SCORE: 8.5 / 10
Given that we have seen the Oscar-winning 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy by Peter Jackson, we would have come to the movie with some expectations, and a huge one too. Granted, some aspects were met with absolute brilliance, however, at times, the movie felt too repetitive, justifiably (which I will explain later).
The world of middle-earth, as visualized in the movie, is one aspect that I will cherish for long, and that I will come to expect more of in the sequels. Full credit to Peter Jackson for being able to create the majestic world for all of us to see, and in IMAX 3D, the world is just stunningly beautiful.
There were never any doubts about the story, as it originated from Tolkien's novel. But credit must be given for the producer's ambition. I was surprised that they were planning to create a trilogy from one single novel, and perhaps this is why the movie felt repetitive at times. I haven't read the novel, so I don't know how it should actually be, but in my view, there were too much repetition in the scenes. But it doesn't feel bad at all, because the fighting scenes, the creatures we see, the world of middle-earth are all able to cover for the movie's downside. I shall be enthusiastically waiting for the next two.
The casting was also brilliant. It was nice to see the recurring actors & actresses back, such as Sir Ian Mckellen, Cate Blanchett, and Hugo Weaving. Yet it was good to see new cast, including and especially, the hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman. Freeman is such a talented actor, I enjoyed every bit of his scenes. He really bring life to the character, and not to mention the funny bits that bring the movie come to life, and definitely not boring, given the 170 minutes duration.
So, even as there are some downsides to the movie, I just can't help but feel that the movie is brilliant in the way it is brought, and how it entertains audiences. Personally, I want to seem more of middle-earth, more of the relations among the characters, more creatures to fight, and hopefully I will be able to see that in the upcoming sequels.
