Let me state I do not object to movies with a lengthy
running time, but what I do object to is one that is exceptional drawn out with
each scene stretched to its limit, which would make any film monotonous and
soporific. But to actually attempt to adapt a book that’s barely more than 270
pages into three films with a total running time of nearly nine hours is, I
would suggest, a foolhardy task. Of course I’m not saying its impossible but
your adaption would need to be absorbing and extremely interesting to maintain
interest for that length of time. For example Oliver Assayas brilliant story of
Carlos the Jackal, Carlos
(2010) weights at 330 minutes, Ingmar Bergman masterful family drama Fanny and Alexander (1982) is well worth
staying the course at 312 minutes, as is Sion Sono’s tale of lust and religion Love
Exposure (2008) at 237 minutes, and need we forget Fassbinder’s Berlin Alexandeplatz (1981) which is the
longest single narrative and well worth a watch at 15 hours. Where is this wee rant leading too, Peter Jackson’s latest middle
earth adventure, all 170 minutes of it? The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012),
which deals with the happenings before Jacksons Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The wizard Gandalf enters Bilbo Baggins hole in the ground. |
The young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is enticed to
leave his comfortable hole in the ground by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and
go on a long and arduous journey with a band of 13 dwarves lead by Thorin
(Richard Armitage) who wish to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug a very
large and fierce dragon. They encounter various adventures on their way the
most enjoyable being when Bilbo Baggins meets the creepy Gollum, played in
motion capture by Andy Serkis, a scene that really does ‘capture’ your
imagination.
The intricate detail, eye watering CGI and the
beautiful cinematography, elevating the New Zealand countryside to something
beyond belief, does not make up for an excitement deficiency. If this film had
a severe haircut by editor Jabez Olssen with a reduction in running time to
approximately two hours then we could have had a fantasy adventure drama that
did not feel like a cure for insomnia. There’s no way that I, and many others I
imagine, will be prepared to sit for another six hours of Jackson’s indulgent
filmmaking.
Bilbo meets Gollum. |
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