Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen
Directed by Peter Jackson
Given that Peter Jackson never intended to direct the prequels to his Lord of the Rings trilogy, viewers may rightfully feel concerned that The Hobbit will be saddled with a mastermind just as reluctant as its protagonist. And while the finished product evinces that Jackson remains fervently committed to the technical elements of filmmaking, it also reveals that his storytelling skills have abandoned him.
Undoubtedly, Jackson has been hamstrung by the decision to expand J.R.R. Tolkiens concise text into three epic films. Whereas the Rings films were propelled by a compressed narrative rife with incidents and developments, the pace here shifts between languid and lumbering. After the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) informs homebody Bilbo (Martin Freeman) that hes destined for adventure (specifically: liberating a dwarf kingdom from its dragon occupier), hes called on by 13 raucous dwarves who illustrate that nothing is more irksome than forced gaiety.
As these squat adventurers linger about Bilbos hovel for an interminable spell, it becomes increasingly apparent that Jackson is banking on and, in turn, abusing the goodwill he accrued with Rings. Having been well served by two seasons of Game of Thrones, fantasy fans are left to scrounge for scraps amongst the untrimmed fat here. Despite some duly elaborate action sequences, the film only proves riveting during Bilbos high stakes encounter with the tragic creature Gollum (Andy Serkis). These tense minutes remind us of what Jacksons capable of and underscore how seldom the remaining three hours meet that standard.
Perhaps recognizing this, he closes this chapter with the telling line, I believe the worst is behind us. With two instalments yet to come, lets hope thats the case.
