Middle Earth Light Ah, Middle Earth. We last visited in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and we’re back again in “The Hobbit,” a visual retelling of the book that started it all. Filmed in the part of New Zealand that has far fewer sheep than the majority of the country, Jackson’s Middle Earth is vast and epic, dotted with jagged mountains and deep woods, powerful rivers and gentle pastures. “The Hobbit” is a visual film, as much as its predecessors, but it relies a bit too much on CGI. While the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy relied heavily on it as well, most of the Orcs and Goblins were played by actors in prosthetics and makeup—very good makeup that added realism and verisimilitude to the story. “The Hobbit,” unfortunately, is full of CGI bad guys that lack the depth that was such a benefit to the original trilogy. I can only imagine what it would look like on the screens where the film was shown in 48 frames per second. The word cartoony comes to mind. But despite my annoyance at CGI monsters, “The Hobbit” was enjoyable and will likely please many fans. “The Hobbit” was the first story of Middle Earth, the story that introduced Hobbits and Elves and Wizards and Orcs, Sting and Glamdring, songs and whimsy. This whimsy is what defined “The Hobbit,” which is much lighter in tone than the trilogy. It is, at its heart, about a loveably homebody who finds adventure in a magical and dangerous world. In the process, Bilbo Baggins learns that the world is wide and his place in it is more important than he can imagine. It’s a nice story for young kids looking to discover where they fit in their own worlds. Peter Jackson has taken this idea and run with it, in exhausting and deliberate detail, creating a nearly three-hour spectacle that is fun but tiring. I’ve seen far too many films this year that take up the ma-
jority of my day. I’d really served by focusing on Billike to see a story told in a bo’s eccentricities and disshorter format, but Jackcomfort on the road. This son is not a filmis woven into the maker known dialogue, but I’d for brevity. like to have been If you don’t shown more of know the story, it though action. it’s fairly simple. JOHN DEVORE Ian McKellen is Bilbo Baggins is back as Gandalf, recruited as a burglar by a owning the role as only company of elves looking he can, but the strongest to return to their homeperformance here is from land after being driven Andy Serkis as Gollum. away by an evil dragon. Serkis has shown his abiliAlong the way, the group ties time and again and encounters all sorts of it is far past time that the magical creatures and facAcademy gives him a nod. es enormous danger. It’s He has more talent than an adventure story, nothmost well-known actors ing more. Jackson, howevworking today. er, doesn’t see it that way. Ultimately, “The HobIf he did, he wouldn’t have bit” is a film that was made three movies. made for fans of J.R.R. Martin Freeman does a Tolkien. It is unlikely to competent job as the tituwin over new disciples or lar character—although make much of a splash Bilbo doesn’t always seem in the critical world. All to be the star of his own that needed to be said film. Instead, there is about Middle Earth can more time given to the be found in the original dwarf king Thorin Oaktrilogy. That was the betenshield. On one hand, ter story. It legitimately this makes sense, as Bilbo deserved three films and is having his first advenexquisite detail. The Hobture and Thorin has had bit trilogy, at the end of all several. But on the other, things, may end up being a the film might be better letdown. Time will tell.
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chattanoogapulse.com • DECEMBER 20-26, 2012 • The Pulse • 15