2. The Dwarves
Perhaps not everyone's choice for a top-nine justification of the film's worthiness as none of the individual dwarves quite reach the heights or emotional depths any of the members of the Fellowship but there was a lot of work put in to generating and maintaining a strong sense of brotherhood in the band of travelers that really pays off. The inclusion of the songs from the book is a big part of this. Whilst some people (critics looking for problems) feel there is a real clash in tone between the song entitled 'Bilbo Baggins doesn't like it when we smash up his plates, LOL what a loser!' and the Misty Mountains song the contrast is in fact the strongest part of the dwarves characterizations. The jollity and mischief, so high in their list of priorities compliments their more serious side. It shows how much spirit they have - an endearing character trait - whilst implying that they really put this public happy face on just to hide their true resentment and vengeful longing to regain their home. In addition to their beefed out characters the scenes that show their cooperation in combat and dinner-party cleanup are a thrill to watch. Truly great examples of choreography and the teamwork both in the characters and the actors. These thirteen actors balance well the dwarves' simultaneous lust for vengeance, their grief and their very human ability to cover up the pain with a good laugh.