Here’s a not so simple truth: if you loved “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy way back when (2001-2003), you’re sure to enjoy “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Paradoxically, if you didn’t like “The Lord of the Rings,” you’re almost sure to enjoy “The Hobbit.” It’s all in the title: one hobbit. (And no, I won’t even invoke the phrase to “rule them all.”)
Director Peter Jackson – who directed the original trilogy, was originally slated to direct “The Hobbit,” then gave the nod to Guillermo del Toro, and finally, decided to get back in the chair – knows Middle-earth very well, and there was a collective sigh of relief when confirmation came that not only would Jackson produce the film (a prequel to “Lord of the Rings”), but he would also direct it. That clinched it: There would be a definite line between the original films this one, a continuity that wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
What Jackson manages to accomplish is, yet again, something completely otherworldly, but where the hobbits (humanoid creatures with hairy feet and curly hair) lay at the center of “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” is all about the dwarves and their quest to reclaim their homeland (and gold). And this is more believable (and relatable) to me, even though the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) enlists an unlikely hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to serve as “burglar.”
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book of the same name, “The Hobbit” works well as a journey film. But while Kevin Smith joked that “The Lord of the Rings” were movies about walking (where even the trees walked!), “The Hobbit” has a less meditative tone and whisks us into a much grittier world. It’s a more engaging Middle-earth. The special effects are better. The pacing (once it gets moving) is better.
There are fine performances from Richard Armitage, as the dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield; Andy Serkis reprises his role as Gollum; and Ian McKellen is just as we remember him as Gandalf. It’s a homecoming of sorts. Bits of “The Lord of the Rings” musical cues sweep in from time to time, but this is a very different movie. Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins gives us reason to cheer, whereas, Elijah Wood’s Frodo (Bilbo’s nephew in “The Rings” trilogy) could be irritating at times.
By now, most of us have seen “The Fellowship of the Ring,” “The Two Towers,” and “The Return of the King,” in constant rotation on premium (and basic) cable channels, as well as holiday marathons. To see a new movie featuring Middle-earth is surely cause to celebrate. “The Hobbit” seems poised to best “The Lord of the Rings,” because, really, it’s a better story.
Rating: A
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