The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (for Bilbo and for Me)

Okay, I have a confession to make. This is the first Lord of the Rings movies that I have seen. In all honesty, I was probably never going to watch this movie except for two reasons.

1. My friends kept shunning me at school for not watching the movies. Therefore, I decided to start at the VERY beginning before, possibly, watching the other films.
2. I had just seen Benedict Cumberbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness, so when I heard he was in this film (and the next two), I had to watch it.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is somewhat different from its counterparts. While the other films told the story of Frodo, this trilogy will now focus on Bilbo Baggins (played by Martin Freeman) and his journey to the mountain of Erebor to help the dwarves (thirteen in all), with Gandalf the Grey (played by Ian McKellen) reclaim their homeland. The first film focuses on 1/3 of the journey. It shows their encounters with trolls, Radagast the Brown (played by Sylvester McCoy), the elves of Rivendell, Stone Giants, goblins, and even an orc known as Azog. Finally, Bilbo will encounter a strange creature who, unknowingly, through a single golden ring, will change his life forever- Gollum (played by Andy Serkis).

I entered this film unknowing about the Lord of the Rings series. All I knew about it was that there was an all powerful ring. I then checked out The Hobbit or There and Back Again at my local library. Although the ending was somewhat disappointing, it was rather enjoyable to read. An Unexpected Journey was somewhat interesting, but I'm still rather unsure about it. I got bored after a while, after watching them run around and fight... multiple times. The fact that Peter Jackson included characters from what I assume to be from other books seemed a bit confusing. Also, the main villain of the book is Smaug himself. Why include the Necromancer if he is only just mentioned in the book. It was rather interesting for the film to show where Gandalf went in his many disappearances, where in the book we weren't sure where he disappeared to. It's obvious that the star actor of the film is Martin Freeman, with his excellent portrayal of the meek hobbit. Kudos to you, Mr. Freeman, for bringing this character to life so well.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Although there were some exciting parts, I was found being bored out of my mind for a majority of the film. Amazing CGI work and actors, nonetheless.

I won't say whether this film will make me watch all of the Lord of the Rings films, but after seeing the trailer for The Desolation of Smaug, I will say that I will put forth the eight dollars to see it. 

You can find An Unexpected Journey on DVD and Blu-ray today. The extended version of the film will be released November 5th in the United States and November 11th in the United Kingdom.