Sequels to popular films are a risky game. Prequels to popular films are ten times as risky. Prequels to movies that literally defined their genre, became cultural icons, and have garnered one of the largest fanbases in the world? Weellll, go ask a Star Wars fan what they think of the Phantom Menace to find that out. The point is, trying to extend a story that many people hold dear is a very delicate process, and no matter how hard you try, somebody is going to hate you for doing it. This is especially true with prequels. A prequel has to be able to be its own story, but somehow make sense in the context of the tale that it precedes. It needs to be entertaining and unique on its own merit, but it cannot deviate from too far from the expectations people have from the art piece that engulfed them so powerfully in the first place. So one has to wonder must wonder if the first film of The Hobbit trilogy, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings series, works as well as these films which are regarded as the greatest Fantasy Epics ever made (all of which based off of the works of author J.R.R Tolkien). Despite all the problems that a prequel like this should have, this critic is happy to say that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not only a good prequel, but a great film.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the story of a young Bilbo Baggins, who should be remembered as Frodo’s guardian in the original films. Taking place 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, Bilbo is far from the adventurous old man he would become, instead being a frightened and lax Hobbit, never wishing to stray far from his small comfortable hole in the peaceful Shire. That is until the mighty wizard Gandalf the Gray comes with a group of Dwarves to convince him to come on an adventure with them, a journey to take back the Dwarves home, which is being held by the mighty dragon Smaug. Despite initial reluctance, seeing the plight of the Dwarves convinces Bilbo to join them, and a grand adventure begins.
Admittedly, the story doesn’t have quite the stakes that The Lord of the Rings had. But to be fair, it’s hard to make higher stakes than the Dark Lord of Evil trying to consume the entire world. And to its own right, the adventure and watching Bilbo grow into his new life make for a great story element. Whereas The Lord of the Rings is about a major event and seeing how it drives multiple characters to act, The Hobbit is more about characters dealing with more minor events (in comparison) and using their reactions to help the audience understand who they are. This approach works very well, and though it doesn’t exactly have the epic impact of the original series, its focus on character allows for a refreshing take on the franchise, where the audience can care more about the character then what’s going to happen to the world they live in. Though its arguable whether or not this is a better way to take on the story, it’s definitely a way that works.
However, though most of the story does work, it’s at its best when the adventure finally starts after the first hour. Though the first act has many enjoyable moments, something is…off. What I’m about to say, really, shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as a movie that’s nearly three hours….It NEEDED to slow down. The first conversation as soon as the story starts shows this criticism in its fullest light. The dialogue is edited like a Wes Anderson film, as if it’s trying to bewilder you with how weird and disjointed it feels. Quickly after that, Bilbo is thrust into the Dwarves conflict, without giving the audience time to breathe until the end of the act. It’s all kind of awkward, especially when the films next two acts flow so well together. However, the witty and powerful script makes up for this act, salvaging the best parts of this act and helping to make the next two seem all the better.
This film has a wide cast of colorful and likeable characters. The aforementioned Bilbo Baggins is an absolute joy to watch, his awkward and uncomfortable manner portrayed excellently by Martin Freeman in the role he was born to play. He conducts himself in such an expressively discontent way that it’s near impossible not to love him. Ian McKellen returns as the great wizard Gandalf, giving as mighty and proud a performance as he had in the elder series. Andy Serkis makes his return as the unforgettable Gollum, being as creepy and mad as the audience will remember him. Most of the Dwarves, while portrayed by strong actors, are rather forgettable, but they’re not the focus of the story. However, the Dwarf King Thorin is very notable; a vengeful warrior who’s pride would endanger all of his company if he didn’t put his duty as king above all of his hatred. His character is in a constant battle to keep his emotions in check so that the right thing can be done for his people, a trait that his actor Richard Armitage portrays with fantastic effect.
Someone else who is worth discussing is the new character, Radagast the Brown. Perhaps it’s just personal bias, but I consider character one of the highlights of the movie. This character is unbelievably goofy, and easily one of the funniest parts of this film. A nature obsessed Wizard, he acts eccentric in ways that a vaudeville nitwit would, yet still holds a level urgency and power so that the audience should know that he is worth listening to. In this role is one Sylvester McCoy, whom Science Fiction fans may know as the actor who played the 7th incarnation of the titular Doctor in the long running British series “Doctor Who”. He carries the role of Radagast with the kind of strength only a former Doctor could. The characters and cast are brilliant, and show this movie’s greatest strength.
On the technical side…..What do you want me to say? It’s Peter Jackson, of course the movie looks phenomenal! The effects and cinematography are as brilliant here as they were in The Lord of the Rings. Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth is as powerful as ever, looking wide and beautiful with a kind of affection few other films can match. The makeup and prosthetics on the dwarves and the orcs looks fantastic, making these creatures look like they could truly exist in our world. Every shot convinces you that these characters really are that short or tall. The film looks rather unique, combining the visual styles of the previous movies, with that of the former director on the Hobbit project, but still co-writer Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth and the Hellboy films. His style, which has always been dark, strange, and rather twisted combined with the wide and epic vision of Peter Jackson makes for one of the most interesting looking films that’s ever been made, in terms of sets and cinematography.
Howard Shore returns for the musical accompaniment, and it is simply phenomenal. The orchestrations range from powerful and epic marches, to moving and emotional ballads, all of which set the tone of the film perfectly. And the entire set is original, using no music from the other films, except for small touches that fit perfectly into the movie. And I dare any of you to NOT feel a strong emotion when the Dwarves sing “Misty Mountains”. Along with that, the fights scenes look great, and can still pump the hearts of the audience with its deservedly loved take on fantasy action.
If there is one issue to be had with any of these film’s technical aspects, it’s that CGI is an overused tool. Some of the orcs lose their great makeup from the other films in favor of CG rendering, but it’s always obvious that the ones with makeup look more threatening and real. In fact, the main orc villain is a CG character, and to be honest, it looks really bad. The character has no real menace to him; he just looks like a cheap video game character. Had this character used makeup, it’s likely that this would be a far better looking villain. Despite this, most of the film looks and sounds amazing, and in conjunction with the story, makes for a great movie viewing experience.
Now, many must be wondering-Is this film as good as any of the Lord of the Rings movies? Well, no. The Lord of the Rings movies will likely remain superior as this trilogy carries on, and those looking to go to the theater and see another film like those will likely be a little disappointed. But as its own film, and as a prequel, The Hobbit works great, and is a great fantasy in its own right. With any luck, the rest of the trilogy will just as fantastic.
Final Rank: A
+Great script and characters, actors do great job, and the cinematography creates a wonderfully epic tone, with most technical aspects doing a near perfect job in bringing the story to life
-First act feels rather rushed, some of the Dwarf characters are forgettable, and CGI is far too overused
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