The original Lord of the Rings trilogy was sublime in almost ever way. It defined the very reason why people should spend their money going to the cinema.
The Hobbit is another of those films which is best experienced in the auditorium of a large screen. Based on another Tolkein novel of the same name, the film is centred around a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who had a reasonably minor role in the original trilogy.
Without giving too much away, I liked the fact that the film started moments before the 'Fellowship of the Ring' as an older Bilbo Baggins narrates the prologue to the film. The beginning sets the pace of the film rather nicely, with the introduction of the thirteen Dwarves, as well as Gandalf (Ian McKellen) as they all set out for the lonely Mountain, the home of the Dwarves before it was destroyed by the dragon Smaug.
The film has been cast perfectly, with Martin Freeman impressive as the film's lead, along with the presence of Gandalf again. Despite being a major part of the film, Thorin (Richard Armitage) is the only one of the thirteen Dwarves who really has a substantive role in the film. The fact that they all have weird names will not help either.
Their is also an impressive cameo by Gollum, while brief, although the scene is one of comedic relief, it is also one of the most important because it comes at a point when the film gradually gets darker. Which is also when the film is at it's most interesting.
Visually the film is impressive, overhead shots of the New Zealand landscape draw you into the film, and provide an immersible breakaway from the action. But on of the most disappointing things about the film is that the Orcs are now computer animated. There's nothing wrong with this because they look fine, and it's understandable because there aren't quite so many that appear on screen as the original trilogy. But there was something more intimidating and special about the prosthetic make-up of the Orcs in the original that really set them apart, and made them look so disgustingly antagonistic.
The action scenes are also impressive and well choreographed, if lacking the grand finesse of any in the original trilogy. The finale is particularly gripping however.
But the biggest drawback of The Hobbit is the running time, at two hours and forty five minutes, the film feels much longer than it actually is. The running time isn't the problem but the dull mid section of the film where we are introduced to a set of trolls and a character called Radagast, whose appearance may grate on some people.
The Hobbit, much like 'Fellowship of the Ring', has begun the series as an adventure, a prelude to much bigger things, just as the final scenes before the credits suggest.
Verdict- A very good and satisfactory entrance to a new story, if overstretched at times
3.5/5
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