Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with the highly anticipated and somewhat unexpected start to the trilogy of The Hobbit. Tolkien's prequel to The Lord Of The Rings trilogy sees a much younger Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) reluctantly join a band of 13 dwarves on a dangerous adventure. The dwarves led by their rightful king Thorin (Richard Armitage) aim to reclaim their homeland of Erebor at The Lonely Mountain from the terrifying dragon known as Smaug. The task at hand is no easy feat but luckily Bilbo and the dwarves are accompanied by the wise wizard known as Gandalf (Ian McKellen) who acts as an overseer to the daunting quest.
Compared to the epic proportions of The Lord Of The Rings the subject matter in The Hobbit seems like a children's fairytale, and in reality it's not far from the truth. The Hobbit was a novel written for Tolken's children hence the writing is quick and humourous, diving into one adventure after another. Most events happen in just a few lines whereas they could easily take up a whole chapter. It is for this reason that I understand why the seemingly short book could be made into two films. As for the decision to make the novel into three films well I think everyone is a little nervous as it seems like a bit of a stretch. However I have faith in the vision of Peter Jackson and I feel his decision is not solely based on the inevitable box office profit.
Given that there are three films based on such limited material it was a surprise to see Jackson once again make the film run longer than 2 and a half hours. In fact there are some scenes that I felt were unnecassary in the film such as some of the flashback/back story scenes for the dwarves. Also there are characters and events that are magnified to have a greater role in the film which I found unnecessary. Most notably the character of Azog: The Pale Orc (Manu Bennett) who acts as the main antagonist for the film. With the addition of so many extra characters and events I feel that the central story arc was slightly lost and even though the film is long the dwarves are still given little individual distinction.
Apart from the leader Thorin who is the Aragon type hero of the story most of the dwarves are simply defined by an eccentric trait. Such as Bombur: the fat one (doesn't have a speaking role), Fili and Kili: the young/good looking ones, Dwalin: the angry one and Gloin: Gimli's dad. Apart from Thorin the only dwarves who are given even a little screen time are: Balin (Ken Stott) the wise dwarf that has been by Thorin's side from the very beginning and Bofur (James Nesbitt) who provides the comic relief and forms a strong friendship with Bilbo. Armitage himself gives a strong performance as Thorin the loyal and dedicated leader of the group, but perhaps what is most impressive is that Armitage is 6'2" in real life. But my favourite dwarf has to be Bifur who hilariously has an ax sticking out of his head. It's this sort of inspired humour that helps The Hobbit go beyond the expected childish jokes of dwarfs being short or fat.
One of the biggest concerns surrounding the movie was who would play the title role of Bilbo. The coveted role eventually went to Martin Freeman and he is perfectly cast as the reluctant hero who proves (mainly to himself) that he does in fact have a flare for adventure and danger. Whether or not he is a talented thief (which is his chief role for joining the quest) is yet to be determined. Then there is Gandalf the Grey played by Ian McKellen who once again provides many memorable lines and saves the day on more than one occasion. It's no accident that one of the most beloved literacy characters of all time has now become one of the most beloved characters to grace the silver screen as McKellen effortlessly transitions into the character of Gandalf, doing justice to Tolkien's literacy masterpiece.
Throughout the film you may find yourself saying 'I don't remember that from the book' and that's because many characters and scenes are taken from the appendices from The Lord Of The Rings or in Radagast's case from the book itself. Additions to the film are also made in an attempt to create a smoother transition to The Lord Of The Rings films. Including the inclusion of orcs, more time given to Saruman and a greater emphasis placed on the growing threat of Sauron. Given the popularity of The Lord Of The Rings films many central characters also return in one way or another such as Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) as well as Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Ian Holm (old Bilbo) as the narrators of the film. Most have little or no role in the novel but once again help bridge the gap between the two stories.
Perhpas the best recurring character is that of Gollum/Smeagol who is once again masterfully portrayed by Andy Serkis. Unlike other characters Gollum was in The Hobbit in what is perhaps the most famous chapter: Riddles in the dark. Similarly the scene is one of the best in the film and although Gollum has a small role in the film it is very memorable. Andy Serkis may not have been on screen for very long but he is also the second unit director of the film, adding his talents to the long list of people responsible for bringing the novel to life.
The Hobbit was a film that overcome many pre-production issues including the original director Guillermo del Toro leaving after three years of development. Luckily the project went ahead with Peter Jackson once again taking the reigns of director. Jackson then went on to shoot and project the film at 48 frames per second, not the industry norm of 24 frames. The move was bold as it had never been done before and was the subject of much debate and criticism when the film first came out. The aim was to create a more realistic looking film, espically when seen in 3D, however many viewers found the film too fast and nauseating. I saw the film in 3D and the fact is the film was clearer but on all accounts the same as any other film. Ultimately I applaud Jackson's bravery by trialling new technology and his attempts to make the best looking film possible.
It is inevitable that The Hobbit will be compared to The Lord Of The Rings, after all the novel and films act as a prequel to the trilogy. Yet the comparission of the two may be unfair and unjust. The Hobbit is on all accounts its own story and should be viewed as such. Viewers should not go into the film expecting another Lord Of The Rings trilogy, instead they should just go along for the ride on an all new adventure. Whether or not Jackson's ambitious plans for a trilogy will be a success is yet to be determined but one thing is for sure the adventure has just begun.
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