Expectedly Excellent.

Rating: 8/10 (31 December 2012)

If there is such a thing as a 'runt of the litter' when discussing arguably the greatest trilogy of all time, then it can equally be said that The Hobbit is certainly no weaker than the weakest Lord of the Rings film. For a film tailored towards a somewhat younger audience without necessarily appearing 'child-oriented', there is plenty on offer to create that elusive feeling of total immersion so loudly demanded by fans of all ages.
The Hobbit follows a baker's dozen of brave dwarfs; led by their fearless king Thorin (Richard Armitage), as they make plans to reclaim their stolen mountain home from the dragon Smaug. They enlist the help of the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen, deftly slipping back into his magic robes), who in turn selects the reluctant homemaking Hobbit Bilbo (Martin Freeman) to aid them on their perilous journey.
The ensemble cast compliment one another beautifully, in spite of the fact that screen time is skewed in favour of only five or six major cast members. This is understandable, given the vast array of different personas at hand, and is mitigated by a fun introductory sequence involving all the dwarfs crashing Bilbo's dinner.
Speaking of whom, the titular Hobbit makes for a very endearing character, as the superbly cast Freeman makes the role his own with all the neuroticism of a hairy-footed Woody Allen, and the quick wit to match. It should come as no surprise then, that the famous game of riddles between Bilbo and Serkis' always-enjoyable Gollum serves as the film's highlight.
Concerns over the film's runtime are a non-issue. Although The Hobbit checks in just short of three hours, it rarely labours, and is instead efficiently paced enough to keep cinema-goers from time checks. Its lighter, family-friendlier tone does lend itself a couple of troughs- including set pieces involving a trio of trolls and Barry Humphries' Goblin King (both of which overstay their welcome just a little bit)- that feel unnecessary in part because the story's abundance of villains as it is.
A heavier burden carried by CGI, as opposed to actors in prosthetics, takes away the intimidation factor of at least one antagonist, but the aesthetics and sheer storytelling class remain, strongly suggesting that the best may be yet to come for Peter Jackson's welcome return to Middle-Earth.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*