‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Is the Most Book-Accurate of Peter Jackson’s Prequel Films
Launching Peter Jackson‘s prequel trilogy, set some decades before The Lord of the Rings, this film adapts the first portion of Tolkien’s The Hobbit, a standalone novel that follows Bilbo Baggins (played here by Martin Freeman) and a company of Dwarves to the Lone Mountain. When Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives at Bag End with Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), he conscribes Bilbo into their service as a burglar for their adventure to reclaim the Dwarves’ homeland and fortune from the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). Of course, Bilbo is hired for the job, and it isn’t long before this traveling company find themselves in a series of unfortunate and unprecedented events, including run-ins with trolls, goblins, and even the creature Gollum (Andy Serkis).
Although defeating the dragon is their ultimate goal, there are plenty of roadblocks along the way that push the party to different corners of the map. Of the three Hobbit films, An Unexpected Journey is arguably the truest to Tolkien’s novels themselves, spending more time with Tolkien’s plot and embellishing less on the larger lore details. The fantasy flick follows the beat of the book quite well, framing it as a story written by an older Bilbo (Ian Holm) for his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) as those first six chapters are transcribed for the screen. Aside from the inclusion of Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett) — a character only mentioned in the book but included here to alter Thorin’s backstory — An Unexpected Journey plays out basically how the Tolkien’s novel does, which is for the best.
From the Shire to Rivendell to the goblin caves, the party makes their way across the Middle-earth map on a quest of bravery and honor. It may not be as epic (or necessary) as The Lord of the Rings, but Jackson and company add in some subsequent Tolkien material about the rise of Sauron (called “The Necromancer” here) to further connect the two trilogies. The high frame rate may be a bit much for some viewers, but this first chapter of The Hobbit saga is perhaps the prequel films at their best and certainly their most focused — and no, Legolas (Orlando Bloom) isn’t in this one.
The Hobbit Trilogy May Be a Bit Uneven, but It’s Still a Fun Fantasy Adventure
Admittedly, The Hobbit trilogy, which continues with The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies, is a bit uneven compared to its predecessor. Unlike The Lord of the Rings, which was forced to condense Tolkien’s material for the screen, Jackson and company did the opposite to turn The Hobbit into a trilogy. Some of the expansions work, such as the Gandalf subplot in which he ventures to Dol Guldur to uncover the truth about Sauron’s return. But others feel a bit tacked on and silly, like the Elf/Dwarf romance and the over-emphasis on Azog over time. But however you slice it, returning to this era of Middle-earth on the screen can be loads of fun if you let it. The Hobbit movies are a bit more cartoonish than The Lord of the Rings (ironically, the story was adapted best as a cartoon), but, to be fair, The Hobbit book was also written for children in the first place.
For those craving high-fantasy fun and Tolkien-inspired aesthetics, there’s no reason not to revisit An Unexpected Journey. Not only will it whet your appetite before The Rings of Power returns, but it will remind you that there is still more to come with other in-the-works installments — The Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past — that will likewise expand the world of Middle-earth.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is available for streaming on HBO Max in the U.S.
before-the-rings-of-power-returns-peter-jacksons-epic-fantasy-is-a-global-streaming-hit
