A Rich and Wondrous Fantasy

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2012)

The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey is a wondrous film adaptation of the beloved book, faithfully brought to life and lovingly enriched by Peter Jackson and his troupe. It is thoroughly enjoyable, I can see myself re-watching it many times.
This is a film especially appreciated by fans of Jackson's LOTR films. Having thoroughly enjoyed the LOTR trilogy and the extended edition content, I rejoiced when I heard that The Hobbit was going to be expanded into a 3-part epic. I wasn't sure how Jackson was going to do it, but I knew it was the right move.
And after watching the first installment of The Hobbit trilogy, I now understand what Jackson is doing. It's an absolute joy to see more of the Middle Earth universe brought into The Hobbit, even if it seems tangential to the main story. The result is that we are immersed in a more expansive world.
The tone of The Hobbit differs from the LOTR trilogy; it is much more lighthearted. This movie is not about saving the world from imminent doom, it's about kinship and helping friends reclaim their rightful home. As a result, there isn't - and there shouldn't be - the same level of gravitas as the LOTR trilogy.
The Hobbit is a whimsical adventure through the fantastic land of Middle Earth. It is almost one-dimensionally an adventure movie, and needs to be accepted as such. The movie should be looked at as a fun jaunt through a fantastic universe, which is really what we get.
However, we do get more than this. The characters Thorin and Bilbo are established very well and we come to know and respect these characters. We get an unexpected moment towards the end where the stubborn Thorin apologizes for doubting Bilbo's competence and truly accepts him as their burglar. Here we get a really great theme of friendship that is truly heartfelt.
It wouldn't be fair not to list a few things I would have done differently:

The scene where the dwarfs almost magically stack up Bilbo's tableware is absurd.

The dwarfs are surprisingly resilient to long falls and being crushed.

The usual gripes I have with Jackson's disorienting camera style, jerky pacing, and out-of-place horror themes.

However these are minor gripes.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey lives up to my expectations and is worthy of the source material. Both instill in us that love for adventure and the pursuit of finding out what's over the next hill.