Having loved reading the Hobbit as a kid, I was very skeptical upon hearing that Peter Jackson wanted to turn such a charming classical fantasy into an epic 3D trilogy with hordes of additional "unnecessary" content. I admit that I groaned and moaned when I found out that it was going to be a staggering 3D CGI trilogy extravaganza.
But I'm proud to admit that I was very wrong. The Hobbit landed very softly and remained faithful to the story. While there are many additional stories intertwined into the movie that were never in the book itself, most critics fail to realize that Tolkien didn't simply write the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but an entire mythology to Middle Earth. Mythology that Peter Jackson felt he should include to give the audience some back story as well as some stake in the lives of the heroes (because while I enjoyed the Hobbit as much as anyone else, it was hard to get personally attached to any of the dwarves with the amount of character development Tolkien managed to fit into 271 pages). The storytelling itself was very good. Jackson portrayed the scenes with the right atmosphere, and although some parts felt rushed, he managed to make the adventure feel like a true adventure. What extra content Jackson included didn't really hurt the story, as it simply offered another story to follow. It was entertaining to see something new since most people watching the film knew what to expect in each scene.
The acting was spot on as expected of the actors in the film. The voice acting is also notable as it gives an interesting dimension to the goblins and orcs in the film. Rather than giving the goblins and orcs the expected stereotypical rough and gurgly voices we see in media, they're given unique and memorable voices that give a haunting kick when they talk.
The cinematography is another beast in itself. Sweeping shots of the landscapes never get old, serving as entertaining montages between the journey and the action. While the 48 fps seems to be getting bad press, it really kicks in and does its job once the story moves on out of the Shire. During the first half hour, the shots of the Shire did look a little too real and seemed like it would be better off just being shot at 24 fps. But the high frame rate really packs a punch when the story enters Middle Earths' more dazzling landscapes.
Overall, this movie is a worthy addition to the Tolkien movie line. It stays faithful to the original story while adding some stories plucked from other Tolkien books regarding the mythology surrounding some of the characters.
But I'm proud to admit that I was very wrong. The Hobbit landed very softly and remained faithful to the story. While there are many additional stories intertwined into the movie that were never in the book itself, most critics fail to realize that Tolkien didn't simply write the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, but an entire mythology to Middle Earth. Mythology that Peter Jackson felt he should include to give the audience some back story as well as some stake in the lives of the heroes (because while I enjoyed the Hobbit as much as anyone else, it was hard to get personally attached to any of the dwarves with the amount of character development Tolkien managed to fit into 271 pages). The storytelling itself was very good. Jackson portrayed the scenes with the right atmosphere, and although some parts felt rushed, he managed to make the adventure feel like a true adventure. What extra content Jackson included didn't really hurt the story, as it simply offered another story to follow. It was entertaining to see something new since most people watching the film knew what to expect in each scene.
The acting was spot on as expected of the actors in the film. The voice acting is also notable as it gives an interesting dimension to the goblins and orcs in the film. Rather than giving the goblins and orcs the expected stereotypical rough and gurgly voices we see in media, they're given unique and memorable voices that give a haunting kick when they talk.
The cinematography is another beast in itself. Sweeping shots of the landscapes never get old, serving as entertaining montages between the journey and the action. While the 48 fps seems to be getting bad press, it really kicks in and does its job once the story moves on out of the Shire. During the first half hour, the shots of the Shire did look a little too real and seemed like it would be better off just being shot at 24 fps. But the high frame rate really packs a punch when the story enters Middle Earths' more dazzling landscapes.
Overall, this movie is a worthy addition to the Tolkien movie line. It stays faithful to the original story while adding some stories plucked from other Tolkien books regarding the mythology surrounding some of the characters.
Top Box Office
- 1.$116.6M
- 2.$20.7M
- 3.$11.0M
- 4.$9.6M
- 5.$8.3M
- 6.$7.1M
- 7.$6.3M
- 8.$6.3M
- 9.$4.1M
- 10.$3.0M