Review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) by Iamjacksbrain — 14 Dec 2012
Though not quite as good as the Lord of the Rings films, the first installment of the planned Hobbit trilogy was engaging, fun, and beautiful. Some may argue that it takes to long to start but the beginning is filled with fun moments that introduce the characters as well as the quest that will occupy these three films.
It does a fantastic job conveying that the Hobbit is more of a bit less serious than the Lord of the Rings and kids will be sure to get a few laughs. Peter Jackson is once again able to show the beauty of Middle Earth with stunning shots of the land and is able to convey the grand scope of the quest effectively.
The performances were absolutely fantastic. Sir Ian McKellen delivers once again as the wizard Gandalf and Martin Freeman was incredibly charming as Bilbo Baggins. Though there are a lot of dwarves to keep track of and some of them are more forgettable than others, all performances are solid and Jackson allows pretty much all of them at least some dialogue.
I am sure they will get more notice in the next two films. The only downside is that at times there is a feel of overuse of CGI. Part of what made the LotR films great was the mix of real with CGI.
Most of the orcs are completely CGI and therefore the combat seems to be lacking. But seeing as this is a happier movie series that isn't combat driven like the LotR films it is forgivable. For those wondering how such a relatively short book will span three films, Jackson adapts many of Tolkien's other writings to the film as to provide background and context.
To people who read The Hobbit that may recall something in the film not happening in the book, don't worry it is nothing that Tolkien didn't already write. Overall The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a fantastic film that is tons of fun and does a great job introducing characters and kicking of the beloved epic tale that will take two more installments.
Any fan of Tolkien will love it... unless your just a dick.
This review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) was written by Iamjacksbrain on 14 Dec 2012.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has generally received positive reviews.
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