At the Theater- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey- Those who enjoyed the "first" three films in this franchise should find plenty (at 169 minutes!) to appreciate in what I felt was an entertaining first act to this prequel trilogy. As with the previous LOTR films, there's plenty of grand FX-laden spectacle, gorgeous cinematography (with several New Zealand locations once again providing the backdrops) and colorful characters throughout to keep one interested- though the last 20 minutes seem to hint at some level of indecision by the filmmakers on where exactly to conclude this first portion.
The stakes aren't nearly as high this time as 13 Dwarves, Gandalf The Grey and Bilbo Baggins (the Hobbit in question) set out to reclaim a Dwarf kingdom from the gold-hoarding dragon, Smaug. Don't expect any more than fleeting glimpses of Smaug, as that particular part of the story will be covered in the second installment (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) to be released in December of 2013. Overall, this film comes across as a more light-hearted affair (I've never read any of the books) with considerably more humor than it's predecessors, though there's plenty of sweeping action and battle scenes for those inclined.
I must admit to immediately taking a liking to this film- it's familiar, yet comfortable and nostalgic. Maybe I was pleased to find that there are far less Hobbits and Elves this go 'round with considerably more Dwarves (yeah, I guess the hairy, temperamental war-mongers more closely match my personality). I enjoyed being reintroduced to this particular realm and Jackson's style of narrative- he's an excellent story-teller (when he's in his element) whose only drawback is his penchant for excess. He's able to handle the characters and get all the little details down pat while also understanding the necessity of humor. Jackson has a good deal of what George Lucas either lost or ditched somewhere along the way.
That said, Jackson has apparently made a concerted effort with this release to move even further away from the practical (and quite marvelous) makeup effects that were featured so prominently throughout the LOTR trilogy- it's evident that the majority of Goblins, Wargs, Trolls, Orcs and other creatures gracing the screen are now entirely CGI rendered. Even though the bulk of the digital effects work is first rate, I couldn't help but find myself disappointed with the lack of practical effects shots. The impressive makeup F/X (primarily in regards to closeup shots of the Orcs) helped to significantly ground the LOTR films and lend a sense of tangibility. It's apparently a dying art and a personal preference issue that I'm sure some of you are tired of hearing me harp on about...
The 48 frames per second footage is often thrilling for those who enjoy detail and clarity, although it plays hell with the larger-scaled, faster-paced, F/X-heavy scenes shot/produced in daylight. A scene involving Wargs (massive, wolf-like creatures) chasing a rabbit powered sled around the countryside is particularly shaky.
Martin Freeman (Shaun of The Dead), as younger Bilbo Baggins, is a substantial upgrade over Elijah Wood's Frodo as this series' main protagonist. Freeman is undoubtedly a far better actor than Wood, displaying a knack for comedic timing and a range of believable, emotional depth which I felt was AWOL from Wood's performance in the LOTR trilogy. I must admit that Elijah's Frodo kind of creeped me out with his blank, wide eyed stare and frequently annoyed me with his childlike, effeminate qualities- yes, I understand that the role required some of those attributes, but I've pretty much had those same issues with the actor throughout his career. He was perfectly cast in Sin City, for what that's worth...
Actors and their respective characters returning to the franchise include Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Ian Holm as the older Bilbo Baggins, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Cate Blanchette as Galadriel. Andy Serkis once again provides an excellent performance as Gollum- the motion-capture effects work involving the character here is razor sharp. All of the returning cast seems game and lost in their character work.
Richard Armitage (the saboteur in Captain America: The First Avenger) makes quite a debut impression here as Thorin, the legendary warrior and leader of the 13 Dwarves. Fans of the more action-oriented types of characters in Sci-Fi and Fantasy epics (Han Solo in Star Wars, Madmartigan in Willow, etc.,) should find Armitage's Thorin a suitable and welcomed, albeit darker "replacement" for Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn. Armitage, known primarily for his television work in the UK, has an undeniable presence- expect his to become a household name over the next few years...
Only a few of the remaining 12 Dwarves are fleshed out enough with appropriate screen-time to even begin to remember their character's names- yet the design for each should be distinct enough to help audiences tell them apart. As far as the actors underneath all of that hair and makeup, the only recognizable face, to me, was James Nesbitt (Match Point) as Bofur- a Ushanka wearing, amiable spirit who takes an immediate shine to Bilbo while the rest of the Dwarf crew are initially resentful.
A wily wizard, Radagast The Brown (played by Sylvester McCoy), makes his debut here- he's the commander of that aforementioned rabbit powered sled and will probably be remembered more for the streak of bird shit running down the side of his face. Lee Pace (Lincoln) makes a strangely brief appearance as the Elf warrior, Thranduil- perhaps there will be much more of him in the next two films. It's interesting to note that Manu Bennett (Crixus in Starz' Spartacus) supplies the framework for the entirely digital Orc warlord, Azog- I'm guessing he was cast merely for his husky voice. The FX work in regards to his character might be the most disappointing as I believe special care should have been given to presenting him as a fearsome, worthy adversary- closeups of the character's CGI countenance only work to undermine that presence in that it's clearly computer generated. Take another gander at the unmasking of the creature in Predator, a film made in 1987, and tell yourself that doesn't look kick-ass cool still today...
***Spoiler-
My chief complaint with this film lies in that our heroes, after a lengthy setup and introduction which largely consumes the first act, are besieged time and time again by all forms of hideous hordes of villainous creatures and repeatedly face against-all-odds perilous situations, yet with little to no apparent consequences to speak of. None of our merry band of heroes dies in this film- there's only so many times that our protagonists can face certain death yet miraculously escape (some segments border on the cartoonish) before a viewer starts to realize and accept that there's no real danger at all. This lack of consequence only works to create a general lack of tension. This is certainly nothing new and hinders many of the PG-13 Sci-Fi and Fantasy epics produced today, though I wish a filmmaker would come along and surprise me in this regard...
-End of Spoiler***
I would Highly Recommend The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to anyone who appreciated the three previous films for what they were- pure escapist fun on a large scale. I'm definitely looking forward to the next film in this series.
8.5 out of 10
FWIW-
The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring 8.5
The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers 9.0
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King 8.5
