The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson

Stars: Martin Freeman, Sir Ian Mckellen, Richard Armitage, Sir Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, James Nesbitt, Aidan Turner, Ken Stott, Adam Brown etc.

Running Time: 169 Mins

Release:14^th December 2012

I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, quite recently this I have to say it's amazing it lives up to Lord of The Rings in every single way it's beautiful. As you know of the plot I don't really have to mention it but its pacing is perfect for splitting it into three parts which now really does not annoy me, I also should say I've never read the book but I played the Gameboy Advanced Game that came out back in 2004 which had the basic plot it was quite bare bones.

Firstly I must mention the large ensemble cast; a mix of British, American Australian, and Kiwi actors, being honest I only knew of about half the actors in the film I recognises Ken Stott, Richard Armitage, Christopher Lee, Martin Freeman, Sir Ian Mckellen, James Nesbitt, Aidan Turner (it's great to see him in something post Being Human), Hugo Weaving, Sylvester McCoy, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis & Lee Pace (Thranduil). McKellen is on reliable form as Gandalf though a bit younger than he was in Fellowship, I really enjoyed Martin Freeman as a young fresh faced Bilbo Baggins who goes on a adventure that will forever change him in ways he could never imagine, there's a lot to the Hobbit from Bag End, Christopher Lee is still perfect as Saruman, Lady Galadriel (Blanchett) and Elrond (Weaving) have not changed at all but what really stole the film for me was Radagast (first time I've seen Sylvester McCoy in anything aside Doctor Who) completely batty and insane and very likeable Thorin (Armitage) and his Dwarven Party Companions, my favourites being; Bofur (Nesbitt), Bombur (Stephen Hunter) Fili (Dean O'Gorman), Kili (Turner), Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Balin (Stott) and Ori (Adam Brown) it was a bit hard to recognises some of the actors under all the prosthetics. I love the scene when the Dwarves go to Bilbo's home and eat him out of house and home ! it was was brilliant and well choreographed it must be very hard to give each Dwarf a personality but they pull it off very well you can tell one apart from the others by there personality, look and weapons and they were very funny in some parts I love the complaining about food part in Rivendell ("Where's The Meat ?") you can tell Thorin is the leader of them. Also Andy Serkis was brilliant in his one scene as Gollum he's a different creature here from in Lord of The Rings but still pitiful and schizophrenic and when he plays Riddles with Bilbo it's cinematic magic gold it's great seeing Gollum again and now I have more lines to say in Gollum's voice. Also I loved the intro scene of the Old Bilbo and Frodo hours before his 111th Birthday ( I think that's how old he Is) luckily Elijah still looks the same as he does to reprise the role he does not age !.

The whole film was shot beautifully and it really showed off New Zealand's beautiful landscape I know people complained about the special effects being dodgy I had no problem they looked perfect to me. One thing I liked about Lord of The Rings that's not here is the Orcs and Goblins being people the prosthetics but that's only a small problem.

The set pieces are amazing I love the flashback Moria battle scene, Dwarves vs Trolls, The Wargs chase scene and Goblin Town Escape and the final battle scene between Thorin and Azog they were brilliant and I love the stone giant fight that was a complete surprise they were quite brutal as well with heads getting lopped off ! I loved the Radagast scene when he's in his hut and finds the necromancer ! The creature,costume, weapon & set designs are brilliant I must admit I love Elven swords, they look so elegant and deadly !

The music I have to say I found it better than the music in Lord of The Rings and that's a real feat, of course Howard Scored this too and there's elements of the original score in this too which is beautiful I heard echoes of 'Concerning Hobbits' and 'The Bridge of Khazad-dum' I'll definitely get the soundtrack and I'm really excited to see the sequel (of which now I already have done). It bought Middle Earth back to me I remembered the ghost that Radagast see's in the ruins is The Witch King and the Morgul Blade, Sting, Orcrist and Glamdering I remembered them well.