So, like all LOTR fans (lord of the rings for those of you who don't speak geek), I was of course super excited to hear the Peter Jackson had signed on to make a "Hobbit" movie. What I was not excited about was that they (the producers and other money grubbing folks) had decided to split it into three movies... why you ask? For no logical reason. One of my, and many other people's main complaint, is that The Hobbit is a smaller story than The Lord of the Rings trilogy: it's Tolkien's first story, the world is much smaller, and the book much much slimmer... and only one book. From a narrative stand point, it seems like the only reason that it would be split into three parts is to gain more money.
Despite my personal reservations about how it would be split up, I was still enormously excited to see this movie. I knew that with all the returnees, be it actors, writers, directors, or composers, this movie was going to be a treat for the eyes.
Now, I'm going to try not to give away any plot, but c'mon on!!!! The Hobbit has been around for freaking decades, people! Bah! Go read you illiterate peons! But, quick lesson for all of you who haven't read it - this is J.R.R. Tolkien's first book and the prequel to Lord of the Rings. It tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's... uncle (?), left the Shire to have an adventure and finds the One Ring and meets Gollum. There's dwarves, elves, wizards (and not just Gandalf), and even a dragon (if we ever get to see it).
So Gandalf, being the crazy wizard that he is, is going on a journey to help some dwarves reclaim their long lost kingdom under the Lonely Mountain where a dragon, Smaug, has taken up residence and expelled the former occupants, the dwarves. They need one more member to round out their group and for some reason Gandalf decides to recruit Bilbo, citing his non-existent skills as a "sneak". The dwarves are of course skeptical and so is Bilbo, but everyone gets over it and off they go on an adventure!
Now there are many obstacles that get thrown in their way from weather, trolls, lightning elemental, and even a peak at *gasp* Sauron! The filming is spectacular with breathtaking vistas and seamless CGI paired with sweeping, grad music. All good. The acting is well done and the characters are real... for dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. I give The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can check out the preview here!
