REVIEW: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012): Dir. Peter Jackson. Written by: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro. Based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Sylvester McCoy, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Cate Blanchett, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis. Rated PG-13 (Goblin blood). Running time: 169 minutes.

3 stars (out of four)

Director Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s charming and durable 1937 novel The Hobbit, and a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Much like the Lord of the Rings movies, An Unexpected Journey is a rousing epic, a stirring human drama and a breathtaking advertisement for New Zealand tourism. Though not quite the sprawling masterpiece each of those earlier films is, this is an entertaining movie that occasionally reaches greatness and comes very close to being satisfying as a standalone film.

This is the first in a trilogy, however, so though our heroes have climbed mountains, crossed valleys, scuttled through untold numbers of underground passageways and fought many foes over the course of more than two-and-a-half hours, they have apparently only just begun.

We have already seen (and, if you are like me, committed to memory) the daring adventure of Frodo Baggins, a lowly hobbit from the small village of Hobbiton, who saved all of Middle Earth from certain doom with a little help from his friends. The Hobbit tells the story of his uncle, Bilbo Baggins, a fellow adventurer who embarked on his own journey some sixty years earlier. In a prologue that runs surprisingly long, we see an aged Bilbo (Ian Holm, reprising his role) sitting down to write his memoirs in his quaint hobbit hole while Frodo (Elijah Wood making a cameo appearance) peeps over his shoulder.

As the old Bilbo narrates, we see his younger self (played to perfection by Martin Freeman) being visited by the wizard Gandalf (a sublime Ian McKellen slipping back into the role) who asks him very kindly if he would like to go on an adventure. Bilbo scoffs at the suggestion. An adventure? He would like no part in that. Few things are more unpredictable and uncomfortable than adventures and he would much prefer to stay home and enjoy his supper.

But Gandalf, of course, has already decided for him. In a delightful sequence – and the highlight of the film – Bilbo is visited by not one, not two or seven, but thirteen dwarves. They raid his pantries, serve themselves a feast and make plans for a great quest. They seek to travel to the Lonely Mountain, once a stronghold of the dwarves, to reclaim their land and their treasure from a terrible dragon named Smaug. Gandalf has informed the dwarves that Bilbo is to be their burglar. Naturally, this upsets Bilbo very much.

Though The Lord of the Rings is rich with stories of revenge and loyalty, vices and virtues, I relate more closely with The Hobbit than with any part of that great saga. I see more than a little of myself in Bilbo Baggins and I sympathize with his reaction to all this excitement. I love an impromptu plan but I need to be coaxed into it. Left to my own devices I would probably stay at home most nights, likely watching The Lord of the Rings or wasting away the hours on something equally unsociable.

So I connect deeply to the story of a fellow homebody who is begrudgingly pushed out the door, gets into all kinds of messes and ultimately winds up having a good time. In Tolkien’s novel, that story is told from point of view of Bilbo, who is alternately awestruck, amused, frightened and exhausted by all this adventuring.

An Unexpected Journey, on the other hand, takes on a broader perspective. Written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh (Mr. Jackson’s wife), Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro, the script finds time to chase tangents and develop backstories that flesh out the expansive world of Middle Earth and its history. We meet Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) an eccentric, animal-loving wizard who discovers something dark brewing in his beloved woods. Whispers spread that a dark sorcerer named the Necromancer is raising the dead.

We also learn about the dark past of Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the dwarf leader of the expedition, who long ago tangled with the Pale Orc in battle and lost many loved ones to that foul creature’s sword. Though believed to be dead, the Pale Orc may in fact still be alive and looking to finish what he started.

There is a lot to absorb in this first movie and most of it is fascinating but the trouble with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is that it gets so caught up in the journey that it often forgets the hobbit. As expected, the action is superbly choreographed and the effects are stunning across the board. But poor Bilbo is sidelined for lengthy passages and the movie suffers as a result. His exclusion from many scenes is also unusual considering Bilbo himself is supposed to be telling this tale. I find it difficult to believe this adventurer would leave himself out of the main action of his own story.

As grand as Peter Jackson’s canvas is, the story needs Bilbo’s humble perspective to anchor it and give the audience someone to identify with. During more than one of the many battle scenes that transpire during the film’s ungainly 169 minutes, I found myself wishing I was cozying up in some corner of my hobbit hole – that is to say, my living room – underneath a warm blanket away from all this tiresome noise and commotion.

But when Bilbo does get screen time, as he does in his encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis in another stellar motion-capture performance), the movie comes alive. Martin Freeman’s performance is the heart, soul and saving grace of the film. He is a gifted comic actor who wonderfully navigates the many hesitations, prejudices, preoccupations and contradictions of the cautious but brave hobbit. Ian McKellen, who still has the ability to turn a scene with a single look, is also an invaluable presence in the movie.

There are a number of pitch perfect moments when An Unexpected Journey captures the blissful whimsy of Tolkien’s novel. Just as often, however, this lighter side takes a backseat as Peter Jackson flexes his epic filmmaking muscles. By the time the credits rolled, I was plenty ready for a break from Middle Earth. That was more than enough adventure for one evening, thank you very much.

- Steve Avigliano, 12/15/12


On a side note, this movie is being shown in a number of different formats, including 3D and something called HFR (higher frame rate). The movie was filmed at 48 frames per second (twice as fast as the usual 24 fps) and if projected at that speed is supposed look more realistic.

I saw it in regular old 2D and enjoyed it but these websites were very helpful in making that decision. This one rates the 3D version and this one talks about the HFR version.

REVIEW: The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin (2011): Dir. Steven Spielberg. Written by: Steven Moffat and Edgar Wright & Joe Cornish, based on the comics by Hergé. Starring: Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. Rated PG (Swashbuckling and a boozing sea captain). Running time: 107 minutes.

2 stars (out of four)

Steven Spielberg built his career on turning his boyhood fantasies into Hollywood blockbusters. When you watch the most imaginative of his big-budget adventures – Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Minority Report – you get the sense that a young Spielberg might have made the same movie had he had the technical skills and financing at his disposal the adult Spielberg does. The same is true of his buddy, George Lucas. At some gut level just they knew the stories in their heads, full of dashing heroes and journeys to exotic worlds, would make fine crowd-pleasers.

So the pairing of Mr. Spielberg and Peter Jackson, that Kiwi who had the crazy idea he could turn The Lord of the Rings into a trilogy of hit movies, makes sense. They share a mutual love of the French comic book series, The Adventures of Tintin, and set out to recreate on the big screen the rich, vibrant world they had already known for years. Mr. Spielberg would direct the first and, should it be a hit, Mr. Jackson would helm the second installment.

The Adventures of Tintin, which was filmed with motion-capture animation and released in 3D, seems to have all the right ingredients – a boy and his dog discover a clue to a mystery and embark on a globetrotting trek to solve it – but the movie fails to capture the magic that seems so effortless in other Spielberg films.

The boy is Tintin (Jamie Bell) and the clue is a cryptic piece of parchment concealed inside a model ship he bought secondhand from a street vendor. He might have known the purchase would spark trouble after a man named Ivan Sakharine (Daniel Craig) tries to buy the ship off Tintin. Sakharine needs only to utter a few words in Mr. Craig’s ominous, British drawl for us to know he’s the Bad Guy and Tintin wisely keeps the ship for himself, sensing an opportunity for adventure.

And how right he is! Before he knows it, Sakharine kidnaps him and he is onboard a real ship where he meets a drunken sea captain, Haddock (Andy Serkis). Haddock and Sakharine have a longstanding feud that is apparently news to Haddock; their ancestors were rival pirates and Sakharine’s relative cursed Haddock’s after the latter robbed him of his gold. Or something.

The plot details in these sorts of movies are more-or-less irrelevant as long the story takes our heroes from Land A to Land B and back again, which The Adventures of Tintin does. As it turns out, the parchment features as series of cryptic symbols along the bottom that can only be understood when read with two other notes, also hidden inside model ships. So we begin in Europe, where the first two ships are, then hop over to Morocco where the third is. The intervening trip involves travel by boat, plane and motorcycle and there is no shortage of dazzling animated action sequences.

So where does Tintin go wrong? To be honest, I’m at a bit of a loss to say but let’s start with the animation, which, on a surface level, is stunning. How an animator is able to recreate the look of a rainy street or the sun glistening off ocean waves in such a way that looks somehow better than the real thing, I’ll never know. The movie also looks great in 3D; the animation is crisp and sharp, and the added effect of the 3D is seamless.

But the inhabitants of this digital world have an odd quality about them. Because the actual physical performances of actors are being used through motion-capture, the characters of Tintin move like real people. Yet they remain cartoonish; they have big heads, exaggerated features and curvy, rubbery bodies. The strangeness of this look is especially noticeable in the film’s comedy, which is mostly broad and slapstick. The antics of a pair of bumbling coppers (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost) are limited by the use of real actors. They appear to be cartoon characters but because their bodies have none of the elasticity of say, Wild E. Coyote when he steps off a cliff, their movements appear curiously stiff.

This creepy middle ground between animated people and the real thing kept the movie at a distance for me. A scene such as a motorcycle chase through a Moroccan town, shown in one long take, is breathtaking but also not as exciting as it should be. There is too much of a sense that these are pixels being cleverly manipulated to look like buildings, boats and boy who ducks and dives between them. The movie is visually impressive but only superficially so.

The failings of The Adventures of Tintin are not so great as to shake my faith in Mr. Spielberg’s talent, but the movie does make me realize how much I take for granted the action movies of his that do work. My inner child is always eager to escape into a movie and who knows, maybe Tintin’s next adventure will allow him to do so.

- Steve Avigliano, 01/02/12

REVIEW: Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011): Dir. Rupert Wyatt. Written by: Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Starring James Franco, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton and David Oyelowo. Rated PG-13 (Violent riots carried out by apes). Running time: 105 minutes.

1 ½ stars (out of four)

Many years from now, long after human society has crumbled, when whatever living sentient race is examining the Planet of the Apes films, I hope they do not linger on the six films that followed the 1968 original starring Charlton Heston. And if they do, let them take the four sequels from the early 70s, Tim Burton’s supremely silly remake in 2001 and now Rise of the Planet of the Apes as examples of Hollywood’s relentless desire to repeat any and all past successes if doing so means a chance at more commercial gain.

The original Planet of the Apes is already something of an old relic, a classic that still resonates in spite of the fact that it now feels a little dated. The Twilight Zone-esque story (Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling co-wrote the script) with its now famous twist ending was very much a product of its time and though its allegorical comments on nuclear war and modern society are as true as they have ever been, they do not necessarily translate to contemporary blockbuster success.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes is an attempt to reboot the franchise from a different narrative starting point. Will Rodman (James Franco) is a scientist at a company called GEN-SYS working on a cutting edge drug that could cure Alzheimer’s. His boss, Steven Jacobs (David Oyelowo), is a pharmaceutical mogul excited about the drug’s financial potential but Will’s stakes in the drug are more personal; his father (John Lithgow) suffers from the degenerative disease. Tests in the lab successfully enhance the brainpower of chimps and the drug’s prospects look good until an accident in the lab puts the project on hold.

In the wake of the project’s failure, Will acquires a newborn chimp birthed by one of the test apes. Caesar, as he is symbolically named, has inherited the effects of the drug from his mother and over the next few years Will nurtures the ape’s inborn intelligence, a choice that leads humanity down a dangerous path the scientists from Project Nim only narrowly avoided.

Unlike the 1968 original or the 2001 remake, the human protagonist is not terribly important here. Rise is very much the apes’ story and because of this, the film makes little effort to offer any worthwhile human characters. Franco, who has a smirking charm in other films, gives a bland and sleepy performance. Mostly he exists to restate plot points in case you miss any of those subversive, glaring looks on the expressive faces of the computer-animated apes.

The rest of the film’s Homo sapiens are equally dull. Will’s girlfriend (Freida Pinto) isn’t given a single thing to do, though she is very pretty and occasionally chimes in a cautious word. And much time is wasted on a handful of feeble human antagonists including Tom Felton of Harry Potter fame as an oddly vicious caretaker at a primate facility who bears more than a little resemblance to the actor’s Draco Malfoy role. The venerable Brian Cox also appears as the facility’s owner but he is underused. The real villain is (or rather, should be) Jacobs, the corporate-minded pharmaceutical exec who pushes for hasty and reckless testing of the drug on as many apes as possible.

But Rise of the Planet of the Apes explores the subtleties of scientific ethics with all the grace of one of its 400-pound stars. “I make money and you make history!” Jacobs shouts to Will late in the film, trying to convince him to go through with the risky tests. The film lumbers along with tedious exposition and clunky dialogue for most of its running time until the final stretch when the uprising promised by the title occurs.

The film’s stupidity does provide some giddy entertainment, if perhaps unintentionally. One scene features Caesar engaging an orangutan in a sign language conversation that is – hilariously – subtitled. Once the action gets going, we also learn that the apes have an unusual affinity for leaping through glass, a feat that apparently does them no harm but makes for a dramatic entrance.

One of the film’s biggest flaws is the apes themselves. The CGI (including a motion-capture performance from CGI veteran Andy Serkis as Caesar) is impressive but cannot hide the fact that all the apes are animated creatures. The overuse of CGI takes the life out of the apes despite the filmmakers’ best efforts to do the opposite. I recall the effectiveness of the original’s costumes – silly though they may now seem – or the eerie unreality of Stanley Kubrick’s apes in the “Dawn of Man” sequence from 2001. Heck, even Tim Burton’s version had great costumes. No degree of skillful animation can beat the tactile pleasure of watching an actor in a monkey costume and I mean that with the utmost sincerity.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes wants to revive an outdated franchise but doesn’t have any drive or purpose beyond the commercial obligation to use the rights to the title while the studio still has it. In another ten years we may get another Apes film (be it remake, reboot or regurgitation) and when that happens, will anyone care about this film? Will they even remember it? Or will it be wait to be scrutinized an eon or two from now as a prime example of perfunctory summer entertainment?

- Steve Avigliano, 8/11/11

BEST OF THE DECADE - #2: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Lord of the Rings (2001-3): Dir. Peter Jackson. Written by Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Peter Jackson, with Stephen Sinclair (Two Towers only). Starring: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Andy Serkis, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee. Rated PG-13 (epic battle scenes, scary monsters). Running time: 558 minutes (theatrical), 683 minutes (Extended Edition DVDs).

I think I’ll always be hesitant to embrace epic films. Maybe it’s because the stories they tell are familiar and predictable. Maybe it’s because I can’t relate to all that lofty talk of honor and pride. Maybe it’s just because they tend to be so damn long. In the hands of some filmmakers, however, these qualities of epic cinema are not flaws or limitations at all. When executed well, the great potential of an epic film becomes evident, even to skeptic such as myself.

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings represents the peak of that potential. The three films that make up the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers and The Return of the King are impressive in scope and execution, but also hugely entertaining. Every scene of the lengthy trilogy bears the mark of being carefully crafted from the foundations of the screenplay to smallest details added in post-production. Looking at the films again, it’s difficult to think of what I might say about them; their appeal is no secret and their merit is unmistakable. Furthermore, much of my affection for these films stems from a deep nostalgic connection. I remember seeing these films as a middle and high school student. So to write a traditional review of the films seems absurd to me. A trilogy as massive as this deserves a list of its own, so here is my mini-list of my Top 10 Favorite Things About The Lord of the Rings. In it are individual scenes, specific characters and certain technical aspects of the films. No doubt another person could do the same and come up with a very different list. Their list would be as true as mine. For me, as it may also be for you, the best part about The Lord of the Rings is my personal connection to the films.

10) The Battle at Amon Hen (The Uruk-hai forest fight) – The exciting sequence that ends the first film features sweeping camerawork and quick intercutting keep the narrative action clear, something few action films take the time to do. No matter how frantic and action-packed these films get, the editing is always crisp and clear, and this sequence is a prime example of that.

9) Boromir, Faramir and Denethor – The family trio of these two brothers and their fathers is the most emotionally compelling subplot of the films. Sean Bean’s Boromir in the first film is a stirring performance that only gets better when we meet his overbearing father, Denethor (John Noble), in third. Possibly my favorite individual scene in the trilogy is one that intercuts Denethor feasting on his throne as Faramir (David Wenham) charges an overrun Osigiliath on a suicide mission ordered by his father. The Extended Edition of The Two Towers adds a flashback where all three interact and we get to see the whole horrible family dynamic.

8) The Battle for Helm’s Deep – The first major military battle of the trilogy comes in The Two Towers, a dark battle (in both tone and lighting) that shows the improbable victory of the Rohan soldiers against Saruman’s Uruk-hai army. An excellent battle sequence only outdone by…

7) The Battle of the Pelennor Fields – This climactic battle is the action centerpiece of Return of the King. The sequence gradually builds in tension and includes one of the most disturbing moments of the trilogy, when the orc army catapults the decapitated heads of men killed in battle into the city. Add an aerial Nazgul attack, charging oliphaunts and the Witch-king swinging a spiked ball, and you’ve got a spectacular climax to the film’s military action, even if the Army of the Dead’s arrival feels like a dues ex machina.

6) The Shire – The opening twenty minutes of Fellowship introduces us to the idyllic lifestyle of the hobbits through Bilbo’s (Ian Holm) humorous narration and ends with his 111^th birthday bash. Middle Earth has many scenic wonders, but I’d give them all up to kick back with some pipe-weed and ale and relax in the hills of Hobbiton.

5) The Mines of Moria– This extended sequence in Fellowship has a great fight scene against a cave troll and the scariest looking orcs in the trilogy, while Gandalf’s “You shall not pass!” line might be the films’ most iconic moment.

4) A Faithful Script – Adapting the novels are no easy task, but Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens do a remarkable job. Much has been condensed and some things have been added or changed, but the scripts ultimately remain faithful while also making the fantasy novels accessible to a wider audience.

3) Smeagol/Gollum – The best character of the books becomes the best character in the films thanks to Andy Serkis’s committed portrayal. The actor was denied a Best Supporting Actor nomination because of the heavy use of motion-capture animation, but the animation, seamless and expressive it may be, would be nowhere without the voice and physicality of Serkis’s performance. The complexity of the character is brought out in two interesting “dialogue” scenes – one in The Two Towers where a panning camera shows the two sides Smeagol’s split personality, and another in Return of the King where he talks to his reflection. The character is a prime example of every aspect of the film working in unity: a smart script, great acting and fine special effects.

2) Howard Shore’s Musical Score – The motivations of characters in epic films are always a little hazy for me, what with all that lofty talk I mentioned earlier, but Howard Shore’s affecting score gets me to buy into all of that and more. At least a half dozen memorable themes recur throughout the films, and without the score to accompany the adventure, it’s hard to imagine these films being as successful as they were.

1) The Other Three Hobbits – Frodo (Elijah Wood) is the star of the story, but his companions are the ones who make up the emotional heart of the books and films. Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) keep things light by bringing a Hobbit’s optimism to even the darkest places in Middle Earth, while Sam Gamgee’s (Sean Astin) dedication and loyalty to his friend delivers some of the films’ most emotionally authentic moments.

These are the things I loved most about the films, and they can be experienced time and time again on DVD when you can take the time to watch the films over a series of evenings or in one marathon viewing (I’ve yet to successfully do this). No matter how you approach the films, be you fanboy, film scholar or just a regular moviegoer, it’s hard to deny the power of Peter Jackson’s films. The imagination they capture is like no other. That is, until The Hobbit reaches theaters.

- Steve Avigliano, 2/11/10