The first time I watched “The Hobbit,” I didn’t like it. I thought it was a long, tedious slog through Middle Earth, a nearly three-hour opus across which maybe half of a 300-page novel had been stretched like a thin membrane, straining to remain intact. Scenes that could have taken only a few minute were drawn out beyond a reasonable point, characters sat around having long, boring expository conversations, and there was no economy of storytelling.
Speaking of the story, it seemed less significant than “The Lord of the Rings.” Instead of Frodo embarking on a quest to rid Middle Earth of a scabrous evil by tossing a ring into a pit of lava, Bilbo joined some dwarves out to repossess their gold from a greedy dragon. While I understood why they wanted to reclaim their riches, it seemed a far less urgent and noble journey.
Worse, the dangers the party faced on its way to Erebor, where the dragon was guarding the treasure, seemed random and inserted only because it was time for some action. Trolls, orcs and goblins seemed to pop in and then pop back out without much purpose, other than to give viewers an adrenaline rush.
I struggled to concentrate, and as a result, had lost interest by the time the climax got underway. My wife even nudged me a few times to make sure I was awake. I left the theater disappointed, as I like “The Lord of the Rings” and had been looking forward to the new movie.
I was so thrown by my reaction to “The Hobbit,” I did something I rarely do when writing a review: I went back and saw it again. And I’m glad I did.
The movie is still too long. A dinner scene during which Gandalf the Grey introduces Bilbo to his traveling companions is interminable. And a lengthy conversation in Rivendale between Gandalf the Grey and Sauroman adds nothing to the story.
But I found myself sinking into “The Hobbit” like it was a comfortable old armchair. Director, co-producer and co-screenwriter Peter Jackson likes to immerse audiences in a world and take his time showing them around. I enjoyed the opening scenes, which mesh with the start of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and see Elijah Wood return as Frodo and Ian Holm back as the older Bilbo. And I liked how Jackson introduced the younger Bilbo, wonderfully played by Martin Freeman, and reintroduced Gandalf, still performed by Ian McKellen.
I saw how Jackson took what were random encounters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel and used them to stitch together the various strands of the story. The encounter with the trolls became a moment for the reluctant Bilbo to show the first strains of bravery, the visit to Rivendale unlocks an important key to accessing the gold, and the various skirmishes with orcs set up what will surely be an epic battle between the leader of the dwarves, Thoren Oakenshield, and the vile creature that killed his father. More importantly, I saw how the dwarves’ quest was less about them reclaiming their gold and more about them returning home and re-establishing their kingdom.
My interest piqued, I was still onboard by the time Bilbo meets Gollum in the cave and engages in the classic game of riddles from the novel. Based on a brilliant motion capture performance by actor Andy Serkis and aided by remarkable computer graphics, Gollum’s appearance was thrilling. And I was fully alert during the heart-stopping final scenes, during which Gandalf, Bilbo and the dwarves attempt to escape the Goblin King AND survive an orc attack! Had I nodded off again, I would have missed the awesome imagery of... Well, I shouldn’t spoil it. But when you hear the beating of giant wings, prepare to have your breath taken away.
In the end, I liked “The Hobbit.” It’s a sometimes clunky but nonetheless exhilarating return to a beloved universe, entertaining on its own and generating high expectations for the next two films in the trilogy. If you saw it and didn’t like it, see it again.
Rated PG-13 for intense fantasy action violence and frightening images. Three stars out of four.