The Hobbit: 11 Amazing Things You Missed In The Desolation Of Smaug

10. Peter Jackson€™s Cameos Continue

Peter Jackson loves his cameos, doesn€™t he? His distinct, almost Hobbit-y look makes him instantly recognisable in his various guises in a way we haven€™t seen with such recurrence since Alfred Hitchcock. A Rohanian spear thrower, arrow targeted pirate and a dragon fleeing dwarf, (and, outside of Middle Earth, a policeman stabbing Santa, King Kong aiming pilot and unsuspecting tramp), his most noticable appearance came in Fellowship, where he plays a carrot chomping resident of Bree. And it€™s that role he reprises in Desolation. The film€™s Bree opening, a welcome tone setter that, unlike later parts feels totally in service of this single film, kicks off with Jackson slumping across screen with the signature carrot. Certainly obvious for those aware of this tradition, to the general audience it comes across as general set up. It€™s made more self indulgent (or cool, depending on how you feel about this sort of thing) as the scene goes on; Katie Jackson, Peter€™s daughter, who also appeared in the original trilogy as various €˜cute€™ (that€™s actually how she€™s credited) children plays The Prancing Pony€™s barmaid, Betsy Butterbur.
Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.