"Where to begin? Let's seeAh yes"

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2012)

I've been waiting since 2003 with a hope that someday Peter Jackson would direct The Hobbit. And nearly a decade after I saw The Return of the King in the theatre, I went back to see Middle-earth on the big screen.
Was it worth it? Oh – my – God, yes!
Spoiler Alert!
The movie begins with "dear Frodo" and I smiled. Ian Holm is back as the older Bilbo and he rocks the prologue. The tying-up of The Hobbit to LotR begins right here – and it's done so well! The make-up is spectacular.
The entry of Frodo brings back wonderful memories and, ironically, it takes you into the future and yet fills you with the wonder of the present. The links between the LotR movies and this one is most prevalent in the scenes with the older Bilbo and Frodo. For instance, links of dialogues like "dwarf doors are invisible when closed" said by Gandalf – who, pauses and realizes that since he is seated amongst 13 dwarfs it would be quite pertinent not to mention 'even their masters cannot find them'. Or one of the trolls saying, "make him squeal". Or Gandalf telling Thorin to not talk at all with the elves and let him do all the talking, just like he did with Pippin in the RotK.
Bilbo's prologue takes us to Erebor. The Heart of the Mountain is shown – and it's unlike anything I pictured when I read about it, which doesn't mean that it is bad. It just takes on a different image now in my mind. A quite beautiful one. Thror is resplendently shown – and we get to see Thrain, Thorin and Thranduil all in the flashback. Spectacular halls. Brilliant mines. Magnificent treasure. And the need that arises withing Thror to hoard it all. Possessiveness and greed – which brings me to Smaug, the Magnificent! His arrival is shown very cleverly. A flash of a wing here, a swirl of the tail, a stride of the front legs there – but that is all that Peter Jackson gives us. Sir Ian McKellen carries the role of Gandalf with such élan that a few extra wrinkles can promptly get unnoticed. His acting, comic style, a flair for dialogue rendering make him superlative by default.
Which brings me to the younger Bilbo – Martin Freeman. He is just astounding! The role of Bilbo was made for this Free man! I think he has done a truly splendid job. The unsociable, very human Bilbo taking on the mantle of an intrepid adventurer who faces his own fears is amply brought to life by Martin.
The dwarfs are introduced well. There are 13 of them and there's no pressure to learn any of their names which is a good move on Jackson's part. Each of them is easily identifiable as different from the other by makeup and prosthesis – my favourite happens to be Balin. Thorin's entry and his personality marks him the Aragorn of The Aragorn of The Hobbit. His is a brooding personality completely befitting Thorin's and he is handsome, as are his nephews, Fili (Dean O'Gorman) and Kili (Aidan Turner). Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili and Bofur are given ample screen time. The cinematography and the story boarding are just amazing.
Radagast the Brown, quirky, devoted to the flora and fauna of Middle-earth, is brought to life by Sylvester McCoy. I think he did a fantastic job of being the quirky, brave, eccentric passionate lover of nature that Radagast is  I enjoyed his fight with the Witch King at Dol Guldur and quite liked the rabbits from Rhosgobel, too. And yes, they are fast!
What is Peter Jackson's own invention is the Morgul blade that Radagast manages to wrestle from the Witch King. But even that fits into the storyline – it is well-woven in.
Also the fact that he gives an animal lover like me a chance to sigh with relief. Jackson allows the ponies to go 'missing' before the dwarfs reach Rivendell. I didn't want to see the ponies being taken by the goblins in Moria.
Galadriel, Saruman, Elrond and Gandalf have the meeting of the White Councl. Círdan, Glorfindel and Radagast are not shown in the film. Cate Blanchett is a goddess! It is here that Gandalf says the most poignant dialogue in the whole movie about how it is not great power that changes the world but small acts of kindness and love.
Apart from tricky action sequences in Goblin town, what is essential and really worthwhile to note is the scene with Gollum and Bilbo. The scene between the two is electrifying. Andy Serkis as Gollum has surpassed himself yet again! The execution of the Riddles in the Dark is amazing. And the finding of the Ring of Power heightens the entire situation to electrifying levels. It is diffused only between what I know now to be my favourite scene of the movie: the point where Bilbo has a choice – to kill Gollum or to spare him. "The pity of Bilbo will rule the fate of many." The surrealism of that scene is tackled beautifully.
The movie ends with a thrush and the awakening of Smaug – the look of the dragon's head, graphically, was not pleasing, it looked unreal. I hope they rectify this within a year before they show him in full, golden scales and all!
10 out of 5.