The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

There are occasions when, despite protests from within the American film industry, Hollywood’s reputation as an opportunistic money-making machine is entirely warranted. First we get The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo erroneously remade, then Spiderman is precipitously rebooted and now The Hobbit (a 310 page children’s book by JRR Tolkien) has been split into a trilogy of three hour-long films. Squint hard enough and you might just see the dollar signs in producers’ eyes as they ramble on about creative license and “being faithful to the source material”.

Nevertheless, given that the Lord of the Rings trilogy has a vast cult following that rivals the Star Wars fan base, it seems only fair that Peter Jackson gets to have a go with his very own Phantom Menace, even if just to prove that he can do a big budget prequel properly. And he does in spades, for the The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey is a success on many levels.

The first and most obvious stroke of genius is the casting of Martin Freeman as the titular hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. Like fellow Brit Simon Pegg, there is a charming everyman quality to Freeman, a guarantee that no matter how peculiar the premise or lavish the set-piece, he will always ground the material in familiar territory for the audience. Elijah Wood always looked anxious and even a tad stoned as Frodo Baggins in the Rings films. Freeman instead plays Bilbo as a regular chap who’s unwittingly way in over his head, and therefore comes off as a far more relatable protagonist.

Secondly, the team of screenwriters (which also include Jackson and Pan’s Labyrinth’s Guillermo Del Toro) has been very strategic in selecting what parts of the book to embellish for the big screen adaptation. For instance the White Orc, who hardly features in the original text, has been elevated to chief villain and poses a terrifying rival to head dwarf and Aragorn stand-in Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage, surely onto a big break).

Admittedly, there are times where you get the impression the filmmakers try to stretch the material a little too thin. The early scene in which the company of dwarves raid Bilbo’s home may be amusing and designed to establish character but, like the diminutive guests, risks outstaying its welcome; the section involving Radagast the Brown feels jammed in and, quite frankly, nowhere as funny as it is trying to be; and while the action sequences are impressively crafted and choreographed, their lengthy duration suggests they’re also a convenient device for hitting that much coveted three-hour mark.

Having said that, there is enough action, humour and Gollum (in an extended cameo that is sure to make you feel for the little creep – Andy Serkis, take a bow) to make the time fly by, and once the film fades to black on that ominous, dragon-shaped cliffhanger, you’re likely to be left gagging for more. So Ringers rejoice, for you have something to look forward to for the next two Christmases. Just try not to think about the Hollywood producers cackling all the way to the bank whilst standing in line for your ticket.     

4/5