A Trilogy's Average Beginning

Rating: 7/10 (13 December 2012)

There are films that define a decade. Works of the seventh art that one must view in the future to better understand culture, taste and trends of a particular time period. Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy is an example of this. Having made close to three billion dollars all together, these are films that greatly influenced culture in the 2000s to the point that the fantasy genre was no longer one overwhelmingly followed by book worms but now one of high mainstream appeal. Even the Academy of Infinite Wisdom could not deny the last entry a much deserved Oscar in the year 2003.
We are now in the 2010's and exactly 11 years after The Fellowship of the Ring first hit theaters, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released. Most fans know of the long and tedious pre-production process that went on before this came to be and it is not relevant now how Peter Jackson ended up being the Director and not Guillermo del Toro. What is relevant is how this entry does little to capture audience's imagination.
What was originally going to be two-parts has ended up being three, basically three hour movies which is extremely excessive for a 300 page book that is just an introduction to the masterpiece that is Lord of the Rings. Mr. Jackson himself has said that this was done so that the characters could be developed more deeply. Something which one does not see in this film. The reasons for Thorin's Quest are obvious and there is no depth.
This does not make it a bad movie, it is still entertaining. Great costumes, a familiar score, the return of beloved characters, wonderful panoramas as always. But we are left scratching our heads regarding if three epics were necessary. After asking this question, the most resounding answer is no.
While all three LOTR films have their own magic and could easily stand alone, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is nothing more than a glorified introduction. I sure hope that by next November, things are different.