11 Characters The Hobbit Trilogy Nailed

8. The Great Goblin - Barry Humphries

Sometimes it is the smallest casting choices that make all the difference, even when that role is ultimately rather minor in the grand scheme of the trilogy. The Hobbit was at its heart a children's book and with that comes some larger than life villains that weren't all dark and dangerous like Azog. The great goblin of goblin town, a cavernous lair in the heart of the Misty Mountains is very much a larger than life pantomime villain - with a dangerous edge - and the casting of Barry Humphries to voice that role was a stroke of genius. What's more, the Great Goblin looks suitably grotesque, all flabby man boobs and double chins, lording over the goblins in his lair. Humphries' booming voice adds a demented edge to his character, making him as dangerous as he is laughable. The extended version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey even gives us an extra song - taken straight from the book - that makes him an even more fun, if larger than life character that nicely contrasts the rest of the enemy hordes lurking in the wild. In trying to tie closer to the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Peter Jackson could have made the Great Goblin a nasty, terrifying creature akin to Lurtz from the Fellowship Of The Ring. Thankfully Jackson kept the magic of the character, warts, flesh and all.