Twenty-five minutes in to the film, I suddenly thought, “Wait, people said it takes this long to get used to the 48fpm and the 3D. I’ve only just noticed it – and it’s fantastic!” Perhaps there’s something wrong with my eyesight, but for me at Wellington’s Embassy at least, the colours glowed, the sparkling detail shone, and the screen showed a sumptuous feast of Middle-earth from the first frame. I was immersed in the reality from the first frame.
We were impressed by the clever way the introduction, which frames the story, wove this film neatly into the start of FOTR. You couldn’t help but smile fondly at Ian Holm’s cameo with Elijah Wood.
After a glance at the Bagginses in the Shire, we got our first glimpse of the dwarf kingdom, which was filled with details I think Tolkien would have loved. There was the lovely rhythm of Old English in lines such as (near as I can recall) “The dragon laid waste/ Death he dealt” – a cadence that Tolkien himself fell into readily enough. A nice touch was the rhythm of the countless hammers on the anvils as we first see the smithies of Erebor – for a second I’m sure I heard the unmistakable, frenetic anvil rhythm of Wagner’s Rheingold. I’ll have to see it again to check if I was imagining things.
Talking of sound and music, the sound could well win another Oscar for sound editing. The sound was as deeply 3D as the picture, and used to striking effect during the Riddles in the Dark scene. Just as you can imagine that, lost in the dark, one’s ears would magnify everything and prick the emotions unbearably.
The music disappointed me though. The cues for what we should feel were too obvious, and I wanted more new themes. It made sense to have an established sound-world for each place or character, but I kind of sighed internally when the angelic choir struck up again to signify Rivendell, or the music moved so obviously towards a restatement of the Ring theme or the Shire theme. It all felt a bit recycled, and unless some new themes or orchestration are introduced, I’m going to be heartily sick of them by the end of the third movie.
What’s with the rampant contrabass trombones in every film score these days, too? Lately they’ve become de riguer for every action scene. Great instrument, but you can have too much of a good thing.
Some critics have complained of the film’s slow introduction, but the action is worth the wait – to me the film felt very well paced indeed. You get a glimpse of Smaug right near the beginning – and like James Cameron’s Alien, a glimpse, combined with superb sound effects, works tremendously on the imagination.
The acting was as I expected it to be: Superb. I’m speaking as a person who would be enthralled by watching Sir Ian McKellen or Martin Freeman reading a laundry list. But Richard Armitage I haven’t seen before, but he was equally compelling. The writers’ choice was to keep the film tightly focused on their story arcs. Their evolving relationship is at the heart of the film, and if things are sacrificed, they are in favour of this. You will find a chapter of Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales very illuminating in this respect – Tolkien described the initial distrust between Gandalf, Thorin and Bilbo absolutely like this. The relationship between these three is the crucial dramatic arc of this story.
Some scenes are framed slightly differently than in the book: Bilbo leaving Bag End for instance, or his encounter with the trolls. They keep much of the dialogue we know and love, but the changes reinforce the central drama of Bilbo, who chooses to follow his Tookish side rather than being bullied into the quest by Gandalf. The troll scene was always a bit unbelievable when I read it – 13 dwarves taken unaware and popped into sacks? The film version solves that.
We get to see some of the dwarves in more detail than others. Balin, Fili and Kili stand out from the crowd a little in this film; over the course of three films no doubt we will see more of the others.
Radagast was a bit of a scene-stealer, and provided a necessary link between the Dwarves’ quest and the goings-on at Dol Guldur, with its hints of the larger story of the rise of Evil in Middle-earth. Sylvester McCoy had both charm and force as the dotty but spirited Brown Wizard.
You get to see a bit more of Saruman too. Gandalf is placating and mild before Saruman’s ruthless beaurocratic coldness. How much does he know under the surface? It’s an interesting scene as they fence with each other, Gandalf appearing to give way and offer no resistance – surely just a harmless old man. You get the sense of a game that has been played for a long time between these powers; Elrond and Galadriel are present too.
Riddles in the Dark was a tour de force by Freeman and Serkis. They acted the hell out of it, and it was fantastic. As others have said, the Oscars need to institute a new award, for best CGI character. In a film that relies so heavily on CGI, when it really counted, PJ fell back on good old theatre technique for scenes like this to give performances that were intimate, rehearsed and honed to perfection.
It was an excellent film and I can’t wait to go again.
We were lucky enough to go to the midnight screening at Wellington’s Embassy theatre. Fully half the audience were in costume, and the buzz of anticipation was incredible in this audience, which included many extras no doubt anxious to see whether they’d made the cut. People were entertained by having their photo taken with an orc in full Weta prosthetics, or just watching the parade of magnificent costumes. What a great crowd to see it with!
Sometimes words just pour out of me when I type. Other times, I hesitate. Reviewing THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY required an approach unusual for me after twelve years contributing to TheOneRing.net. I let things gestate for several days, really, so as to refine my thoughts. The first part of this review will be blissfully *spoiler free* for those who don’t want to know the big changes; but after a warning I’ll get into the nitty-gritty with loads of spoilers.
12 12 12 – an auspicious date. For many, it will be just a day or two before they finally get to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey; and for ALL fans across the world, it’s the day when you will at last have the opportunity to purchase tickets for The One Expected Party! If you want to celebrate the first of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit movies, this is where you need to be. The only party in Hollywood on Oscar night 2013 to revel in Middle-earth, this exclusive event will be hosted just two blocks away from the Academy Award ceremony. With all kinds of fun, festivity, food and frolics, and featuring an amazing live show which includes star Billy Boyd with his band Beecake, this upscale, lavish party will be the can’t-miss black-tie event of the year for Tolkien fans worldwide. We’re working hard to make it an absolutely unforgettable occasion, both for the celebrities who will join us there and for YOU.
Get all the details on the party (entertainment, catering, hotels, etc.) at our party subsite; then prepare to place your ticket order at 9am PST on December 12th 2012 (Timezone Chart). Please note – we are limiting the party attendees this year, to make for a more exclusive event; some of TORn’s regulars have already had a chance to snag their tickets, so don’t delay! This party will sell out – don’t miss the the boat!
If you know a Middle-earth lover, tickets to The One Expected Party would make an incredible Holiday gift. We guarantee, The One Expected Party will be anything but ‘expected’; this extraordinary event will stay with you for the rest of your life. As Bilbo would put it, ‘This will be a night to remember!’ Find out more at our Party Subsite – and don’t forget, 9am PST December 12th is the time to be ready to order! We look forward to seeing you in Hollywood!
Richard Armitage is a lucky boy; or so he says. I think those of us who had the chance to hear what he had to say at interviews this week were the lucky ones; there are few interviewees who are as erudite and as interesting as this thoughtful actor. I already posted my ‘one on one’ interview with him, which you can read here; below is the longer, ‘round table’ group interview which took place later that afternoon. Once again, Armitage was charm itself, giving each questioner his undivided attention, and each comment his full consideration. The half hour chat was filled with fascinating insights – revealing more about how he works; what it’s like to act with Sir Ian McKellen; how they came up with the design of the oakenshield; where we might see a glimpse of Guillermo del Toro’s influence in The Hobbit movie; and even when Armitage himself thinks he looks his best!
I’ve indicated the questions your TORn interviewer asked with ‘GD’ – the rest were asked by my colleagues at the session. The interview contains a minor spoiler. Enjoy!
An amazing new publication from HarperCollins Publishers is coming your way on December 14th – yup, the same day ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ releases in theaters. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles: Art & Design is a sumptuous celebration of the creative vision of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. The book is packed with more than 1,000 images of concept artwork, photographs and development paintings by the artists working behind the scenes to bring Middle-earth to life, who each provide detailed and entertaining commentary that reveals the story behind the vision. Today we are privileged to share with you three exclusive images of this new book. (View them in the gallery below) But wait…there’s more! HarperCollins Publishers has generously given us (40) Forty copies of Thorin’s map to give to fans. (Due to shipping constraints, we can only offer this giveaway to US and Canadian Fans). Simply fill out the form below by December 19th and we’ll randomly choose (40) Forty winners. Enter the contest, check out the exclusive imagery and don’t forget to order your copy of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles: Art & Designtoday! [Click here]
Just a few days ago, we posted an opportunity for our friends in Canada to win tickets to see ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!‘ We are happy to announce the winners!
Darryl S – Winnipeg Jamie O – Vancouver Connor M – Toronto Marcel L – Ottawa Stéphane P – Montreal (French) Daniel G – Montreal (English) Peter M – Halifax Ivanna S – Edmonton Kathleen D – Calgary
Winners will contacted via email and receive their tickets in the mail. All screenings will start at 6pm on Dec 12th except for the Montreal (French) screening which will begin at 7pm. We’d like to thank our friends at Warner Bros. Pictures Canada for sponsoring this giveaway! And of course, if you weren’t one of the lucky winners, don’t miss ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ in theaters December 14th! Visit the official website, The Hobbit facebook page, and Twitter: follow @wbpictures!
An amazing new publication from HarperCollins Publishers is coming your way on December 14th – yup, the same day ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ releases in theaters. 