Hobbit Review

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

‘Stop! Stop! I haven’t got a handkerchief!’

Hobbits are strange creatures; about three feet tall with pointy ears and very large hairy feet, they like the warm comfort of their hobbit-holes.
And they most certainly don’t like their hobbit-holes being invaded by big hairy dwarves at supper time.

Embarking upon a great quest, Bilbo Baggins leaves his cosy hole behind in exchange for a wild adventure with dwarves.

He, along with Gandalf (McKellen) and thirteen (unruly by Bilbo’s standards) dwarves set off in search of the Lonely Mountain and the great dragon Smaug, who years before drove out the dwarves who called the mountain their home.

Therein still dwells the dragon, who sleeps upon heaps of gold and treasures, including the Heart of the Mountain…

Led by Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) and the dwarves face many perils on their journey, including trolls who want to roast them alive, goblins, orcs and other foe. But their resilience and friendship has got them through. Well, this far at least.

The story itself is much more light-hearted than Jackson’s ever-successful series, surrounding the adventure of Frodo Baggins and the One Ring. Set 60 years previously, much more needs to be explained. There is a whole new set of characters plus some returning faces.

There is action and laughs abound especially in the Riddle scene between Bilbo and the creature Gollum.

The thirteen dwarves

The skill of the writers to include so much of the book, almost word-for-word is an incredible feat. An adaptation such as this is not often seen, and extra parts are not usually well-received. However, as in the recent adaptation of The Hunger Games books, additions (such as the Seneca Crane character and Gamesmaker scenes) can benefit a film and they most certainly do here in the Hobbit. I will say they add much more depth to the film, another layer of mystery and ingenious links to connect this series of films to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I shall leave them for you to find for I wouldn’t want to ruin the film should you decide to see it.

Agreed, this is slow to get moving, but so was the Fellowship of the Ring. There is so much background to tell, so much to explain and explore in the first film, it’s almost like a prologue. The second and third films are where the real adventure begins.

‘Out of the frying pan and into the fire’ is an understatement for what lies ahead for this rag-tag group.

A must-see for all Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson fans; this packs a punch and leaves one wanting more - if you can wait a year.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins