'The Hobbit' : An Unexpected(ly Fantastic Cinematic) Journey

Please forgive the long-winded title... It's just that as a lover of ALL things Lord of the Rings, I was truly expecting to not full enjoy 'The Hobbit'... I reckon that old saying of "If you go in to a film not expecting much, you get a hell of a lot more than you were expecting out of it." is true. This was beyond anything I was expecting. It couldn't wouldn't and shouldn't mean to me what the LOTR trilogy did... but it really did feeling like a Friends Reunited meetup. It was lovely to see SO many familiar faces again. To the point that I welled up. Several times.

I wrote a review on Rotten Tomatoes () and tried to post it to my FaceBook.... yet for some ungodly reason, it refuses to comply. So I've resuscitated my old Blooger account *sigh* just for some own piece of mind of having my account of my cinematic experience on this 'ere world wide web. (I don't even care if nobody reads it. I'm so besotted with the film!) "Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." It's been nine years since 'Return of the King' was released and swept the board at the OSCARS. It's been nine years since I fell in love with a fictional universe and knew the ins and outs of those that dwelled there. It had been nine years since I returned 'home'. I have watched a great many films in my time between 'ROTK' and 'The Hobbit' but none have stirred me the same way as those based within Peter Jackson's Middle Earth. 'The Hobbit' is undoubtedly flawed, yet I am completely bias. The plot may have been some 30 minutes too long, but this is a story that is rich in detail and character development. This truly felt like a loving ode to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as such, Jackson has over-fleshed everything to make sure 'The Hobbit' gives as much as it can to fans. The casting is superb. I was worried it may be *too* obvious to recognise some of the cast as being from other works (James Nesbitt and Martin Freeman alike have been in so much - surely they can be seen as being TOO recognisable?) but this was not the case. Everyone owned their part. In particular, I was very impressed to see Brett McKenzie playing Lindir (previously FIGWIT) amongst other Kiwi-based names. Middle Earth was just as we left it - beautiful. Stunning. Surreal. Jackson truly is the only man for the job. Undoubtedly Del Toro's handy-work is apparent (in particular with regards to the goblins and trolls and their humourous means of travel) - but my favourite partnership will forever be Jackson and Howard Shore's scores. Never did a hand fit a glove quite so perfectly. I have heard many complaints about the "excessive CGI" but I honestly had no problem with it. This is a fictitious world with fictitious creatures. If anything, I expect CGI, don't you?! I particularly enjoyed the use of it on characters such as Saruman, because, let's be honest, Christopher Lee is no spring chicken, and 'The Hobbit' is set 60 years prior to 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. I take my hat off to all involved. I truly do. I'm very impressed that considering 'The Hobbit' isn't *that* lengthy a book, enough of a cliff-hanger was left at the end of 'An Unexpected Journey' for more detail and more plot to be explained. Bring on Smaug, is all I can say! That, and it's good to be home. I truly feel 13 again.