Film Review: The Hobbit

So. The Hobbit.

Let me start by saying that I’m a mammoth Lord of the Rings fan in general and I love love LOVED the first film trilogy. I also used to teach The Hobbit as an English text to Year 7 students. And I’ve been following The Hobbit production blog for the past twelve months.

Yep. You could say I’m a fan.

So did this movie live up to expectations? For me, yes. But for many others, no. If you expected more beautiful scenery, more exquisite costuming and sets and more epic battle scenes, you won’t be disappointed.  If you’re expecting a deep and meaningful story about the triumph of good over evil, this film might fall a little short.

You see, the LOTR movie trilogy was based on three books – and there was plenty of story to go round. The Hobbit, by contrast, is only ONE book being broken into three films, and the story does feel a little stretched. Basically it goes like this: dwarves and Bilbo go on adventure, dwarves and Bilbo get into trouble, dwarves and Bilbo get out of trouble, dwarves and Bilbo get back into trouble, get out of trouble, etc, etc.  The moral that “small everyday deeds of ordinary folk keep the darkness at bay” is a great message and rings true throughout the film, but apart from that, The Hobbit is essentially a basic adventure story.

The famous brood of the lovely Richard Armitage’s face.

So what’s good about it? Well, there’s a real sense of fun and humour in this film. The dwarves (too numerous to name) are actually quite hilarious, as is Bilbo, and, on occasion, Gandalf.  I saw the film is both 2D and 3D and some of the scenic shots in 3D are a bit mind-blowing (and not great if you’re not a fan of heights).  I may be going out on a limb here, but I’m going to say that Richard Armitage (Thorin) is just awesome (if not more so) as Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn) was. Big call, but there it is. How that man can brood at elves when his character is only five foot tall and pull it off is a testament to…well….his face really. Armitage is a brooder from way back and he’s fantastic as the dwarf leader.

And yes, Gollum is back and just as amazing as he was in the first trilogy. However, his involvement in The Hobbit is very minimal – he only appears in one chapter at the start. This means it’s unlikely we’ll see him again in the coming films, but I’ll bet that Peter Jackson finds a way to wangle him into subsequent films for the fans.

All in all, I was really pleased with the film and felt it was totally worth the wait. Many people won’t like it because it’s hardcore fantasy and not everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re willing to allow your brain to escape for the three hour running time, you’ll find that The Hobbit takes you on a magical journey.

Seen the film and want to read the book? We’ve got it in the library!