What started as a one film prequel to the masterful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, was turned into a three film saga in it's own right. Like it or lump it, Warner Brothers is doing what they wish with the material. I am very fond of the Middle Earth series, they are excellent works of art. But the decision to turn a 300 page children's book into a three part film epic was met with mixed results by myself as well.
The first film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey starts off with the titular halfling Bilbo Baggins being recruited by the wizard Gandalf in order to help a group of dwarves reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo comes face to face with terrors such as trolls, goblins, orcs, and a mysterious ring that will change his fate forever.
The same whimsical spirit and wondrous sense of adventure that featured so prominently in Peter Jackson's original trilogy is still present in this movie, whilst still keeping a darker side to it when the story calls for it to do so. Tonally, it will fit seamlessly on the shelf with the other films.
However, at times it feels a little bit bloated, which is a mixed bag. Scenes not present in the book (yes, I've actually read this book) but merely in the appendices are brought in to both lengthen the movie and to give us the opportunity to see some of our favorite characters once more. While I welcome any reason to see the lovely Cate Blanchett, the charming Elijah Wood, and the magnificent Christopher Lee, they do very little to add to the overall plot. The question that remains is does the bloat ruin the movie? Absolutely not. I cherish the opportunity for Peter Jackson to be creative in expanding the series. If this is going to be a three picture pony, it's good to know it will never be boring.
Martin Freeman joins the cast as the eponymous Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. He does well to craft a Bilbo who is a believable homebody, afraid to come out of his hole, but also a curious creature that will eventually meld into the seasoned adventurer Ian Holm portrayed in Fellowship.
Sir Ian McKellen reprises his role as Gandalf the Grey. His wisdom and brilliance has made this role into something so memorable, that no one could ever take his place. His command of his voice, his charge of a situation, and his warmth for others create a character of cult status and amazing staying power.
Richard Armitage plays the lead dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield. His determination, ferocity, and sense of entitlement towards what is truly his creates such a fascinating dynamic that plays well against our other characters.
The cast of dwarves is far too vast for me to describe in detail, but each actor brings life to the beloved dwarves we know and love from the books.
Andrew's Standout for this film would be the transcendently talented Andy Serkis who reprises his role of Gollum. While some people would not classify motion capture as "acting", I choose to look at Serkis as an actor who is merely wearing a highly advanced costume. He does majestically as a creature that transcends the bounds of realism. He fuels such emotion into Gollum to create a wounded being, who was corrupted by such a powerful force. He, along with Freeman, breathe life into the famous riddle scene, and in it's cinematic form, it will go down as one of the most memorable ever created, thanks to Serkis.
While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will not be exactly what you pictured in your head as you read the book, it's still an amazing motion picture that will live on forever alongside it's predecessors as wondrous fantasy adventure epic.
B+
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