Reel Reviews: Hobbit size Analysis

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Reel Reviews

So I'm feeling a bit lazy, so I've decided that I will just do short reviews for both of the Hobbit films that have released. 

So why am I reviewing the first Hobbit film?

Well the first Hobbit film was the first film that reviewed on my blog, of course I had reviewed films previously. In fact I watch a lot of films and critically analyze them in my head (I wish I could switch that off), for some special films like adaptations of lovable things (The Hobbit and Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy) I may end up reviewing in a biased or sold by hype frame. Plus I cannot seem to easily put my thoughts into words. Not to mention that I've gotten slightly better at doing that in the past year.

These big factors influenced me to try review the Hobbit Unexpected Journey after I re-watched it. Obviously I've also been exposed to a lot of criticism for the movie ever since its release, as such some influences of that might seep in. Take this re-review with a grain of salt, but even then it's definitely not a 9/10 like I said last time

So onwards we go...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Christopher Lee as Saruman The White, Ian Holm as Old Bilbo Bagins, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Manu Bennet as Azog, Andy Serkis as Gollum with Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield and Benedict Cumberbatch as the Necromancer of Dol Gordur

Genre: Fantasy

Score: 7.2/10

Pros:-The film is filled with some lighter moments that is on point with the book
        -Humor is quite varied and doesn't necessarily just pander to children, it complements the adventure style of the film   
        -The script is ridden with some exciting foreshadowing
        -Bilbo's character arc of heroism is explored well, we also get deeper hints to his corruption from the ring
        -Jackson gives a really nostalgic return to Middle Earth, his cinematographer captures this stunningly
        -All round performances are terrific. Special mention to Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman
        -The background music and especially the early dwarf song is mesmerizing
        -The VFX is good at some points but especially with the rendering of Gollum

Cons:-The film has a long running time, and really takes time to start the meat of the plot
         -None of the other dwarves are fleshed out, we don't really care for them or why they are following Thorin   
         -Narrative pacing is poor, it seems like the director had to maneuver the story so as to just fill the movie with hollow meaningful points
         -The film thoroughly comes off as a teaser for the sequels, this is evident with the weak villain/climatic obstacle of the film
         -The LOTR mentions and iconography make Jackson come off as self indulgent
         - At times the film feels like a CG fest, turning the Orcs digital makes the threat seem bland
         

Now onto Desolation of Smaug...unlike the first film, I got to watch this one in High Frame Rate. I would suggest you don't cause it looks rubbish, with the HFR the whole film looks bloody fake and its easy to notice both the make up and prosthetic. I have no idea what the fuck Peter Jackson was thinking when he shot this. 

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Luke Evans as Bard, Manu Bennet as Azog with Lee Pace as Thandruil and Benedict Cumberbatch as the Necromancer of Dol Gordur/Smaug

Genre: Fantasy

Score: 8.1/10

Pros:-Much better than the first, it tones down the comedy in favor of some intriguing character exploration based upon the overarching theme of corruption and greed

          -Character arcs for both Bilbo and Thorin develops with much more dramatic intensity

          -New characters introduced are bolstered by some very good material whether it be Smaug, Bard, Legolas or especially Tauriel

          -Jackson perfectly captures the vibe of Tolkein's world on screen once again

          -All round performances are splendid, of note are Evangeline Lily, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ian McKellen

          -The real highlights however are both Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage

          -Background score is stupendous and brings out the grandiose feel of the film

          -Smaug is rendered wonderfully and menacingly by the VFX team

Cons:-The second half dips quite a bit and the film seems to stretch for far too long

           -The band of dwarves are somewhat expendable as neither really resonates, not even the older one or the one in love with Tauriel. The fact that I don't remember any of their names just highlights this even more.

           -Writing could have been fine tuned much better, so as to establish a tighter script with a visible narrative

           -Jackson's ignorance from the previous film is evident, the High Frame Rate he opted for really falls flat and makes the whole film jarringly fake looking

           -Apart from Smaug, most of the visual effects don't look as stunning as they could have been

 

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