DVD Movie: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Part 1

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first of three film adaptations by New Zealand producer, Peter Jackson, of J.R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit . Tolkien's novel is about a young  hobbit who undertakes a journey with dwarves to help them reclaim their lost kingdom. The novel, The Hobbit or There And Back Again, is considered a classic children's novel and it was so successful that Tolkien's publisher requested a sequel.

The story centers around a reserved, quiet-loving hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who goes on an epic quest with thirteen dwarves to help them reclaim their lost kingdom beneath Erebor,  the Lonely Mountain. The movie opens when Bilbo is tricked by Gandalf the Grey into hosting a dinner for thirteen dwarves, who include Thorin Oakenshield and his company. Thorin is set upon reclaiming his lost kingdom under the Lonely Mountain, which was destroyed during his grandfather, Thror's reign. Thorin wants to reclaim Erebor from Smaug the Golden, the great dragon who drove the dwarves from their city long ago. Smaug lies sleeping in The Great Hall beneath the Lonely Mountain, guarding a magnificent treasure of gold.

Gandalf, the Grey decides to help Thorin in his epic quest by organizing a sort of dinner party at the home of Bilbo and by suggesting that they use Bilbo as a burglar. The plan is to sneak into the Lonely Mountain through a secret door for which Gandalf has the secret key.

At first Bilbo doesn't want to participate, but eventually he joins the dwarves. The first part of their journey sees them encounter man-eating trolls who try to steal their ponies and doing battle with orcs and wargs. Inevitably, the group is led by Gandalf to Rivendell where they meet with the Elven master, Elrond and tell him of their quest. Also summoned is Sarumon the White, leader of the Wizards who is skeptical of Gandalf's warning about a rise of evil in Mirkwood, and Galadriel who listens carefully to Gandalf. Elrond  counsels against the dwarves journey but Gandalf is worried that if Smaug is not destroyed he will be used by Sauron to great harm.

Elrond takes the map that Gandalf gave Thorin and by the crescent moon tells them that the ancient runes on the map reveal that they will only find the door to the mountains on a certain night -Durin's Day when the setting sun and the last moon of autumn are both seen in the sky. The light on that day will reveal the key hole to open the door.

Against the advice of Elrond not to continue their journey, the dwarves set out once again, meeting the boulder-throwing stone giants, and eventually being captured by the orcs and taken deep into the mountains. Bilbo becomes separated from his comrades and meets Gollum who wants to eat him. But in a fight with an orc, Gollum loses a beautiful golden ring which Bilbo finds.  He tries to keep it a secret from Gollum but Gollum soon suspects that the hobbit has his precious magical ring and becomes enraged. While Gandalf helps the dwarves to escape the goblin king, Bilbo outwits Gollum and using the ring manages to barely escape the mountains and the orcs. The movie ends with the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf being brought to safety by the eagles.

Discussion

The Hobbit, like the Lord of the Rings series, is beautifully filmed, with an eye to detail, excellent casting, lots of special effects, and some revisions that make the overall story more cinematically workable. Filmed on location in New Zealand, there are the usual panoramic shots similar to those Jackson used to such great effect in Lord of the Rings. Martin Freeman makes an excellent, believable younger Bilbo Baggins. Richard Armitage of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South fame, manages to look sexy in his role as the fierce, prickly, Dwarf prince Thorin. Ian McKellan returns as Gandalf, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Elijah Wood as Frodo.

There's been some discussion about Jackson "stretching" The Hobbit into three films, but making the novel into three movies is possible because Jackson has worked information from the appendices of the Lord of the Rings into the film. These appendices fill the reader in on the entire history of Middle Earth through the different ages, relate the history of the kings and rulers of  Middle Earth, as well as  the re-emergence of Sauron. So Peter Jackson uses this extra information to develop the backstory of the rise of Sauron which occurs at the same time as the Hobbit. This will make the entire Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films more understandable to the viewer who might not have read the books and more complete to those who have.

Many sequences in the movie are well done. When Bilbo meets Gollum, the ensuing riddle contest by the underground pool is typically conniving and traitorous since we know Gollum has no intention of showing Bilbo the way out. But when he discovers his precious ring missing, and Bilbo discovers the secret of the ring, forces are set in motion that affect the whole of Middle Earth.

The scenes with flighty, scatterbrained Radagast the Brown are predictably hilarious, providing necessary comic relief as we learn that something dark has awakened in Mirkwood. The necromancer, who is later revealed to be Sauron, has established himself in the ruins of Dol Guldur. In the film, Radagast, reading the signs of an evil presence, travels to Dol Guldur and flees in terror to warn Gandalf about the evil presence there.

Although this adaptation is generally faithful to the novel so far, Jackson has taken some artistic license with the storyline. The Great White Orc, Azog, was actually slain by the dwarve, Dain Ironfoot, Nain's son during the final battle in the War of the Dwarves and Orcs.  However, including Azog is cinematic license used to create dramatic tension, developing the conflict between the dwarves and orcs who are out to claim their realm. 

Jackson filmed the movie in 3D using Red Epic cameras at 48 frames per second (the usual is 24 frames per second). Unlike his Lord of the Rings movies, The Hobbit was filmed using digital cameras. Many of the orcs will have computer generated faces instead of wearing make-up and prosthetics. The props were created by Weta Workshop.

Fans of J.R. Tolkien may or may not love the movie, as Peter Jackson doesn't follow The Hobbit story exactly. But perhaps the best thing is that it might spur some younger viewers to read the book. The next movie, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is due out December 13, 2013.

DVD Movie: Hunger Games

The blockbuster hit, The Hunger Games, dropped in theatres in March and was released this past week on DVD. The movie adaptation of the first book in Suzanne Collins dystopian YA trilogy is well done and faithful to the novel of the same name.

Briefly, Panem is the new nation forged out of a terrible war. Now divided into twelve districts, every year one boy and one girl (known as tributes) are drawn from each district to battle one another to the death, for the entertainment of the residents of the Capitol in what is known as the Hunger Games. These annual games are a punishment for the rebellion of District 13 which was annihilated during the war. The winning tribute receives wealth and accolades and returns to live a life of ease in their own district. The games are also a draconian reminder that all must work together to avoid another war.

District 12 is the poorest of the districts. Katniss lives there with her mother and her sister, Primrose, in abject poverty. In order to survive, Katniss has developed her wilderness skills and is a skilled archer, killing wild game (which is illegal), to supplement their meager food stores. She often meets up with Gale Hawthorne in the woods to hunt and their common interests forge a strong friendship.

The Reaping for the 74th Hunger Games sees Prim's name chosen. Prim's terror causes Katniss to volunteer as tribute. She knows sending her younger sister to the Hunger Games is a certain death sentence. Both Katniss and Peeta Mellark, the baker's son, are chosen to represent District 12. 

They are taken by train to the Capitol along with District 12's escort, Effie Trinket and will be mentored by their district's only surviving victor, the dissolute Haymitch Abernathy. On the train, it's evident that Katniss and Haymitch do not get along. Haymitch tells her that  key to winning is obtaining sponsors to help throughout the Hunger Games. The sponsors can send food, medicine and other help to a tribute. And to get sponsors a tribute needs to make people like them and want to help them. At the Capitol both Peeta and Katniss are prepared by a special team that includes Peeta's stylist Portia, and Cinna who is Katniss's stylist.  Katniss knows some of the tributes have spent their lives training for the games, but she has no intention of dying. Haymitch develops a brilliant plan to help Katniss win, one she is reluctant to go along with. But Katniss knows this may be her only way to win against such great odds.

Discussion

The movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins young adult novel,  The Hunger Games is very well done. It succeeds admirably because it stays true to the novel with its strong screen writing, and is very well cast with outstanding performances by almost all the actors involved.

The Hunger Games movie offers readers of the novel a realistic portrayal of the totalitarian world of Panem, a country born out of environmental catastrophes and war. The movie follows the two main characters of the novel, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) as they fight to survive the Hunger Games. 

Jennifer Lawrence is well cast as Katniss Everdeen, despite the initial reservation of many fans of the novels. As the main protagonist in the story, Lawrence was more than able to carry the film. She is convincing as Katniss, capturing the character's determination and inner conflict while showing great depth of emotion. The film also featured strong performances of many of the supporting actors. Josh Hutcherson was believable as the sweet, caring Peeta Mellark, who was determined to help Katniss survive the Games. Lawrence and Hutcherson were able to establish an effective on-screen rapport, making their blossoming friendship seem plausible. 

Strong supporting performances were given by Woody Harrelson as the tormented Haymitch Abernathy, a former Games victor and Stanley Tucci as the flamboyant, coiffed Caesar Flickerman, host of the Hunger Games broadcast. Harrelson, whom many will recognize as bartender Woody Boyd from the television series Cheers, captures the inner struggles of Haymitch who has been unable to cope with the trauma he's experienced both in his own Hunger Games, and as a mentor to District 12 tributes he knows never survive the Hunger Games. Excellent performances were given by Elizabeth Banks as the faithful Capitol supporter, Effie Trinket and by Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Katniss's caring, innovative stylist. These two characters more than any others, represent the people of the Capitol with their wealth, status and appearance. While Effie seems oblivious to the reality of what the Hunger Games really are,  Cinna is deeply aware that he is preparing an innocent girl for a brutal death.

The movie's opening is a bit slow, but that is mainly due to the presentation of the back story. Scenes of the Reaping, highlight the poverty and drabness of District 12, a district that supplies coal to the Capitol. The buildings are grey and derelict. Everyone present at the Reaping is subdued and tense, dressed in" whites, pale greys and blues. In contrast, is Effie Trinket from the Capitol, in her brilliant fuchsia suit, (in the novel her suit was "spring green" and she had pink hair), her outlandish hair and makeup, and affected enthusiasm. Instead of applauding the selection of the tributes as Effie suggests, the people of District 12 raise their hands in a silent, three-finger salute which mystifies Effie. Once the Reaping occurs, events progress quickly, with the emotional parting of Katniss from her family and Gale and the obvious conflict between the dissolute Haymitch and a frightened Katniss on the train to the Capitol. 

The film effectively portrays the vast difference between District 12 and the Capitol. As the train is pulling into the Capitol, Peeta runs to the window. He is stunned by how large the Capitol is and how clean and modern it looks with its shining, silver towers.  The people who greet the train look happy, healthy and are colourfully dressed. 

In the Capitol, the elaborate preparations and training Katniss and Peeta undergo are well portrayed.  One of the best scenes is that of Katniss, the last of the tributes to showcase her talent to the Gamemakers. After missing her first shot with the new bow and arrow, she nails the second one, only to see that the Gamemakers are focused only on the roast pig being served. Furious, Katniss's rebellious nature takes over and she sinks an arrow into the apple in the pig's mouth, skewering it to the wall behind the shocked Gamemakers. 

This scene leads to one in which we are treated to a glimpse of the Hunger Games the perspectives of other characters. In the novel, the story is narrated solely by Katniss so readers do not know what other characters like Snow and Seneca Crane may be experiencing. In the movie adaptation, viewers get to meet Snow (Donald Sutherland) in more depth, as he takes Seneca Crane to task for not dealing with Katniss's outburst during training. He tells Crane that having a winner in the Hunger Games offers the districts a glimmer of hope but that too much hope can be dangerous.  Crane really has no idea how to deal with Katniss (who outsmarts him) and it will cost him dearly.

The leadup to the actual Hunger Games are the tribute interviews by Caesar Flickerman. This part of the movie succeeds on the strength of the performance of all the cast but especially that of Stanley Tucci as  the outlandish, larger-than-life host of the Hunger Games. His appearance is somewhat toned down from the description in the novel, where he is described as wearing " ...a coating of pure white makeup" with hair that is "powder blue and his eyelids and lips are coated in the same hue..." and a "...ceremonial suit, midnight blue dotted with a thousand tiny electric bulbs that twinkle like stars." Katniss finds him scary because his appearance over more than forty years is virtually unchanged, due to plastic surgery.

The portrayal of the Hunger Games is intense; a mixture of action, suspense, and psychological thriller. Though the underlying concept of the book is quite dark and violent; children fighting children to the death for entertainment, the film was able to portray terror and danger without gratuitous violence and without being overly graphic.  Deaths were often portrayed off camera, or as brief scenes that flashed by, giving the viewer a glimpse only of what was happening. Nevertheless, the scenes of the forest fire, the tracker jacker attack, and the attack by the mutts at the end of the games are realistic and intense.

As a movie,  Hunger Games allows viewers to become spectators along with the people of Panem. Like those watching in the Capitol and in the districts, viewers have front row seats as Katniss and Peeta struggle to survive and to outwit far superior tributes. Viewers are also able to see the sadistic behind-the-scenes manipulation of the Games by the Head Gamemaker and his team. For example, the lack of exciting action leads Seneca Crane to force the tributes together so they can fight. He does this in a most cruel way by creating a raging forest fire that rapidly engulfs her position. She flees in terror as Seneca Crane sends fireballs and flaming trees at her directing her down towards the other tributes. This scene portrays the abject cruelty of the Gamemakers who see the tributes merely as "chess pieces" to be moved around to make the Games more exciting for the Capitol, instead of real people who are suffering and dying for entertainment.

In this way the reality of Panem is presented; a totalitarian dictatorship, its people so self-absorbed that they cannot recognize the wanton cruelty they condone as entertainment.  This self preoccupation is manifested in outlandish fashions, bizarre makeup and wigs, excessive plastic surgery making the Capitol citizens appear ultra-civilized, but in reality, they are a people who are indifferent to the suffering around them, even that of young children. They have dehumanized the people in the districts, believing them to be violent savages who can be offered up as sacrifices for the pleasure of the Capitol citizens while telling themselves it is the only way to maintain peace. 

The Hunger Games is a refreshing and faithful adaptation of a young adult novel that actually works. There have been numerous movie adaptations of young adult books that are characterized by poor script, and subpar acting,; Twilight, I Am Number Four, and Beastly are just a few. Perhaps the reason Hunger Games works is because Suzanne Collins is a television writer and she got it right for the movie. 

The movie adaptation of the second novel,  Catching Fire is due in theatres next year, November 22, 2013!