Warner Bros.

"The Hobbit" hits theaters this Friday and besides all the hobbits, orcs, elves, humans, dragons and Gollums, there's also a group of sturdy folk who form the backbone of the movie: Dwarves.

This isn't the first time dwarves have been portrayed in film, of course — and it's not the first time that little people have been played on screen by regular-sized folks, either. But "The Hobbit," with its band of stout and heroic dwarven heroes, is undoubtedly one of the most prominent portrayals of little people in Hollywood's long and checkered history.

So that got us thinking: Where is "The Hobbit" going to end up ranking on the scale of most positive to most demeaning portrayals of little people in film? To help you decide that for yourself, here's a quick continuum of nine prominent movies featuring little people, ranked from most positive to most demeaning.

1. 'The Station Agent' (2003)

Miramax

Back before he was known as "Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage," Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage rose to fame on the strength of his role as Finbar McBride in the 2003 indie "The Station Agent." A reclusive man who finds solace from an unkind world in his love of trains, Fin is a complex and moving depiction of the emotional toll society sometimes exacts on outsiders. The fact that Fin is a little person informs the character but is only part of his persona, which immediately elevates "The Station Agent" above just about everything else Hollywood has given us. Plus, you know, it introduced us to the genius of Dinklage. That's a double win.

2. 'Time Bandits' (1981)

Anchor Bay

A bit of typical madcap whimsy from director Terry Gilliam, "Time Bandits" focuses on a group of six dwarves who, tired of their station in life, decide to become time traveling pirates, searching the centuries for untold treasure. Sure, being crooks isn't necessarily taking the high road, but these little people (one of whom is portrayed by Kenny Baker, best known as R2-D2 in "Star Wars") turn out to be loyal and courageous (if somewhat cantankerous) heroes. Plus, that job they are sick of? Turns out they're God's assistants. And that doesn't look too bad on the resume, whatever your size.

3. 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999)

New Line

Okay, so the role in question in this blockbuster hit is basically a joke about Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) having a little person duplicate of himself. But the difference between "Austin Powers" and some of the other supposed comedies on our list is that Verne Troyer was very much in on the joke. As Mini-Me, he more than held his own, delivering jokes and punches to Austin Powers' face with equal verve. All the proof you need is in the fact that he was brought back with a greatly expanded role in "Austin Powers in Goldmember" three years later.

4. 'Total Recall' (1990)

Carolco

Arnold Schwarzenegger's sci-fi hit is fondly remembered for a number of different things, but near the top of just about everyone's list is Debbie Lee Carrington's portrayal of Thumbelina. We have kind of mixed feelings about the character; on the one hand, she's an awesome, ass-kicking fighter who takes down bad guys with knives, machines guns and pretty much whatever else happens to be available. On the other hand, she's also a hooker, which plays into some old, unfortunate and somewhat inexplicable stereotypes. Overall, though, this one has to land on the plus side of the column just for Carrington's panache. You go, girl.

5. 'Snow White and the Huntsman' (2012)

Universal

In many ways, "Snow White and the Huntsman" is similar to "The Hobbit." There are several good things about the way the dwarves are portrayed in the film, as they are loyal, heroic and steadfast. But the film was engulfed in controversy due to the fact that all seven roles were filled by regular-sized actors even though CGI and make-up made them almost entirely unrecognizable anyway. The Little People of America joined several acting groups in protesting and boycotting the film in response. The on-screen results certainly could have been worse, but the studio's off-screen handling of the situation could have been much more sensitive, which is why this one lands smack dab in the middle of our list.

6. 'Freaks' (1932)

Universal

Before "Freaks" hit theaters in 1932, director Tod Browning ("Dracula") was a Hollywood superstar. After it hit theaters, his career was over, as the film sparked such shock and outrage that it was banned in some countries for the next three decades. "Freaks" tells the story of a little person named Hans who marries a regular-sized lady; when it turns out that she's just using him to get his inheritance, Hans' friends in the circus sideshow take a brutal and terrible revenge. The film used real circus "freaks" and gets points for showing their tight-knit community as well as for becoming a cult classic in the '60s and '70s for holding a mirror up to society. Still, we have a gut feeling that you could get a little more positive than a movie called "Freaks." Just saying.

7. 'The Terror of Tiny Town' (1938)

Columbia Pictures

Now we're full on into exploitation territory. "The Terror of Tiny Town" is one of the most reviled and critically panned movies ever. Hitting theaters in 1938, the movie is a western comedy featuring a cast comprised entirely of little people. It's basically over an hour of short jokes, with the little people engaging in one embarrassing farce after another. Still, it did at least employ an entire cast of little people. And as terrible as "The Terror of Tiny Town" is, sadly, it's not even close to the worst thing Hollywood has done. For example ...

8. 'Midgets vs. Mascots' (2009)

First Look

This straight-to-DVD exercise in stupidity has a pretty simple premise: Five little people compete against five corporate and sports mascots for money. What ensues is, well, exactly what you'd expect: Dudes in Styrofoam gladiator costumes mud-wrestling little people for yuks. How low exactly does this film go? Well, it features a full frontal sequence starring the late Gary Coleman. Ron Jeremy, Jason Mewes and Scottie Pippin are also among those who now owe the world an apology.

9. 'Tiptoes' (2003)

Sony Pictures

It's hard to fathom what anyone was thinking when they made the indie drama "Tiptoes," especially since it stars a legitimately excellent cast: Gary Oldman, Kate Beckinsale, Patricia Arquette and Matthew McConaughey are all in it, as is Peter Dinklage. So, honestly, it shouldn't be one of the most excruciatingly embarrassing films ever made. But it is. Why? Well, the plot is basically about a regular-sized guy (McConaughey) who spends his life hiding his secret shame — that the rest of his family are little people. And the worst part isn't even the sequence where he pitches a fit when he discovers his newborn child is a little person; it's the fact that his brother isn't played by Dinklage, but rather by Oldman, who literally played the part on his knees to emulate the height difference. Yes. Read that again. It sounds like a gag that would have been rejected by "Tropic Thunder" for going too far, except it really happened, in a real movie, with a real Oscar-nominated actor. Ladies and gentlemen: The most demeaning film about little people ever made.

Warner Bros.

Comedy sequels fall into three categories: bad enough to make you wonder if the original was as good as you thought ("Weekend at Bernies II," "Evan Almighty," and far too many others); amusing but less entertaining than the first ("Ghostbusters II," "American Pie 2"); and -- rarest of all -- funny enough to stand on its own merits.

Here's hoping that the men-behaving-badly-again release of "The Hangover Part II" falls into the last group. In the meantime, here are five comedy sequels that aren't just worthy of the originals, but also righteously hilarious on their own.

5. 'Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay' (2008)

New Line

In most contexts, Gitmo is no laughing matter; but Harold (John Cho) and Kumar (Kal Penn) transcend political sensitivity. The odd-couple duo (Harold's organized, Kumar's a slacker) take their ganja-laced humor to the notorious military prison after getting arrested on a flight to the pot-nirvana of Amsterdam. Despite the presence of gun-toting government agents, "Escape" is no "Bourne" adventure; it's still a stoner comedy at heart, and with the help of friends like Neil Patrick Harris, H & K made us laugh almost as hard as they did in "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle."

4. 'Wayne’s World 2' (1993)

Paramount/Everett Collection

Most movies based on recurring "Saturday Night Live" sketches don't rank very high on "best" lists ("A Night at the Roxbury," "It's Pat"... enough said), so imagine our pleasant surprise when not one, but both "Wayne World" comedies ended up being watchable. As our favorite cable-access basement-dwellers from Aurora, Illinois, plan a music festival, we're treated to visions of Jim Morrison and Sammy Davis Jr., a host of cameos (including a hilarious Christopher Walken) and enough lowbrow zingers to please boys and grown-ups alike.

3. 'The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear' (1991)

Paramount/Everett Collection

Leslie Nielsen, may he rest in peace, was a master of physical comedy and deadpan humor -- both of which are constantly evident in this gut-busting follow-up to the police-drama parody "The Naked Gun." As perpetually clueless Lieutenant Frank Drebin, Nielsen showcased his ability to win a laugh from every line -- especially in his innuendo-filled scenes with love-interest Priscilla Presley or with his partner O.J. Simpson (it's OK to laugh; this was three years before he put on the bloody glove).

2. 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999)

New Line

Mike Myers' career will forever be remembered for his live-action comedies of the '90s and the animated "Shrek" franchise of the 2000s. In his spy-parody sequel to "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," Myers pulled off a comic trifecta by portraying the titular man of mystery, the international supervillain Dr. Evil, and the grotesquely supersized henchman Fat Bastard. But Myers owes as much of his shagadelic success to his supporting players (including Mindy Sterling, Seth Green and Mini-Me Verne Troyer) as he does to catchphrases like "Yeaaah Baby!" and "I want my baby back, baby back, baby back… ribs."

1. 'Christmas Vacation' (1989)

Warner Bros./Everett Collection

It was tough deciding which Griswold family comedy deserved the honor, but in the end we have to crown this manic holiday classic our favorite. Of course, "European Vacation" was pretty damn funny (if you don't mind puerile gags about phallic-shaped sausages and porn-star wives), but it's ultimately too reminiscent of the far superior original to land the top spot. In "Christmas," we get to see Chuck wild-eyed about his oversized tree, over-the-top lights, and elderly and eccentric relatives. Nobody does slapstick like Chevy Chase, and no other cinematic family can make us laugh like the Griswolds.