Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

[Guest]

Saw it today in good old fashioned 24fps 2D. Nothing wrong with that. The locations, CGI, sets, and costumes are very good. The actors cast as Bilbo and the Dwarves are very good.

A few touches were really good. The Goblin King was good though he could have said more for effect. Nice to see Radagast fleshed out a bit. Ungoliant is mentioned. Gollum is as good as ever. And one can begin to see how things are being set up for the LOTR movies. Etc.

The problem with this movie from my perspective as a Tolkienite are the numerous changes. The story is basically the same, but there are many missing or changed details:

-At least three riddles are missing (sun on the daisies, on two legs, fish).
-Two fundamental songs are missing; Goblin town (Ho ho! My lad!) and Fifteen birds in five fir trees.
-How the Dwarves are captured in the mountain cave.
- "Chip the bottles and crack the plates" was a little awkward.
-How Bilbo accepts the mission.
-The Witchking of Angmar was not buried in the book.
-The Dwarves always have lusted for gold; part of their natures. But it was the seven rings which corrupted it. No mention of those rings (yet).
-Azog was dead in the book at the time of this story. I do see Bolg is cast for the last movie.
-Changes to the Dwarf and Orc war.
-Changes to Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire.
-Missing is Dori's "My legs, my poor legs!"
-"Thief! Baggins! We hates it, we hates it, we hates it forever!" was not moving considering how good the actor is though Bilbo's wordless decision not to kill Gollum was moving.
-Missing is "Ere 'oo are you?"
-Bare lip service to the notion of how the trolls are going to prepare the Dwarves for eating and it's not Gandalf with the wordplay in this scene. Bilbo mentions his gold from the trolls at Bag End, but nothing in this scene where he is supposed to get it (hide it for later). This mistake is a key indicator to me that there will/should be an extended version. In fact, the whole scene with the Trolls is so awkward it makes one wonder about an extended version to fill in the missing parts.
-It's Radagast who ventures into Dol Guldur and he does not meet Thrain there like Gandalf did in the book.

Etc.

Admittedly, some of these changes are meant to consolidate several themes for movie purposes and it is possible that some can be rectified in an extended version. But, for a hardcore Tolkien fan like me, the changes were disconcerting and potentially awkward in some places for most others.

Good flick nonetheless. When I see it in 48 fps, I'll try to turn off the Tolkien part of me and see what happens. The audience was mostly quiet but in a listening sort of way and they did laugh and applaud the movie at various points. It did not feel too long to me else I might have given it a lower rating. My own mother really liked this movie.

I went in really hoping I could come out giving it an 8 of 10. However, I must register my plot/detail disappointment with a 6 out of 10. I think many who haven't read the book will like it fine but be somewhat disappointed because the changes introduce some awkwardness. It could also be that the joy of the LOTR movies after so long a wait artificially increased expectations for this movie.

The violence in this movie is more gory and less bloody at the same time than the LOTR movies. Example: The Goblin King does get his belly sliced wide open relatively slowly (more gore) though nothing comes out (less blood). As for little children seeing it, you can decide based on what you saw in LOTR.

[_zeezrom]

i didn't enjoy it as much as i thought i would