Whizz & Bang
Out of the blue the legendary wizard, Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) arrives at the home of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) wanting his help. Reluctant Bilbo finds his home swarmed by a group of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin (Richard Armitage). With little choice Bilbo finds himself on the quest to reclaim Erebor, the lost Dwarf kingdom and it is a quest which will see them crossing many treacherous lands.
Daddy's got a box of tricks and he loves to use them as with the aid of computers Peter Jackson has created the visually sublime. From rocks faces which seem to go down for an eternity to castles high up with people running the battlements and battle scenes so huge that they are bigger than the mind can conjure up. It is the thing which you will remember "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" for over everything else as Peter Jackson has tossed every pixel which he can at the movie to make it visually out of the world.
Now doing this might work for some as in those who have read "The Hobbit" as it will bring the story to life visually. But for those like me who have never read the Hobbit, well quite simply this movie will leave you bemused and I dare say it bored because it is a movie made for those who already know the story. For those who don't are left floundering, trying to keep up whilst working out what in the name of all things holy is going on.
What happens when you find yourself being left behind by not already knowing the story and the special effects have stopped wowing you are left with spot the actor and there are quite a few big star names in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey". But beyond the recognizability of Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen's characters the rest are forgettable.
What this all boils down to is that "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" ended up disappointing me because it was made for those who already knew the story leaving those who don't with little but special effects to amuse them.
