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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Spoiler Review
The Good
- The Framing Device: Peter Jackson brought back Ian Holm to play Bilbo on the eve of his 111st birthday, which is where we start The Fellowship of the Ring (post-prologue). While I think it could be argued that Martin Freeman in no way looks like Holm 60 years later, especially with the slower aging caused by the Ring, it is still a great way to point people in the right direction. You also get some Frodo and talk of the Sackville-Baggins. Bilbo brings out the Red Book of Westmarch (The Hobbit or There and Back Again to you non-nerd types), and he takes you through a prologue and then begins with the iconic, "In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit..."
- The Prologue: This was nerd service to the Nth degree. It put into sight everything that had only been referenced in The Hobbit about the rise of the dwarves in Erebor, Dale, the Arkenstone, and eventually the fall caused by the coming of Smaug. It is not quite as epic as the prologue in The Fellowship of the Ring, but I had a stupid grin during the whole thing. It was a great way to set up the lineage of Thror, Thrain, and Thorin, and it also gave you a taste of the power of Smaug, who will be seen in the next movie.
- Actors: It was great to see Ian McKellen back as Gandalf. It would have truly been a crime to have anyone else portray this iconic role. Gandalf the Grey is certainly a lot more fun that Gandalf the White, and McKellen plays him powerfully with a glint of mischief in his eye. Even though Galadriel was not in The Hobbit, Cate Blanchett was at her regal best. I dare say she was even better here than in LOTR. As for the rest of the actors, Andy Serkis' Gollum is just as amazing as always, and while we do not get to "meet" a lot of the dwarves, Richard Armitage as Thorin is a standout. Even though I had to look up his name, Ken Stott as Balin is great, too, but Balin has always been my favorite dwarf going back to the Rankin/Bass cartoon. A beloved character who's death in Moria hit hard the first time I read it.
- The White Council & Necromancer: Outside of the Prologue, the additions surrounding the Necromancer moving into Dol Guldur and the meeting of The White Council are the meatiest and most meaningful to connecting The Hobbit to the The Lord of the Rings. Having Radagast the Brown (more on him in a minute), who by the way is the only other Istari (re: Wizard) even mentioned in the works of Tolkien outside of Gandalf and Saruman, visit Dol Guldor and to return with the sword of the Witch King of Angmar, the very same sword that eventually stabs Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring, was a very good touch. At some point, the Necromancer will be revealed to be none other than Sauron, and Saruman will eventually be convinced to send The White Council to fight. I am unsure whether this will be integrated into the forthcoming story, or if it will be some sort of Epilogue that will bridge the end of The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings, but regardless to how they do it, it does mean we'll get to see Elrond, Saruman, and Galadriel again at some point in the next two movies.
- Howard Shore: I have been listening to the score nonstop since it became available last week. Shore's work is just as important to bridging the trilogies as everything else. If you love film music, then you need to go out and get the 32 track/2 hours worth of soundtrack goodness!
The Middling
- Azog the Accursed: Much as Jackson & Co. opted to create a focal point "leader" of the Uruk Hai in The Fellowship of the Ring and a General for the Moria Orcs in The Return of the King, they brought forward Azog the Accursed into The Hobbit. It is a bit of a fudge. The flashback to the epic Battle of Azanulbizar was pretty intense, and it gave us a bit of Moria and an explanation of how Thorin became "Oakenshield," but for the real nerds, Azog actually did die in that battle at the hands of Dain II, who we get to meet in the epic Battle of Five Armies in the third movie. The addition of Azog certainly gave a bit more impetus and fear to the journey to Rivendell, and again, it was nice to see Azog and the Wargs at Weathertop, another allusion to LOTR. Okay, you're probably wondering why this isn't in the "Good" section, and it really comes down to presentation. Manu Bennet is a hot hot man, and it really should have been him in make-up rather than a total motion captured entity like Gollum. It didn't work for me. It didn't seem real, and I have to imagine it will look even worse in HFR 3D. Sure, the good outweighs the bad, but I wish Jackson had chosen to make him more like the Uruks.
- Wargs & Eagles: There is certainly a dearth of talking animals in Jackson's Middle Earth. While Gandalf and Radagast are both shown talking to beasts, the Wargs, which are hierarchical and have a language of their own in the book, are relegated to steads. Also, as in LOTR, the Wargs do not look remotely real, which is either our eyes or brains telling us so or just bad CGI work. Also, while it is still possible to pick up some time with the Eagles in the second movie, they talked and had a king in the book. I just find it odd that in a world where things are so fantastical, Jackson has veered away from this aspect.
- Radagast the Brown: I am seriously going back and forth on this one. Unfortunately, it is between Middling and Bad. It is fine to make Gandalf the Grey out as a more fun loving version of Gandalf the White, but Radagast is pretty much a buffoon. The jokes about Gandalf and his love of the "Halfling Leaf" are pretty funny, but then we make Radagast out to me a mushroom freak. Are the Istari, save for Saruman, hippies? Of all of the additions to The Hobbit, this was the one that is most incongruous. Plus, the Bunny Sled was just damn weird.
The Bad
- The First Hour: Yes, the Framing Device and Prologue are great, but until the Company reaches Rivendell, the first hour is a bit of a slog. As I mentioned in the non-spoiler review this is a problem that is inherent in the book, too. Jackson did his best to liven it up, but it was borderline boring for me. Granted, this might be the midnight showing talking, but I do not think my feelings will change on subsequent viewings.
- The Great Goblin: I am very sad to say this didn't work for me. As much as I wanted to like Barry Humphries' (Dame Edna) portrayal of the Great Goblin , I just couldn't. I totally get why people think his chin looks like a scrotum, but beyond that, it was just the lightness, the comic relief of it all that left me cold. His voice didn't seem like it would be coming from a 300 pound goblin, and for someone that could kill Thorin & Company, I just wasn't convinced. Dare I say it, the Rankin/Bass cartoon did a better version (above).
Okay, there you have it. I did like The Hobbit, and while some of my ill feelings may have been due to the general discomfort of having sat in a theater for 5 hours, I do consider it a worthy addition to Jackson's Middle Earth. It is a bit of an understatement to say that I am worried as to how they will stretch the story to fit two more movies. With Beorn, Mirkwood, Laketown, and the Desolation of Smaug, the second movie is shaping up to probably have the most action, but I just really do not know what they will do for the final movie in the trilogy. Three hours of the Battle of Five Armies will not be a good thing. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing what the fuss is all about with the HFR 3D, and I am sure I will own the Extended Editions.
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