The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Actors:  Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Andy Serkis
Rating:  9 out of 10, I was psyched to see this because the Lord of the Rings is my favorite movie of all time and I figured The Hobbit would be cut from the same cloth. I really liked the movie but it did not have the same magic as LOTR. I think it may come back to the fact that The Hobbit was a children’s tale and when you compare that with an epic fight for the world’s survival against an ultimate evil – it’s just hard to compete.  At times, the dwarves, stark fighters in the LOTR, were a little too clownish.   Freeman does a great job as Bilbo Baggins. Richard Armitage, playing the dwarf king, was impressive although very hard to like until the end.  I left the movie having enjoyed the two plus hours, once again dazzled by Jackson’s story telling ability, and the special effects but a little let down. I guess that’s how movies become your personal favorites – they’re hard to compete with. I was hoping to re-capture the thrill I felt when I first saw LOTR and that just didn’t happen. That kind of thrill has to sneak up on you and I was too anticipatory, still a really good movie
MVP:  Freeman as Bilbo, shows some real depth