Review: 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

There's little truly "unexpected" in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and that's probably how fans of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy would want it. It's certainly not a knock against the film, as we knew from the moment Jackson booked his ticket for a return to Middle Earth that this is exactly what it would be; a warm and familiar adventure that feels soothing and comfortable like your favorite old blanket. It's truly like the Lord of the Rings never ended, but that doesn't mean there weren't incredible challenges to be met.

Ignoring the burden faced having to live up to prior standards, Jackson was forced to contend with J.R.R. Tolkien's slight novel, conceived as a children's story and written as such. The mood is lighter, the narrative linear, and in contrast to 'LOTR' the need is to beef up the story in order to flesh out a proper trilogy. So Jackson is free to take liberties with Tolkien's novel, adding a nifty framing sequence building upon what Tolkien mostly left up to imagination. Plucking liberally from many of Tolkien's ancillary stories, and dashing in a hefty amount of his own imagination, Jackson has crafted a new and exciting adventure that stands capably on its own.

The script pieced together by Philipa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Jackson, and ex-director Guillermo Del Toro aims for the symmetrical in its framing, beginning in much the same fashion as Fellowship of the Ring, in the heart of The Shire's Bag End. There, hobbits go about their business, which mainly amounts to eating lots and smoking on their pipe. It's also where we find an older Bilbo Baggins(Ian Holm), as restless as when we last left him, and writing a memoir of his past adventures to his nephew, Frodo Baggins(Elijah Wood) who we see only briefly, looking like he hasn't aged a day. The leisurely opening, which will bring to mind what many thought didn't work with 'LOTR', is nonetheless essential for setting up what is truly at stake. No matter how epic, how dangerous this journey becomes, it's important to not lose sight of what truly matters to these characters, and what matters to Bilbo is a comfortable place to rest his hairy feet. Through grandiose backstory we learn of the dwarves who lived in riches below the Lonely Mountain, and how they were ripped asunder by the dragon, Smaug. We see more of the dragon than expected, but not a complete whole, as he burns his way through the royal line, leaving only the exiled Thorin Oakenshield(Richard Armitage) to one day reclaim what his family lost.

It takes awhile, perhaps too long, for things to get going. After an extended opening, a puff of Bilbo's pipe sends us back into the past, and the rest of the film is essentially one long flashback sequence. Gandalf the Grey(Ian McKellen) turns up and immediately throws the life of the younger Bilbo(now played by Martin Freeman) into upheaval. Hobbits are characters of habit, who yearn for seclusion and peace, but Bilbo learns he has the blood of an adventurer running through his veins. Gandalf sizes him up for a mysterious mission, invites more than a dozen rowdy and very hungry dwarves into his home, and by playing on Bilbo's boredom convinces him to join the party. But before that you'll have to endure a couple of melancholic dwarven ballads.

Bilbo makes for a more likable central figure than Frodo, and a lot of that has to do with Freeman's loose and carefree performance.  The story largely revolves around the change that occurs within him, as he goes from a straggler in a team full of warriors, to someone of real value with a genuine reason for putting his life at risk. It can all be tied neatly with those seemingly innocuous homely scenes in the beginning, and set the stage for a further evolution of his character in subsequent films. Freeman is especially good during what may have been the film's highlight, a thrilling back-and-forth deep in a goblin cave with Gollum(Andy Serkis), as the two try desperately to outsmart one another. If Bilbo loses, he dies, and the scene is packed with the necessary tension and attention to dialogue. Serkis is brilliant here, all CGI madness and paranoia, but Freeman is up to his standard and then some as the calculating hobbit.

Shot in 48fps, twice the normal frame rate, the film has a glossy sheen that takes a little getting used to. It looks almost too real, too "live", like you're watching a video game cut scene. Once your eyes adjust to the sharpness and the speed of it, the film is as great a visual spectacle as you're likely to find. Bilbo and his party of dwarves traverse a myriad of landscapes, battling their way through orcs, giant trolls with discerning palettes, and goblins with humongous swinging jowls. Jackson's flair for the theatrical, and penchant for wondrous excess, is never more apparent than in a mind-blowing battle between two mountains come to life. Why are they fighting? Who knows? It just looks amazing, and that's all that matters. Truly, Middle Earth has never been more beautiful. From the rocky landscapes to the cavernous subterranean depths, Jackson has truly outdone himself on a visual front. There are times when you can sense Jackson padding out the nearly 3-hour runtime, in particular a plodding conversation in the elf kingdom of Rivendell.

There's some interchangeability when it comes to Bilbo's companions, one of the side effects of having such an extensive cast. All except Thorin Oakenshield, whose stoicism and strength of purpose will remind many of Aragorn. Since we won't see the group battling Smaug for awhile, Thorin has another personal vendetta that throws the group into some chaos along the way. It's an effective way of breaking up the action and keeping the plot moving in an effective manner. There's not so much walking this time around, and there's considerably more comedy. 

The success of The Hobbit will largely depend on how much you buy into the change that takes place within Bilbo. There comes a specific time when perceptions of him are upended, and his purpose laid out clearly and emphatically. It's a stirring moment that positions him as a very different, but no less burdened, sort of character than Frodo.  Those fearing this would be a disappointing franchise-killer ala The Phantom Menace have nothing to be concerned about. Just as with the Lord of the Rings, how this film is judged ultimately will depend on how the trilogy ultimately pans out. But on its own, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is deeply immersing, wonderfully shot, and welcome return to Middle Earth.