By Claire Ebbitt, Editor-in-Chief
Disclaimer: I did not read “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. This review is based solely on what I thought of the movie, not how the book compares to the movie.
I finally watched “The Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy this summer and it drew me into a wonderful fantasy world. When I heard that they were making the prequel book, “The Hobbit,” into a movie—well, actually, into three movies—I was beyond excited. Peter Jackson returned as director and he did an excellent job.
“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, and his trip to re-claim the dwarves’ home in the Lonely Mountain. The movie creatively begins as a flashback, on the same day the first “Lord of the Rings” movie started. It is Bilbo’s birthday and he is writing a book of his untold adventures for his nephew, Frodo. After Frodo runs off, the film then switches to 60 years earlier.
Gandalf the Grey, a wizard, comes to visit Bilbo to recruit him for an adventure, but the Hobbit wants no part in it. Gandalf had already gathered 13 dwarves under a leader, Thorin Oakenshield, to take back the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon, Smaug. Gandalf wants Bilbo to be their “burglar” because he is small—Hobbits average 3-foot-6—and easily goes unnoticed. Bilbo protests at first, but he soon changes his mind.
In my opinion, the beginning of “The Hobbit” is a bit slow, as the seemingly endless dwarves knock on Bilbo’s door and proceed to eat everything in his house. All of them have rhyming names, like Fili and Kili and Balin and Dwalin. To confuse viewers further, they each introduce themselves only once. The sole dwarf whose name I could remember was Thorin, the leader. However, the costume designers did an amazing job making each dwarf have a unique, distinct look, which made it easier to keep track of them.
All 13 of the dwarves have great singing abilities, as evidenced in the movie’s trailer. Their ballad, called “Song of the Lonely Mountain,” repeats its melodies during the rest of the film. To be honest, the music was one of the best parts of the movie. When the dwarves sing the song, the tune is haunting and ominous. In the remainder of “The Hobbit,” the song’s instrumental echoes display the stress of Bilbo’s journey.
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Aside from the music, my favorite segment of “The Hobbit” is when Bilbo meets and talks with Gollum, portrayed again by actor Andy Serkis, who reprises his role from “The Lord of Rings” movies. Gollum is a creature that is hideous in appearance; he found the One Ring long ago and its evil power possessed him, giving him dual personalities. He always talks to himself, and when Bilbo meets him, they agree to a game of riddles. This leads to a hilarious portion of the movie that is fun to watch, especially because Gollum’s comical voice, courtesy of Serkis.
Jackson filmed the prequel in the spectacular scenery of New Zealand, as he did with “The Lord of the Rings.” The vast mountains and forests that Bilbo and his comrades travel through were eye-catching in the 2-D version, so I can imagine how their quality would increase in 3-D.
Overall, the special effects, music and memorable characters make “The Hobbit” a fun-to-watch fantasy/action movie. Without revealing the ending, however, the film cannot stand on its own. Fans will have to wait until December 2013 for part two, and then another year for the finale.