Not a hit, but definitely epic

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2012)

If Jackson and the guys wanted to make a hit out of the Hobbit, they should had considered making only one movie instead of a trilogy. This stretching of the material would probably drive away many viewers - even if the special effects are better than ever. But what I liked in this "Unespected Journey" (long expected for me, at least) was it's attention to detail. Not just the story, the characters and the landscape - also the things that are rarely visible in a fictional film. What caught my attention was - the music.
Not just the basic soundtrack, but the actual performing within the story. Especially the dwarf songs (the first, happy one, and the second - Over the misty mountain cold - since I've always been a big fan of Richard Armitage - BTW, I was thrilled when it was announced he'd take the role of Thorin). I guess all the singing might seem boring to an average viewer (who is used of Transformers and such action films), but to me it was a medium who brought the epic dimension in this movie. And as a contrast - the elves with their sophisticated and peaceful instruments. I hope there will be a lot more of that in the sequels.
The only thing bothering me were the references on the LotR. I mean, we've all seen the movies, probably just recently (because of the big expectations for the Hobbit) and it's really annoying to watch the same characters - especially Saruman and Galadriel - saying these long and boring lines (which are in no way important to this particular story). I mean, in this time they could show a bit more of dwarfs and their conversations and jokes. After all, it's based on a children's' story.
But for the most part, An Unexpected Journey is an introduction to (what's hopefully to be) an epic journey to the Middle Earth, and the details and the serenity of the storytelling have the potential to become an incredible fairytale for all generations.