When George Lucas announced his prequel trilogy to Star Wars, it was greeted with a mixed sense of dread and excitement. Who didn't want to know the back story, but who wanted Lucas to tell it? Would sitting as close as he did to his world and its inhabitants cripple his storytelling ability? Yup, as it happened. So when Peter Jackson announced that The Hobbit, a slender children's novella roughly one sixth the size of the voluminous trio of novels which spawned his magnificent Lord of the Rings saga would be given the same screen time, Lucas and his ego came front and centre. Along with 'what was he thinking?!” And thus it comes to pass.

Many years before Frodo Baggins began his quest, Uncle Bilbo was coerced to leave the comfort of his home to help displaced dwarves reclaim their home (and golden fortune) from the dragon Smaug. He's not keen, Baggins' are more fond of tea and doilies than swords and adventure, but Bilbo is part Took, and Tooks take up a fight. When Gandalf brings the parties together, Bilbo begins the slow walk to Smaug faster than you can say 'precious'.

Critically speaking, bloated is the kindest thing to say about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I wager there's barely a soul on the planet who, watching The Hobbit, has not seen Lord of the Rings yet it still takes the best part of an hour to reintroduce Bilbo, Gandalf, elves, orcs, goblins, dwarves and the rest of middle earth before the journey begins. And in all that time, perhaps two of a dozen dwarves leave any kind of impression. So why all this time in Bilbo's front room? Once they finally hit the road, encounters with orcs and goblins are grandly staged and suitably exhilarating, yet nothing that wasn't already experienced in one of the nine Rings hours.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey does exactly what it says on the tin. The styling and settings are spectacular, the balance of high adventure with high tension more or less right. Shooting in high-res 3D brings a layer of hyper-hyper realism to this most unreal world, a style that pleases some eyes. Martin Freeman's Bilbo hits a pleasant note of cautious adventure and humour, while Ian McKellan has great fun growling and furrowing his brow as only a good wizard can. Scenes with Andy Serkis as the deeply disturbed Gollum are, once again, the film's incontrovertible highlight.

All of which sounds like a review of Lord of the Rings which, in part, it is for The Hobbit brings nothing new to the table. And in doing so, like Lucas before him, Jackson creates space and time in which to ponder the story's less palatable moments; the surplus of dwarves, a theme park ride in the goblin's den, defiance of the laws of physics, the songs, the length. Revisiting a sensational holiday destination is often disappointing and the best coping strategy is always to keep the second visit short. So it is with The Hobbit for in defiance to the title this is a most expected journey.

// COLIN FRASER

Previewed at Events Cinemas, George Street, Sydney on Tuesday 18 December 2012
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