The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

****
Release Date: December 14th 2012

A younger and more reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out on an "unexpected journey" to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of Dwarves to reclaim their stolen mountain home from a dragon named Smaug.

Director: Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Andy Serkis

Technology since 2003's The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has evolved dramatically. 3D entered the fray with James Cameron's Avatar, and plenty of other films have followed suit, with the first Hobbit epic being one of them. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey also introduced us to 48fps (for those who don't know, frames per second amounts to how many still images there within a second to create the illusion of movement), thus, giving a smooth and crisper film to watch.

A large amount of expectation will be garnered, if The Lord of the Rings trilogy is anything to go buy. THAUJ is a more child friendly result, aimed at all ages. Adapted from a book that's only just over 300 pages long, AUJ is the first of three films that opens up the world of Middle-Earth to a whole new level. Be prepared to see more than what's in the book. It will come in two halves; the fans of the book may find this film hard to comes to terms with due to plenty of changes and new parts being added, or fans old and new will relish in Peter Jackson's take on Tolkien's classic.

Nevertheless, an exciting journey is had, as Bilbo (Freeman), the lovable furry hobbit, living in his hobbit hole under the hill, is interrupted by Gandalf the Wizard (McKellen) to join him on an adventure. Bilbo eventually decides to be the dwarven companies' thief and help reclaim Erebor from the clutches of Smaug the dragon.

But before we even get to that, there's trolls and goblins to contend with, sticky situations to get out of, and all the while the pale orc known as Azog and his warg-riders are in pursuit. The One Ring is also introduced with a small but effective cat and mouse game between Bilbo and the already familiar Gollum.

Freeman's younger hobbit to Ian Holm's older one is a delight to watch. Nothing is overdone, and Freeman easily fits the role, never ever overdoing things. The only other members of the company that have standout roles are Gandalf and Richard Armitage's Thorin Oakenshield. The occassional dwarf will have a line or two to say (Balin and Bifur) but the others blend in to the background with little to mention. 

It takes the dwarves and company around 45 minutes to leave the Shire and finally set off on their journey. Time is used wisely. It introduces the dwarves and gives us a monologue of the whats and whys. It may seem all a little slow, but the pace does quicken when they hit the road.

The second film, The Desolation of Smaug, will allow us glimpses of Smaug, and hopefully keep up the tempo that abruptly stops at the end of AUJ.

Overview: A great start, but The Fellowship of the Ring still stands the stronger of the two. If you're new to these, start with The Hobbit, and save the best til last.