The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey or Thorin Oakenshield Part I

Rating: 5/10 (2 January 2013)

Peter Jackson and company get an awful lot right here but the first part of his epic 'Hobbit' adaptation is largely an overblown mess. The flaws of his 'Rings' adaptations are ultra prevalent here. What we get here is an over complicated and thematically schizophrenic mess.
My first and chief complaint here is that Peter Jackson does not care about Bilbo Baggins or the Hobbits as characters. It was evident in his 'Rings' films but it is made all the more clear here. Jackson misses having the character of Aragorn and his quest to become king so much that he has planted the same seeds in the character of Thorin Oakenshield. Bilbo is largely a prop being brought along for the ride here. The 'Rings' films placed more thematic weight on Viggo Mortensen's Aragorn than Frodo and the ring. Of course this is completely against Tolkien's intent. Tolkien wanted us to appreciate the fact that the hobbits became heroes not through being great warriors but by being brave and facing perils that were beyond them. 'The Hobbit' is Bilbo's story and far too much time was spent talking in battles centered around Thorin Oakenshield and his warrior dwarfs. Allusions are made toward Oakenshield taking the dwarf throne and I found myself saying really? That story was told before and it does not need to be told again. In the 'Rings' trilogy the ascension of Aragorn has weight and is a part of Tolkien's narrative but that it is because 'Rings' is an ensemble piece, 'The Hobbit' isn't. It is 'Bilbo's story. And it is really too bad too because one thing Jackson nails is his casting of Martin Freeman, who is utterly spectacular as Bilbo. He hits all the right notes and can do the comedy and innocence needed for the character. Gone is the fairy tale aspect of 'The Hobbit'. Jackson wants an action film and Tolkien's book doesn't provide one for him.
'The Hobbit' is a visually very ugly picture too. The camera work is too fast to the point where the action sequences are painful to watch to the eye. I was brought back to Michael Bay's Transformers in that there is no sense of grounding in the action scenes. I can't tell who was fighting who and since they happen so often it is just disappointing. One thing I admired very much about the 'Rings' trilogy was the seamless practical effects transitioning into grand computer generated effects. 'The Hobbit' for the most part has abandoned this and we get C.G overkill. There are Orcs and Goblins here that look like cousins of Jar Jar Binks.
There are things to like here. For those concerned about the three hour run time for less than a quarter of Tolkien's children's novel than they need not be concerned. Jackson for the most part uses his narrative efficiently enough and develops mythos. I would have wished more of it would have been used to develop Bilbo or the supporting dwarfs instead of long drawn out batt.les. I like some of the appendices additions, Christopher Lee has a brilliant supporting role as Saruman. The beginning of the film that introduces Bilbo and the shire and the adventure is brilliant as Freeman plays the innocent Bilbo perfectly. As the story progresses though it moves into familiar waters which don't do anything interesting. The stuff about the Necromancer and Sauron for the most part is unnecessary however. That story and mythology was sufficiently dealt with and since this is a prequel we know where that road ends. Middle Earth is more than just the story of Sauron and his ring.