Rating of
3/4
lastonetoleave - wrote on 12/30/12
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Set sixty years before “The Lord of the Rings,” a Hobbit named, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), is picked by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to journey across Middle Earth with thirteen Dwarves to reclaim their homeland from a giant dragon. I think the biggest problem with the film is that it tries to show too much - as if Director Peter Jackson tries to capture and film everything that happens in the book. Films based on books usually have to be cut back, because they would just be too long, but Jackson seems determined to make three films out of one single book. The film is way to lengthy, at times looks like a video game, and just doesn't quite have the soul and majesty of the Lord of the Rings films. I liked Martin Freeman as Bilbo, a sort of everyman's Hobbit, but there really isn't a standout Dwarf in the film like in the Rings films where so many distinct characters created such a rich character-based film. I was excited to see the creepy Gollum again (the character from Lord of the Rings) but alas, his part, while important, is small in a very long film. I also didn't like the 48 Frames Per Second look of the film as it gave almost an HD TV look to. Check your theater's website to determine if it's being shown chains in HFR for High Frame Rate. The film was shot in 3-D and it is worth it to see it in that format. Overall this is an enjoyable adventure film, but just doesn't measure up to the Rings Trilogy. My Rating: Full Price
