unexpectedly (though should not be surprised) brilliant

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2012)

As a huge fan of Tolkien, and of course having read The Hobbit, I had no idea how Peter Jackson could split The Hobbit - a much shorter book than Lord of the Rings (LOTR) - into a trilogy, nor how I could sit through such a long film without getting a little bored. That he could do it justice was never in doubt having seen LOTR. However, the time flew by and I was gripped from beginning to end. I was pleased to see Frodo (Elijah Wood) and the older Bilbo (Ian Holm) again before the 'flashback' that introduced Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo and thankfully all the major characters were played by the original actors; Gandalf (who else could play him other than the brilliant Sir Ian McKellan?), Lady Galadriel, Lord Elrond and Saruman etc so there was perfect continuity, albeit that The Hobbit is a prequel.
So, The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey sees Bilbo at home in The Shire at Bag End and Gandalf appears and thinks him suitable for an adventure with a bunch of rowdy, raucous and determined Dwarfs but at first he is reluctant. I was looking forward to the 'chip and glasses and crack the plates' and 'far over the misty mountains' songs and was not at all disappointed with the latter's lovely tune. The adventure takes in Rivendell (home of Elrond, and the last safe haven before the East), trolls, orcs and goblins and various obstacles as the Dwarfs make their way to the Lonely Mountain - their old home - in order to reclaim it from the Dragon Smaug who has taken over their stash of gold. Also during the adventure, Biblo meets Gollum (the incredibly talented Andy Serkis reprising his LOTR genius), the character who possibly steals the show, and it is here of course that Bilbo first comes into contact with the one Ring. The precious.
Of course the locations in New Zealand are wonderfully indicative of Tolkien's writing, the screenplay is gripping, laugh out loud funny and tells the story well and is translated by all the actors flawlessly. I really can't think of anything wrong with it. Of course there is a LOT of CGI involved in the SFX and whilst it is essential with a modern fantasy epic such as this, it is obvious and I get tired of it after a while. A lot of the characters and action are CGI which detracts from the film for me. However, it is very good - I'm not saying it is bad! The scenes with Gollum were hilarious, and whilst there was an inevitable darkness to the film as the story unfolded with the viewer's prescient knowledge of the LOTR already, it's a lighter and funnier adaptation than the original films and has more heart and is more of a morality tale. Peter Jackson has yet again done a stunning job with this incomparable ensemble cast including the likes of Richard Armitage, James Nesbit, Aidan Turner, Sylvester McCoy and Barry Humphries! Critics haven't been entirely complimentary about The Hobbit's first installment but we can remember that LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring received mixed reviews too but both are first parts of epic tales that require a build up and introduction and a setting of the scene but even that said it isn't as if this film is short of action, adventure and excitement. A superb film, and a credit to JRR Tolkien's genius yet again.