Film Review: The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey
Sunday, December 30, 2012
In this 2 hour 46 minute extravaganza, where do I begin? Well, how about beginning at the beginning. We see a very different Middle Earth to the one we saw in LOTR, and a lengthy prequel about the land of the dwarves - and its fall. The Shire is as bright and bubbly as you remember it, and after a brief introduction you meet Mr Bilbo Baggins, played tremendously well by Martin Freeman. I quite like the series Sherlock, so it was interesting seeing him take on such a coveted role as this. He completely pulls it off as a tiny, hairy-footed hobbit and his cluelessness will make you laugh at least several times throughout the film. Freeman had no choice but to turn down the role at first, but director Peter Jackson rescheduled the filming times to suit him. It must have caused a lot of hassle, but it was definitely worth it. Those boots have been filled by a worthy and completely credible actor.
Bilbo is joined by a band of homeless, troublesome dwarves threatening to destroy the peaceful hobbit's life as they try and recruit him to be their "burgular". These are no ordinary dwarves; they are on a quest, or an adventure, to reclaim their homeland. The casting is spot on, with a mix of intriguing personalities played by actors such as Sylvester McCoy, James Nesbitt and lesser known names such as Adam Brown who plays "Ori". They are clearly distinguished as individuals but, despite the long running time, I only knew the names of one or two dwarves by the end of the film and quite a few were unfortunately slightly forgettable (especially if you're comparing it to the Fellowship of LOTR). More screen time and character developing might have solved this, but it might have added unnecessary minutes. Another minor criticism I'd add is that some of their costume make-up is slightly, ever-so-slightly overdone. The leader of the dwarves, Thorin, is the only one I really remember but for good reason. In a career-defining role, Richard Armitage is brilliantly brilliant. There are moments where he reminded me of Aragorn, and his story as heir to the throne is one prominent to the plot.
In terms of special effects, the standard is very high these days. Jackson made a controversial choice to film a High Frame Rate (48 frames per second I believe) which I personally don't think made a massive impact, but it has come under fire from a lot of critics. I found some of the camera swoops over Middle Earth a bit blurry in 3D, but that could quite possibly just be my eyes. Having watched it in 3D was a very cool experience too, but it's probably one of those films where it enhances, but isn't necessarily necessary. The gorgeous backdrop of New Zealand provides a spectacular scenery without the need of special effects, but for everything else, it still looks entirely believable. And not forgetting the king of special effects, Gollum; top marks again go to anyone involved in bringing my favourite love-to-hate character to life.
The actual plot of the book The Hobbit has been split into three films, so The Unexpected Journey covers the introduction and how it all came to be, and the journey to the Lonely Mountains. Whilst they don't even get to the point of meeting dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), there is plenty of action once the film gets properly started. Sometimes-clumsy fight scenes and hilarious near-death experiences are very different to the LOTR trilogy and its experienced swordsmen/archers/axebearers, but the action is nonetheless entertaining to watch and there are enough encounters with evil goblins to keep every film fan satisfied.
In most reviews I've read, or where I've heard friends talk about the film, they've pretty much all said "yeah it's a good film, but it's no way near as good as Lord of the Rings." And I've found that in this review alone, I've drawn constant comparisons to the trilogy. But it must be known and acknowledged that The Hobbit is very different; it's more light-hearted in places, there is no one common enemy, and it's all about a different kind of journey. It is undoubtedly an incredible film - one of the best I have seen all year - and if you take away any expectation or comparison generated from LOTR, it is still undoubtedly an incredible film. Whether or not you choose to compare and be disappointed is up to you, but I for one was certainly not disappointed. I can't wait for the next two instalments and I think the future is very bright for The Hobbit trilogy and the brand new adventure it presents.
Bev x
PS. Apologies for the lengthy review! It is, after all, a lengthy film...
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