The stunning visuals rendered by the 48 FPS (or HFR) 3D format and the immersive sound of Dolby Atmos notwithstanding, ’The Unexpected Journey of The Hobbit’ isn’t a ride you’d call spellbinding.
Why? What is the baggage on the trip here? It’s the plot, that keeps trying to lift up an oxymoron of a ’light adventure’ to the heights of a heroic spectacle but never once succeeds in its many attempts during the 3 hours. For the most part, it feels more like we are being made to watch little skirmishes between a bunch of buffoons (the dwarves of middle-earth and the hobbit, led by the wizard Gandolf) and the different CGI versions of Orcs (ugly, slimy, and filthy humanoids) than battles between warriors. But....all is not lost, such as genuine humor, nice performances, captivating visuals, and Peter Jackson’s penchant for pushing the envelope, in terms of intricacies of action sequences etc.
Recommended only for fans of JR Tolkien (who wrote these adventures in 1937), and/or for students of the art form and the technology, including of Peter Jackson’s style of movie making.
For them, there is a lot to observe, analyze, and be wowed.