Any great journey begins with a little uncertainty and caution, and Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” is definitely a great journey.
Despite its similar look and epic scale, “The Hobbit” has a different feel than its “Lord of the Rings” predecessor. It’s little bit lighter, although not as light as the original children’s book by J.R.R. Tolkien. Without the fate of Middle-earth hanging in the balance, Jackson has the opportunity to have a little more fun.
Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman/Ian Holm) is a respectable hobbit who never does anything unexpected, until Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) shows up one sunny morning.
Before you can say “Shire,” Bilbo finds himself signed up to reclaim the dwarf kingdom of Erebor with more dwarves than Snow White could handle.
The cast of this film truly is phenomenal. Familiar faces such as Hugo Weaving (Elrond), Cate Blanchette (Lady Galadriel) and Elijah Wood (Frodo) all briefly reprise their roles.
The dwarves are an entertaining crew, although with the exception of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the two younger dwarves Fili (Dean O’Gorman) and Kili (Aidan Turner), little is done to distinguish one from the other.
The true star is Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing the part. Freeman’s dry delivery and humor make him perfect as the hobbit. He is Bilbo.
This first installment in the Hobbit trilogy does not disappoint. With a slightly less serious storyline humor and levity are a little more common. Gandalf is a little less gray and everything is a little less gloomy.
Those not familiar with Tolkien or the “Lord of the Rings,” films might find the story a bit long at times, but all in all, Jackson does a good job keeping the story moving. The action sequences don’t drag on for two long, and the quieter scenes and gorgeous settings break the film up nicely.
The film stays pretty close to the book, except for when it strays into some of Tolkien’s other works. Fans of the author’s work will be excited to see some pieces of “The Silmarillion” made it into the film.
True cinema and Tolkien nerds should definitely consider spending the extra cash to see the high frame rate 3D. It takes a bit of getting use to, but it really does feel like you’re there.
With its epic scale and beautiful attention to detail, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” is worth seeing in theaters…despite its nearly three hours running time.
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