The expectations from fans, critics and everyone else must have been huge! I can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Peter Jackson to jump back into all of this to try and 'do it again'!
Let me first say that I'm a 'discount' fan as I call it! I never read the book! I never read any of Tolkien's books! I am (like probably around 98 percent of everyone else) prone to just watch the films rather than reading the books. On one hand I prefer this because it seems almost impossible to ever be satisfied with the result on film if you've read the book and why do I want to set myself up for disappointment almost every time I watch a film? I also am a film nerd with a capital N and though you can then discuss forever whether that should include reading the books behind the films or not - I think this justifies where I rank in the scheme of things!
Anyway, that was the background, so move on fast if you don't think I deserve to say anything about this film since I didn't read the book behind it.
I was absolutely amazed! I loved this film! How they managed to carry on the same feel from the other films and add new elements is astonishing! I loved every minute of the film - and there are quite a few minutes in it! Martin Freeman is perfect, perfect PERFECT as a young Bilbo - I almost stood up to cheer when Gandalf appeared as well as with all the other characters that are also featured in the Lord Of The Rings films. It was quite a wonderful reunion.
Effects are amazing all though they do seem just a tad over the top here and there and there are scenes where I could argue that 'less is more' - but who am I to judge that.
Old Bilbo, Ian Holm, is probably the only one who suddenly doesn't seem to fit in. He looks visibly very old and has this ridiculous hair that looks nothing like the style of the other films. Not sure what happened there but naturally Ian Holm is not a youngster anymore so I guess it's understandable. Remarkably enough, Christopher Lee, Saruman, looks more or less exactly the same (this man is over 90 now I think) and still delivers his wonderful sarcasm along with his wise words.
After effects have been used a tad sloppy throughout the film but other than that it's a technical wonder! The score is just exactly as much new mixed with recognizable music to make it fresh and original with a familiar feel to it and, naturally, wardrobe and set design is a wonderland out of this world. How it must have been one of the best times of their lives to do those sets.
Stories in the film are connected to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in a beautiful way and the whole film was just a pleasure for me to watch! Undoubtedly there will be an extended version of this one too and I know I'll be first in line to see the extra material on that one too. Lord Of The Rings seem to not just be films anymore - it's sagas, mythologies, studies, whole worlds of information, investigation and entertainment.
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