The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Is the return to Middle Earth everything worth the wait for three new films?

Release Date: December 13, 2012

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Andy Serkis, Graham McTavish

Plot: When thirteen dwarves and a curmudgeonly wizard arrive on Bilbo Baggins' doorstep little does he realise he is about to embark on an adventure which will pit him against hungry trolls, vengeful orcs, a deadly dragon, and a game of riddles that will shape not only his fate but that of Middle Earth itself.

I must admit I was filled with trepidation in the weeks before the release of The Hobbit. I was a fan of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 2001-2003 and I was very much looking forward to the Hobbit as in many ways I prefer the story. However, what was filling me with a sense of unease was his decision to turn it into another trilogy, two films I could understand, but when I found out that the reason behind this decision was that he intended to 'flesh out' the story and add narrative elements that were known to have happened in that period (as detailed in Unfinished Tales) but were not explicitly shown within the novel. In my honest opinion it seemed to be more about money and I thought such a thought process could lead to the ruination of something that Peter Jackson had worked so hard to achieve.

When I came out of the cinema I was divided. On the one hand the film was very good, which I was expecting, but on the other hand my fears were realised in so much that much of the additional content was not needed and served to only slow the film down upon repeated viewings. So now I shall proceed to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of The Hobbit: An unexpected Journey.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy had a large ensemble cast of diverse and well developed characters, many of whom reappear in The Hobbit, and the vast majority of them are as equally interesting. Ian Mckellen shows that he is able to slip straight back into the role as a younger Gandalf the Grey. In fact there is very little point in discussing him at depth as he turns in virtually the same performance as last time albeit with more comedy in order to fit in with the overall tone of the film, it became increasingly apparent to me that this is the role for which I will always remember him. There is no doubt in my mind that it is Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins that deserves the most kudos. Admittedly it isn't hard to be a more likeable protagonist than Elijah Wood's overly whiny Frodo but he manages it with the charm and sharp wit that has become a trademark of Freeman's. Throughout the entire film Freeman manages to convincingly portray a younger version of Ian Holm's Bilbo that we saw in the Fellowship of the Ring yet without actually resorting to impersonation. This talent is best demonstrated in the 'Riddles in the Dark' segment which incidentally is the best scene in the film and features the ever increasing talent of Andy Serkis as Gollum, the two manage to play off one another in a manner which makes their dynamic far more entertaining than the one between Serkis and Elijah Wood. I believe that this scene alone is worth the price of admission and although I would not have expected a win, a nomination for best supporting actor would not have been entirely disagreeable for Serkis.

A large host of actors from the original trilogy also return to show how their characters got to where they are. Christopher Lee returns for a brief cameo to show that even before he was under the influence of Sauron he was still Middle Earth's largest tool, the look on Gandalf's face as Lee's melodic bass voice resonates from off screen conveys their relationship far better than any of the dialogue that follows. In addition, many fan favourites such as Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) show up for a cameo featuring the fabled 'White Council' and the collection of acting powerhouses in this scene make up for the decidedly creepy CGI effects Jackson has incorporated to shave the years off his now ageing performers. My favourite function of this scene (in addition to the sense of nostalgia and seeing my favourite characters return) was the fact that it is placing the foundations for what I believe will be the best storyline in the trilogy: The banishment of the Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch) from Dol Guldor, which it would appear is being scheduled for the final instalment of the trilogy.

I mentioned briefly in my last paragraph the level of detail extended to the returning players from the Lord of the Rings, however, one aspect that I thought interesting was that this level of character development was not extend to the eleven dwarves that make up the bulk of the principle cast, in fact most of them I cannot even remember. The film chooses to focus on a select few, Thorin (Richard Armitage), Balin (Ken Stott), Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Fili (Dean O'Gorman), Kili (Aidan Turner) and Bofur (James Nesbitt) and the performances from each of these talented actors serve to elevate the character above their clichéd roles. Many of the other dwarves do not even get lines, for example, Bombur was only recognizable for his sizeable girth. This is somewhat surprising considering how distinctive and diverse the characters in Jackson's first trilogy are, though this may have been to differentiate the many races that make up the Fellowship of the Ring. Though if this was indeed the case surely measures should be taken to individualise an ensemble who all superficially look pretty much the same.

One new addition whom I absolutely loved (though a good friend of mine did not share my views on this) was Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown, the third Istari wizard alongside Saruman and Gandalf. McCoy played the character as someone who has allowed the years of isolation to turn him into an eccentric, almost like the Willy Wonka of wizardry, slightly antisocial and more than a little peculiar in the company he keeps, choosing to shy away from his fellow Istari and instead devote his time to the wildlife of Middle Earth (I am actually 100% convinced his hair was matted with bird droppings from a nest he kept on his head). Considering the character's obvious affinity with all things nature it almost comes across as being a tad 'hippyish', in fact Saruman even makes reference to this when he claims that a lifelong addiction to 'mushrooms' has addled his brain and yellowed his teeth. He provides most of the more successful comic relief and rather nicely sets in motion the storyline regarding the Necromancer which I briefly touched upon previously. I hope very much that he will be utilised throughout this new series of films.

Regrettably, Like many directors before him I feel that Peter Jackson has finally succumbed to the over reliance on special effects, whereas the Orcs and Goblins in the original trilogy were all actors in decidedly realistic (considering what they are portraying) costumes this film instead chooses to create their villains using computer generated imagery and I personally feel that this removes something from the character, they just do not look real enough to be intimidating. This is best shown in new foe Azog, a character not featured in Tolkein's original book but has been added for the sole purpose of being a physical antagonist until Smaug is properly introduced in the next film. Although I was not a particular fan of this character, I do recognize the necessity for such a character but I felt he was a rather flat threat.

Visually the film was superlative, in fact I am rather surprised that the film was not nominated for any major awards this year, it was by far the best looking of the bunch. While the acting was never going to compete with the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis as President Lincoln or Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, it was a feast for the eyes in a way that no other film released in the last few months could hope to achieve. While I maintain that this time around there was far too much reliance of special effects the use of familiar set models as well as a host of new locations serve to almost ground the film in many ways, the landscape of New Zealand is still recognisable and it serves to almost ground the film in many respects. It was also exactly as I imagined the film to look, each character designed to perfection, even Thorin Oakenshield, whom I imagined to be much older looked better than I could have expected. It was an absolute joy to revisit such iconic sets such as Rivendell and the Shire. The moment I was greeted with the familiar sight of Bag End I could feel some of the magic that Peter Jackson first kindled inside me all those years ago.

Story wise An Unexpected Journey was always going to struggle a little bit, the film is not nearly as eventful as the Fellowship of the Ring and as such was inevitably going to drag a little bit, I have the feeling this is one of the primary reasons Jackson included so much 'original content' so to speak, but in doing this I believe he has taken some of the overall quality of the film! I am of the opinion that the Hobbit could have been made into two separate films instead of three and without including the sub-plot with Azog and the quality would have been maintained. Alas I fear the financial allure was too much for Jackson and co and in doing so he has sacrificed a portion of the story's artistic integrity for the sake of a dragged out narrative. However I will compromise in saying the film does an admirable job of setting the scene for the next two films which are undoubtedly going to be the money makers of this new franchise.

Admittedly this review does paint a rather grim picture of the film, this is not the case at all. The film was not as good as I was hoping it would be, but I do believe that it successfully paves the way for the following entries into this new trilogy, the Smaug teaser we were granted at the film's conclusion was enough to get me excited for the next entry. The quality of the next two instalments depends upon the quality of the foundations laid down by this film and in that respect it was successful. There is nothing inherently wrong with this film which has not been present in the vast majority of major blockbusters, and in many ways the film is very good. But from the man who brought us the Lord of the Rings, I just expected a little better.