I don't know if this was just in New Zealand, considering it was thanking Kiwis, but there was a bit of a recap of the journey starting with Rings and then the Hobbit. It was really beautiful and sad and happy all at the same time and a great way to end the last of the series, so hopefully it makes it on to the bonus features when the videos are released.
I'm just going to start out by raving about how amazing Martin Freeman is in this film. He plays Bilbo absolutely brilliantly and I loved every second of his performance. I do not think there could have been a better actor to bring Tolkien's character to life. He (Bilbo) is without a doubt the star of this film (good thing too because the films are kind of about him) and that is only made possible by Martin's acting. People complained that a movie called "The Hobbit" was actually about 13 dwarves, but when you look at these films in their entirety it is obvious who the main character is - who shines through. Like I said, I absolutely loved it and at the end of the film just wanted to give Bilbo a hug and say, "You are my hero; I love you Man."
The movie was amazing. To be completely honest I did expect just a tad more sentimentality. Maybe it's because I'm just really sentimental as I am leaving or maybe it's because there has been a lot of sentimentality over the past few weeks on the part of those involved in producing the film, but it did feel a little like it kind of just ended. It is appropriate that they changed the name of this film from There and Back Again, because they're already there and there isn't a whole lot of back again, comparing to the 6 hours we've spent getting there. **
But it is definitely epic. It is action packed. It is intense. I might have cried a little bit. In my estimation, the rumored 45 minute battle scene is an understatement - let's be honest this movie is called the Battle of the Armies. For everyone who complained that An Unexpected Journey took too long to get going, you have absolutely nothing to complain about. Fasten your seat belts.
This movie is basically one massive climax for the whole series. It does literally start off exactly where we left off at the end of The Desolation of Smaug. That emotion and character development is still there, but because it doesn't follow the normal rising crescendo to a climax (because the whole movie is one) when just watching this movie stand alone it doesn't necessarily stand out as much as in other Middle Earth movies. So I would highly highly suggest watching at least the Desolation of Smaug, if not both movies before watching it, if you can. Trust me, you will get so much more out of this movie if you do.
**Note: I did really enjoy how Peter Jackson really worked to tie the story of the Hobbit in with the Lord of the Rings. And the story definitely comes full circle ingeniously (you'll see what I mean). I think the goal (with this movie and the whole trilogy) was definitely to make it possible for [hard-core] fans to be able to sit down for a marathon and watch An Unexpected Journey straight through to The Return of the King. So that being said, a long drawn out sentimental conclusion wouldn't have really been appropriate.**
Looking at these films as a series, they are absolutely brilliant. I can't wait to watch this film again and seeing the film today just makes me want to go out and watch the others. I hope that you all enjoy the film as much as I did and hopefully will not be too sad that it is all over.
Cheers!
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