I saw the Hobbit this weekend. Twice.
Some friends of mine and I had a tradition of seeing all of The Lord of
the Rings (LOTR) movies together. So,
even though they now live 5 hours away, we kept the tradition of seeing Tolkien
come to the big screen by seeing it together.
Saturday evening and late Sunday morning. Well, we saw it together, technically. They’re married to each other, and with no
babysitter available, it became a situation where I saw it with her on Saturday
night and with him on Sunday morning.
It was worth it to see it twice. It is a well-made movie, itself one of three
films. Yes, it may have more appeal to
Tolkien purists and fantasy fans, but it was a good movie nonetheless. It has a rich portrayal of dwarven
characters, and given that they’re bigger than hobbits, you may forget for a while
that dwarves are shorter than humans. The
casting and acting are good, the vistas magnificent, the storyline pretty crisp
and follow-able, and it has some new and interesting characters to go along
with some favorites from the LOTR movies.
Yes, it has some feel of the Star Wars movies, with
these Hobbit movies (this is the first of three), being made after the big
events of the LOTR. However, it hasn’t
been SO long that the actors and so forth have to change much (although
airbrushing and makeup are needed, no doubt), and the same characters can make
their appearances here and it seems natural.
One is excited for these prequels, because even though the general
storyline is known, and the ultimate outcomes as well, there are still plenty
of mysteries, surprises, and unusual things.
Don’t let critics sway you beforehand or be
daunted by its approximately three hour length.
It has a good mix of character interest, action, epic story, and hints
of foreshadowing. We may have become a
bit jaded these days with what seems like a glut of fantasy books and games and
movies (something lovers of fantasy from 30 or 40 years ago could scarcely have
imagined), but set aside any jaded feelings and go watch a good movie!
And for those of you clutching your chests that
the “serious professor” is writing about an “escapist movie,” ah, you don’t know
then how much I enjoy feeding my hobbyist side, for I have many interests. It’s not just about saving the world, you
know, it’s also about enjoying it! :)
And besides, on Christmas Eve, how many of you
were going to be in the mood for a policy/serious post anyway? LOL Enjoy the holiday everyone! And nope, I don’t have my shopping done
yet. Must be off to it!
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