This has extremely high standard to live up to, but provides a satisfying start to this new trilogy...

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2014)

The 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is one of the highest regarded movie series that currently exists – that's undeniable. The movies won Oscars, placed highly in critics 'Best of' lists, and made millions of dollars. Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of them, their run times or the extended fight scenes, but I thought they were well acted and visually stunning. With this already set in place then, "The Hobbit" trilogy has an extremely high standard to live up to, so that it doesn't feel like it's cashing in on a successful franchise. Thankfully, it doesn't, and thanks to more great acting and breathtaking visuals, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" provides a satisfying start to this new trilogy.
Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins, who was previously portrayed by Ian Holm in the original trilogy, and he takes up the character extremely easily, making him likable and interesting. Ian McKellen's Gandalf is, as always, a treat to watch, and he is a great authority figure for the unruly band of dwarfs that he is accompanying. Throughout the film, they get into many twists and traps, and some of the most exciting parts of the film are when the group are running away from things. Due to the incredible CGI landscapes, many parts feel like a video game that you're watching, but this is not a criticism. It's got excitement to it, and because of the plot, we find it more interesting than just a video game. Peter Jackson's vision from the originals carries through seamlessly, and he knows how to make visuals work in an intriguing and captivating way.
The greatest part of the film is kept for the final third, where Bilbo meets one of the best characters from the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy – Gollum. Andy Serkis returns in full motion- capture glory, and there is an incredible chemistry between him and Freeman as they exchange riddles. The introduction of the ring is crucial here, and Jackson shoots the scene so that we can feel both its humour and its importance to the story.
Because it's the start of a new trilogy, which will probably eventually run to a length of about 8 hours, there needs to be lots of exposition. We find out who the dwarfs are, where they're going, why they need Bilbo, and so many other things. At times, the film can feel weighed down with all the information that it has to convey. At 169 minutes, it is undoubtedly too long, like each part of the original trilogy. However it often improves on and retains the feeling of "Fellowship", which is the best one of the originals. The actual embarking on the journey is very interesting, as are the new characters we're going to be following in the next two parts.
The biggest uproar that this trilogy has caused is the fact that such a small book has been split into three parts, and despite the fact that this film is too long, as the next two parts will probably be, I'm okay with the decision. There's a lot of story to tell in 'The Hobbit', and with Jackson at the helm, there's no doubt that it will feel mostly secure.