I finally had time to go through the trailer frame by frame and wondered, like most people probably did, what nasty creature Gandalf is fighting in this scene (click on pics for HD screenshots):

Then it dawned on me; look at what “it” is wearing!  That pattern!  A dwarf-looking pattern, if I am any judge (and I’m not, but it’s my blog so humor me!)  What other race would wear something with those particular shapes in the fabric.  It looks distinctly like worn velvet, and reminds me more than a little of the velvet surcoat Thorin wears.

Now, let’s look at those worn rags again.  They were not always rags, and from what we have seen of LOTR creatures, no orc or goblin would be wearing something so civilized.  So perhaps this creature is actually a dwarf.  I’m going to throw out the possibility that velvet would only be worn by those of a noble house, and why not the house of Durin itself? Continue reading →