JOIN USPeter Jackson’s first part of the Hobbit trilogy proves that his idea to split the book into three movies was an utter mistake.
More unexpected than the journey itself is the length of the movie. It stretches away into 169 long minutes and if patience can be gathered to sit through the movie, there are instances of humour, action and visual appeal that capture your imagination.
Jackson’s decision to shoot at 48 frames per second, which is twice the usual, does not seem to better the effects at all. But it did raise the expectations a notch higher.
Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a humble hobbit averse to adventures, is living a life of peace inside his hobbit hole when he is suddenly put in a tough spot by the wizard Gandalf (brilliantly played by Ian McKellen).
Bilbo has to help 13 dwarves win back their kingdom. Their leader Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) is skeptical of Bilbo’s warrior skills.
The Hobbit is definitely a technical achievement. It ends with some mind-boggling action sequences that set the tone for the next two releases. Although, at least for the next ones, let’s keep the expectations slightly lower.