Happy 2013, crew! Which of yous have already broken your resolutions, ya naughty good-for-nothings? Hope everyone had good tidings and enough drink to put down a donkey. This is a little belated and my memory has been somewhat zapped by festive whiskey drinking, but here goes a few thoughts on the recent release of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. A film that most, especially Tolkien fans, had been wishing for since Frodo sailed to the Undying lands of the Elves (oops, spoiler). Our tale surrounds Mr. Frodo's infamous Uncle Bilbo and his unexpected journey "there and back again" - or at least, the first 6 chapters of it.
13 Dwarves, 1 Hobbit. (not a porno)
The immediate talking point of the film surrounded the formation of a trilogy. Lord of the Rings worked perfectly in this format as 3 different parts; indeed, some was even left out - Tom Bombadil, notably. However, to split a novel that barely covers 300 pages into 3 separate films seems foolish and money grabbing. Particularly when the bulk of screen time in LOTR was dedicated to grandiose battle sequences, of which there is little in The Hobbit (at least, in this film). Ultimately it would have been wiser to trim into one film, or even just a pair of flicks - the storyline drags and some less interested in young Bilbo would easily lose interest after the first hour, let alone the first film.
translated directions: "fly, you fools"
The "unexpected" nature of this journey comes one evening when Gandalf secretly scratches an invitation onto Bilbo's door for Thorin Oakenshield (who has more than a hint of Vigo Mortensen about him) and his merry band of 12 Dwarves (including James bloody Nesbitt) to have a shindig. The young Hobbit is soon overrun with company and invited to be the burglar on a quest to retrieve treasure stolen from Erebor by Smaug the Dragon - now located on top of the Lonely Mountain (see above). Soon the Took within the Baggins takes over and Bilbo finds himself out the door, on a pony, and without his handkerchief. The company are off towards Mirkwood and stumbling upon all sorts of Middle Earth life: outwitting trolls, being captured by Goblins and trapped by Wargs.
oh dear
This is where the film departs from Tolkien's work. In the novel there is no mention of a dangerous "Necromancer" conjuring dark spells, or of "Radagast the Stoned/Brown/Definitely Stoned," or even of a meeting in Rivendell between Saruman, Galadriel and Elrond. Nor is Thorin's one armed, allbeit bad ass looking, nemesis talked of at all in the book. Jackson clearly didn't feel there was enough entertainment in the first section of the book, and so placed a few more threats to keep audiences awake (again - why not just trim?). Still - the Dwarven company are infinitely likeable and Freeman's portrayal of an unassuming Bilbo, who flounders over the simplest of tasks yet excels where isn't expected to, is commendable and he carries it well (even has a slight "Tim" feel to the character).
HD 3D and Gandalf just don't mix
The film opens in HD 3D and unfortunately finishes in it, too. Jackson's decision to double the FPS (Frames Per Second) of the film from 24 FPS to 48 FPS always seemed a strange choice, and it seems absolutely ridiculous after watching The Hobbit. There's an argument for the natural technological advancement of cinematography, but those that make it should be strangled by 35mm film. The entire film looks almost CGI - but not in a good way; more in a video game cut sequence kind of way, particularly whenever long shots are used (which is often). It just doesn't feel cinematic. Plus making me put glasses over glasses always ruins my movie watching experience - it's genuinely one of the most annoying things imaginable. So fuck you, Jackson.
Bilbo's crack addiction will be interesting to watch
Sadly The Hobbit does not compare to LOTR: it's nowhere near in the same league of filmmaking or storytelling. In its own right, it's still a thoroughly enjoyable tale about maturation, adventure and friendship; and it will be interesting to see where the next two films take us. However The Hobbit feels as tall as its protagonist, in that it barely gets off the ground. Sadly, most fans of the book will lament it, and most newcomers get bored of it. Jackson's gone off the radar with this one, and we don't quite feel like we're in Middle Earth anymore.
32/50 STATES
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