A soaring triumph

Rating: 9/10 (18 December 2012)

The Hobbit brings Middle Earth alive in ways not seen during the preceding LOTR trilogy. Peter Jackson seems to be getting better in serving grand spectacles with every iteration. At 48 GPS, the difference is clear - no more judder, no more awkward CGI transitions no restrictive camera views, the Camera-work never loses its fluidity through the entire breakneck pacing and gorgeously choreographed action sequences. Some of the vistas simply take your breath away. This is cinema meant for the big screen.
The acting is absolutely top notch. Martin Freeman portrays the Hobbit's' spirit of adventure, their love for home and hearth, self-doubt, courage and above all, their hardiness well above what Elijah Wood could ever do. And the dwarfs are played to rugged perfection by the 13 actors with all their pride, toughness and merriment. Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond are all splendid. Azog the pale Orc is truly menacing. IMO, though, Andy Serkis is the biggest triumph in the presentation, for he takes the challenge of meeting his own exceptional standards from movies past, and gleefully, malevolently raises the bar even higher. This is a Gollum far more visceral than you have seen before - more raw, more menacing, more confused, more playful and more vulnerable all at the same time.
Hardcore fans of Tolkien's fiction would revel in the abundant references to races and legends of the Middle Earth - from Gondolin to Rivendell. Just this first part of the Hobbit trilogy deepens your appreciation of the LOTR saga even more.
Strap yourself in, for this is the journey through Middle Earth that we have been waiting for ever since the movie was announced.