15. Bilbo Is A Passenger, Not A Protagonist
You have to feel for Martin Freeman; the guy is given a pretty thankless task in not only trying to play the young version of beloved character actor Ian Holm, but also having to compete with the inevitable comparisons his portayal will receive to Elijah Wood's turn as Frodo in the Rings trilogy. Freeman, best known as Tim from the UK version of The Office, was a widely-campaigned choice for Bilbo from the net nerds, and so they rejoiced when he was cast, while trailers made it seem clear that Freeman had pretty much nailed the Bilbo of the novel. However, it's Peter Jackson that again causes problems, his script and his infatuation with excessive visual effects stifling Freeman's efforts and essentially making him a passenger in the very same movie that he is apparently starring in. This should have been the film that allowed Freeman to become a household name, unleashing his unique wit and sense of humour upon a larger audience, but all he has to do is really walk through the various green-screened set-pieces, look a bit naffed-off when the Dwarves show up, and then look a little tough by film's end. Hopefully this will be rectified in the next two films as Freeman grows into the role, but we won't hold our breath.