Sunday, December 16, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (IMAX 3D)


Peter Jackson has done it again! I’ve been waiting for this movie for years and he sure didn’t disappoint. The Hobbit will always have a special spot in my heart since it was one of the first books I remember reading on my own.

The movie takes place 60 years before the events of LOTR. Gandalf (played by the always amazing Sir Ian McKellen) recruits Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to aid a group of dwarves, led by Thorin (Richard Armitage, who gives an incredible performance) to reclaim their homeland from the dragon Smaug. The dwarves are skeptical, mainly Thorin, that Bilbo can help them. Even Bilbo questions himself. But eventually Bilbo says yes and off they go on their amazing adventure.

First of all, let’s talk about the whole 48 fps issue. There aren’t too many theaters playing it this way, but I happened to be at one of the ones that had it. What did I think? Well I must admit it did look a little strange at first. But after a while I got use to it. I certainly don’t think it’s as bad as some are making it out to be.

The cinematography was gorgeous as I knew it would be. You can tell Peter Jackson loves this world and does everything he can to bring it to life. I highly recommend watching this on an IMAX screen if you can. That along with the 3D (which was pretty good overall) makes you really feel like you’re in Middle Earth. I was completely geeing out the whole time I was watching this.

The visual effects were good. My only issue was the use of cgi in certain instances, mainly the Orcs. I preferred some of the practical effects they used in the LOTR movies. Don’t get me wrong, the cgi looked just fine. It’s more of a personal preference. Some may feel differently.

The acting was incredible! I think Martin Freeman was the perfect choice to play Bilbo. He’s just how I imagined Bilbo in the books. I was surprised how much I liked Thorin. I found his backstory really interesting. I know his character has changed a bit in this movie compared to the book, but I didn’t mind at all. Of course, the character I most looked forward to seeing was Gollum. It really is a crime that Andy Serkis doesn’t have an Oscar yet. The whole scene with him and Bilbo was my favorite part of the movie as well as the book.  

Speaking of the book, it’s only 300+ pages long. When they first said they were splitting it up into two movies, I wasn’t crazy about it but I thought maybe they just want to take the time to really develop the characters. Then they announced The Hobbit would be a trilogy. My first thought was, really? There’s no way they can stretch it out that far. But I guess they’re including additional material that Tolkien wrote as well as sort of bridging the gap between this and LOTR. I know in this movie, which is nearly three hours long but didn’t feel that long to me, there was this whole subplot that wasn’t in the book at all. But I found it really interesting and look forward to seeing where they go with it. I’m still not crazy about the idea of this being a trilogy, but Peter Jackson is an incredible director so if he thinks he can do it, then so be it.

Howard Shore is back composing the musical score, which was really beautiful. A must have on your iPod. I especially enjoyed the Song of the Lonely Mountain. I got goose bumps went the dwarves sang it. It was better than I ever imagined.

So was The Hobbit better then LOTR? Well, there are still two movies to go so I can’t say for sure. But I will say it’s just as good. And honestly, I’m really loving Bilbo a lot more than Frodo at the moment.

I think if you enjoyed the LOTR trilogy, then you’ll love this as well. And even if you didn’t, give The Hobbit a chance. It’s a lot of fun. Certainly one of my favorite movies this year.

My Rating: 9/10

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