Le Hobbit: Un Voyage Inattendu

First off I have never read The Hobbit, but from what I gather the book isn't all that long, so the fact that this film is the first of three, suggests they may be milking it a little. That being said however I was very excited to return to Middle Earth for a new story..and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

This is the Prequel story to LOTR following the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Frodo's Uncle played by Ian Holm previously) and how he came to be in possession on the ring.

Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. .is quite simply a BEAUTIFUL film! I saw the movie in 3D and at the 48fps that Jackson intended and I was blown away by how it looked. It's a stunning film that left me with the same 'WOW' factor that the original trilogy did a decade ago. Set 60 years earlier than Lord of The Rings, We are introduced to a much younger Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). He is a content Hobbit, not concerned with adventure of any sort. Until Gandalf (Ian McKellan) suddenly appears, along with a group of unruly Dwarfs and offers Bilbo the chance to be part of a great adventure. The dwarfs wish to reclaim their homeland, which has been taken over by a huge dragon named Smaug, It's a simple concept and one that probably shouldn't be stretched over 3 movies but as with any 'first in a trilogy' film, it sets the stage perfectly. The movie has some great scenes.. meeting the Dwarfs in Bilbo's house, the run in with fighting stone giants and the escape from deep within the goblins' mountain are particular highlights. I loved the scene in which Bilbo runs into a familiar face (for LOTR fans) in the caves: Gollum (who looks amazing with todays MOCAP technology). Much of the movie, is the journey of the troupe back to the mountain, but also the journey of Bilbo himself.. mild and timid at the start of the film, our hero finds his courage, several times over, through the course of this film.

Overall I loved this film, I thought it looked fantastic and the care of attention not just aesthetically but also in terms of continuity were obvious. These are Peter Jacksons films, no doubt. Much like he did with the previous trilogy, bringing us into a world full of heroes and villains, orcs and wizards this film literally (thanks to the 3D and FPS rate) literally transports you into Middle Earth.

I am already excited to see the next instalment but to keep me satisfied until then..i may go and watch my LOTR boxset again . And them maybe this film again!

Great stuff!!

I never came around to read the LotR books before watching the movies and I actually haven't done that until now (so maybe shame on me), but I did read 30-40 pages of the Hobbit. And it seems, like almost everyone of those pages turns out to be in the movie. It's a big scene and it feels like Peter Jackson put almost everything in it. He apparently also put other Tolkien related stuff in it.

Which he must have done, because how could you make 3 movies/parts out of one book? That is smaller in size than the original Rings trilogy that is. But what about the movie? It feels fun and it looks good (once you get used to the HD framing, which makes a few props look very plastic). Also the very HD 3D (or should I say the extra FPS) we got served made the movie feel like it was on fast forward. I think your eyes have to get used to that (in comparison to normal frames per Second that every other movie uses).

Apart from the technical point of view, this is a well made movie, but it never completely touched me. It is well played and it has the beginning of a great adventure, but it feels a bit over bloated. I will obviously watch the other parts too and I'm pretty sure they will up the ante

Edit: rewatching it a decade later, I realize I may have been a bit too harsh on the rating. I guess I do that with big budget movies. I can attest that I reckon I got used to the Higher Frame Rate the movie uses. Not that many movies have adapted that style (I reckon Avatar 2 will), but it is what it is. Technically you can fault the movie and the extended version was quite nice to see (so I guess it wasn't a literal rewatch - no pun intended).

I Remember the first time i watched this movie in the cinema and i did not like it as much i thought i would! Maybe it was because my hopes were very high after LOTR and while this movie gad elements from that, it didn't reach the same level in terms of story and visuals!

Jacksons overuse of CGI sometimes pull me out of it, but its not as bad as the third movie, which almost gives me headaches!

But over the time i have learned to like the movie and look past its flaws! Compared to the first season of Rings of Power this movie is deffinetely not bad, and does a better job of conveying a story with characters you care about! When it comes to the source material this movie doesn't drag as much as the others! The scenes with gollum are "hands down" the best part of the movie!

Overall a great fantasy experience that still excists in the shadow of its predecacors but entertains none the less!

A very good start to the series. Very sensitive for the rest of the process, even though the movie was slow for the first half hour, it didn't affect my experience that much. The story is fun and interesting. Most of the film's protagonists were fun and watching Gandalf bring back memories of The Lord of the Rings. Filming and directing dazzles you and makes you wish to live in the world of cinema, especially in the Elf area. Although the film is not at the level of The Lord of the Rings, it is still excellent.

I've seen "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" quite a few times now. I like it a lot. The first few times I watched it I found it hit and miss. The movie still takes a couple of dips here and there but those parts don't bother me as much as they used to. Now the only demerit I give this movie has to do with its length. It's a about twenty minutes too long. Otherwise, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is a very exciting and emotional ride. It's also a great looking movie with very good music. This movie is always a welcome visit.