So the other day i finished The Hobbit. Suffice to say i thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The plot revolves around Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves seeking to reclaim their homeland/kingdom that was destroyed/taken over by the evil dragon Smaug. Along to help them is the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, uncle of the LOTR trilogy Frodo Baggins, and Gandalf the Grey. The movie is one part of a three part trilogy and begins like the Fellowship of the Ring on a rather light note combined with a slower pace. Although the scene in Bag End with the dwarves is pretty entertaining.
Peter Jackson's trademark touches are in full swing here. The landscapes are breath taking and the sets are trully a step back into another time. All of the monsters look incredible and i noticed even the goblins and orcs look more realistic than their LOTR trilogy counterparts. I was particularly impressed with Thorin Oakenshield and Bilbo Baggins. Both have well developed characters and its easy to see how each ended up with their particular world views. What i really enjoyed was the courage of Bilbo Baggins and relatively simple minded yet crafty way they portrayed him. It was a breath of fresh air after the overly emotional performances of Frodo and Sam in the trilogy. We have a simple homebody hobbit whos clever, crafty and enjoys the finer things in life, but when push comes to shove dedicates himself to a worthy cause. Oakenshield plays the warrior king struggling to find his way home.Gandalf the Grey is his usual smart and elderly self. For some reason this film worked better with relatively no
name actors instead of a bunch of over acting "stars".
One of the bigger criticisms i heard about this film was in the form of a question. Is this movie really needed? To the minimalist possibly no, but give Peter Jackson credit for continually doing the books justice and bringing them to life. I actually enjoyed this movie better than most of the trilogy ones, not because of the fight scenes, or special effects, because the characters are more likeable and seem more fleshed out to me. One of my biggest criticisms of the trilogy was the overly emotional interplay between Sam and Frodo. And also Orlando Bloom as Legolas. I also didn't particularly like Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, but thats another thing entirely. Yes the movie is basically one long walk from point A to point B buts its entertaining because of the interplay between the characters. If its not Oakenshield doubting Bilbo Baggins intentions and being consistently proven wrong, its the way the dwarves turn seemingly normal activities into song and dance numbers.
All in all i would highly recommend the movie and its sequel. It's slightly less nauseating in the melodrama and more meat and potatoes tolkien universe. It's not the most action packed movie around but for those looking to transport themselves to a place where hobbits and dwarves and wizards eat at the same table, and sing song and dance while puting away dishes. Look no further.
