Masterful Vision

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2012)

This review may contain spoilers, and is my first review. Viewing this as a die-hard Lord of the Rings fan, I knew that Peter Jackson would put his whole heart into the Hobbit, if only for the sake of the viewer. Though I had my worries, a vast majority of them were put to rest after the first 30 minutes, sending me into another journey through Middle Earth I had longed for since LotR. In terms of content, this is NOT the Hobbit that everyone read in their childhood; what Peter Jackson does by drawing from the appendices enriches the story and pays off to the fullest, giving the film a twinge of gratuitous unpredictability. The cast is incredible: the veterans of Middle Earth do a stellar job reprising their roles and finding chemistry on screen with their new counterparts. Ian McKellen somehow manages to seem younger rather than aged ten years, and maintains his impressive presence on screen. Andy Serkis proves once again that he is a true frontiersman in the field of motion capture. The dwarfs are all very impressive and fitting for their roles, and Martin Freeman accomplishes the challenge of getting fans on board with him as a young Bilbo Baggins. The visuals are INCREDIBLE. WETA Digital makes the imaginary tangible, and at 48fps I felt like I wasn't watching a movie... I felt like I was experiencing it. The 3D also is very well done for a live-action film, possibly one of the best I've seen to date. If I had one critique, it would be the music; Howard Shore's score seems like it doesn't match up to what's going on on screen at times. Or, it doesn't play to full effect or have as many memorable instances like LotR. BUT, negatives aside, the music is still entrancing and epic at times, mainly the theme melody of the Misty Mountain song. Peter Jackson is a visionary, and I would trust him with any project. He shows his love for film and generates amazing bonds and amazing work from his cast and his crew, as is evident throughout the entire film. I can't wait to continue the adventure next year.