The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Starring;

Martin Freeman
Sir Ian McKellen
Andy Serkis
Ian Holm
Richard Armitage

Director;

Peter Jackson

In three words; Funny – Overindulgent - Long

Plot;

Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) is recruited by the wizard Gandalf the Grey along with 13 Dwarves to reclaim their homeland from a fearful dragon. Their journey takes them through Middle Earth where Bilbo is forced to face his fears and to show his companions he is a worthy member of their team.

Review;

Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth with The Hobbit which tells the story of Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) adventures before The Lord of the Rings. It was inevitable that after the huge success of TLOTR trilogy that The Hobbit would be adapted. There was no surprise when production was announced but what was unexpected was that Guillermo Del Toro was set to Direct. This is what I was looking forward to the most. While Peter Jackson is a cable director and has previously been acknowledged by the Academy for The Return of the King, I’ve always felt that he is overrated. He gives over elaborate scenes and is reliant upon far too much CGI. The man needs to learn that less is more.

The thought of a Del Toro Hobbit film was tantalising and I feel that he would have given such a different view of Tolkien’s world. Due to the many setbacks the production encountered Del Toro dropped out and Jackson took over the reins. What we have therefore been presented with is another instalment of Jackson’s interpretation of what Middle Earth should be. This left me feeling a little deflated as I was expecting more of the same from the original trilogy and this is what we are given.

Jackson begins his tale at Bilbo Baggins’s home in Bag End, which is the same set we saw from TLOTR.  Although it can be argued that for continuity this was inevitable, I would rather have seen a different setting or different interpretation. However, let’s look at the plus points; Martin Freeman is brilliant as Bilbo and perfectly complements Ian Holm’s older version of the character. Freeman is an excellent lead balancing a dramatic and comedic performance. His interaction with the Dwarves when they first arrive at his home is particularly fun. Richard Armitage is brilliant as head of the 13 Dwarves, Thorin and Jackson gives ample screen time to each of the members, which is clearly a difficult task given how many there are. Sir Ian McKellen is as wonderful as he was in the original film as Gandalf and give a faultless performance.

The return of Andy Serkis as Gollum is wonderful to watch. Not only does Serkis bring uniqueness to Gollum the CGI used is breathtaking. So much time and attention has been taken in creating a believable and visceral treat. The same cannot be said for the Orcs and their truly awful looking wolf type companions; this CGI appears amateurish when compared to the work done on Gollum. In addition the goblins and their underground kingdom looks nothing more like a computer game.

This poor CGI does not marry up well with real world settings. When Bilbo and his companions escape from the Gobin’s computer generated lair they run down a real hill, this transition from fake to real does not work. This is where Jackson really fails to capture anything new and frankly I’m bored of his swooping shoot of the New Zealand countryside. Yes it is very beautiful but it’s all a bit tourist board for me.

My biggest concern is stretching The Hobbit across three films. It seems completely unnecessary given that The Hobbit is just one book. It also gives us three years waiting for the conclusion. If he confined the material into one film I would be far more interested. Dragging it out into three movies is nothing more than commercialisation over artistic integrity.

Verdict;

 
3 out of 5