The legacy of The Lord of the Rings lived on to another generation through Peter Jackson’s trilogy, but the legacy began with a simple novel by a man named J.R.R Tolkien. Its name was The Hobbit. The Hobbit is one of the most beloved books of the 20th century and certainly deserves as much, if not more, respect as Tolkien’s trilogy. Finally, on Dec. 14 Peter Jackson begins an epic three-part telling of the classic tale. The first film is under intense scrutiny by fans of Jackson and Tolkien, so every flaw will be amplified and exploited. Here we go.
The Hobbit was written with a very different narrative style than The Lord of the Rings so the first question is whether Jackson just emulated a Return of the King feel, or if he made his story more optimistic in its demeanor. He succeeded immensely, managing to maintain the seriousness of the film while making it a joy to watch. This is aided by the fact that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is beautiful. Every minute of its almost three hour run time is masterfully crafted and the detail will leave you finding more and more with each viewing.
The biggest question, however, with any book movie is whether it stays true to the story. Jackson wrote the screenplay as a prequel more than an adaptation. He uses the expanded Tolkien universe to elaborate the return of Sauron to Middle Earth. These scenes are thankfully applicable and mostly accurate. Sadly, is that this expanded material interferes with the journey of Bilbo and the Dwarves, and often clashes with the events in the novel. However, the scenes that are accurate are exactly the way you imagined them in the book; you feel content and fulfilled by the trolls, Gandalf’s battle with the Goblins in the Misty Mountains, and the introduction of the Kings Under the Mountain. The best scene in the film that entirely captures the essence of Tolkien’s vision is Bilbo and Gollum’s riddles in the dark. Andy Serkis shines even more than he did in his previous performances as, “Precious.”
Another complaint is the overcrowding of the material. The movie has a lot of cluttering of scenes and sequences that are somewhat unnecessary. Stretching as long as it does, those less dedicated to the story will find themselves checking their watches.
Despite these complaints, they are mostly overshadowed by the raw beauty and fulfillment of the wonderful storytelling. I salute Peter Jackson and I salute Martin Freeman, Bilbo Baggins, who stole the show from everybody else on set, including Gandalf, bringing to life the quirky and beloved Bilbo Baggins. I realized I saw a fantastic movie when the film reached its end and I found myself only wanting more.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
