[Mithuial]

I can definitly see your point, because Gandalf plays more the part of a wise old guide rather than a savoir or captain. In LotR he falls off a bridge and comes back to life, later. that's not exactly characteristic of a human. I think also in the trilogy Tolkien drops several hints about Gandalf's past as Olorin the Maia rather than the simple wizard he was in the Hobbit. I think that some of Gandalf's interactions with the dwarves and Bilbo in the Hobbit are definately more human than the wise, leader in LotR. But one thing I'll give the movie (dunno why I'm bringing it into this) is that they did a good job of making Gandalf someone we can relate to. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you couldn't relate to him in the books, I'm saying that they could've messed things up and made him the stereotypical wizard that is really powerful and heroic and impersonel. That's one thing I love about Gandalf: he's so personnel, both in the Hobbit and LotR, maybe more so in the Hobbit, but I love him in both stories, and now I'm babbling. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]