The Hobbit review

The Journey Back Again- Part I

A review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

By: Luke Muench

                Upon hearing that The Hobbit, one of the classic tales that put me to sleep night after night as a child, I was admittedly a little skeptical; when I discovered it was to be a trilogy, my hopes for a success plummeted even further. I felt like I was facing the debacle of the Star Wars prequel trilogy all over again. So, when I was asked by a die-hard fan to attend the midnight premier, I found myself hemming and hawing over the thought of being so incredibly disappointed by this adaptation, possibly ruining the book for me from then on out.

                What I was met with was pure cinematic magic.

                The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is, by far, the best movie-going experience I’ve had all year, neatly parked in front of The Avengers. Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-Earth is truly one worth the time of all, bringing something to the table to both the casual viewer and the pickiest fans of the literature.

                Now, something important to cover before delving further into the recesses of this epic; do not compare this to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve heard many an individual make that mistake in the recent reviews and in casual conversation. To be frank, these two are completely different entities. The Lord of the Rings is meant to be a fantastical tale of a life-or-death journey to save the world from a foreboding evil entity that threatens to cast Middle-Earth into darkness and chaos. The Hobbit, on the other hand, is a story written with children in mind; the plot isn’t terribly complex, the tone is much lighter, and the adventure, as a whole, is not meant to have as dire of stakes. In this respect, there is no conceivable way that The Hobbit trilogy could have ever lived up to carrying its brother trilogy’s reputation. However, on its own, this is an enjoyable and engaging story that will capture the attention of all.

                That is, if you can make it through the first hour or so. One of the biggest complaints overall for the film that I heard people muttering as they left the theater I attended was that it took too long to get to an action, as the first portion of the movie focused completely on Bilbo’s development as a character as he is convinced to leave his comfortable home in The Shire. While for some this may be a deal breaker, I never found this to be awfully tedious, although I did find that a little less time spent in Bilbo’s abode would have been a welcome change. However, once passing this peak, there’s almost nothing but action for the rest of the film, albeit a few character building conversations and the classic and well-anticipated Gollum scene. Though, this too, could have worked against the film, just how well each battle is choreographed and how the characters interact are marvelous, drawing you in to each clash.

                Our main figures shine magnificently throughout the movie, with some awesome acting performed by Martin Freeman as a younger Bilbo, Richard Armitage as the angry Dwarven prince, and Ian McKellen, who doesn’t miss a beat as he reprises his role as the enigmatic and fascinating Gandalf. There is, however, a rather glaring issue with the Dwarven companions; with such a large number of them (thirteen including Thorin), it’s hard for there to be any character development for any of them. Despite the fact that they are on the screen for so much of the film, most become one-dimensional jokes that are occasionally touched on throughout the film; Oin has an ear horn that he utilizes frequently, Bombur is overweight and is often seen eating or breaking one thing or another, and so on. However, this issue comes with the literary work and was unavoidable, and, while this could have broken the film as a whole, Jackson seems content with leaving them in this simplified state, accentuating each with absurdly over exaggerated visuals. And it works really well for what it is, allowing for rampant Dwarf shenanigans and epic battles as they troop fights off goblins, orcs, and trolls, their large numbers adding excitement to the movie as a whole. Side characters are well acted, both new comers, like Sylvester McCoy’s performance as the strange wizard Radagast, to returners, such as Hugo Weaving’s Elrond, Christopher Lee’s Saruman, and Cate Blanchette’s Galadriel, who gather for a meeting of the White Council.

                If Radagast or the White Council are strange concepts to you, that’s because these scenes are new additions to the film, and welcome ones at that. Both of these sub-plots come from one of Tolkien’s other Middle-Earth related novels, Unfinished Tales, and really allows for the story to be fleshed out a little more. This also adds something for those who know The Hobbit well enough, allowing for even the avid Tolkien reader to have a brand new mystery to follow, as this is one of Tolkien’s lesser known works. I honestly am looking forward to see the next film just to find out what happens next. This, however, does cause one of the larger issues of the film; its fan-service. Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t the “scantily clad women” sort of fan-service, more of the “oh-lookie-here-at-this-referance-to-our-own-work-aren’t-we-so-awesome” kind of fan-service. Admittedly, some of this is unavoidable, and adds to the experience in its own respect; when you first see the one ring and the somber tune from the original trilogy plays, I couldn’t help but feel a chill as I remembered the chaos that little band of gold caused. But, there were certain instances, which I don’t want to give away for you here, where I just felt like it was overplayed or overdone, to the point where I was very much drawn out of the film, waiting for it to move on. However, this wasn’t bad enough to be any sort of deal breaker, and could even test your knowledge of Middle-Earth, as references to Silmarillion make appearances occasionally.

                The musical score is just what you would expect; spectacular and soaring. Howard Shore continues to amaze, with some truly awesome new pieces, as well as reminds us of why we fell in love with his work in the first place, reviving some of the best known pieces from the original trilogy. There are a number of vocal pieces sung by characters, such as the Dwarven song featured in many of the trailers for the film, and, though seemingly odd at first, they really add to the lighter tone and vibe. Throughout the film, there was only one instance when the music detracted from the work, a strange moment blasting me out of the film for a moment, but, otherwise, Shore really brings more magic to this movie than Gandalf’s staff ever could (I’m actually listening to the soundtrack as I write this).

                Overall, this is a film everyone should see, whether a fan of the books, the original trilogy, or fantasy in general. This has something for all audiences, allowing for a fantastic experience for adults and children alike. I wait with baited breath for the next installment to the series, to experience more of this mystic world that fills the child’s heart inside of me all over again.