The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey follows the 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. The movie describes the beginning of Biblo’s (Martin Freeman, Watson on the BBC Sherlock Holmes series) adventure preceding the events of Fellowship of the Ring. Gandalf (Sir lan McKellen) enlists the young Hobbit, living too satisfied a life, to aid a band of landless dwarfs reclaim their kingdom. Along the way, Biblo faces risks and enjoyments, elves, orcs, goblins, and of course his first meeting with Gollum.
The action series have the look of epic clashes like the Battle of Helm’s Deep, but none of the heft, and above all, none of the tension or consequences. Largely interchangeable dwarves tumble down mine shafts like pinballs and emerge unscathed, and no matter how many times they find themselves dangling by their fingertips over certain death (note: a lot of times), they never fall. Even if they did, you get the sense that they’d just drop off-screen and reappear at the start of the level.
The story is simple enough, and the visuals are dazzling (the 48 frames per second rate is neither as spectacular or headache-inducing as rumors would have you believe). The acting is excellent, including the return of our favorite wizard, Gandalf, Lady of Lorien Galadriel, and head elf Elrond (Hugo Weaving). Unfortunately, the dwarves all sort of blend together in a tangle of hair and mischief, with the notable exception of the broody Thorin and his swashbuckling nephews, Fili and Kili (Dean O'Gorman and Aidan Turner).
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