The Hobbit: An unexpected journey that’s worth a trip to the theater

As big fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, we were excited to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the prequel that will subsequently launch a new trilogy. Helmed by Peter Jackson, the director behind Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit portends to carry on the story despite the fact that its source material (a single J.R.R. Tolkien short story rather than three lengthy volumes) paled in comparison to that of the original trilogy.

Having seen The Hobbit, we’re not as enthused about the new series as we were about Lord of the Rings. The story gets off to a slow start as Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) goes into flashback mode to tell the story of how he first met Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and went on a, yes, you guessed it, “unexpected journey” with a ragtag group of Dwarves. Led by the fierce Thorin (Richard Armitage), the Dwarves intend to take back their home, a “lonely mountain” occupied by a dragon. Getting there ain’t easy, however, and the guys have to travel miles and miles across a treacherous territory ruled by fierce beasts.

Perceived as a liability, Bilbo is well outside his comfort zone and soon leaves the group with the intention of returning home. On his way, he encounters Gollum (Andy Serkis), the strange creature who possesses a powerful ring. This encounter is the film’s highlight as Serkis does a terrific job of making Gollum seem both sympathetic and scary. Freeman does a good bit of acting here, too, as his character undergoes a key transformation and must fight for his life by using his quick wits.

It’s not giving too much away to say that the epic film (it clocks in at close to three hours) culminates with an incredible battle scene and then sets the stage for the next movie. At 48 frames per second, the quality of the images was almost too good, looking sharp, crisp and a bit like a hi-def version of another New Zealand export, the television show Xena: Warrior Princess. Still, while not as awe-inspiring as the original trilogy, The Hobbit is a still a terrific fantasy adventure.