As usual for any Lord of the Rings movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey had fantastic cinematography and musical score. The animation quality was equal to that of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, far from disappointing, same for the score, which effectively portrayed the mood and tone of a scene in the well known and instantly recognizable Middle Earth-esk style.
Happily, Gandalf was once again played by Ian McKellen, so the character was the beloved one we all remember from Lord of the Rings.
Being a relatively nerdy individual, and an avid Lord of the Rings fan, I simply had to go see The Hobbit while it was still in theatres. What I discovered is that when theatre seats are tested for comfort, they are not tested to withstand a 169 minute movie; by the end no amount of shifting could keep me comfortable and I desperately needed to pee. My suggestion is that unless you really, really want to go see this movie, simply wait until it’s on DVD and watch it at home, on your infinitely more comfortable couch, with a remote to pause it whenever you like, and a vastly more plentiful supply of food in your fridge and cabinets
then overpriced theatre popcorn could ever compare to.
Now for those of you intending to go see a movie where an epic battle versus a dragon is occurring I will warn you, this is not the movie you are looking for. Here is a short synopsis: Bilbo is taken on a journey to defeat the dragon Smaug and win back the Dwarves’ rightful home and treasure (located at the Lonely Mountain). They do not meet the dragon, or win back the gold, but simply travel from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain, running into a chain of obstacles on their way. No dragon, unless you include the bit at the end where you get to see it’s eye. Now, wasn’t that exciting? Yes, this journey is definitely unexpected, I expected some sort of storyline structure, where there is a climax (also known as the most exciting part), however this is not.
When considered this storyline, or lack hereof, it actually makes sense. This is only the first third of The Hobbit, this is only the introduction, so if we consider a typical storyboard the next movie should (hopefully) be the most exciting one.
Really, unless your dying to see this movie, I’d recommend waiting until all three are out and then sitting around in your pyjamas and have a marathone. Now that is an excellent use of time.