Alright, this Journey is a Little Expected...

Who in their right mind goes into a movie adapted from only a fraction of a novel which is not of considerable length and expects it to move at a rapid pace? Only certifiably insane people, if you ask me. I certainly do not see a point cinematically to dividing The Hobbit into two parts let alone three (we all see the financial point, however). The only literature adapted to the big screen currently in theaters which desperately needs division into multiple films at the moment is Anna Karenina. In that case, we're dealing with a 735-page Russian novel. Perhaps division could have saved that train wreck of a film (for those of you who have read the book or seen the movie, no pun intended).

Back to the topic at hand- The Hobbit. Before stepping into the theater I was under the impression that it was "only" going to be two films, and I still had the common sense to mentally prep myself as best as possibly for the long haul. At 169 minutes, The Hobbit part one certainly is trying at times. I would advise anyone with concentration issues, diagnosed or otherwise, to really gear up or take some meds or to hook up to an IV of caffeine before the screening.

I read a multitude of reviews on good ol' Rotten Tomatoes before attending the midnight premiere. Every critic who "blasted" the film referenced the same negative aspect- the draggy nature of the begining. Yes, it was probably a little bit worse than watching molasses slowly trickle down a slope at a 1 degree angle for the first 45 minutes to an hour. But my dedication to the Lord of the Rings films and the talented acting right from the get-go of Martin Freeman as young Bilbo had me holding out hope. And I'm glad I did. Once the ball gets rolling, The Hobbit is a truly charming film. I'm talking chivilrous, European gentleman caller charming. Considering it is the most lighthearted of Tolkein's books, the film took a surprisingly dark twist as well. Yet the generous sprinkling of humor throughout the plot more than made up for it.

My favorite scene, and I don't believe I'm alone in this, was the famous riddle exchange between Bilbo and Gollum. Mainly, perhaps, because of the talented Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis (disguised by CGI). Other moments captivated me as well such as the familiar, touching exchanges between characters reminiscent of those in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. When Bilbo is acknowledged for his immense bravery with violins swelling in the background it tugs at my heart strings more than a sad puppy's eyes looking up at me from a cage in the pound. And one undeniable truth is that whether you are bored or not, the scenery alone provides plenty of eye candy and makes you want to travel to New Zealand all over again.

 

Somber Day for Us All

Creative juices cascaded around my mind upon my return from the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises yesterday. After cozying up under the covers, I put thought to notepad and scribbled the ideas most prone to rapid dissipation for the sake of their preservation and called it a night. It was, after all, 4:07 AM.

I woke to a beautiful day. The marine layer was long gone- it packed its bags and headed elsewhere. The start of this glorious day I planned to spend whipping up my review of the film. However, after checking text messages and news headlines I felt the wind was knocked out of me. I am still reeling from the story- perhaps to a greater degree than many as the shooting happened to close to my hometown. As my mother noted, I could have easily been there. But I wasn't.

My heart reaches out in pure sorrow to the individuals affected by the shooting. At the moment, my shaken mentality prevents me from writing and releasing a review injected with a tone that would juxtapose the horror of Aurora's shooting. The film itself will, for at least a while, have a tainted reputation. I will write about it later, but for the moment, I think refraining is a matter of respect. Humaity shows us the cruelty of which it is capable. Now we need to come together in our support as a nation and combat that with compassion.