I apologize for my brief absence, there was nothing I wanted to see. Killing them softly looked like crap. The only thing with Brad Pitt I want to see is World War Z, looks awesome! I don't even remember what else came out. It looked uninteresting, and I didn't want to waste my money. But fear not, I have returned, and with a grand tail to tell. Okay...not that grand...here's The Hobbit.I actually went and saw this movie twice before I decided to write my review on it. I had planned on writing it on Thursday night, but a part of me thought I should give it a second glance. Before seeing it a second time I saw that the metascore on this film was only average. I found that to be very questionable. I read some of the reviews, and most of them were negative. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. So I saw it again, to see if there was something I might have overlooked. I figured out why these critics didn't care so much for this film. And maybe a small part of me agrees. But we are talking a small fractional part of me agrees. The stars of The Hobbit are Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage and eleven others. The director was Peter Jackson, he doesn't need any other introductions. Middle Earth is a place I have been longing to go back and revisit. This is a world I have been dying to explore. The Hobbit gave me a small piece of that. It satisfied my thirst for adventure, until next December...or when I fire up World of Warcraft. I absolutely loved the beginning, seeing how the plot started, and seeing the dwarven city. It felt like a real place. The attention to detail was astounding. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Moria was breathtaking. But it paled in comparison to Erebor; it was beautiful. I thought I was going to hate having an entire cast of dwarves, but it actually turned out okay. Things I didn't quite care for as much was some of the character animation...minus Gollum. It seemed a bit cartoonish for me, even the dragon didn't seem that well rendered, maybe it's just me. I have seen what Peter Jackson is capable of, and the animation just wasn't up to par for me, compared to what he has done. Then there was the story and length, I believe this is where the critics frowned the most. Well let me tell you, this isn't Lord of the Rings. This isn't a story of an epic tale filled with war and love. If that's what you thought you were going to see, then you are a fool to think so. No, like most people, they have read the book, and know what to expect. This is a story of a hobbit, adventuring with twelve silly dwarves, and a wizard...not a good wizard, but a wizard. Yes, there are some grand battles, and drama, but that goes with any quest. The length, you can't make these kinds of movies short. It's absurd to think otherwise. Three hours is a long time for most people to sit still. Well, expand your attention spans and rid yourself of your A.D.D. There are two more coming, and these movies are worth sitting down for. I had a smile on my face the entire time I watched this film...both times. I loved it, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I give The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey a 4 out of 4. You know, its not some great power, some massive military force, or some weapon that staves off the darkness. No... It's the small things, acts of kindness, love, helping and being good to others is what keeps the darkness at bay. And I fear it gives me courage.
