From the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends.

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2019)

Peter Jackson Middle Earth franchise spawned two movie franchises that were based on JJR Tolkien novels "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Hobbit". Jackson "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in particular was a smash hit with audiences, and is now considered to be one of the greatest film trilogies ever made. The reception of "The Hobbit" franchise was more divisive, but was still overall a success. I wanted to do reviews for Peter Jackson version of Middle Earth for quite some time, and that time has finally come. I wanted to start off with "The Hobbit" films first, due to their reception, and to see how events from these films continue in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. So let's get started. This is The Middle Earth Saga Retrospective.
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is directed by Peter Jackson, and stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage. A reluctant hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home - and the gold within it - from the dragon Smaug.
I found the first installment of the trilogy to be entertaining and satisfying experience. It certainly lives up to be an unexpected journey. I was surprised at how expansive the film scope was. The main cast of characters go through various locations and meet many faces, some friends, and others foe. I felt there was a real sense of urgency and tension that they had to go through, some of that taking place within the group, as their courage and strength are tested throughout. The relationships that Bilbo himself with Gandalf, the wizard that aids Bilbo and Thorin, the leader of the dwarves to be one of my favorite aspects of the film, as I felt them to be believable, and provided great character development for each of them, and that not even adding the amazing work provided by the actors, but I get to that later.
However, it goes without saying that while I did truly felt that I was part of an adventure, that leads to the pacing, which I'm actually mixed about. Peter Jackson is in no rush to tell this story, as the film stays in the The Shire until after the 45 minute arc. Some scenes do feel they start to drag slightly as the film felt like it had be grand and epic in order to make it to nearly three hours. Strangely tough, on further re-watches, the pacing has become less of an issue for me personally. I remember being surprised that when I check on the time while watching the film again for this review, it was past the 2 hour mark, meaning that I didn't feel the need to check my watch up until that point. I think that because instead of focusing on the running time, I began to look for nuances that the film had, whether it be the character interactions, or absorbing the atmosphere and the world building. I still feel the film is slow, but I grow to appreciate it. I see how people can have a more negative reaction to it, but I think that television has done good things for me over these past few years.
The characters are overall great. Bilbo is a fantastic lead, as he is presented with a relatable struggle. Should he stay in the safety of The Shire, but not see the world and leave a legacy, or do the opposite, but risk losing your life in the process. As the film goes on, he builds his courage and truly becomes a hero in his own right. It also helps that Martin Freeman is amazing in the role, with expert delivery of his lines, and subtle mannerisms that makes Bilbo such a wonderful protagonist. Ian McKellen is still brilliant in his reprising role of Gandalf from "The Lord of the Rings", once again showing his wise, and kind nature, but also his skills in battle, and the mighty power the character holds. Richard Armitage as Throrin is great at being stoic when he leads his fellow dwarves into battle or the great unknown, but is able to show brilliantly the tormented soul that lies within, making his arc much more heartfelt.
The main players of this tale are also supported with a fantastic supporting cast, with actors such as James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis on the top of their game. Serkis in particular in his returning role as Gollum, has my favorite scene in the whole film with his game of riddles with Bilbo. The atmosphere is unsettling, and the chemistry shared by Freeman and Serkis is spot-on. Plus the riddles themselves are actually quite clever, and the underlaying tension builds until it snaps like a guitar string.
As great as the cast is though, I felt a few of the characters were a bit underwritten. Greatly acted not doubt, but I wish there was more meat to their personalities. Some of the dwarves came in my mind, and while there is definitely variety to their quips, I wish there was some screen time to show their personalities fully. However, I did buy the feeling of brotherhood and union that they shared, and I did care for their struggle. So it's more of a minor problem rather than something that ruins the film. Azog, the film's main villain was fine, but I did had issues with how he was done. I wish there was more time to flesh out his personality. Granted, there are scenes that do just that, but I kinda wanted the film to go get inside the character and see more aspects of the character. He not a bad villain though, as he is a legit threat to the main characters, and does have understandable motivations for his actions. I guess I just wanted more than what was given, but he does the job well enough.
From a technical perspective, I can't really complain about much. Sure, there is more use of CGI, and it is obvious at points when it is that, but it is well detailed and I felt fit within the film's context. I don't want that though for me to overlook everything else. The sets are beautiful, there is a sharp attention to detail of the costumes and sets. Peter Jackson direction is incredible, knowing how to make moments feel more intimate, and create scenes that feel epic. He had a love for this project and it shows in every frame and angle. The score by Howard Shore is first rate. The music can be calm, and relaxing, and then be grand, and exciting. All of it just works.
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" does suffer from it's pacing issue, a somewhat overlong running time, and some slightly underwritten characters. However, more often than not, it made a great return to the Middle Earth universe with it's fun and heartfelt narrative, an amazing performances, and nearly perfect production values. It is a flawed, but ambitious project that manages to get me hyped for it's upcoming sequels.