Synopsis:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths ofguile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ...a simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know. -- (C) Warner Bros
Story:
The movie was adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's book that follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, yes that scary bastard from The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (movie). This movie was able to tell a good load of adventures from Bilbo and it was a wonderful story as we get to see how he got a hold of the one ring that will rule them all. If you read the synopsis above you can already know what the movie is all about and how the story will progress. What I liked about this is it doesn't stray way too much from the synopsis (can't say book, haven't read it, sorry) that they released and you can almost know what will happen in the movie, its like you are going to watch 'The Hobbit' to know how it is going to be executed on the big screen.
Acting:
I simply loved the performances in this movie, they all felt authentic. Freeman was perfect as Bilbo, Armitrage was awesome as Thorin and of course McKellen and Serkis tailor made for the role. Among the four actors that I mentioned, the only performance that was really unforgettable to me was Andy Serkis as Gollum/Smeagol, now I only watched the first installment of LotR trilogy so I don't know what to expect from him but when I was finally able to see him as Gollum, it just sent chills to my spine, it was downright scary and menacing. I wonder why up to now Mr. Serkis hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar.
Action/Violence:
'The Hobbit' is an action-packed film, their is no doubt about that. Everybody's wielding swords and killing sumb*tches. These guys really do mean business, I've never looked at Dwarves as badass as these guys. Also Ian McKellen's Gandalf didn't let the action by the others, he also shared some of there glory.
Visual FX:
When you watch a film that is based on middle-earth you can expect that it will be visually arresting and this one...... didn't disappoint. The effects were just gorgeous, practical or even CGI, the makeup effects were astounding and very realistic and the CGI is just perfect even though at times it looks a little dodgy especially with The Scrotum Beard Goblin King (thanks HISHE).
Music:
The music here was enchanting like all of the LotR films, it helps to keep the scene intact and majestic.
Cinematography:
When watching a Peter Jackson film you can already expect that the shots will be smart and beautifully executed and I like the way how he shot the landscapes as he is going as practical as he can be.
Direction:
I felt that Jackson made this movie for a younger audience as I felt that there was more humor in here and taking a less serious tone, that said, he was still able to capture the spirit that he gave the original trilogy with.
Overall:
Peter Jackson's return to middle earth is fun, action-packed and very entertaining. Even though it is dragging at times the performances of the actors and the visuals that surrounds the movie makes up for it. I give this movie a 4/5.
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