THE  HOBBIT  VS  LORD  OF  THE   RINGS

Is it just me or is  The  Hobbit :  An  Unexpected  Journey  a better movie than The Fellowship Of  The  Ring  ?

Its certainly more enjoyable to watch,  moment for moment and scene for scene.  Dare I say it but at times,  Fellowship was almost too portentous and heavy going for its own good. Free of such baggage, The Hobbit strikes a perfect balance between epic and intimate.

Peter Jackson didn't need to prove himself again  -  he can do this fantasy stuff in his sleep. He didn't have to make another Tolkien trilogy but he did anyway and I'm so glad..  So  many moments linger in the mind  -  Bilbo's smoke ring forming the movie's title....the death wraith  materialising over Radagast in Dol Goldur......the expression on Bilbo's face as he decides to spare Gollum's life.  ( kudos to Jackson and Martin Freeman for nailing this crucial and pivotal scene  )

I should point out that I've never seen this movie at the cinema only on dvd and television. So the whole 48 frames controversy passed me by completely.  Not only is the Hobbit gorgeous to look at,  it also contains some of the most beautiful images ever seen in fantasy cinema.   The scene of the dwarf party being carried into the valley of the eagles resembles the cover of a fantasy novel come to life.  Truly breathtaking.    

Prequels are usually redundant affairs but  not so with The Hobbit.   Jackson very cleverly expands upon the original story,  incorporating new material  ( including an apparent affection between Gandalf and Galadriel  -  who knew ?  )   How wonderful to see the late Ian Holm one last time as Bilbo  (  Martin Freeman having clearly studied his  body language  )  and to see the great Christopher Lee as a slightly less sinister Saruman.

A full decade elapsed before Jackson returned to  Middle-Earth and he did so with even greater confidence and assurance.   An Unexpected Journey finds him  in joyous and buoyant form,  aided greatly by the music of  Howard Shore  who builds upon his previous work to stunning effect.

I love The Hobbit for its sunny, pastoral tone,  its epic sweep,  its sense of adventure.  If there is one scene that encapsulates these qualities,  its the moment when Galadriel asks Gandalf why he chose Bilbo.   Gandalf replies that Bilbo gives him hope. - the music then soars as we segue way to the continuing journey of the dwarves.  Emotion and grandeur all at once.   Truly magical.

So that's why I prefer The Hobbit to Fellowship Of The Ring.

Or is it just me ?