Well jeez.
I think I'll do a little backstory with this one...
I saw Jackson's LOTR films when I was young. Like VERY young. Young enough to be confused at the ending of Fellowship when the credits rolled and the quest was unfinished. I eventually saw them over the course of three years, finishing them of when I was six. You had no idea how big of an impact they had on me and my brother. Even when I watch the films today they just stir so much genuine emotion. It had everything. Swords. Horses. Friggin Rangers. True friendship. Romance. Drama, and heroic stands against the dark. I eventually ended up reading the Hobbit, which I liked well enough, though I was a bit too intimidated by the size of the actual books. I have ended up reading them, and appreciated them for all their incite into themes of history, culture, heroism and great Nordic courage. I never got into any other real "fantasy" franchises . They all felt... insincere? Or at least cartoony. So guess what I did when I found saw the first Hobbit trailer?
I shat brix
Hype and hype and more hype. I breathed hype. I inhaled until it streamed out of my pores.
So me and my brother got our tickets and our 3D glasses sat down and watched
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
It was...ok.
I just scrolled up and realized how much I've typed, so I'll keep this short
Did like
-The dwarves.
-Ian Mckellan/Gandalf
-Gollum
-Thorin's dramatic march down the burning tree with the epic music.
-The Eagles
-Radagast (to an extent)
-The final shot showing the Lonely Mountain of in the distance
-The trolls (I do wish they were a little less comical and boisterous)
Did NOT like
-The cartoony, tone of the whole thing
-Lacks any of the grit and bonecrunching feel of the previous films
-Azog and his "You have failed me" moment
-The little "Digital Enhancements" on the orcs. Leave well enough alone.
-The Great Goblin. Not threatening or menacing in the slightest, unless you count pustules "menacing."
-The gore discretion shots, especially during the battle with Azog in Moria.
-The effects lack any sort of subtly
It was enjoyable enough, and I'm looking forward to the next two films.