For one reason or another, I didn't see this movie until it came out on video. And I feel lucky that I waited. I was just as excited as anyone for this movie. I Love the original three movies, and my expectations were high for this. When the movie was released, the review came in positive to mixed. I got the feeling of what the movie would be like before I saw it. I think that helped me enjoy this movie. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not The Lord of the Rings. Nor should you expect it to be. The book is geared more towards children, and so is the movie. The tone of the movie feels different from the original three.

This first movie in the trilogy unfortunately has an identity crisis. Some of the time, Peter Jackson wants the tone of the movie to be like a children's adventure movie, and some of the time he wants it to feel like Lord of the Rings. Balancing both makes for a somewhat awkward movie experience. One moment, you're hit with burp and snot jokes, and the next, the Orcs are beheading Dwarfs. I wish they decidedly went in one direction or the other. Hopefully they will pick a tone for the next two movies.

We meet the quite, reserved, and monotonous Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, living peacefully in his house in the Shire. His life is turned upside-down when a meeting of Dwarves is held in his house. The Wizard Gandalf and Dwarf leader Thorin head up the meeting of 13. They need one more member to round out their group. A Hobbit. Someone to be their burglar. Gandalf has decided on Bilbo. Though originally unwilling, Bilbo decides to go on this adventure. Their mission: to re-take the Dwarf's kingdom on The Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.

As I mentioned before, the tonal inconsistencies are one of the reasons why this movie isn't nearly as good as the original trilogy. Another is the lack of emotional power that the first three seemed to have effortlessly. There are flashes of it in this movie, but it isn't as often or as natural. It's there in the scene where Gandalf explains to Galadriel why he choose Bilbo, and it can be seen in the speech Bilbo gives about why he is helping the Dwarves. Still, the strong emotional scenes aren't there nearly as much as they should be.

Another issue is the sometimes ridicules action scenes. The fight in the Goblin cave is especially bad at times. The insane heights from which the Bilbo and the Dwarves fall would easily kill them. And the action just isn't shot as intimately as it was in the original trilogy. Also, the action scenes seem to follow a similar trend. Our hero's will be in grave danger, when suddenly; the Dwarf Company will burst out and slay the enemy.

But enough about what's wrong with the movie, now on to what it got right. All the cast members do amazing jobs, starting with Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. Without his excellent performance, the whole thing would fall apart. He is perfect as John Watson in Sherlock, and he is perfect as Bilbo. I only wish the movie had focused more on him. Around when the Company gets to Rivendell, Bilbo's screen time is decreased. But I'm sure he will have many more great moments in the upcoming movies.

Ian McKellen is once again flawlessly brilliant as Gandalf. Like Freeman, McKellen is the glue that keeps the movie from falling apart. He is awesome! The Dwarves are all reasonably well acted. Richard Armitage is the most distinctive of the bunch. He also gives the best performance. Yet another reason why the first three are better than this movie is that the supporting characters are more likable and definable in the originals. In The Lord of the Rings, we have four Hobbits, a Human, a Wizard, an Elf, and a Dwarf. In The Hobbit we have a Hobbit, a Wizard, and twelve Dwarves. They simply do not have clearly defined character, at least not nearly on the same level as Lord of the Rings.

And Gollum once again steals the show! Andy Serkis is spectacular in the role. The scene between Gollum and Bilbo is easily the best in the movie. He also naturally gets the most laughs. I'm fairly certain that I would watch an entire movie of Gollum in the cave talking to himself...

The Hobbit is a visually stunning movie. The on-location scenes in New Zealand are as gorgeous as ever. The Shire returns in all of its lush beauty. The action scenes are hit or miss. The scenes with Thorin and the Pale Orc are epic. They prove that Peter Jackson hasn't lost a step in the action department. But then there is the scene that I mentioned earlier, in the Goblin cave. This scene is heavy on the CGI and light on the believability.

One of the areas where the production did not decrease at all is Howard Shore's musical score. His attention to detail is second to none. The thematic continuity is almost perfect. Except for when the Nazgul theme is played over Thorin's epic showdown with Azog. Anyways, the Concerning Hobbits theme is prominent again. The Xylophone and Cimbalom theme for Gollum returns when he does. As for the new material, it is outstanding. The awesome theme for The Lonely Mountain is the most prominent. It takes the place of the Fellowship theme from the originals, and does an admirable job. Also, there is a cool new motif for Gandalf that I noticed right away. And though Neil Finn's song for the credits of the movie does play better in movie than it does on album, it is still without a doubt the worst song written for this series.

Overall, this movie was never going to be better than the originals. While it wasn't boring, it couldn't help but feel bloated at 169 minutes. It just doesn't flow as smoothly as the movies of the first trilogy. When you think about it, with Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson condensed three books into three movies that formed a spectacular overall narrative. With The Hobbit, he expands one book into three movies, and so far makes a more unwieldy story. But this is still Middle Earth, and I still love it. I forgive the movie for its unavoidable faults. But it is still the worst in the series so far. I hope the sequels improve on this original. And they could if they cut back on the juvenile humor, add more emotional depth, and focus more on Bilbo. As it is, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a solid addition to the franchise, but it could have been better.

"I often think of Bag End. I miss my books, and my armchair, and my garden. See, that's where I belong, that's home. That's why I came back. Because you don't have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can." 7.5/10