The Hobbit is now out in theatres and it is an amazing movie! A little long if you are not a tolkien lover, because they split the story into three movies. But if you are like me and always wanted more out of the Lord of the Rings movies, you will love this one!
This post comes with a little spoiler alert if you have not seen any of the trailers for the movie, or the movie itself.
Here is a trailer if you would like to see:
Radagast the Brown, a wizard like Gandalf, has a small part in the movie! He is merely referenced in the Hobbit, and has return appearance in LOTR (not in the movie version). Radagast’s job was to take care of nature. I am not too fond of the make up job that he has in the movie (mainly the bird poop running down his face).
(image found here)
But in the trailer you get a glimpse of something not mentioned in the books, but is a wonderful and fitting addition to Radagast’s character: a sled pulled by giant rabbits!
Here are some screen shots:
(screen capture found here)
(screen capture found at theonering.com)
They are adorable giant rabbits, and are very fast in the film. In the movie Radagast refers to the rabbits and being outrun by wargs: “These are Rhosgobel Rabbits. I’d like to see them try!”
Rhosgobel is the name of the place where Radagast lives – so it is fitting to refer to the rabbits as being from there. His home is described as being fenced in, and lying on the western edge of Mirkwood. You can read a bit more about Rhosgobel at tolkiengateway.net.
I will update this post once better pictures of the rabbits come out.
