When you hear that the classic JRR Tolkien fantasy fiction novel, The Hobbit, is being split into three and released as a trilogy of movies, each lasting nearly three hours, an element of doubt starts to creep in. However, the first of the three films, An Unexpected Journey, released just before Christmas 2012, easily proves the fears wrong as it fits the story well and keeps up a great pace, despite its drawn out run-time.
The Hobbit is a much shorter read than The Lord of the Rings, so Peter Jackson’s decision to give it the same treatment as the earlier films felt like a step too far, but the reality is that he’s made it work well. The 169 minutes fly by and at the end of it you’re left feeling like you’ve had just enough adventure for now, paving the way for what’s shaping up to be a great trilogy adaptation of the book.
The only real negative to the film is that some of the CGI isn’t as effective as the more impressive elements, so it might look a bit dated fairly fast. However, this is more than made up for by the great performances and stunning sets. While the Wargs look like SFX hasn’t really moved on much since The Never Ending Story, the backdrops for Rivendell, the Misty Mountains and the Dwarf cavern home of Erebor are much more impressive.
If you didn’t read the book and you’re not familiar with the story, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey starts out with Gandalf reacquainting himself with Bilbo in order to get him to come on a big adventure with him and a band of Dwarfs to retrieve their home from the dragon Smaug. Though Bilbo’s unwilling to accompany them to begin with, he changes his mind at the last minute and sets out with Gandalf and the company of Dwarfs on the adventure of his lifetime.
Martin Freeman (Nativity) is very convincing as Bilbo Baggins, with only minor moments of his Office legacy creeping through, and Sir Ian McKellen (Beauty And The Beast (2017)) is his usual quintessential Gandalf, cementing himself into the role even further. The band of Dwarfs are pretty cool too, led by the ancestral king of the dwarfs Thorin, played brilliantly by Richard Armitage; although James Nesbitt’s role as Bofur stands out a little like a sore thumb, but if you’ve never seen Cold Feed, Waking Ned or Murphy’s Law then you probably won’t bat an eyelid.
Ian Holm and Elija Wood have brief introductory roles in the beginning of the film as the older Bilbo Baggins writing his memoirs and Frodo Baggins before he sets of in the adventure of The Lord of the Rings. Cate Blanchett also returns as Galadriel in the story, along with Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Christopher Lee as Saruman the White and Andy Serkis (The Adventures of Tintin Secret of the Unicorn) as the despicable Gollum, who’s even more enthralling than before.
There’s also a few cameos to look out for, including former Dr Who, Sylvester McCoy, as Randagast the Brown wizard, Barry Humphries (AKA Dame Edna Everage) as the Great Goblin and Benedict Cumberbatch (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)) in a brief appearance as the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, before he goes on to play Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
All in all, there’s a lot to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, as it builds out the story superbly, giving it a contained feel and legitimizing the trilogy approach by director Peter Jackson. It’s packed with action, a great story, brilliant characters and equally brilliant performances, making it an instant classic.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey film review: 4.4/5
