Director Peter Jackson’s first installment of the much anticipated J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, The Hobbit does not live up to the hype, but it does not mean audiences are going to turn their backs on the second and third parts of the series. On the contrary, The Hobbit was a respectable film that gave an honest interpretation to the Tolkien’s text, but it probably wasn’t the best decision in this case because of the slow moving exposition, the intentional children friendly sequences, and the repetitive Gandalf to the rescue episodes.
The dwarfs are a fun group to follow, even though you have no idea who is who, and the reprise roles of Cate Blanchet, Hugo Weaving, and Christopher Lee are welcomed back with great enthusiasm, but the anchor that holds the ship from going off course is the appearance of Gollum and the famous riddle game. The Hobbit will be a successful franchise and I expect better things to come.
WORD COUNT: 159
Chuck’s Grade: B
Adam’s Grade: C+
