The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Peter Jackson

Country

USA | New Zealand

Cast

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, Ken Scott, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Sylvester McCoy, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Manu Bennett, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Barry Humphries, John Rawls, Bret McKenzie, Kiran Shah, Jeffrey Thomas, Michael Mizrahi

Plot

Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo (Martin Freeman) finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum (Andy Serkis). 

Opinion

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is simply beautiful. The film is a spectacular and thrilling combination of adventure, drama and fantasy, and it managed to left me with the same 'wow' the original trilogy did.

Director Peter Jackson successfully managed to craft a good prequel to the best saga ever. The film has some great scenes; the run in with fighting stone giants and the escape from the goblins' mountain are definitely the highlights. I particularly loved the scene in which Bildo runs into Gollum, firstly because I wasn't expecting it at all, and secondly because I've always liked the character - which, by the way, is even more 'realistic'. The score by Howard Shore is spectacular and touching.

The actors give great performances. Ian McKellen is absolutely stunning as Gandalf, and seems to be born to play the character. Richard Armitage plays Thorin in a very fascinating way. British Martin Freeman is absolutely perfect to play Bildo. Andy Serkis still does an amazing job with Gollum.

Quotes

Bilbo Baggins: Good morning.

Gandalf: What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?

Bilbo Baggins: All of them at once, I suppose.

Bilbo Baggins: I have... I have never used a sword in my life.

Gandalf: And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.