An Expected Journey

Rating: 9/10 (17 December 2012)

Warning: This is not a review in its truest sense.
Anyone that looks forward to the movie 'The Hobbit' does so due to one of two reasons - he/she either loved 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy so much, or because he/she loved the book so much. But I safely assume fans of the book must have watched the trilogy already. Those who just woke up from a eleven year old coma, and have no idea which trilogy I am talking about, can stay away from this review, as I deem you unworthy.
I won't give away much of the plot, so read ahead without worrying about spoilers.
The movie starts at the Shire that we all love (and wish we lived there). Peter Jackson knows how to cash in on our nostalgia (so does Howard Shore, we'll talk about that later). The story begins with Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins, yet again preparing for Bilbo's 111th birthday. But Frodo makes the cameo appearance only to garner those loud whistles and cheers from the audience, because we are quickly thrown back in time by 60 years. Gandalf the Grey pays a visit to young Bilbo's hobbit hole at Bag End, and so do a merry bunch of dwarfs. Before Bilbo can realize, his food and wine stock is devoured and depleted, and he is part of an adventure he is unprepared for.
That adventure takes them (and us) through so many familiar and unfamiliar territories. We see many familiar faces - Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond, Saruman the White, and the adorable Gollum (this time the whistles and cheers were louder). We also visit Rivendell (another place that we wished we lived in). Little events that got mentioned in the LOTR trilogy unfold before our eyes, inspiring awe at the wizardry of a certain Tolkien.
Bilbo always seemed an insignificant character in the LOTR. But here, we immediately fall in love with the charisma of his innocence, his body language, his mild stupidity, and his courage (oh yes, even Gandalf says he draws courage from him). He does possess a lot of fear, but that's exactly why his courage is remarkable when he overcomes his fear.
Those who are unfamiliar with the book will be overwhelmed by the number of dwarf characters in the movie, but soon you will be familiar with them all (Thorin, Dwalin, Balin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin (Gimli's father, if you know who Gimli is), Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur). Thorin deserves special mention here, as his presence is so kingly, other dwarfs get dwarfed in his presence (pardon the pun).
We have seen Gollum in three movies already, hating it, pitying it and loving it. It is the same Gollum that we see here, but it still manages to make our jaws drop with its matchless expressions. Heck, some may even consider killing their dog and replacing it with Gollum as their new pet/companion. But make no mistake, it is equally menacing, manages to kill a goblin with ease, and is not so forgiving when a hobbit rids it of its most precious property.
We also encounter new characters - Radagast the Brown, a nature loving wizard, Azog, a pale and baleful Orc, and the Great Goblin, who deserves the adjective only due to his size. Then there is the Necromancer, and then there is Smaug.
Before the end of the movie, we already care for the fellowship and their quest, and look forward to the next part, and that is the director's triumph.
Let's talk about the visual grandeur of the movie. In a period where every movie comes out in 3D, this one really stands out. It never overuses the effects, but middle earth looks astounding in 3D, and at times it throws a few surprises at you, making you smile. The drooling Wargs look a lot more menacing when they stretch their heads out of the screen towards you. Birds and butterflies flutter all over the theater. The sweeping visuals of a goblin infested mountain can never look better even if you happen to be captured by those goblins and taken there. To say it short, this movie looks even better than LOTR, and that's saying a lot. Every frame of this movie can be used as a wallpaper for your computer/tablet/phone.
Dolby ATMOS - When the stone giants were fighting, the entire theater was rumbling so much, I was afraid the multiplex might suffer a structural collapse at any time. When Gollum was throwing its riddles, the riddles were coming in at us from all directions. As a lover of sound, I truly enjoyed the experience, and will pay yet again to experience it again.
Howard Shore is another reason why the LOTR trilogy is so loved by the fans. Here he mesmerizes us again, in spite of reusing some of the old themes for the sake of nostalgia. The song of the dwarfs is my hot favorite now (it's blasting through my speakers even as I am composing my review at 12:45 am). He also introduces some new themes that we will get more familiar with as the next two parts of this trilogy are released over the next two years (I hate the commercial reasons for such a long gap already). As for me, I will be quite familiar within a week, as I will watch this movie again and again, and have also purchased the soundtrack.
The movie is quite long, running dangerously close to three hours. The more the merrier I say. I already await the extended Blu-ray edition of the movie, which I know will add at least another 30 minutes of middle earth viewing for me. When I went to this movie, I did not go looking for flaws. I am a fan, not a critic. So what else did you expect from my 'review', apart from words of praise?