Aragorn's ThrowItIn moment in ''Fellowship'' where he deflects Lurtz's thrown knife.[[invoked]]
** The Ring pops onto Bilbo's finger exactly as it did (or will) onto Frodo's.
** Gandalf catches a glimpse of Bilbo pocketing the ring, setting up his knowing that Bilbo has it in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Similarly, Bilbo keeps the ring in the same pocket as he does in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' (the front left pocket of his waistcoat).
** Gandalf calls on the eagles through the help of a moth/butterfly... again.
** The original trilogy is the TropeNamer for KneelBeforeFrodo - Bilbo earns a big hug from [[spoiler:Thorin, rightful king of the greatest dwarf civilization after Moria]], acknowledging this.
** Even the movie posters have gotten in on this. [[http://corecanvas.s3.amazonaws.com/theonering-0188db0e/media/original/505e34959ae13_hobbit_poster.jpg This]] poster is a callback to [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VWuCsLbfvlI/UF4CXXTZECI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/lpCpGKzm9pg/s640/The+Fellowship+Of+The+Ring+%282001%29+4.jpg a Frodo poster]] for ''The Fellowship of the Ring'', which is also referenced in [[http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/the-hobbit-poster1.jpg this Japanese poster]].
* TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive: And has inscribed its mark on your front door.
* CameraAbuse: The extended edition has the Great Goblin throw one of his minions directly at the camera during his VillainSong.
* CassandraTruth: Both Gandalf and Radagast are convinced The Necromancer is Sauron, or somebody as dangerous as him. However, some members of The White Council are either not convinced (Saruman) or don't see a threat (Elrond) to do anything about it. Averted with Galadriel, who senses that something genuinely sinister is going on and puts her faith in Gandalf. [[AllThereInTheManual The books let us know]] that by this time Saruman was actively looking for the Ring himself, which is why he is pushing the Ring-went-down-to-the-Sea hypothesis.
* TheCavalry: The Elven cavalry party, and a less literal one in the Eagles.
* CavalryRefusal:
** In the flashbacks, the Elves refused to help the Dwarves, both against Smaug in Erebor and against the Orcs in Moria. This led to the grudge of the Dwarves towards Elves. The White Council was about to be a third one, but the Dwarves (for good reason) left before they could refuse to help.
** Thorin states that the Dwarves of The Iron Hills have refused to aid The Company in retaking Erebor.
* CerebusRollercoaster: The first 1/3 of the film feels this way.
* ChangedMyMindKid: Bilbo attempts to leave The Company while in the Goblin cave, feeling he doesn't belong among them on this adventure. After his adventures in The Misty Mountains, he forgoes the chance to escape with the Ring and returns to The Company.
* ChaseScene:
** Between Radagast the Brown and the orcs.
--->'''Gandalf:''' Those are Gundabad Wargs. They'll outpace you.\\
'''Radagast:''' These are ''Rhosgobel Rabbits''! I'd like to see them ''try''!
** Also, later in Goblin-Town when Gandalf and the Dwarves run to escape the [[ZergRush Goblin horde]].
* ChekhovsSkill: The game the dwarves play with Bilbo's dishes seems like just a bit of harmless fun at Bilbo's expense. But it also serves to establish their skill at passing items between each other during frenetic situations, which they put to use during their escape in the barrels and the Battle of Five Armies when they pass weapons between one another in the midst of battle.
* CleanCut: By Gandalf to a goblin. He nudges its head with his staff and it slides away.
* ColdOpen: Kind of a tradition now. Like the other Jackson movies set in Middle-Earth, this one begins this way, providing very useful {{Backstory}} about [[DoomedHometown Erebor]], [[SupportingLeader Thorin]], his grudge towards the Elves, and last but not least, the scale of Smaug's destructive power.
* ContinuitySnarl:
** In the prologue, Bilbo sees Frodo off when he goes to the West Farthing Woods, and is told it's to surprise Gandalf when he arrives. However in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' Bilbo is clearly not expecting Gandalf, and in the Extended Edition he calls for Frodo to answer the door, unaware that Frodo had left. There are possible explanation for each, however. [[labelnote: Explanations]]First, Bilbo had forgotten that today was his milestone 111th birthday earlier in ''An Unexpected Journey'', meaning he's becoming a bit forgetful. Second, in ''Battle of the Five Armies'' it's revealed that Bilbo was admiring the One Ring before Gandalf knocked, meaning he was in no mood to be interrupted by a knock on the door yet again.[[/labelnote]]
** The early events of this film (Bag End, Bilbo joining the Company, the trolls encounter, and Rivendell) all contradict how Bilbo describes these events in the Red Book, which can be read in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' when Frodo skims it while in Rivendell. The "out" is that Bilbo may still not be telling all of the truth, as his drawing of Gandalf's sword, Glamdring, does not at all match its appearance in ''The Lord of the Rings'' films.
* ContrivedCoincidence: Elrond reveals that the map Thorin has contains moon runes that can only be read on a certain day in the year -- and only if the moon is in the exact same phase as it was when they were written, meaning that the opportunity to read them comes only one night every ''thirty years''. It just so happens that Thorin's Company arrives in Rivendell on that ''exact'' same day with the moon in the correct phase. Elrond even lampshades this, saying that [[BecauseDestinySaysSo fate must be driving their quest]].
* CookingTheLiveMeal: After The Company is captured by a party of three [[AllTrollsAreDifferent Trolls]], half of them are tied to a spit without being killed first, which means they end up shouting and complaining about the flames whilst the Trolls turn them over. That said, the Trolls are very divided on how exactly they should prepare their dinner.
* CoolCar: Radagast's Rabbit-drawn sleigh.
* CoveredInGunge: Bilbo after his involuntary service as a troll hanky.
* CreatorCameo: With Peter Jackson at the helm, it's a matter of ''where'' in the movies, he'll be, not ''if'' he'll be in it. Turns out it is a very difficult cameo to spot in [=AUJ=], where he is a Dwarf fleeing Smaug in the prologue.
* CrowdSong:
** "Blunt the Knives" -- Justified in that it comes across as a drinking song that the Dwarves all know and adapt to include Bilbo's name.
** "Misty Mountains" -- In this case, it's a song that the Dwarves know by heart because it's a poignant part of their oral history.
* CueTheSun: Gandalf cracks the boulder to expose the trolls to the dawn.
* DeathlyDiesIrae: A statement is heard during Balin's telling of the failed attempt to retake Moria, right as Azog the Defiler takes the head of Thrór.
* DecapitationPresentation: In a flashback, Azog does this with [[spoiler:Thrór]].
* DemandingTheirHead: Azog the Defiler ([[SparedByTheAdaptation who survived the Battle of Azanulbizar that killed him in the book]]) has put a price on the heads of the entire company of Thorin Oakenshield--but [[ItsPersonal especially with Thorin himself]], who [[AnArmAndALeg cut off Azog's left arm]] in the Battle. In addition to the Goblins of Goblin-Town trying to collect it, Azog happily sends one of his own Orcs to bring him Thorin's head [[CombatPragmatist after he's already worn Thorin down with his mace and his Warg]]. The Great Goblin himself lampshades it when confronting Thorin and [[VillainRevealsTheSecret revealing Azog's still alive to him]].
-->'''Great Goblin:''' I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. (''EvilLaugh'') [[EvilHasABadSenseOfHumor Just a head. Nothing attached]].
* DescriptionCut: Gandalf describes Radagast the Brown as a great wizard, the watcher and protector of the forest. We then immediately cut to Radagast, a doddering old man covered in bird poop and dirt.
* DevelopersForesight: When first discovered, Sting lacks the Elvish inscription seen in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'', which reads, "Sting is my name, I am the spider's bane." In the film, Bilbo is told that swords get names based on their deeds, and his "letter opener" blade hasn't seen battle. Clearly Bilbo had the inscription added after he named Sting in Mirkwood.
* DividedForAdaptation: One of three movies adapted out of a single novel.
* DramaticIrony:
** Saruman's appearance plays this for all it's worth since he declares that Sauron couldn't possibly be coming back... even though he himself has suspected it and at the time of ''The Hobbit'' was trying to locate the One Ring so he could usurp Sauron.
** Furthermore, when Bilbo asserts "I really believe that the worst is behind us." at the end of the film, we are then privy to a shot of Smaug briefly awakening from his slumber (due to a thrush knocking an acorn on the side of Erebor, said thrush being said to be a good omen, no less).
* DrugsAreBad: Saruman's chief opposition to Radagast's evidence seems to be all the mushrooms he ingests. Coupled with his disparaging remarks about pipeweed in ''Fellowship of the Ring'', it can be seen that whatever his evils are, the man does at least have a strong anti-drugs stance. Also see GRatedDrug.
* DudeNotFunny: In-universe example where Thorin is quick to sternly lecture Kíli who had casually joked about orcs to a nervous Bilbo. It is understandable why Thorin doesn't think it's something to be joked about since he had seen many of his kin killed by orcs, including his grandfather. In fact, if you look closely you'll see that Thorin actually starts awake when he hears Bilbo say "Orcs?", and he looks around expecting an attack.
* DynamicEntry: Gandalf appears out of nowhere in the Goblin caves to give the Dwarves the distraction they need to grab their weapons to make their escape.
* EarlyBirdCameo:
** Radagast the Brown is an odd case: he was in the book version of ''The Lord of the Rings'', but his role in the film version of ''The Fellowship of the Ring'' was filled by a moth Gandalf used to summon Gwaihir, Lord of Eagles.
** The Witch-King of Angmar, in his [[OurGhostsAreDifferent spectral form]], tries to kill Radagast.
** There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it instant when we catch a glimpse of Girion, firing ballast bolts at Smaug when the Dragon's attacking Dale.
** Both Bolg and the bearded jailer Orc from Dul Guldur (himself an early design of Bolg) show up for blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos at the Battle of Azanulbizar. Dwalin beats them up just after Thorin cuts off Azog's arm. Bolg is lacking the scars and metal plates in his head, suggesting that he got those because of Dwalin's attack.
** Frodo appears early in the film, asking Bilbo about his book.
** Saruman comes to the aid of Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel in their fight against The Necromancer.
** Galadriel is in Rivendell when The Company arrives and manages to fend off The Necromancer at the cost of a great deal of energy.
%%** [[spoiler: Sauron (at least in voice).]]
* {{Elfeminate}}: {{Lampshaded}} in the extended edition, where Kíli mistakes a male Elf for an Elf-maiden.
* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: William the troll zigzags with this.
* EmpathyDollShot: A burning one is seen as Smaug attacks Dale.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** When Thorin first enters Bilbo's home, he doesn't introduce himself, bow, or offer his services to Bilbo, unlike the other Dwarves, showing how [[FatalFlaw proud]] and dignified he is.
** Some of the dwarves show their defining characteristics when they first enter Bilbo's house and in the ensuing party:
*** Dwalin is surly and rudely takes Bilbo's food without much of a word.
*** Balin is rather more friendly and later guides the dwarves in organizing the table.
*** Fíli and Kíli, as the youngest and least secure, noticeably panic when Bilbo denies the existence of a meeting.
*** Dori, with his talk of chamomile tea and his wine enthusiast's description of the wine that he brings to Gandalf, shows that he regards himself as something of a cultural sophisticate.
*** Ori, when he asks Bilbo what to do with his plate, asks in a tone of voice that shows him to be somewhat timid and possibly not too bright.
** Younger Bilbo is first seen sitting in front of Bag End, peacefully puffing on a pipe with not a care in the world.
** The first time we see Azog in flashback, [[spoiler: he beheads Thrór]]. When we next see Azog in the main story's timeframe, [[YouHaveFailedMe he feeds his own henchman to his Warg pack.]] Clearly, his title of "The Defiler" is by no means strictly honorary.
* EtherealChoir: A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPY-CK-yhlU&t=4m5s choir sung in Quenya]] is briefly heard when Thranduil pays homage to Thrór.
-->''[Nin]quë silë misë nár (A white fire shines within her)\\
Nóna sil[më] anda[né] (The light of a star, born long ago)''
* ExactWords:
** All the riddles played between Bilbo and Gollum rely on this. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as riddles by their very definition rely on the ExactWords of their formulation. It took a bit further in the last one. Impatient that Bilbo was taking so long, Gollum demands that Bilbo quickly ask him a question. While thinking, Bilbo muses to himself "What have I got in my pocket?". Gollum mistakes it for a riddle and complains before Bilbo, using Gollum's earlier words, retorts he ''is'' asking a question and decides to use that as his riddle.
** During the unexpected party, Gandalf's drink request is "a little red wine". Dori brings him his wine in a ludicrously tiny glass, much to Gandalf's disappointment.
** When Bilbo greeted him with a "Good morning", Gandalf lampshaded this trope by [[EstablishingCharacterMoment whimsically]] questioning the exact meaning of that phrase. Is Bilbo having a good morning, is he saying it is a good morning no matter what does Gandalf thinks, is he wishing for Gandalf to have a good morning or is it a morning to be good on? Bilbo simply replied: "All of them at once".
** When Bilbo greets Balin with a "Good Evening", the dwarf treats it as a commentary on the night itself, adding that "although it might rain later".
* ExplainExplainOhCrap:
** "Why isn't it working? It's not like it's witchcraft!"
** This dialogue:
-->'''Gandalf:''' They must have come down Fromm the Ettenmoors.\\
'''Thorin:''' Since when do Mountain Trolls venture this far south?\\
'''Gandalf:''' Ooh. Not for an age. Not since a [[Characters/MiddleEarthFilmSauronsEvilForces darker power]] ruled these lands.\\
''[Gandalf and Thorin looked at each other with concern while the theme from the prologue of ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' briefly plays.]''
* EyeAwaken: Combined with HellishPupils, this is done for [[spoiler:Smaug at the end of]] ''An Unexpected Journey''.
* FaceDeathWithDignity: The [[spoiler: Great Goblin]], whose reaction to having his stomach cut open (after a short scream, admittedly -- more like an "ouch", really) is to nod and calmly declare "That'll do it." (for context, he had just asked Gandalf -- in a much more [[LargeHam enthusiastic]] manner -- what he was going to do, "wizard").
* FakeShemp: Creator/IanHolm's scenes as elderly Bilbo were filmed in the UK, as he was unable to travel to New Zealand due to his advanced age. For the scene of Bilbo and Frodo speaking outside Bag End (which was filmed on location) the crew put Martin Freeman in old-age prosthetics and filmed him from a distance with Holm's voice added in later.
* FatBastard: The Great Goblin. He is grotesquely fat with an underchin nearly as big as the entire rest of this head. He's also a torturer, a BadBoss, and cooperating with Azog.
* FireForgedFriends: [[spoiler: Thorin and Bilbo after Bilbo rescues him from being beheaded by one of Azog's mooks.]] Literally in this case since they were [[BattleAmongstTheFlames battling amongst flames]].
* FireOfComfort: Bilbo's opening narration for his book describes this, and one is also seen during some scenes when he is camping out with the Dwarves.
* FoeTossingCharge: Smaug's attack on the Dwarven stronghold. He barely seems to notice the Dwarves flying through the air as he walks right over the defenders.
* FoodPorn: Quite a bit of it during the party scene in Bag End, complete with a lingering pan over all the food on the table.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** The movie opens with Bilbo blowing an uncannily perfect smoke ''ring''. That is all.
** Thrór's case of GoldFever serves as this, as Thorin will come down with a similar "ailment" after The Lonely Mountain is reclaimed from Smaug, which stops him from negotiating with the men of Laketown and the Wood Elves (although the interracial tension and being a prisoner of the Elves earlier probably didn't help).
** Bilbo considers the rumors that he has "tunnels full of gold" silly, as he only has a single chest that "still smells of Troll". Glóin, Nori and Bofur are shown burying a box of treasure taken from the troll hoard (which itself foreshadows Bilbo carrying it in ''Five Armies'').
** Gandalf lights his pipe with a FingerSnapLighter and later uses the same effect to set pine cones on fire, throwing them at the Wargs.
** When Gandalf presents Bilbo with his Elvish sword, he tells Bilbo that true courage comes from knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare a life. Bilbo contemplates killing Gollum but decides not to. This is a turning point, as he then shows considerable courage against Azog.
** Thorin's father Thráin went missing but was never confirmed dead, and Azog mentions having encountered him. [[spoiler: Gandalf found Thráin in Dol Guldur, where he had been captured, tortured, and driven mad.]]
** Radagast's home in Greenwood is attacked by giant spiders. Guess what's waiting for the Company when they arrive in the same forest, now named Mirkwood.
** Thorin and Gandalf have a brief argument over whether or not to go to Rivendell. Later, while fleeing pursuing wargs, Thorin loudly wonders where Gandalf is leading them.
** After seeing Glamdring and Orcrist, Bilbo wonders if his own Elvish sword has a name, and Balin tells him swords gain names depending on their deeds. "Sting" gets its name from slaying the Spiders in Mirkwood.
--->'''Balin:''' More of a letter-opener, really.
** In the extended edition, Kíli takes an interest in the elves at Rivendell. [[spoiler: He later develops a crush on Tauriel after arriving in Mirkwood.]]
** Annoyed at Thorin's refusal to confide in Elrond, Gandalf mutters that Thorin's pride will be his downfall. [[spoiler: The Battle of the Five Armies, during which Thorin dies, is directly a result of his pride and greed.]]
** Elrond helps Thorin read the secret runes on the map, only visible by the light of the moon. [[spoiler: In the next film, it is the light of the ''moon'' which winds up being "the last light" on Durin's Day that reveals the secret door, ''not'' the setting sun.]]
** As Elrond reads the moon runes on the map, he mentions a door appearing "when the thrush knocks". [[spoiler: In the final scene the camera follows a thrush as it flies towards Erebor, then starts knocking snails against a rock. The noise wakes Smaug.]]
** The musical cue for the Ring Bilbo finds. Though even Gandalf doesn't know its true nature yet, he senses something sinister.
** The odd way that The Ring behaves when dropped -- it seems far heavier than it ought to be (an effect memorable in the ''LOTR'' films which was achieved using magnets).
** A subtle one: the rock the eagles leave the dwarves on at the end is shaped like a bear's head. It's called Carrock and is where they will meet the skin-changer Beorn.
** The final shots show the camera panning up one of the dwarven statues to a cliffside clearing where a thrush knocks on the wall with a nut. [[spoiler: The statues turn out to be a makeshift staircase up to the clearing, which is where the secret entrance is. The thrush itself plays a role in helping Bilbo find the keyhole and also Bard slay Smaug.]]
* ForgingScene: Quite a few, seeing as how this was the main industry of Erebor. One showed Thorin working as a blacksmith as a testament of HowTheMightyHaveFallen.
* ForkFencing: The Dwarves do this when eating at Bilbo's house, much to his chagrin. It leads to the "Blunt the Knives" song being performed.
* FourthWallPsych: Gandalf, when Galadriel asks why he chose Bilbo to accompany the Dwarves. He gives her a speech about how small, everyday acts of kindness and love are what he's found most effective as a bulwark against evil. He delivers this speech while facing the camera and staring contemplatively, almost (but not ''quite'') looking directly at the audience.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Radagast appears like this, even letting birds nest (and crap!) in his hair rather than disturbing them.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent:
** Lots in Bag End during the party. One involves Fíli and Kíli trying to work out how to operate the tap on a beer barrel, then apparently giving up and just bringing the barrel itself.
** When Bilbo suggests that the Trolls skin the Dwarves, [[TheStoic Thorin]] is yelling and flailing around in anger, along with the others (who are all lying on their backs aside from Fíli, who is desperately trying to turn over).
** After the Dwarves light their campfire in Rivendell, Bofur cooks a sausage over the fire. Next to him, Bifur is doing the same thing, but instead of a sausage, Bifur is attempting to cook a large piece of lettuce. Then, when Bofur throws the sausage to Bombur and causes Bombur's bench to collapse, all the Dwarves are doubled over with laughter except for Bifur, who is concentrating on his piece of lettuce as though he's determined to roast the heck out of it.
** Óin's EarTrumpet is stomped on and crushed flat when The Company [[spoiler: is captured in Goblin-Town]]. Later, after [[spoiler: they escape]], he's shown using it anyway, and later has forced it back open.
* GenreBlind: The line "The worst is behind us". Oh boy...
* GiantSpider: Some attempt to break into Radagast's cottage before his magic scares them back to Dol Guldur.
* GoldFever: Thrór, king of Erebor and Thorin's grandfather, is shown in flashbacks to be so obsessed with gold that it's even described to be a "sickness", and his obsession with filling his treasure rooms with enough gold to build a castle out of it is implied to have attracted Smaug to Erebor in the first place.
* GoryDiscretionShot: When Sméagol is preparing to eat a goblin he dragged onto his rocky outcropping, the Goblin is shown to be hit several times, but then the camera cuts to Bilbo and the fading of Sting's blue glow (a sign there are live Goblins about) shows he dies. When Bilbo looks up, the rock in the lake is bare.
* GoThroughMe: Bilbo does this after [[spoiler: tackling Azog's mook and standing between Azog and the semi-conscious Thorin]].
* GRatedDrug: Radagast seems to get high when he takes a whiff from Gandalf's pipe (another suggestion that "pipeweed" may not be tobacco, though tobacco also has a reputation for calming the nerves), and later Saruman comments disapprovingly of his worrying fondness for mushrooms.
* GroinAttack: Bert the troll catches one from Dori's bolas.
* GroundShatteringLanding: Bombur does this in Goblin-Town, punching through two layers of Goblin scaffolding and dislodging the goblins that had been swarming over him.
* HeadbuttOfLove: How Dwalin and Balin greet each other--although, since they are Dwarves, it's more like a full-contact headbutting. There's also a more weary version in Balin's flashback when they discover they've both survived the Battle of Azanulbizar, surrounded by a field of dead Dwarves.
* HeroismMotiveSpeech: Bilbo gives one near the end when he explains why he wants to go on with Thorin and Company despite the danger:
-->'''Bilbo:''' I know you doubt me, I know you always have, and you're right. [[HomeSweetHome I often think of Bag End]]. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong; that's home, and that's why I came, 'cause you don't have one...a home. It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can.
* HesDeadJim: While Gollum drags a wounded Goblin away and starts bashing its head in with a rock, Bilbo sees Sting's glow begin to flicker and then finally go out.
* HitAndRunTactics: The Company's method of dealing with the Trolls they encounter, due to the heights of both parties.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Gollum would've eaten Bilbo if he hadn't said "Time's up", leading to Bilbo's figuring out the answer.
* HoldingHands: Galadriel takes Gandalf's hands as part of her assurance that he has her support.
* HollywoodDarkness: In The Misty Mountains. When the Dwarves are camping on the Goblins' front porch, it's night, there are clouds outside, no fires are allowed, they're not in direct sight of the entrance, and there isn't an opening above them. However, it's as light as any normal cloudy day -- brighter even than the mountainside was minutes before. Gollum's cave is also surprisingly well-lit, although we do see a streak of light shining on to the spot where he plays the riddle game with Bilbo.
* HorseOfADifferentColour:
** The Elvenking rides a stag in the flashback to Smaug's original attack.
** Radagast's sled is drawn by large rabbits.
* HypocriticalHumor:
** Saruman criticizes Radagast's stained teeth. Saruman's teeth are ''[[BritishTeeth awful.]]''
** While Bilbo is writing ''There and Back Again'', Frodo tells him that people say that he's becoming "unsociable." Bilbo denies it and then orders Frodo to put up the sign saying ''No Admittance Except on Party Business''.
* IWasQuiteALooker: First part of the film, where the older Bilbo saw his younger portrait. Look at his hand gesture.
* ImAHumanitarian: Gollum and the three trolls. If you substitute "human-like" for "human", at least.
* ImprovisedWeapon:
** There's a reason Thorin is called Oakenshield. By the time of his rematch with Azog, he has fashioned an actual armoured gauntlet, reinforced with iron fittings, out of that same oak branch.
** While trapped in a tree, Gandalf ignites several pine cones to use them as impromptu firebombs.
** The dwarves break off a railing when being chased by goblins and use it to swat them away. Shortly after that they pull down a ladder and use its steps to grab goblins by their necks.
* InfoDump: The first half hour of the movie is basically an exposition. But made fun.
* InsultBackfire:
** In the extended edition, after the Great Goblin finishes his VillainSong.
--->'''Balin:''' That's not a song. It's an ''abomination!''\\
'''Great Goblin:''' Abominations, mutations, deviations! That's all you're gonna find down here.
** Also after the Trolls capture the Dwarves
--->'''Dori:''' You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!\\
'''Bofur:''' Half-wits? What does that make us?
* ItsForABook: Gandalf gives a variation of this as his initial explanation for why they needed the map translated by Elrond.
* JerkassHasAPoint: A lot of people have criticized Saruman for being a bigoted jerk (not to mention a hypocrite given TheReveal [[HypocriticalHumor of his own smoking habit in]] ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'') in dismissing Radagast's information about Dol Guldur, but he's actually pretty justified in pointing out that Radagast's mushroom eating compromises his intel since the context makes it quite clear that the said mushrooms are hallucinogens of some sort.
* KerbStompBattle:
** Smaug burning Dale and taking over Erebor.
** [[spoiler: Elvish Archer Cavalry led by Elrond vs. Warg Riders]]
** The eagles against Azog and his warg-riders.
** [[spoiler: Gandalf killing the Goblin King with a OneHitKill]]
** [[spoiler: Azog vs. Thorin, who is smacked with a mace multiple times, bitten by a Warg, and rendered incapable of even moving the two inches he needs to reach his sword, all without getting in a single blow.]]
* KevLard: Completely {{averted}} with the Great Goblin, who is done in by a single slash across the gut by Gandalf wielding Glamdring. While he isn't GuttedLikeAFish, even he quips in his own PreMortemOneLiner that the slash did the job.
* KickTheDog:
** As the goblins confiscate the Dwarves' weapons, one of them snatches Óin's earhorn and stomps it flat.
** One from the extended edition: when Thranduil comes to pay homage to Thrór, King Under the Mountain, the latter holds out a box containing the White Gems of Lasgalen, a memento of Thranduil's late wife. Before Thranduil can touch the gems, the box snaps shut. The look on Thranduil's face strongly suggests that this could have been the real cause of his later rift with the Dwarves.
* KnowWhenToFoldEm: Even with an almost fully armed Company of 15, with many capable fighters, they are not going to win when the odds are either something like 5-to-1 plus the disadvantages of BeastOfBattle (against Orcs) or 1000-to-1 (against Goblins). Thus rather than continue fighting against large enemies and overwhelming numbers, they are forced to retreat more than once.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes L to Z]]
* TheLastStraw: The sausage that causes Bombur's bench to collapse.
* LineInTheSand: Invoked by Balin towards Thorin at the beginning. He tells Thorin that they don't have to go on the quest and can continue the life of peace and plenty they have built in the Blue Mountains.
* LiteralMinded:T** Balin, a bit. When Bilbo greeted him with "Good evening," Balin agreed, though he predicted it would rain later. Later, when Bilbo interrupts Balin and Dwalin going through his larder with an irritable "I'm sorry," Balin mildly accepts his apology.
** Toyed with when Gandalf meets Bilbo and their conversation about the meaning of "Good morning." However, it is revealed that Gandalf was doing it intentionally, partly to remind Bilbo of who he was and partly because [[ItAmusedMe it amused him to do so.]]
* LivingInAFurnitureStore: Played with. In the main storyline, Bilbo's house is very clean and tidy, showing how uptight and organized he is. But sixty years later, Bag End noticeably has more books and things scattered around the floor and tables.
* LivingStatue: Of the possessed kind. As Radagast explores Dol Guldur, he passes some statues of the Nazgûl... one of which tightens its grip on its sword as he walks past it. When Radagast turns to examine it, the Witch-King of Angmar emerges from the other statue behind him and tries to ambush him from above.
* TheLoad: Thorin thinks Bilbo is this in the beginning. [[spoiler: By the end, when Bilbo saves him from Azog's mook, Thorin declares he was wrong.]]
* MadeInCountryX: Apparently, "''Made in Rivendell''" was on the bottom of some candlesticks the Dwarves stole from Rivendell. Type 1 as the Great Goblin dismisses them as "Second Age, couldn't even give them away."
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction:
-->'''[[spoiler: Great Goblin]]:''' That'll do it.
* ManHug: Dwalin and Balin share a couple. [[spoiler: Thorin]] gives one to Bilbo after [[spoiler: Bilbo saved him from Azog's mook.]]
* ManlyTears: Dwalin and Balin after surviving the Battle of Azanulbizar.
* MeaningfulEcho: When the dwarves first arrive at Bilbo's home, Gandalf is seen ticking off his fingers when counting how many dwarves are present. Later on, Gandalf does the same thing [[spoiler: when escaping from the Goblin caves]] but realizes someone is missing: [[spoiler: Bilbo]].
* MissingTrailerScene: The trailers for the first movie have several scenes that are nowhere to be seen in the finished product. However, as the first trailer was released before the decision was made to make three movies, some of those scenes appeared in the second film, such as Gandalf exploring Dol Guldur, or were cut and appeared in the extended edition [=DVD=]s.
* MonsterShapedMountain: The Eagles set the travellers down on a bear-shaped rock formation, foreshadowing Beorn's upcoming appearance in ''Desolation''.
* MotivationalLie: Subverted. Gandalf tries to give Bilbo a motivational speech by talking about a famous ancestor of Bilbo's, "Bullroarer" Took. At the end, Bilbo says that he thinks Gandalf made most of that up, and Gandalf shamelessly says that good stories can use a little embellishing every now and then. Ironically, while Gandalf's line can be seen as the filmmakers lampshading the AdaptationExpansion of the book, the story about Bullroarer Took inventing golf is ''[[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness not]]'' [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness one of their additions]].
* MundaneUtility: In the meeting Gandalf discreetly uses a small fire spell to light his pipe. [[spoiler: He uses the same spell at the end to greater effect by turning pine cones into firebombs.]]
* MythologyGag:
** Gandalf can't quite remember the names of the blue wizards. They're Alatar and Pallando, or perhaps Morinehtar ("Darkness-slayer") and Rómestámo ("East-helper"). The names are given in ''Literature/{{Unfinished Tales|of Númenor and Middle Earth}}'' and ''Literature/TheHistoryOfMiddleEarth'', but Christopher Tolkien has refused to sell the movie rights to those. However, the film ''actually gets away with naming them'' the Blue Wizards since their colour was only revealed in ''Unfinished Tales''.
** When Radagast tells Gandalf about the spiders that have "recently appeared" in Mirkwood, he says something to the effect of "Some spawn of [[Literature/TheSilmarillion Ungoliant]], or I am not a wizard."
*** With respect to the following film, Smaug isn't surprised by Bilbo's presence in the Lonely Mountain and they have a calm, though tense, conversation rather than him realizing that a piece of the treasure has been taken and yelling, "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" So Radagast yells it when he first rides up to Thorin's Company instead.
** The Great Goblin bears a ''strong'' resemblance to his [[WesternAnimation/TheHobbit animated counterpart]]. Also, his followers resemble their counterparts from [[VideoGame/TheHobbit2003 the 2003 video game]].
** In the extended edition, Bofur sings part of the "Cow Jumped over the Moon" that Frodo sings in the ''Lord of the Rings'' book at the Prancing Pony.
** Bilbo says to Elrond, "Go not the Elves for counsel for they will say both yes ''and'' no", a line Frodo says to Gildor Inglorion in The Fellowship of the Ring''
** In some shots, it looks like Glamdring and Orcrist glow, which they did in the books.
** While the sun was clearly rising on its own, the way Gandalf breaks the stone in two to expose the trolls to sunlight gives the impression that he ''summoned'' the sun like in the 1977 animated film.
** The first few notes of the film's version of "Misty Mountains Cold" is very similar to the same piece from the animated film.
* NakedPeopleAreFunny: In the extended cut, while the Dwarves are staying at Rivendell and generally making a nuisance of themselves, Elrond's aide worriedly asks how long they'll be staying. Elrond replies he isn't sure, and then suddenly both Elves react to something offscreen -- cut to the Dwarves swimming naked in a big fountain and slapping each other's asses with rolled-up towels.
* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: Azog and Thorin's "rematch" has all the trappings of a standard SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, intense close-ups, UnflinchingWalk, dramatic music, Thorin with an oaken branch as a shield just like their first fight, you name it, only for Azog to [[SingleStrokeBattle knock Thorin down and render him helpless with a single smack of his mace.]]
* NearVillainVictory: Thorin sees Azog in person for the first time since their old battle, and charges him. Powerful elven sword in one hand, a fashioned branch armguard in the other, awesome music in the background along with a BattleAmongstTheFlames theme going on, he prepares to finish the fight they started... and he's laid out in seconds by Azog's warg (who had an advantage in height, powerful legs/jaws, and a big advantage in mobility), allowing Azog a staggering hit just as he's getting back up, then gets bitten by the Warg and can only manage a glancing blow that sends him sprawling heavily. Only [[spoiler: Bilbo's intervention]] saves him from himself.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Downplayed example with Biblo sharing his name and home country with Gollum before the Riddle Game. In the context of the rest of the ''Hobbit'' Trilogy, this will have no further repercussions. However, in the larger context of the Middle-Earth narrative, this will come back to haunt Bilbo and his family [[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing 60 years later]] and serve as one of the catalysts of the War of the Ring.
* NobleBirdOfPrey: The Giant Eagles. [[spoiler: They don't just rescue the Dwarves in the movie but attack Azog's forces directly, killing nearly half of them before finally winging off with their charges.]]
* NoOneCouldSurviveThat: Thorin's opinion of cutting Azog's arm off. The look that Gandalf and Balin exchange suggests they (accurately) suspect Azog may still be alive.
* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: Gandalf, Saruman, Elrond, Galadriel, the wisest and most powerful wizards and Elves of Middle-Earth... who could not even agree that Sauron has returned, much less form a plan to stop him.
* ObliviouslyEvil: The Stone Giants aren't trying to put the protagonists in horrible danger and possibly get them killed, they're just too busy fighting each other and the company is too small and insignificant to them for the Giants to notice they are there.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: Saruman is one to the point where he intends to forbid the Dwarves from embarking on their quest, not realising as Gandalf and Galadriel do that the Dwarves have already left.
* OffscreenTeleportation: Galadriel does this to Gandalf.
* OffWithHisHead:
** Thrór is decapitated by Azog in the failed attempt to re-claim Moria from the Orcs.
** One of the gargantuan stony giants has its head knocked off by a boulder flung by another such giant.
** Gandalf decapitates a Goblin via CleanCut.
* OhCrap:
** The Great Goblin completely freaks out the moment he identifies the Elven swords.
** Ori's expression when the Great Goblin orders his cronies to kill the Dwarves "starting with the youngest".
** Elrond and Galadriel have the equivalent reaction when they see the Witch-King's sword.
** Bilbo when he sees Sting is glowing blue and remembers what that means...
** Also, when he realizes that Gollum figured out where his 'Precious' is.
** Blink and you miss it, but at Rivendell, when Gandalf meets Galadriel, he closes his eyes and puts on a VERY fake-looking smile when seeing Saruman has come to check up on him.
* OminousLatinChanting: During Thorin's UnflinchingWalk. It is actually the language of Númenor, taken from "Revelation of the Ringwraiths".
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Azog makes it clear to his mooks that they can kill the other Dwarves, just as long as they leave Thorin for him. [[spoiler: When Thorin goes down easily, he seems to lose interest and orders a mook to behead him.]]
* OrcusOnHisThrone: From what we see of The Great Goblin, he sits on his throne and rules Goblin-Town, and that's about it.
* OurGiantsAreBigger: The Stone Giants, briefly mentioned in the book. They are actually made of stone, coming alive and literally wrenching themselves free from the sides of the mountains.
* OutOfTheFryingPan: The party escapes from the Goblins of The Misty Mountains, only to get cornered by a worse group of orc warg-riders. Furthermore, they climb trees to escape and use fire to keep the Orcs and Wargs at bay -- which backfires and leaves most of them dangling from a tree over a cliff's edge. Gandalf and Thorin even {{lampshade|Hanging}} it, saying, "Out of the frying pan ... and into the fire," in a nod to the chapter of the book named after the phrase.
* PaintingTheFourthWall: During the Goblin King's song, he spears a hapless Mook through the chest and hurls him away -- the goblin goes flying towards the screen and jostles the camera with his arm as he passes.
* PickyEater: Played for laughs. The Dwarves aren't exactly thrilled to eat Elvish vegetables and seem downright confused by the lack of meat.
* PutDownYourGunAndStepAway: The trolls use [[spoiler: [[DistressedDude Bilbo]]]] to make the dwarves surrender.
-->'''Tom:''' Lay down your arms or we'll rip his off!
* PlummetPerspective: In the "Out of the Frying Pan" sequence, Gandalf sees the branch from his tree fall down from the cliff.
* PrimalFear: Eating and feasting are important throughout the story. When enemies are encountered, they often also want to ''eat'' the heroes.
* PyrrhicVictory: The battle of Azanulbizar. The Dwarves were victorious, but the majority of their forces were dead or mortally wounded, including their king.
* RackFocus: This is used several times in the first film, in particular during a telepathic conversation between Gandalf and Galadriel. The focus fades forwards and back several times within one shot to indicate who is "talking".
* RailingKill: Literally -- the dwarves take up a handrail and use it to swat groups of incoming goblins off a catwalk.
* RasputinianDeath: The Orc who attacks the Company while they flee across the plains. He gets thrown off his warg and pinned when Kíli shoots his mount, Dwalin bashes him in the head with his hammer, Bifur impales him, and Thorin jumps in to hack at him. His growls wind up alerting his comrades to where the Company is.
* RefusalOfTheCall: Bilbo's initial reaction to Gandalf and the dwarves' offer. Becomes JumpedAtTheCall when he wakes up the next morning and realises his normal life just wouldn't be enough for him if he didn't do it.
* Really700YearsOld: ''Gandalf'' apologizes to Galadriel for the ravages time has wrought on his appearance compared to her. She's not bad for someone who has been in Middle-Earth two full Ages longer than the wizards (though along with the other wizards, Gandalf is actually older than Galadriel and even the universe).
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Delivered to Thorin by the Great Goblin.
-->'''Great Goblin:''' Well, well, well! Look who it is. Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór. King Under the Mountain! Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don't have a mountain. And you're not a king. Which makes you... nobody, really.
* TheResenter: Implied in the prologue when Thranduil the Elvenking shows deference to Thrór, there is a subtle expression of displeasure on his face. Likewise, when he turns away from aiding the Dwarves after Smaug invades, his face shows a hint of satisfaction.
* {{Retcon}}: The references to Bilbo's adventures in ''Fellowship of the Ring'' were copied directly from how they happened in the book. This film contradicts them in multiple ways:
** The illustration of Smaug on Gandalf's map of Erebor showed him with four legs and a pair of wings. The glimpses of Smaug in this film's prologue matched this -- until ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'' portraying him with two winged forearms and hindlegs. This was later revised in the Extended Edition to mirror his appearance in the later films. However, the illustration of Smaug on the map was not changed.
** When Bilbo told the children about his encounter with the trolls, he said that their attempt to cook the Dwarves was delayed by their arguing over how to do it. In this film, they only have a minor discussion over it – instead, it's Bilbo who attempts to delay them.
** The brief glimpses of "There and Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale" mentioned the trolls dropping a key and the Company using it to unlock the door to their cave. Here, the cave is open.
** The prologue shows Bilbo crawling along the ground when he finds the Ring, and Gollum yells that his "Precious" is lost. Here, Bilbo is standing up when he finds it, and Gollum yells that the Goblin he is eating has too many bones. The prologue was narrated by Galadriel, who was not present, so it's justified.
* RevealingHug: Bilbo's face [[spoiler: when Thorin hugs him in gratitude for saving his life]] is rather shocked-looking. No surprise since by that point he thought that Thorin would never accept him.
* RiddleMeThis: The game between Gollum and Bilbo.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Radagast tends a few.
* RoboticTortureDevice: The denizens of Goblin-Town attempt to use these on The Company. One is essentially a giant press with two plates full of nails, the others are two barrels covered in nails where a victim is meant to be pushed in between. Ironically, after seeing one of the dwarves has an elven sword, the Great Goblin simply orders them to be killed without the use of the devices.
* RockMonster: The stone giants.
* RunningGag: Everybody's tired of eating mutton.
* SadisticChoice: The trolls tell the Dwarves to surrender or else they will [[spoiler: rip Bilbo apart]]. They surrender.
* SavageWolves: The Wargs are enemies.
* SayMyName:
** When Thorin confronts Azog towards the end.
** Fíli yells Thorin's name with concern as he is being carried unconscious by the eagles.
** Dwalin when Thorin is [[spoiler: bitten by Azog's warg.]] He tries to go help and ends up almost falling off of the tree.
* SceneryPorn:
** The landscape shots of New Zealand are as beautiful as the ones in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings''. There's a reason why Peter Jackson wanted to keep filming there.
** The CGI ones deserve a mention -- the sweeping shots of Erebor may be the first time this trope was pulled off ''underground!'' Except for Moria, which was actually BIGGER. If you look closely, you can see similar designs on the pillars. This makes sense since the Dwarves had to leave Moria because of the Balrog and moved to Erebor.
* ScheherezadeGambit:
** Bilbo keeps Gollum from eating him by proposing to Gollum to play a game of riddles.
** Also when Bilbo stalls the trolls hoping for the sun to come up.
** Attempted by the Dwarves in Goblin-Town to protect Thorin. The Great Goblin puts the kibosh on that, though.
* ScrewYouElves: Though not without reason. However, Thorin is so disdainful of them that he very nearly refuses to wield one of the finest and mightiest blades ever forged in Middle-Earth, purely because it is of Elvish make.
* SequelHook: ''An Unexpected Journey'' ends with [[spoiler: Smaug awakening.]]
* SeriesContinuityError:
** In the Extended Edition, Smaug is {{retcon}}ned into being a wyvern to reflect his design from the subsequent films, but the drawing of him on Gandalf's map of Erebor still depicts him with the four legs and two wings he originally possessed.
** Gandalf tells Bilbo that Elvish blades glow when orcs and goblins are nearby, but Orcrist and Glamdring don't glow at all while Azog's scouts are chasing the Dwarves and Gandalf.
* ShoutOut:
** To ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' in the Nanduhirion scene when the dwarves all charge at once.
** Even to ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfTintin2011''. Here, Jackson shouts out to himself as Thorin makes his badass entrance down a tree trunk to face Azog. The falling tree sequence some minutes before is also suspiciously familiar for all Tintin viewers (as the falling masts of the Unicorn).
** Also ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' with Bombur being similar to Obelix, envisioned with a big belly, no beard, whiskers, and long red braids, and for extra points, someone stops him from drinking directly from the cauldron.
** Elrond says the moon runes with the same (or similar) intonation as the Elrond in the Rankin-Bass film, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2GzBNrGpw8#t=2m seen here]].
** In the extended version, Bilbo and Elrond have a little chat where they use lines that belong respectively to Frodo and Gildor in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''
** Thorin's blade being named Deathless, a fitting name for the weapon of the descendent of [[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/d/durinthedeathless.html Durin I, father of the Dwarven race]]. Also, Graham [=McTavish=] gave the idea of naming Dwalin's axes Grasper and Keeper, as a homage to Emily Brontë's dogs.
** On several occasions, the Orc warlord Azog gives of a cry of '''[[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 WAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHH!!!]]'''
** One of the livestock Bilbo dashes past as he leaves Bag End is [[Film/{{Willow}} a pig that's been harnessed to pull farm equipment]].
* SilenceYouFool: From Thorin when the other twelve Dwarves burst into a random blowout over how many dragons Gandalf killed.
* SillySong: "Blunt the Knives", the song the Dwarves mock Bilbo with when he complains about their table manners.
* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Azog is completely absent from any promotional material for the first film despite being the main antagonist of the trilogy. The reason for this is that he went through several redesigns during the production and his look was finalized only two months before the premiere, after both main trailers have been released.
* SoMuchForStealth Silencing a potential Orc witness is not as easy as it seems since Kíli hesitates to shoot and his aim is off. Their victim's screams soon alert the rest of the Orcs of the Dwarves' whereabouts.
* SparedByAdaptation:
** The ponies bolted after the Warg-Riders attacked The Company, so they weren't captured and eaten by Goblins as in the book. They also manage to avoid being eaten by Trolls earlier on.
** Azog died before the context of the story in canon.
* SquashedFlat: Hard to see it, but it happens to a couple of Goblins when the Dwarves are rolling a boulder ahead of them during their escape.
* StealthHiBye:
** Kíli and Fíli do it to Bilbo after encouraging him to go rescue the ponies.
** Galadriel does this after she encourages Gandalf to continue helping the Dwarves.
** Gollum pulls this on Bilbo during the game of riddles. Bilbo is distracted by a bat, and when he looks back, Gollum has disappeared... and his leering voice is echoing off the walls as he tells his final riddle [[AloneWithThePsycho and menacingly wonders out loud how Hobbits taste]].
* StealthPun: In the extended version, the Great Goblin performs a VillainSong before the captured Dwarves despite them not enjoying it one bit. He has a captive audience.
* StockScream: Late in the film when the heroes are escaping from the goblins, one goblin is knocked off a bridge into a pit and utters the WilhelmScream.
* TakeMyHand: The dwarves do this when Bilbo is dangling over the edge after [[spoiler: the Stone Giants' fight.]] Fíli actually yells it to Kíli as the [[spoiler: Stone Giant Fíli is on starts to move and they're separated.]] Kíli's face when Fíli is pulled just out of reach is ''devastating''.
* TakeThatAudience: In one scene, Gandalf recites a story of Bullroarer Took's defeat of the Orc-King Golfimbul (in which he knocked the orc's head off and it went down a rabbit hole, inventing the game of golf).[[note]] Gandalf doesn't mention Golfimbul's name in the film, making this moment both less witty and less silly than in book canon.[[/note]] Bilbo mentions that some of that story has to be made up. Gandalf counters that all good stories deserve embellishment. This same claim could be applied to the film adaptation, which embellished the original book to make three films.
* TalkingTheMonsterToDeath: What Bilbo does to delay the trolls from eating the dwarves until the sun rises. He also tries this with Gollum, to less success.
* TalkingToThemself: Gollum, of course, although his SplitPersonality is emphasized more (a ''lot'' more) than it was in the book.
-->'''Sméagol:''' Ooh! Ooh! We knows! We knows!\\
'''Gollum:''' [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Shut! Up!]]
* TastesLikeChicken: The trolls complain that all they eat is this trope, except for chicken itself, which to them tastes like fish.
* TemptingFate: Sort of a RunningGag:
** Bilbo does this at Bag End as Dwarves keep pouring in.
** The Goblin King taunts Gandalf [[spoiler: and is killed with ease]].
** After the Dwarves survive their fall into the depths of the Goblin Kingdom (relatively) unscathed, Bofur points out "Well, that could've been worse"... [[spoiler: and then the Goblin King's huge corpse crashes on top of them]].
--->'''Dwalin''': [[YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe You've got to be joking!]]
** Bilbo's statement at the end of ''An Unexpected Journey'': "I really believe that the worst is behind us." Cue [[spoiler: Smaug awakening...]].
* ThatsNoMoon: The mountain pass Bilbo and the Dwarves must traverse is already precarious, but it gets even worse when it turns out they're actually walking along [[spoiler: the shins of one of the Stone Giants]].
* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: Dwarves make terrible house guests, as Bilbo and Elrond can attest.
* TitleDrop: Thorin and Gandalf together say the original chapter title when The Company have [[spoiler: just escaped from the Goblin caves]] and are now [[spoiler: being hunted by wargs]].
-->'''Thorin:''' Out of the frying pan...\\
'''Gandalf:''' ...And into the fire.
* ToiletHumor:
** During the party, Bilbo angrily says to Gandalf that he doesn't even want to talk about what the Dwarves have done to the bathroom and that they've all but destroyed the plumbing.
** The art book reveals that the Great Goblin's throne is also his ''throne''.
* TookALevelInBadass: Bilbo, who goes from an ordinary hobbit who as a responsible adult shows disdain for adventures [[spoiler: to killing a huge Orc warrior, killing a Warg, and fending off Azog to protect Thorin.]]
* TooPowerfulToLive: Gandalf's justification to Saruman, Galadriel, and Elrond for sponsoring Thorin's quest: he believes that while Smaug only cares about Erebor and its treasure, Dragons once [[Literature/TheSilmarillion worked for Sauron's master Morgoth]] (whose return is truly impossible) and still might be persuaded to ally himself with Sauron if he were ever to return, and the power Smaug would bring to Sauron's armies would be too horrible to imagine.
* TrampledUnderfoot: The Great Goblin uses a pile of his own minions as a willing footstool who get SquashedFlat whenever he steps down from his throne.
* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: Radagast's arrival to Rhudaur to warn Gandalf and give him the sword is quite jarring for both geographical and chronological matters. Though it's never cleared where he crossed The Misty Mountains by nor how much time it took for him, the only possible option is that he entered by The High Pass (the place where The Company firstly intended to go before being captured by the Goblins), which is quite a feat given that it is still very away from Rhosgobel or Dol Guldur. Justified in that he probably made it in time thanks to the speed of his bunny-sled, which had been shown as incredibly fast and reliable.
* UnflinchingWalk: Thorin does one [[spoiler:as he is confronting Azog for the second time, while surrounded by flaming trees and attacking wargs.]]
* UngratefulBastard: The Dwarves in Rivendell. Elrond and his soldiers save them from an Orc ambush and let them stay in his house and give them food (even after Thorin is rude to him and he first sees them as an armed group on his doorstep). In response, they ridicule the food he offers, the music, break some of his furniture (Bombur's table scene), make a mess (in the extended edition), and then leave without even a "thank you". When Elrond helps Thorin, Gandalf had to strong-arm him into accepting Elrond's help and Thorin proves stubborn and unwilling every step of the way. Even with Thorin's anti-Elf grudge, that's petty.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: In the extended edition, Kíli is checking out some Elf-maids, to Dwalin's disapproval. Kíli reassures the dwarves that he doesn't fancy them, although "that one there is not bad". The Elf then turns around...
* {{Veganopia}}: Rivendell is portrayed as this, with most of their food being fruits and vegetables. Many of the dwarves are perplexed by the Elves' diet, wondering where the meat is.
* VertigoEffect: When Radagast sees The Necromancer at Dol Guldur.
* VillainousGlutton: [[WackyWaysideTribe The Trolls]] are a problem to the main characters purely because they are hungry. Gollum too, but his emaciated appearance clearly sets him apart.
* VillainSong: Goblin Town appears in the Extended Edition as a number for the Great Goblin.
* VisualPun: Radagast's hair is a literal bird's nest.
* WallCrawl:
** The Misty Mountains' Goblins do a lot of this, though the Dwarves seem to pretty much always see them coming.
** And, true to his character, Gollum "introduces" himself to Bilbo this way as well.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Kíli appears to want to impress his uncle Thorin and becomes embarrassed when he makes a mistake while Thorin is watching or gets reprimanded by him.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Radagast disappears from the movie without a comment after distracting a warband of Orcs.
* WhatYouAreInTheDark:
** When Bilbo doesn't kill Gollum.
** And a small one, when [[spoiler: Bilbo is listening to the Dwarves talking about him deserting them after they all escape the Goblins in the mountains. He is wearing The Ring at the time, so he's free to let them believe he's gone for good and go back to Rivendell. Of course, he reveals himself and continues the journey.]]
* WildCard: The reason Gandalf wants Smaug out of the picture; the Dragon isn't loyal to anyone but could be recruited by the forces of evil. See TooPowerfulToLive above.
* TheWorldIsJustAwesome: Especially in the final shot but throughout the film we get nice pullbacks seeing just how awesome Middle-Earth is. Even a bit of ICanSeeMyHouseFromHere: with them looking at The Lonely Mountain which is the Dwarves' home.
* WritingAroundTrademarks: When telling Bilbo about the other wizards, Gandalf mentions the two Blue Wizards, but claims to be unable to remember their names. Their names are Alatar and Pallando, but the filmmakers do not have the rights to ''Literature/UnfinishedTalesOfNumenorAndMiddleEarth'' or ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', and as such they cannot be legally named. This also resulted in the backstory of the Nazgûl being rewritten.
* YouAndWhatArmy: {{Inverted}} by Balin; he comments that even if the dwarves had an army to take back Erebor, the task would still be monumentally difficult -- and yet the thirteen of them are going to try with no backup whatsoever.
* YouAreNotAlone: Galadriel reassures Gandalf that he has her support after Saruman dismisses Gandalf's concerns and proof about the Necromancer.
-->'''Galadriel:''' Do not be afraid, Mithrandir. You are not alone. If you have need of me, ''I will come''.
* YouDontWantToCatchThis: When the trolls threaten to cook and eat all the Dwarves they've captured, Bilbo tells them that they all have "worms in their tubes" and adds, "They're infested with parasites, it's a terrible business. I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't."
* YouHaveFailedMe: Azog does not tolerate failure, feeding one of his soldiers to the Wargs for failing to kill Thorin or die in the attempt.
* ZergRush: The hordes of goblins pursuing Thorin and Co.
[[/folder]]
----
->''♫ Far over the Misty Mountains cold\\
To dungeons deep and caverns old\\
We must away, ere break of day\\
To find our long-forgotten gold... ♫''