This is a highly entertaining film, which is well worth the journey to the box office.
Although it is true that no one forges a fantasy epic quite like director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy), the fact that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has ultimately proved to be an excellent fantasy adventure film is a touch unexpected. Not only did this first film in the prequel trilogy to the Lord of the Rings films languish in development hell to the point where it lost its whimsical first choice director (Guillermo del Toro), but the decision by the filmmakers to stretch the small sized book, The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien), into three films, much like a dragon’s lust for gold, reeked of franchise greed.
The good news is that Peter Jackson has once again overcome the odds with a tremendous piece of swashbuckling entertainment. An Unexpected Journey has the heartiness of a hobbit, the excellence in craftsmanship of an elven artisan, and the brawn of a stone giant in its engaging action sequences. As evident from this first installment in the new trilogy, fears that the source material has been stretched too thin now seem unwarranted. This is a well-paced journey, opening in a slow yet highly compelling fashion, in sequences that are a real visual treat for fans of Middle Earth, and eventually culminating in an emotionally charged finale.
Unfortunately, Peter Jackson in his attempt at creating a thematic connection with the The Lord of the Rings films often ignores the quirky nature of The Hobbit, creating a gritty mood in An Unexpected Journey that doesn’t quite match the children’s novel of J. R. R. Tolkien. There are also slight modifications in the characters of the protagonists to suit the silver screen, which make for a better film overall, even as they reduce it to a strictly cookie cutter fantasy.
Bilbo Baggins is played in a perfectly hobbity performance by Martin Freeman, who performs well, displaying the gentle Halfling creature’s mannerisms quite naturally. Here, Bilbo is shown to be an unlikely hero, who puts aside his reservations to come to the aid of Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) as well as the thirteen dwarves on a mission teeming with peril.
Fans may be disappointed to note that Bilbo here doesn’t quite resemble the physical proportions of the round chubby creature described by J. R. R. Tolkien in his writings. But clearly the change in appearance is made to make the character more accessible to audiences.
The mission that Bilbo joins, of course, is the dwarves’ quest to liberate their abandoned home, the Lonely Mountain, from Smaug the dragon. The dwarves, who are all hardy beings, require the services of Bilbo due to the stealthy nature of his kind. And while they all doubt Bilbo due to his mild demeanor, Gandalf believes that the hobbit’s soul will be pivotal to the outcome of their mission.
The other interesting character in the film is Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), who is the brave leader of the company of dwarves, and a king in exile. Thorin is the grandson of King Thrór, whose indulgence in the excess of gold invites the attack of Smaug the dragon and results in the mass exodus of the dwarven people from the Lonely Mountain.
In another deviation from the original, An Unexpected Journey showcases Thorin with more humanoid features — clearly to create a more identifiable lead character. Thorin also has some fantastic battle sequences, including a particularly savage one with Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett), who had enraged Thorin by beheading King Thrór. Also, Thorin has far more friction with Bilbo than he did in the book. And unlike the novel, where his mission back to the Lonely Mountain was motivated mostly by gold, in the film, the noble Thorin’s motives are for the greater good of his people.
These changes in Thorin’s character are an obvious attempt at creating the classic hero archetype, but they suckered me in just fine, to the point where I was cheering whenever Thorin drew steel. It also helped that these action scenes featuring Thorin were powered by a beautifully emotive soundtrack, which enhanced such sequences.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey lasts roughly one third of the book in its adapted from, and functions mostly as a setup for Peter Jackson’s new franchise. This is a highly entertaining film, which although doesn’t quite reach the top of the mountain, is still well worth the journey to the box office.
Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, January 6th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (11)
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I couldn't visualize Mountain Giants while reading the book.... thank you peter jackson
@Anthony Permal: - Unless they make them better. You know, 3 dimensional and likeable?
@SiF: - And? Have you never sat down for a long movie before? Avengers, TDKR etc.? People who complain about the length (2hrs and 40 mins isn't that long, it's shorter than all LOTRs and TDKR) come across as fidgety little children. Adults like me found the pacing brisk and weren't aware of the time.
Decent movie. But if there's one thing I can't stand, it is when directors re-write characters for Hollywood instead of staying true to the book.
Loved the movie! Can't wait till the next!
You know there were some parts at which I thought that martin freeman was over trying to make his character perfect, but he did well. I liked him the way he was. The thing you said about Thorin's character was absolutely true, but didn't you like him that way, the way he's shown in the film? The part where the elves and Gandalf were discussing the journey and stuff, I think that part was a little boring. At first even I was very confused, that 3 movies for such a small book, as compared to the LOTR trilogy, but after watching the trailer and the movie, of course, I think it's a good idea. Can't wait for the next one!
Have been waiting for this. Was great. The hobbit is the kind of movie that lends itself especially well to 3d rendering. The wargs were lean and mean though I preferred the hyena like wares from the LOTR trilogy. Middle earth forever
I didn't care for 'The Hobbit' when I read it aged nine and I loathed the tedious and portentous monolith that was the entire LOTR trilogy but I certainly enjoyed this film, (Radagast apart), for its own sake - and so did my grandchildren. Tolkien reduced epic encounters in 'The Hobbit' to no more than a few sentences but the images created in the imagination were brought to life in dazzling fashion through Jackson's vision. Thorin was a revelation! Thank God we did not need to endure the ridiculous sight of a tiny geriatric with a blue hood attempting to lead his people home and defeat a mighty dragon. This pint-sized giant Thorin looks as if he could actually do the job! I understand Tolkien wished to rework 'The Hobbit' but died before he could do so. Perhaps this film may lend us a glimpse of what he may have had in mind. I never read 'The Hobbit' again until now but I can't wait to see how the journey unfolds. It's a brilliant film. Well done to all concerned.
@SiF:
Three hours were way too short for the hardcore fans. Can't wait for the extended edition!
Engrossing but wayyyyyyy too long for a cinematic experience. Almost 3 hours long.