Thoughts on PJ's Hobbit

What does Mr. Baggins hate? 

I saw An Unexpected Journey twice over opening weekend. First with a group of students and colleagues, second with a good friend.

The first viewing was like putting together a puzzle with pieces from two mismatched sets. I had recently revisited the book, so the whole 3 hours I was mentally parsing out what did and did not belong. Perhaps the next two movies will add more weight to the scenes that felt extraneous.

I’m glad I saw it a second time. While there are still poor bits, mostly in terms of storytelling and pacing, the good stuff overshadowed the bad.

The film’s best moments are when its characters are given room to carry the story forward without flashback, narration or extensive exposition. This is why the dwarves’ song in Bag End is such a stand-out scene. Yes, Howard Shore’s music is fantastic. But it also serves an important story point. The song tells us what the dwarves want – known as the most important story element; their primary motivation for the rest of the plot – while influencing what Bilbo wants. The dwarves sing of the wide world, tragedy and ambition – things the Hobbit has read about but never experienced. And the next morning, with yesternight's dreamlike events faded to quiet, Bilbo makes a small choice that influences the fate of Middle Earth.

(This, by the way, is my favorite moment of the movie and I believe the climax of Act 1. The camera lingers on Bilbo’s silent hall long enough for the audience to fill in the blanks and anticipate his decision. We put 2+2 together, making Bilbo’s farewell “I’m going on an adventure!” all the better because we’ve earned it.)

Middle Earth continues to be an amazing place on-screen, far bigger than what I visualize in the books. I love how Jackson’s crew utilizes the New Zealand landscape as an underpainting for Tolkien’s myths.  The vistas, design and architecture are what set these movies apart from most fantasy fare. As always, the Weta gang and production team are full of amazing artists at the top of their craft. Can’t wait to see what they've created for the next two films.