Not a masterpiece, but still a great return to Middle-Earth

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2012)

*I must add that I did not see the film in 3D or HFR, only the normal 2D 24fps*
With 'the Lord of the Rings' trilogy, Peter Jackson crafted something truly special; by adapting what many considered to be the most unfilmable fantasy novel ever, he presented us with something the like of which has never been seen before. The three films were one sweeping epic of spectacle, brilliance and emotion. So after $2.82 billion in box-office gross and 17 (wholly deserved) Academy Awards, the Kiwi director has returned to Middle-Earth with 'An Unexpected Journey', the first instalment of his Hobbit trilogy. "But should it have really been a trilogy?" has been the question on the lips of many, with numerous reviewers criticizing the film's 169-minute runtime, labelling sections of the film, in particular the opening 45 minutes as "turgid" and dismissing it as nothing more than a self- indulgent money-making exercise. When the final instalment 'There and Back Again' is released, time will tell, but for the most part of 'Unexpected Journey' it never really feels as if Jackson is desperately taking out the rolling pin and clutching onto every last comma of the source material.
It opens with not one, but two prologues; the former of which is concerned with an attack on the Dwarven kingdom of Erebor, where we are introduced to two important players, Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Smaug the dragon (Benedict Cumberbatch). The second prologue transports us to a more familiar setting: Bag End, where we see Bilbo Baggins (played by the reliable Ian Holm for this scene) and Frodo (Elijah Wood) preparing for Bilbo's 111th birthday, tying in quite nicely with 'Fellowship'. This leads into the main story, as we meet a younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) being met by a wizard calling himself "Gandalf the Grey" (Ian McKellan), who tricks the home- loving Hobbit into hosting a party for Thorin and his band of 12 Dwarfs, which doubles as Bilbo's recruitment as their "burglar" to help them steal their treasure back from Smaug. After 20 minutes of banter, singsongs, doilies and James Nesbitt's god-awful hat, Bilbo reluctantly joins the group and the adventure begins...
Martin Freeman is wonderful as the eponymous character, offering a nice contrast to the gloomy and weight-of-the-world- on-my-shoulders-isms of Frodo. He is instantly charming and likable, longing for "tea" and his "books" over Orcs and Wargs. His best moment is possibly the 'Riddles in the Dark' scene where he encounters Gollum (Andy Serkis) and combines his wit and cleverness with genuine fear; Serkis is also extraordinary in his single scene, but really, what else would you expect? Ian McKellan is also great as Gandalf, sharing some lovely moments with Bilbo and once he steps back on screen, it feels like we never left Middle-Earth at all. The Dwarfs are, despite a lengthy runtime, somewhat of a muddle and only a handful properly stand out – Kili (Aidan Turner filling the Legolas role of a handsome archer), Balin (Ken Stott providing a voice of reason), Stephen Hunter as Bombur (essentially the portly comic relief), James Nesbitt's Bofur (thanks to that hat) and of course, Thorin Oakenshield, a role in which Armitage channels Aragorn, a link strengthened by the 'king without a kingdom' side to his character.
Unsurprisingly, the film looks truly beautiful; whether it's the familiar sight of the Shire of the Misty Mountains, it is undeniable that Jackson and his longtime DoP Andrew Lesnie have an uncanny eye for capturing the magnificent beauty that New Zealand has to offer. A number of shots of the group trekking across vast landscapes (shocking, I know) exemplify this, in particular a Warg chase set upon expansive open fields and a snow-covered mountain range- set moment. This complemented by a fantastic score by Howard Shore; he and Jackson fell out on 'King Kong' due to "creative differences" and as a result, did not work of that film or Jackson's following project 'The Lovely Bones'. Thankfully however, they have reunited for 'The Hobbit', with the Canadian composer delivering a great score that blends 'Lord of the Rings' motifs with new musical cues. The way that the melody of the Dwarfs' Misty Mountains song was used as the movie's main theme was a lovely touch.
The film is far from perfect though; it's over reliance on CGI robbed some moments of a sense of physicality, as a character such as Azog, the chief Orc, would have been portrayed as a man in prosthetics in the Rings trilogy, but here he is unfortunately a fully CG character, which got me longing for the days of Lawrence Makoare. Sylvester McCoy's wizard Radagast the Brown verges on Jar Jar Binks territory especially with that bunny-led sleigh, but thankfully he doesn't outstay his welcome. There are also a handful of moments where the pacing dips slightly, fortunately not to an extreme capable of scuppering the film. Its runtime may also test the patience of newcomers looking for fast- paced fantasy romp.
'An Unexpected Journey' is a great start to the 'the Hobbit' series. Is it as good as its predecessors? No, that would be a near-impossible feat. But is it still an excellent film? Absolutely. As longtime Middle- Earth fan, I can safely say that this movie exceeded my expectations, as following all the negative feedback from many professional critics, I went in expecting something worse. It is visually gorgeous, exciting, and moving with a huge strength in the form of Martin Freeman's Bilbo. With Mirkwood, the Battle of the Five Armies and Smaug all to come over the next two films, it can only get better, and if it does, then my, what a trilogy we'll have on our hands.