The Hobbit takes place 60 years before the events in Lord of the Rings and so Middle-Earth is a very different place. Tonally very different from the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit exudes slap-stick and whimsy in place of doom and gloom and it makes for a fun adventure even if the first half of the film is padded out too long. The Hobbit film was initially conceived as two films but Peter Jackson wanted to flesh out the world while simultaneously bridging it with the Lord of the Rings, thus turning what is a relatively slight novel into its own trilogy. It's impossible to tell how that decision will influence the trilogy as a whole but this entry suffers from serious pacing issues. The most noteworthy thing about these new films is that they are being crafted by the same exact team that brought us the now classic Lord of the Rings trilogy and having all those same creative minds working on a series of films set in the same world is promising.
The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins as he is recruited by Gandalf to join a company of 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield on their quest to take back their home, Erebor which was taken by the dragon Smaug. The first major problem the film runs into is in how long it takes for the aforementioned adventure to begin in earnest. These early scenes feel overly long and awkwardly stretched which is confounding as the films run-time sits at 2 hrs. and 46 mins. which could have been reduced by removing some completely unnecessary and non-plot related scenes. Though don't let that hefty time investment turn you away, because once the film gets going you'll be wanting the eventual 9 hour trilogy to continue non-interrupted. My last criticism lies in this films overuse of CGI something that distracted and annoyed me throughout the film. The main antagonist is 100% CGI and thus 100% nonthreatening and uninteresting, which is made even more confusing since there is nothing about him that could not have been done with great costumes and prosthetics a feat the original trilogy was hailed for.
But in the end there is no question if you loved The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is a fantastic trip back to Middle-Earth filled with all your favorite characters. There appearances in this film may feel contrived but you'll find it hard not to sit up in your chair when Gollum appears on screen. The film is visually breathtaking even with its overuse of CGI and performances of Bilbo, Thorin and Gandalf keep the film grounded among the fantasy elements. The Hobbit is only the first part of a planned trilogy but it stumbles too often to reach the heights of greatness established by its older more groundbreaking older brother.
(4 out of 5)
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