It's good, just good

Rating: 7/10 (15 December 2012)

I went into Peter Jackson's latest Lord of the Rings adaptation with mixed expectations (as I imagine everybody else did). On one hand, Jackson fans have been praising the film for its excellence, while the critics have been giving it lukewarm reviews at best. For me, the film felt like a balancing act; it tries to be light-hearted and serious simultaneously, and at times it comes close to falling, but all in all, the film holds up nicely.
As a huge fan of the previous Lord of the Rings films, the first thing to note is that "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is not in the same vein as the other instalments; the tone is much lighter, and the humour is more frequent, yet at the same time, the film has a dark edge. Fans of the book may be disappointed, since the mood of the book is definitely different than Tolkien's version. In addition to that, many sections of the movie are completely absent from the novel. Some of the extra segments are completely made up, but from what I understand, many of the extra scenes are from an Appendix in The Return of the King, although I can't say I understood why they were necessary additions to the movie.
Differences from the book aside, the story is very enjoyable. It begins with a bit of back-story, explaining how Smaug came to take over Erebor, before shifting focus towards Bilbo in the Shire. The film takes its time getting started, and doesn't shy away from developing the central characters, which I thoroughly enjoyed. As the classic scenes from the book played out on screen, I found myself smiling, most of the time. I really only had one complaint; in general, I felt like many of the best scenes were dramatized just a little bit too much. This is probably the result of a 300 page book being stretched into nine hours of film, but I definitely felt like the extra flair detracted from the story.
Martin Freeman does a great job with the lead role, particularly in the earlier parts of the film. In addition, I also enjoyed Gandalf and Thorin. Most of the other dwarfs don't really add much to the film, although that aspect of the film mirrors the book, so I suppose I can't really complain. Also worthy of mention is Gollum, who shines (not literally) in his parts and is brilliantly acted by Andy Serkis.
As expected, the film features some truly magnificent scenery. Many scenes in the film feature spectacular sights, and as a whole, the movie is incredibly engaging. Jackson is master of immersing the viewer completely in his world, and this ability is fully utilized here. As far as the 48 fps hype, I can honestly say I didn't notice any difference between this movie and any other movie I've seen recently, but that certainly doesn't detract from the film's beauty.
All in all, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a good film. I wouldn't call it great, nor would I call it terrible; it's just good. Looking forward, I am eager to see the next two instalments, and will definitely be standing in line on opening night for both of them.
RATING: 6.5/10