Martin Freeman‘s Bilbo Baggins once again proves to Ian McKellan’s Gandalf the remarkable nature and resilience of hobbits in the latest clip from “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.” It would be something Gandalf would note later in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
There’s a tenacity and bravery in the halflings that bigger folk would do well to note. Needing to get a message of warning to Richard Armitage‘s Thorin Oakenshield, Gandalf finds himself stunned when Bilbo volunteers in the wake of Lee Pace‘s Thranduil’s rejection of elven involvement.
Gandalf tells Bilbo he’ll be seen and killed before he gets to Thorin, but Bilbo insists, “No, they won’t. They won’t see me.” At this point, Gandalf does not yet know that Bilbo possesses Sauron’s “One Ring,” which allows the wearer to become invisible.
And so, he attempts to shut the whole plan down, saying he won’t allow it.
“I’m not asking you to allow it, Gandalf,” Bilbo says quietly before stealing away to take the mission upon himself. Hobbits are stubborn, too.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” hits theaters on Wednesday, Dec. 17.