The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Review

"I'm going on an ADVENTURE!"

Those were words that I could definitely relate to prior to seeing the first of The Hobbit films. Middle-Earth was my home as a child and so to go back to it again as a young adult in his 20s was like a dream trip down memory lane. But sometimes going back to your past can have two different conclusions: you either relive the old days or you regret coming back because the magic is gone. Well...

The Plot

When the Grey Wizard, Gandalf (Ian McKellan), offers a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), the chance to go on an adventure, he quickly refuses. But when 13 dwarves arrive at his doorstep led by the rightful King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), Biblo finds himself being dashed away from the comfortable life of Bag End to the dangerous journey to the Lonely Mountain. Their mission? Retake The Lonely Mountain from the Great Wyrm, Smaug.

And that is only the beginning of their journey...

Review

As a Lord of the Rings fan and a Peter Jackson fan... I was disappointed. Was it because I have high expectations? No. My main problem with the film is how it follows the trend of splitting singular books into multiple films. I was completely fine when Jackson and his team announced the film was going to be split into two movies. I was certain there was enough material in there that can be stretched that long without resulting to fatigue. But when it was announced that so much was filmed that they can now turn it into three movies, that's when I started lowering my expectations. And my biggest fears were right.

I should be used to having an over 2 hour yet under 3 hour Middle-Earth film by now but for some reason, this movie doesn't do it for me. I just kept thinking to myself a lot of what happens in this movie is extremely unnecessary as it takes nearly an hour, maybe less but almost an hour, for Biblo to decide that going on an adventure with Gandalf and the Dwarves is a good idea. It just really feels like a very slow drag and not the type of drag that happens occasionally in movies. This entire movie is just one huge drag. And this is mainly due to the very sad attempt of trying to flush out the personalities of ALL the dwarves that go on this journey.

I'm not a hardcore Tolkien fan who knows all the names of the dwarves, but if a movie is effective in making everyone's introduction memorable then I should remember most of them. Unfortunately, I don't. I don't even remember the names of the ones played by James Nesbitt and the other dwarf who seems to be friendly towards Freeman's Bilbo. The only ones I remember clearly are Kili (the one who seems too good looking for a dwarf), Bombur (the obnoxiously fat dwarf with the crazy beard) and of course Richard Armitage's Thorin (this story's Aragorn but not as noble). Those three dwarves had something distinct about them that made them standout more so than the others. Don't get me wrong, they all look visually distinct from one another. But as far as being visually distinct and having personalities, that goes to Thorin, Kili and Bombur. But then again, Thorin should be the one with the most personality. But unfortunately he comes off as the most unlikeable dwarf amongst the crew, and this guy is suppose to be a main character. It is not Armitage's fault, the character was just written that way.

Then there's the returning cast members who mostly comprise The White Council. These being McKellan's Gandalf, Cate Blanchett's Galadriel, Hugo Weaving's Elrond and Christopher Lee's Saruman. They are all very welcoming returns and in fact probably one of the few things I liked most in the movie. Though Gandalf and Elrond are players in the book, the addition of Galadriel and Saruman was definitely meant as a way to tie in to The Lord of the Rings. There really isn't much to say about their performances because they're in it for a short while, but they are good. But there is a new member amongst the White Council who proved to be another highlight I enjoyed about the movie. That character is Radagast the Brown played by former Doctor Who, Sylvester McCoy. It's always refreshing to see another wizard in the mix, even though he's not in the book. Amazingly he's not involved in this story at all, but it was nice seeing someone crazier than Gandalf.

But if we're going to talk about the old and the new cast there are definitely two standouts of this film.  That being Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Andy Serkis as Gollum. Freeman is just perfect as Bilbo and he completely owns the role as his own. He doesn't feel beholden to Ian Holm's small portrayal of him in The Lord of the Rings, but it definitely feels like his Bilbo could grow up to become Holm's Bilbo. And what more can be said about Andy Serkis as Gollum. He's perfection, and is definitely one of the fond memories of Middle-Earth you'll be happy to revisit. Their pivotal meeting appropriately known as "Riddles in the Dark," is hands down the best scene in the film. Freeman is excellent and the effects on Gollum are outstanding. If only the rest can be said about the other effects in the film.

Peter Jackson pulls a George Lucas by overusing CGI in this movie. Sure there are lots of nice wide shots New Zealand here and there, but for some reason the overtly CG gloss on the creatures and the locations comes off as...off putting. It doesn't have the same grit that the previous trilogy had, and this is pretty disappointing for someone who loved the use of practical and CG effects. But in here, even if there are practical effects, they are completely overshadowed by an overload of CGI. One of the most jarring ones for me was noticing that the Orcs and Goblins were no longer guys in costumes. Apparently Jackson had filmed them with guys in makeup and costumes, but was so dissatisfied that he had them all replaced with CGI monsters that he finds more appealing. While that explains why someone as imposing as Manu Bennet is playing the White Orc, Azog, as a CGI character, it seems sad that Bennet is doing motion capture for a role that doesn't require motion capture. I mean, the guy was in Spartacus for crying out loud! But alas, he was a last minute replacement so he had to be CGI. But that doesn't excuse the excessive nature that Jackson and his team have thrown into this movie.

Final Thoughts

This trip down memory lane has proven to be a disappointing one. While it is great to see some solid performances by newcomers Martin Freeman and Sylvester McCoy alongside old timers such as Ian McKellan and Hugo Weaving, that isn't enough to save the film. Too much CGI in a film franchise that was praised for being the perfect balance of practical and CGI. Poor attempts at trying to develop a huge number of dwarves that we don't really care about, and that includes the one who is suppose to be the main character, Thorin. And this movie is pretty much the living proof of the Clerks 2 complaint: THIS MOVIE IS NOTHING BUT TWO AND A HALF HOURS OF WALKING! WALKING! And not the interesting kind like in Fellowship. I mean the boring kind. 

SCORE: 6/10 - There's still wonder, but a lot of it seems to be missing...and boring

For a review of the next film, CLICK HERE

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Review

"One Ring to rule them all."

The year was 2001 and I was just 10 years old, not knowing that my life was going to change when I stepped into the theater to watch this film. It's time to look back on the movie that reignited my love for movies and the drive to become a filmmaker.

The Plot

The Hobbit, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), learns from the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) that the magic ring of his uncle, Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm), is actually the One Ring. A powerful weapon forged by the dark lord, Sauron. A ring that was meant to control all life on Middle-Earth. As the forces of Sauron begin their hunt for their master's ring, Frodo must embark on a journey to destroy the ring in the only place it can be destroyed: Mount Doom, the heart of Sauron's lands in Mordor. He will be joined by three other hobbits (Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd), a ranger (Vigo Mortensen), an elf (Orlando Bloom), a dwarf (John Rhys-Davies), a knight (Sean Bean), and Gandalf the wizard on this dangerous mission.

Review

There was a moment when young children in the 70s watched Star Wars and were in awe of what they saw. It was a life changing experience for them. I could say this film had the same effect on me, but in a different manner. Because when I first saw this movie, I was disappointed.

Disappointed that it had no ending. That it just stopped. I wanted to see the journey continue, but it just ended. And it ended in a place that had me yearning for a continuation. And because I was a child when I saw it, I had no idea that there was another one. But when I quickly learned that there was going to be two more because the films were based on a trilogy, all of a sudden my views on it changed to one of wonder.

The acting in this film is definitely incredible. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Billy Boyd were just wonderful as the carefree hobbits who find themselves thrown into a darkly situation. It can almost be compared as a young naive teenager discover the dark and terrifying real world they actually live in. And these four play it well. Especially Wood, who quickly acknowledges just how serious the situation and is willing to take responsibility, but at the same time also knows how overwhelming the pressure is. I can only imagine Wood used his own pressure of having to please Tolkien fans with his portrayal of Frodo as a fuel to his performance.

Vigo Mortensen is compelling as Strider, later revealed to be Aragorn, the rightful king of Gondor, as he showcases a man who has turned his back on his birthright yet still has the gravitas needed if he should one day return to it. Given this was Orlando Bloom's first big breakout role, it is difficult to judge his acting because in retrospect he's an adequate actor in later roles, yet still his performance here was strong enough to match up with the experienced powerhouses. Particularly his character's relationship with John Rhys-Davies' character. Davies delivers a stellar and boastful performance as a cocky dwarf with such vigor that you would be glad to follow him into battle. This film was also Sean Bean's solidification in pop culture as the guy who always dies. Don't be mad, that's not really a spoiler at this point. But nevertheless, Bean delivers a strong performance by showing the dark side of humanity and how easy it is for any member of the fellowship to be corrupted.

But to me the big standout performances belong to the two wizards in the film. Ian McKellan's Gandalf and Christopher Lee's Saruman were my favorite parts of the film. Both of these classic English actors deliver incredible performances as these powerful beings who walk among men. It is no wonder that McKellan got a nomination for best supporting actor the year this film came out, but that should not take away from how Lee is almost equally as good. With them you see two sides of the same coin. Two wizards who believe in what they're doing is the best for the entire world, yet one of them is obviously wrong. They also have the most incredible fight sequence in the film which I was completely impressed with the simplistic approach of showing two wizards fighting. But it will be Gandalf's face off against the demonic Balrog that highlights the film. Which brings me to another point.

The visual effects and the practical effects in this film are stunning. In a post 2010 world, most big budget films would opt for having everything entirely CGI. But in this film and the two others that followed it, CGI was a tool only to be used when it is impossible to do it practically. This blending of the old and the new is what I believe is the best way to do visual effects spectacles. And the best part is, they don't overtake the narrative.

Final Thoughts

This film marked the beginning of the fantasy renaissance in film, which never really amounted to anything. But what this film did is show that a fantasy film can be put in the conversation as a legitimate film. In other words, have legitimate drama and storytelling. This is shown with the very tamed yet stunning visuals, the powerful acting, the tight script, and incredible direction. But since this is an obvious part 1 instead of a standalone film, it may not have that "umph" factor to fully consider it a good solo film. But it is an incredible beginning. A beginning that will have people coming back for more.

SCORE: 8.5/10 - An incredible beginning that hopefully will continue to be so in the next one.

For a review of the next film, CLICK HERE