On the Desolation of Smaug trailer, and Tauriel!

[annathepiper]

And lo, yesterday, the Internet did quake with the coming of the first trailer of The Desolation of Smaug! And it was GOOD. Internet, I AM EXCITE. Because OMG the shot of Bilbo at the top of the trees with the butterflies. OMG the barrels tumbling down the waterfall. OMG there’s Bard the Bowman. And OMG THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF SMAUG! \0/

If you haven’t seen it yet, behold!

I’ll just say this right now: after seeing Legolas and Tauriel, I have just two words for Mr. Jackson. Those words are: HEADCANON ACCEPTED!

I do not give a fat flying damn that Legolas is not actually in the book. He is after all Thranduil’s son, and it makes sense for him to be around. I’m absolutely fine with his presence. Particularly if he’s going to be badassed and pretty and shooting things.

I give even less of a damn that Tauriel is entirely a figment of Peter Jackson’s imagination. Those of you familiar with my longstanding Elfquest fandom will know how much I appreciate a clearly badassed female elf. Those of you familiar with my longstanding Tolkien fandom, likewise. Because after all, Lúthien, Galadriel, and Éowyn are my top favorite characters all over Tolkien’s works. Especially Lúthien–because, hello, badassed female elf, even though her badassery is less combat-oriented and more magical.

Also, having read the relevant chapter of The Hobbit not terribly long ago, I do note that Thranduil does in fact have a guard captain. Yes, he’s male in the story, but he’s so incidental a character that I have no problems whatsoever with Jackson pulling a genderflip.

I’d pretty much already decided that I’m on board with Dara’s interpretation of Jackson’s movies, which is to say, Middle-Earth has reached such mythic status that Jackson’s simply now adding extra versions of the same stories into the rich tapestry of stories available. It’s like Greek mythology–there are several different versions of any given Greek myth, depending on what sources you check. With the works of Tolkien, it’s simply that we know which ones are the original canon. Same deal with superhero stories, which are certainly giving us our modern mythic heroes.

Or, if you will, Jackson’s just giving us some damn good AU fanfic. In which case HEADCANON ACCEPTED makes all the more sense. ;D

Here’s one more thing that makes me willing to deal with Tauriel’s presence as well: wondering honestly whether she’s fated to die in the Battle of Five Armies. This would, I think, make narrative sense. I mean, we know what happens to Legolas. We know he starts off bitterly anti-dwarf in LotR, and that it takes his friendship with Gimli to pull him out of it. If the rumblings I’m hearing about Tauriel being his love interest in these films are true, and she goes out in a tragic blaze of glory in the Battle of Five Armies, it would work quite neatly to set up his sentiments in the other films.

Until we get film #3, though, I’ll be over here admiring her badassery. Because redheaded elf with a bow who looks like she knows how to use it? SIGN ME THE HELL UP.

Mirrored from angelahighland.com.

Comments

[mmegaera]

I would like to quote your paragraph beginning "I’d pretty much already decided that I’m on board" on the Bujold list, which is currently, despite the name of the list, having a rather extensive Tolkien books vs. movies discussion at the moment. May I have your permission?

This interpretation makes a lot of sense to me, too. I suspect that's what happens with most literature that falls into both the category of new enough that we have the originals and that of popular enough to have a fandom and/or movies.

[annathepiper]

Please feel free to quote me, and thank you for asking! :)

I'm totally on board with putting Middle-Earth into the same headspace where I put Greek and other types of mythology. <3

[mmegaera]

Thanks.

[annathepiper]

You're quite welcome!

[stardreamer]

I would be much happier with Tauriel as Legolas' love interest than as Kili's, which is the rumor I've been hearing. And not because of cross-races animus, but because it seems out of character for Kili to go skirt-chasing at all.

[annathepiper]

If any of the dwarves were going to go cross-species, actually, I'd most expect Fili or Kili to do it as they're the youngest and least likely to be set in their ways. Also, as has been observed, Kili is the most elven-looking of the lot of them, so he's within range for Tauriel to find possibly kinda adorable, even if short. Also, they ARE both archers....

Heh, yeah, I wouldn't mind that.

Of course, we know what happens to Kili, too. And my proposed narrative here still also kinda works, even if Legolas isn't in this romantically, but considers Tauriel a close friend and comrade-in-arms. If Tauriel goes out in a blaze of glory in the battle, maybe because she has in fact become involved with Kili--maybe she's trying to save him?--and Legolas is feeling her loss... yeah, that still works.

Guess we'll find out! :D