Take Seven: The Hobbit

So, this post is going to differ from my previous posts. Instead of looking at other types of films and laying a concise summary about them I want to, in a sense, review a film I just saw. The title spares no surprise. Yesterday I went to see the long awaited film that is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. And of course, I loved it! If you’ve been apart of The Lord of The Rings fandom I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. It was phenomenal to travel back to Middle Earth once more this time in the company of Bilbo Baggins as he begins his remarkable adventure. Peter Jackson brought back many members of are well known cast from Lord Of the Rings back to Middle Earth including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving and Ian Holm.

For those of you who might not be as familiar with The Lord Of the Rings or The Hobbit, I’ll lay a bit of foundation to what this remarkable franchise entitles. Both The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Lord of The Rings trilogy were adapted from books written by English author J.R.R. Tolkien. Peter Jackson is the director of both The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. And although he filmed The Lord Of The Rings first it is actually The Hobbit that was the first book in this epic installment. The story of these enchanting books follows many fictitious creatures. Of these creatures there are both good and evil and they all inhabit a world called Middle Earth.

In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey we begin with just that, an unexpected journey, that has befallen on Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, is a hobbit who loves his peaceful life in the Shire where he tends to his garden and feasts on warm delicious meals each day. His routine life gets disrupted however with a knock on the door one evening. He opens the door and whom should he find but a dwarf who takes no measures to make it known exactly what he’s doing in Bilbo’s home. Confused Bilbo hears another knock on the door and comes face with yet another dwarf. This cycle continues until Bilbo finds his house occupied by 12 dwarfs and none of them still have seemed to answer as to why they are there. Bilbo doesn’t get answers until finally wizard, Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellen) and dwarf, Thorin (Richard Armitage) arrive to Bilbo’s home. Thorin is the Prince of Oakenshield or as it is now known as The Lonely Mountain. It is then that Bilbo finds out that they want him to accompany them on a journey to take back Oakensheild, which was taken from the dwarfs by a dragon. Bilbo refuses at first not wanting to leave his home and tranquil life in the Shire. However, Bilbo soon comes to realize that this would be a once and a lifetime opportunity so he takes it. And so we follow Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin’s company of dwarfs in their journey to regain The Lonely Mountain.

Peter Jackson once again brings the beauty of this tale to screen. Set in New Zealand, we see Middle Earth come to life with the most enchanting scenery. The characters of these films are so vibrant. And Martin Freeman does not disappoint as the hobbit! This movie will have you laughing, awing, and keeping you spellbound the whole journey. Hobbits and dwarfs both creatures that are on the small side are sure to be huge successes in the box office by the end of this weekend.  

Side note: If you’ve seen or once you’ve seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey please share with me your thoughts I’d love to hear them! Moreover, are you a person who approves of Peter Jackson making The Hobbit a three-film installment? I must admit at first I was skeptical but with this first film it doesn’t seem so bad anymore!