Exists Just to Get Us Ready for Part II

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2013)

I did not watch this film when it was first shown last year. Honestly, the Hobbits were not exactly my favorite among the characters of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy of films. So why was I going to watch a long three-hour movie all about a Hobbit?! However, now that there is buzz about the second film being shown in cinemas this week, I have decided to watch this first film finally in order to watch its well-reviewed sequel.
It turns out "The Hobbit" is about only ONE Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Aside from the Grey Wizard Gandalf, the rest of the characters going on the titular "Unexpected Journey" are actually Dwarfs. The journey was made to help the Dwarf warrior Thorin recover the lost Dwarf Kingdom from under the control of the dragon Smaug (that is the name in the sequel's title).
On this journey, they will encounter Goblins and Orcs who will imperil them in various spectacular elaborately-executed, yet obviously computer generated battles scenarios. Every member of the quest group seemed to have charmed lives the way they escape even the most precarious and deadly situations. These action scenes were fun to watch in their video-game-like presentations, though they went on a tad too long.
There will also be quiet scenes, and these were actually more effective. Gandalf will have an audience of Lady Galadriel in Riverdell. And in the best part of the film, Bilbo will encounter Gollum, and we will witness how the Hobbit gains possession of Gollum's "preciousssss" Ring. This was THE big moment of the whole film though it only comes after the second hour already, when you may already be zoned off since nothing of any big significance happened before this iconic scene.
This first film really just prepared us for this second film when they will actually encounter Smaug. OK, now I am ready to watch Part II.