Everyone who cares, and a lot of people who don’t, are aware that the Peter Jackson movie of ‘The Hobbit’ is about to be released in the US. It’s a week away, and I’ll probably be in the theater to see it on Friday unless something unexpected prevents me. I have misgivings, though.

This is what I expect:

The casting will be terrific, good actors all around. (Not a hard prediction, since we have already seen Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, Cate Blanchett, and Hugo Weaving; plus the trailers have shown us Martin Freeman as Bilbo, and the actors playing the various dwarves. I love ’em all.

The location will be great. Stupendous New Zealand landscapes. Ah.

The sets will be fantastic. The props and costumes will be convincing and beautifully detailed.

But the script. O, I fear, I know, something will be terribly amiss.

I don’t know what that will be. But what I learned from Jackson’s LOTR movies was that he will sacrifice character, even sense, to add such interpolations as Aragorn falling off a cliff into a river and being rescued by his horse (Why? Can’t Jackson see the difference between drama and blithering silliness?) And there is tragic, proud Denethor, who decides to kill his son and commit suicide rather than fight to the end — one of the most dramatic and suspenseful situations in the Battle of Minas Tirith. For some reason Jackson thought it was improved by simply making Denethor a raving madman. Cheapened again.

I have no objection per se to making changes when adapting a novel to a movie. All I expect is that the changes make sense. It’s almost like Jackson doesn’t understand what he’s read — and I know he’s said in interviews that he has read the books, unlike many Hollywood producers and directors who will hire people to do the reading for them.

[Personal gripe of lesser importance: it’s too late now, but why don’t the actors know how to pronounce “Gandalf” consistently?]

Anyhow, in honor and anticipation of “The Hobbit” release, I will reread The Hobbit: the book, and reflect on the story as I experience it again, starting tomorrow.