The Hobbit, an Unexpected Journey - Film Review

Post

Subscribe

Ten years ago, not to the very day, but near enough to make no difference, the world received The Lord of the Rings; The Fellowship of the Ring, and the epic movie was born again. Thirteen years ago, we received an eagerly awaited prequel movie. What we got was Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

But let's not discuss those two things in the same breath ever again.

Part One of The Hobbit brings us back to the realm of Middle-Earth, but we don't walk that same paths the Fellowship did ten years ago. This keeps us in the northern regions of Middle-Earth, far from the mightier realms of men such as Gondor and Rohan, where the Elves rule the forests, and fouler creatures than orcs scurry about in the shadows. The Dwarvern kingdom shown at the beginning of the film is just as massive and glorious as I'd expect from them, and for the first time, I truly appreciated watching a film in 3D. It's not a necessity for the film, but it adds in a layer of depth that really helps bring the world to life.



Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, and as sagacious, enigmatic, and ... wizardly as ever. Richard Armitage (pictured above, middle) was entirely believeable, forlorn and noble. Ironically, Richard Armitage was in Star Wars episode one as a Naboo pilot, but we won't be holding that against him. Martin Freeman stars as a young Bilbo Baggins in the first thing I've seen him in since The Office (UK). Awkward, in unknown waters but still retaining the innocence of a Hobbit, he managed to bring the novel's character to the screen in a brilliant way. Dean O'Gorman (picture above, bottom left), no stranger to fantasy settings, having performed in Sam Raimi's Hercules and Xena, Warrior Princess, plays one of the Dwarves, Fili, in a universe as inspired by Norse mythology as The Almighty Johnsons, an NZ tv series in which he plays Anders Johnson, the reincarnated Bragi, god of poetry.



There's a slew of cameos, including Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving returning as Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond respectively, (pictured above Christopher Lee returns as Saruman the White, head of the Istari, not yet corrupted by the darkness as he was in the first trilogy). For those who paid attention to the original trilogy, two of Gimli's relatives are in this. What I really appreciated about this movie was the more fantastic approach to it, and the entirely unsubtle references to the original sources. The whole 'good morning' scene from the book, for those who have read it, is lifted almost directly from the opening chapter. Bilbo's hiding of expensive-looking goods is a reference to Fellowship of the Ring when he discusses one of the Sackville-Bagginses, cousins of his, pilfering his silverware. Even the singing of songs is a reminder of Tolkien's fondness for songwriting and poetry.



The movie is what I'd hoped for, a fantasy adventure. Over mountains high and through caverns deep, goblins and monsters dogging every step. The Misty Mountains (Cold) song struck a chord with me when sung by the Company of Dwarves, the sadness quite apparent. The film uses this song in the basic score to great effect, reminding us that it is a Middle-Earth film, but different to Lord of the Rings, in a great way.



It's a retelling of a classic, with the same direction that gave us that trilogy ten years ago. It brings back the high fantasy adventure in the same way Lord of the Rings brought back the big epic battles and medieval legends and helped create a new wave of novel adaptions.

I haven't felt so enraptured by a movie's atmosphere since James Cameron's Avatar, and that's a hell of a thing. I even spent most of Avatar comparing it to Frank Herbert's Dune, but still the scenery pulled me in. But what I appreciate about the Hobbit more than Avatar, is that the Hobbit is filmed on location. New Zealand is a beautiful country.



I thought this movie was brilliant. Go see it, it's worth the price of admission. It's slower paced than the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but makes up for it by being a journey with twists and tumbles, and lighthearted moments between the members of the company and those they meet along the way. Maybe watch it first if you want to take the kids, but if you'd trust them with Star Wars or Lord of the Rings, this should be safe for them.

Keep a watchful eye out for teaser trailers for Part 2; [i]The Desolation of Smaug[/i], due in 2013, and [i]There And Back Again[/i], due for release in 2014.

SCORE: 4/5.

#cinema
#film_reviews
#movie_reviews
#things_to_see
%wneverywhere