"I'm going for an adventure."

Rating: 8/10 (15 December 2012)

I'm probably too traditional and old fashioned for my own good. I'm pretty close to senior citizen status, so 3D and this new fangled 48 frames per second business isn't something that whets my appetite enough to make me veer from watching films in a conventional format. Additionally, it's been some time since I've read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, so my memory is a little hazy about events in the first book.
With all of that stated, I'd have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed by this Unexpected Journey. The first half hour or so that was spent introducing the dwarfs seemed way too long, and even though I felt I was being attentive enough, I only managed to catch about half the names of the characters. Even as the story progressed, I never had a good sense of who the players were except for leader Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the brothers Fili and Kili. It was a bit disorienting as well to picture them all as dwarfs when they looked normal size except when in the company of Gandalf and the elven folk. The scene in Rivendale was the only one where you got that sense of proportion.
I found interesting the comments of viewers who felt this film wasn't as dark as the Lord of The Rings series. A significant portion of the picture takes place underground, in caves, and at night, so I don't find that analysis particularly accurate. If anything, the battle scenes are virtually non stop from one to the next, so there's always a pervasive element of danger. In that regard, given the fierce intensity of each encounter with orcs, wargs and goblins, I found it just too unbelievable that no one among the dozen plus adventurers wound up with not even a scratch. Consider the escape in the goblin cave and the way that chase ended with the plummeting wooden bridge and all the dwarfs holding on for dear life. No one even needed to catch their breath.
On the plus side, I thought the geography was stunningly photographed, the New Zealand setting a remarkably perfect depiction of Tolkien's graphic descriptions. As before, the returning actors did a splendid job, and I find it amazing how Ian McKellan at seventy three and Christopher Lee at eighty manage to keep pace with the rest of the cast. And speaking of age, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Cate Blanchett as Lady Galadriel don't look any older than they did almost a decade ago in LOTR, so maybe there's something to that elven longevity business.
Finally, special consideration needs to be given to the meeting of Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and Gollum (Andy Serkis). My recollection of the book suggests that this sequence was done quite accurately, particularly in regard to the riddles posed by each of the characters. Gollum seemed much more menacing here than he did in LOTR, and he along with some of the other fierce looking creatures in the story hardly makes for a recommended viewing for young kids.
So anyway, even with my criticisms, what I'll probably do is see this again, but break down and go for the 3D, and then firmly anticipate the remaining installments in the trilogy. Like other reviewers, I have some reservations about the need to go that distance as well, but I'll give Peter Jackson the benefit of the doubt. If I'm feeling up to it, I'll go back and read the book again too.