{"id":66920,"date":"2012-12-09T23:08:30","date_gmt":"2012-12-10T04:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=66920"},"modified":"2012-12-10T02:35:41","modified_gmt":"2012-12-10T07:35:41","slug":"the-long-expected-movie-another-torn-staffer-hobbit-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2012\/12\/09\/66920-the-long-expected-movie-another-torn-staffer-hobbit-review\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Long Expected Movie’ – another TORn staffer Hobbit review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>For most folks, this is it: this is the week when we finally get to go back to Middle-earth, and experience Peter Jackson\u2019s first Hobbit<\/em> movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<\/em>.\u00a0 Some of us, however, have had the great good fortune of seeing the film already, at press events around the globe.\u00a0 I was one such lucky viewer – and I present here my more-or-less spoiler-free review of what I saw.<\/p>\n

Walking through the morning commuting crowds, heading to the cinema, it was\u00a0slightly bewildering to think that I was finally going to see this movie.\u00a0 It\u2019s been YEARS – hoping since The Return of the King<\/em> that we would get to go \u2018back again\u2019; handing out \u2018Make the Hobbit Happen!\u2019 buttons at conventions; watching the ‘snakes and ladders’ game of waiting for that greenlight; eagerly taking in every moment of Peter Jackson\u2019s production diaries…\u00a0 And now, at last, here it is.\u00a0 Would the anticipation prove too much?\u00a0 Would I be disappointed?<\/p>\n

As the opening credits came up, I knew immediately that the answer, whatever was in store, would be NO.\u00a0 I was revisiting old friends – and what a great pleasure it was.\u00a0 I wanted to cry, as Frodo does in The Fellowship of the Ring<\/em>, \u2018It\u2019s wonderful to see you Gandalf!\u2019\u00a0 What a treat to be back in the Shire, and to delight again in its green beauty.\u00a0 What fun to explore Bag End some more, and to see Ian Holm and Elijah Wood back where they belong – in furry feet!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Some reviews have commented that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey<\/em> feels too much like an echo of the earlier trilogy – too many parallels, which perhaps feel contrived.\u00a0 Those perils certainly exist, when revisiting a franchise: remember the James Bond<\/em> team desperately trying to smooth over the replacement of Sean Connery with George Lazenby, by throwing in lines such as, \u2018This never happened to the other guy!\u2019?\u00a0 Fortunately, Jackson et al have dodged such pitfalls.\u00a0 They make no apologies, simply plunging in and enjoying being back.\u00a0 The fact is, we ARE back in Middle-earth – back in Peter Jackson, Alan Lee, John Howe and Weta\u2019s Middle-earth – and it SHOULD seem familiar!\u00a0 These are many of the same characters, the same locations; should we expect them to be somehow different?\u00a0 In a recent interview, Richard Armitage commented that \u2018connecting blood vessels to those other films [The Lord of the Rings<\/em> trilogy] \u2026 was giving oxygen to our film’;\u00a0 Middle-earth breathes again because<\/em> it is linked to the movies we already know – and that is an encouraging thought.<\/p>\n

This first of The Hobbit<\/em> films does have a somewhat lighter touch than The<\/em> Lord of the Rings<\/em> movies, in keeping with the difference in Tolkien\u2019s own style, going from The Hobbit<\/em> to the later trilogy.\u00a0 An Unexpected Journey<\/em> feels, in places,\u00a0closer to a Jim Henson movie or a Goonies<\/em> style kids\u2019 adventure tale; and this unfamiliar flippancy was sometimes disorienting.\u00a0 It seems likely, however, with the way that plot events unfold, that The Desolation of Smaug<\/em> and There and Back Again<\/em> will be much darker – so perhaps it is as well to find the humour and the levity where we can!\u00a0 We see the characters having fun, enjoying each other and developing a rich camaraderie – which will make the dangers and darkness to come all the more poignant and frightening.<\/p>\n

The occasional frivolity of this movie is counterbalanced by the anchoring performances of its core trio – Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and Sir Ian McKellen.\u00a0 These three actors are exceptional, and the intensity and focus which they bring to their roles give the film an essential weight and gravity.\u00a0 Martin Freeman never puts a (rather fat and chunky!) foot wrong in his portrayal of Bilbo – every moment, whether it be a scene of comedy, of danger or of emotion, is perfectly played.\u00a0 Richard Armitage gives Thorin extraordinary depth – this is a truly heroic character in whom we can believe as a leader and a potential king, but who is also a haunted, vulnerable being who carries heavy burdens of sadness and self-doubt. And McKellen is, of course, everything we want from Gandalf – funny, touching, wise: a formidable presence.\u00a0 How we will watch this triumvirate journey together, and see their characters\u2019 relationships grow and change, is a thrilling prospect for the next two movies. The Academy is often churlish in rewarding \u2018fantasy\u2019 acting roles, but if there isn\u2019t oscar buzz for these three gents – well, there should be.<\/p>\n

Not that the supporting cast is overshadowed!\u00a0 One of the great joys of An Unexpected Journey<\/em>\u00a0is that it is so well cast; everyone plays his or her role to perfection.\u00a0 Each dwarf is a delight – from William Kircher as the silent Bifur, who manages to communicate so much with his eyes and his grunts, to Adam Brown\u2019s adorable Ori and James Nesbitt\u2019s sparkling Bofur\u00a0– and all the others in between. Ken Stott\u00a0is particularly wonderful as Balin; as a long time fan of the Scottish actor, I was thrilled to see him bring such resonance to the role of Thorin\u2019s old companion.<\/p>\n

As one would expect, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett\u00a0and Sir Christopher Lee recreate their particular roles with skill and mastery.\u00a0 The White Council scenes are beautifully played, and Gandalf\u2019s interactions with Galadriel\u00a0are a joy to behold.\u00a0 The only slight disappointment is that Saruman here is a difficult, ornery fellow, ever at odds with Gandalf.\u00a0 It seems a missed opportunity – to have discovered a real friendship here between the two wizards could have been a powerful and poignant set up for the destruction of that friendship in The Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It would be remiss to leave out Andy Serkis in this roll call of excellence; his Gollum is better than ever –\u00a0if that is possible – and the \u2018Riddles in the Dark\u2019 sequence is a highlight of the film.<\/p>\n

The perfection of the players in the movie is of course, in large part, a credit to their director.\u00a0 Sir Peter Jackson is known for being a technical wizard, but there is perhaps a tendency to overlook his further brilliance as an actor\u2019s director.\u00a0 No film would be so full of pitch perfect performances were it not helmed by a master, who knows exactly how to draw such work out of his cast; how to lead them where they need to go and create for them a world in which they flourish.\u00a0 Directors don\u2019t always get the credit they deserve for enabling their actors – Sir Peter certainly deserves much applause for what he has achieved here.<\/p>\n

So, what didn\u2019t I love?\u00a0 Well, I\u2019ve never been a huge fan of snot gags, but those slapstick moments in which Jackson loves to indulge are all part of the energy of the film, and they quickly pass, so they didn\u2019t spoil my enjoyment.\u00a0 My only real issue was with the Higher Frame Rate – and even that was not quite the issue which others have found it to be.<\/p>\n

Much has been written about 48 frames per second, with some even stating that the visuals at this frame rate made them nauseous.\u00a0 I had no such problems, but I wasn\u2019t convinced that this new technology is yet where it needs to be.\u00a0 The clarity is extraordinary, but rather than enhancing the viewing experience, this brightness somewhat mars it.\u00a0 At 48 fps, one sees EVERYTHING; this means that special effects, computer generated images, and edits do not blend as seamlessly as they would at a lower frame rate.\u00a0 The quality of artificial studio light, for example, is never quite the same as actual daylight; at 48 fps, in sequences where the close-ups were shot indoors and the wide shots on location, this slight shift in the light is evident and distracting.\u00a0 The extreme brightness and intensity of everything you see gives the film a rather cartoonish, \u2018video game\u2019 quality at times; rather than feeling that I was seeing right into that world of Middle-earth, I felt that I was gazing straight into the film set.\u00a0 48 fps may well be the future, (and certainly 3D is much more effective at 48 fps),\u00a0but the future isn\u2019t here quite yet – the rest of movie making technology needs to catch up to this higher frame rate, so that the minor flaws aren\u2019t exposed by the enhanced clarity.<\/p>\n

Such concerns were not significant enough to spoil my enjoyment of the film; I will certainly see the movie again at 48fps\u00a0– and at 24fps.\u00a0 With such a team of experts at the helm – from director and actors to designers and crew, and not forgetting the magnificent, soaring score from composer Howard Shore – how could the film be anything but wondrous?\u00a0 I was left with the feeling that I had spent time with a friend whom I had not seen for years.\u00a0 For almost a decade, Middle-earth has only been what we\u2019d already seen – we could revisit, but it was not new, not living and breathing.\u00a0 Now, here is our old acquaintance: returned, alive and well, and revealing new treasures!\u00a0 Hello old friend – it\u2019s wonderful to see you again.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you\u2019re back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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