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It’s been nine years since director Peter Jackson bid farewell to Middle-earth with his Oscar-winning fantasy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Since then, fans have eagerly awaited Jackson’s rumored return for The Hobbit, growing more and more excited as stills and trailers and posters began popping up on the Internet. And now the time is finally here. But fans may find that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey makes for a bittersweet reunion.
The first in Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey sets the stage for another epic Middle-earth adventure. Years ago, the dragon Smaug claimed the kingdom of Erebor and its legendary treasures for himself, leaving the dwarves who once lived there without a home. Now, the rightful king of Erebor, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), has gathered a motley crew of dwarves together to venture to the Lonely Mountain and reclaim what’s theirs.
The great wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) recruits a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to join them on their quest. Though he’s reluctant to join in the adventure, Bilbo soon finds himself using his wits to battle trolls and orcs and a curious creature called Gollum (Andy Serkis).
Watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is like returning home after several years away. On one hand, the familiarity is comforting. It’s fun to go back to your favorite old hangouts—to shop in your favorite stores and have dinner at your favorite restaurants. But, on the other hand, it’s a little surreal—because while the setting may be the same, the people often aren’t. Your friends have moved away. Your favorite barista has moved on.
The Hobbit offers a similar kind of homecoming. The Middle-earth of The Hobbit is the same Middle-earth that fans remember so fondly. From the lush meadows of the Shire to the waterfalls of Rivendell to the goblins’ treacherous tunnels, it’s all beautifully filmed—and it looks exactly as you remember it. And while the 3D graphics may not be entirely necessary, they do make the striking settings look all the more striking.
The action, too, is as grand as ever, with battle scenes that will send your heart racing. These may not be the epic battle scenes that are sure to show up in the trilogy’s final installment, but there are plenty of flashbacks and skirmishes to keep your adrenaline pumping.
The problem, though, is that it’s all a little too familiar—and instead of feeling like a new and exciting adventure, it feels like a serious case of déjà vu. For the most part, it’s just more of the same. Been there, done that.
Meanwhile, one major thing has changed in Jackson’s new Middle-earth adventure: the cast. While a few of the characters from The Lord of the Rings return (like Hugo Weaving’s Elrond and Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel), most of them are unfamiliar. And with so many dwarves competing for screen time (13 of them, to be exact), you never really get to know any of them—except for Thorin, who’s memorable for all of the wrong reasons. Though the dwarf king shows strength and courage, he’s also harsh and generally unpleasant when it comes to poor little well-meaning Bilbo. Since the new characters just don’t have the same appeal as the old ones, then, most of the film’s highlights involve familiar characters—like the elves at Rivendell or, of course, Gollum.
Fortunately, though, The Hobbit has the perfect hero. While most characters are little more than funny-looking faces in the crowd, Freeman’s Bilbo easily stands out. He’s timid but clever, coddled but curious. And as he heads out on his adventure, he gradually grows stronger and more confident. He’s the kind of every-Hobbit that audiences can get behind—and follow from one over-stuffed adventure to the next.
In the end, The Hobbit proves that you can go back again. But while fans will enjoy their return trip to Jackson’s magical Middle-earth, it may leave them longing for the innovative action and charming characters of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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