The Hobbit - Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson Year: 2012 I re-watched the Lord of the Ring Trilogy about six months ago and very much enjoyed the ride. The second film, Two Towers, remains my favorite of the three. At the same time, I was glad to feel better about the third film, Return of the King, which, at the time I saw it, left me a bit flat. Perhaps it was overkill. Perhaps it was how I saw it (at a midnight screening after a long day of work). Regardless, I was excited to engage in midworld once again. I heard many complaints going into the film about it's look - Jackson shot the film at 48fps which left some saying it appeared "too HD" and not enough film. Jackson landed squarely on the landmine for filmmakers to come. This is the new way, and now that the door has been blasted off that pandora's box, nothing's going back in. As I saw it on DVD, this was not an issue for me. Like the first fllm in the LOTR series, The Hobbit has a long run up. It's a bit tedious at times, but Jackson's demand to stay as true to Tolkien's work is admirable. And it just may be that he sees the longview with his films (based on the long history of the books) and is hoping the films do stay the test of time as well. There are moments when a line of dialogue reminds you, in a good way, that you're not just watching another big, high-tech, action-packed good against evil epic. In particular, when Gandalf remarks that he doesn't believe it takes great force to defeat great evil, but instead, small acts of kindness and love done on a daily basis, do just as much if not more, there is a sense of greatness about the material. This is not a dumb, we're right and therefore we'll win movement. This is a celebration of the simple humanity in all of us. Of knowing our homes. Of knowing the value of a place to call home and what it means to those who are refugees. When Bilbo met up with Gollum, I immediately flashed back to the Hobbit cartoon I watched as a child. Jackson and his technical wizards have deft skill at making Gollum real, terrifying and, at the same time, sadly tragic. How Bilbo could spare a creature out of pity who wanted to kill him showed Bilbo's tremendous heart. Would it be a mistake? 60 years later, Frodo would say no. Despite Gollum's tragic self, enough of Smeagol exists to draw humane reactions from both Bagginses.