Thursday, January 10, 2013

Movie Review ... The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

 

THE HOBBITAfter the spectacular success of his Lord of the Rings trilogy, much was expected of Peter Jackson.  Having directed the series to great heights, his abilities seemed under-utilised in subsequent projects.  Thankfully this first chapter of ‘The Hobbit’ films sees him return to comfortable territory. Not that he rests on his laurels as he delivers a stirring version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s popular book which should please fans of both creative story-tellers.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is a hobbit enjoying a comfortable life in the shire.  This is rudely interrupted when old wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) appears.  Tricking him into helping a group of dwarves reclaim their kingdom from Smaug the Dragon, Gandalf places great responsibility on Bilbo’s shoulders.  Reluctantly joining him along with other dwarfs including Thorin (Richard Armitage), Bilbo sets off on an epic adventure forever changing his once peaceful world.

‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ revels in its cinematic majesty.  Every scene bursts in colour and movement with Jackson ensuring his audience is right in the heat of battle.  It’s these sequences where Bilbo and company run from danger becoming its best asset as the special effects and imagination effectively blend together.   Befitting a version of a novel aimed at younger readers, the cinematic take may occasionally have too much humour although it maintains a sense of child-like wonder.

At nearly 3 hours ‘The Hobbit’ surprisingly flies fast.  It may be unusual saying there’s too much action on display with hardly time to draw breath.  Perhaps the script could have been better paced in this regard although there are enough character moments giving everyone much needed screen-time.  The mix of old and new characters works and it’s always a pleasure hearing Howard Shore’s striking orchestral score complimenting the dazzling spectacle.

A more than welcome return to Middle Earth, ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ provides grand escapism.  Filling in much of the ‘Rings’ back-story it has its own identity to set it apart and become its own beginning of a memorable trilogy.

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Movie Review Rating out of 10:  8

Movie Review by Patrick Moore

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