The visit back to Middle Earth that we've longed for

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2013)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the golden ticket that takes us back to Middle Earth where we can once again immerse ourselves in this deep, intricate and magical world. The Hobbit is a trilogy that brings to screen J.R.R Tolkin's first novel of Middle Earth and is the prequel to the much acclaimed Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Directed by Peter Jackson and featuring some returning stars The Hobbit is a fantastic film that lets you take a dip in the pool that is the world of Middle Earth.
Ian McKellar returns as Gandalf the Grey and brings with him the same charm, wit and pure awesomeness fans of LOTR will love. He is brilliant and no one will be disappointed to see him back on the big screen. Martin Freeman plays a 'young' Bilbo Baggins and this is really his movie. It is his story and he does a fantastic job at portraying Bilbo. Bilbo was fantastically casted and fantastically portrayed. Richard Armitrage plays the main dwarf Thorin and is everything a Tolkin fan will want in a Thorin. One of my qualms with this movie is that most of the dwarfs don't get any backstory/screen time and although this will not be an issue once the trilogy is complete and I know that getting backstory/screen time for 13 dwarfs in an already 3 hour movie is impossible, it was something to note.
There are cameos from Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett as Elrond and Lady Galadriel as well as Christopher Lee as Saruman. Elijah Wood also makes a cameo as the beloved Frodo Baggins and although these cameos can seem a little too indulgent at times they are still valued and bring completeness to the plot.
Of course there is one person left to mention and that is Andy Serkis returning as Gollum. Serkis steals the show and is absolutely phenomenal in this movie. I can't stress that enough. He brings one of the, if not the highlight of the movie in the 'Riddle Scene' and brings a different side to Gollum. In LOTR we see Gollum as conniving and menacing but here we see a Gollum who we feel genuine pity for.
Without spoiling anything for me this movie is too long. If you didn't know, the saga was originally meant to be two movies long, but mid production was extended to three. This in my opinion is a little bit of a cash grab as this movie felt as though it was an extended edition of the movie, meant for the hardcore fans and there are a couple of completely irrelevant scenes that could have easily been omitted but weren't for the sake of extending the movie. The length of the movie wouldn't be a problem but the first 90 odd minutes can be painfully slow and it is only really the second act of the movie that provides us with quality that should have been seen throughout. In the grand scheme of things (3 movies and potentially 9 hours of movie) I can understand the need for a slow build but it could have, and should have been executed better. LOTR: The Two Towers was had hardly any action before the Battle of Helm's Deep but it wasn't slow and painful and everything had relevance. That said any fan of the series won't mind too much, but for a large proportion of the population, it will be a little too long. Peter Jackson does a marvelous job in directing this movie and it is shot beautifully while Howard Shore produced yet again a truly beautiful score for the movie.
Finally before my final verdict I have to touch on the whole 48fps thing. I initially saw the movie in 24fps and went to see it in 48fps afterwards before returning to see it once again in 24fps. For those who don't know; movies are normally filmed in 24fps and this is what we are all use to. Peter Jackson decided to film The Hobbit in 48fps which basically means that instead of seeing 24 photos per second, you see 48. This is meant to increase immersion but unfortunately does the exact opposite. Sometimes the movie looks spectacular and at points actually took my breath away. Sometimes people look so realistic you think you are there. But more often than not movement looks jerky and sped up and instead of making you feel like you're there in the world, it makes you feel like you are there watching the movie being physically filmed (which is a bad thing). Also, the blend between CGI and real stuff is lessened and again takes you out of the experience. If you're only going to see this once, see it in 24fps because 48fps can definitely taint your opinion of the film and your overall experience.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a fantastic movie that while unable to completely recapture the magic of LOTR, is still an absolutely brilliant movie and in my top three for the year. Definitely a must see that won't disappoint especially if you're already a fan of Middle Earth.