The suspension of disbelief is what cinema is built upon. Whether it is simply accepting one person can pretend to be another, or something as grandiose as believing a man can fly, films are nothing without it. And this suspension of disbelief is one step closer to being ripped away by High Frame Rate (HFR). It essentially makes most of the film look completely unrealistic and fake, which in a grand fantasy film is not something you want. While it works superbly in the large scale set-pieces and with CGI, removing the boundaries between what is model work and what is computer generated, whenever it cuts back to the actors you are instantly back in the studio with them, complete with terrible lighting and obvious prosthetics, and away from Middle Earth. It’s the first thing you notice from the very first scene, with a jerky motion blur apparent in many of the actors movements. You’ll barely be able to get used to it over the three hours of the film, and as much as we like seeing every pore of Martin Freeman’s face, this is a film best watched with the more traditional filmic substance of 24fps. Telling the story of Thorin Oakenshield’s quest to drive the dragon Smaug from his ancient home of Erebor (aka The Lonely Mountain), it is a tale of accepting adventure, and becoming the person or hobbit that’s inside of you. The film is at once familiar and excitingly new, embodied in the character of Bilbo Baggins played by both Ian Holm and Martin Freeman. While Holm is the same Bilbo we know and love, Freeman brings a welcome adventurous sensibility to him, a hobbit who’s not afraid to go out and get things done, and the obvious model for Frodo. He’s been made to be a bit of action hero in parts, but Freeman handles everything thrown at him with aplomb, and giving the audience the perfect introduction to the familiar yet different film world. The dwarves too are expanded upon. Not just called upon to be the comedy relief of Gimli, they get a back-story and a depth. While it’s hard to keep track of who’s who in the twelve of them, they each get their own little moment to shine, and prove to be a far more riotous bunch of travelling companions than the Fellowship. There’s much more of a sense of fun about them too, even with Richard Armitage’s Thorin glowering every chance he can get. They’re not the only new faces either, as Sylvester McCoy appears as Radagast the Brown, a slightly odd wizard who discovers the return of the Necromancer. It’s a manic, excitable, enjoyable turn that sums up the tone of the movie – lighter, more carefree, but with a sense of menace just around the corner. Gandalf the Grey is back in action, and it’s a treat to have him return. Sir Ian McKellen is clearly enjoying every moment, and if Bilbo is the heart of the movie, then Gandalf is the soul. As well as a great face-off against the Goblin King (which is easily the best sequence viewed in HFR, marrying together actors, CGI, and models in a seamless and spellbinding way) he also gets to flex his dramatic chops in a sequence with the White Council, one of the scenes taken from the Appendices. Meeting with Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman, they foreshadow all the terrible things that are about to befall Middle Earth. It’s brilliant to hear Christopher Lee again, and his Saruman has lost none of his dark power, even if he is ‘good’ this time round. However, the most excited buzz went round the screening room when Gollum came on-screen, as tragic, evil and pathetic as ever, and in possession of the one ring. Some may take issue with the film’s length and slow start, but this reviewer loved it. If you’re a fan of the extended editions of LOTR, then you’ll appreciate the time it takes. Stretching the slim book to a trilogy is obviously going to leave the films with some pacing issues, and we go about 30 pages in three hours. While it does take its time to get going with the quest, it never outstays its welcome. We could have easily sat there and watched more, and the last 45 minutes are a blast, with an ending that makes you want it to be next December immediately. It’s a very good movie, but not a great one. It lacks the stand-out jaw dropping moments from the original films, and feels like it’s saving all the best moments for the later movies. Nonetheless, it’s a film which we’re already looking forward to seeing again, and soon. Just not in 48fps. On this evidence, 48fps is a horrible way to shoot and exhibit a film. We can but hope it turns out to be a passing fad. In short, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a movie which can transport you to another place entirely, provided you don’t see it in HFR. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
title: “The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Review” ShowToc: true date: “2025-07-29” author: “Aida Branson”
The suspension of disbelief is what cinema is built upon. Whether it is simply accepting one person can pretend to be another, or something as grandiose as believing a man can fly, films are nothing without it. And this suspension of disbelief is one step closer to being ripped away by High Frame Rate (HFR). It essentially makes most of the film look completely unrealistic and fake, which in a grand fantasy film is not something you want. While it works superbly in the large scale set-pieces and with CGI, removing the boundaries between what is model work and what is computer generated, whenever it cuts back to the actors you are instantly back in the studio with them, complete with terrible lighting and obvious prosthetics, and away from Middle Earth. It’s the first thing you notice from the very first scene, with a jerky motion blur apparent in many of the actors movements. You’ll barely be able to get used to it over the three hours of the film, and as much as we like seeing every pore of Martin Freeman’s face, this is a film best watched with the more traditional filmic substance of 24fps. Telling the story of Thorin Oakenshield’s quest to drive the dragon Smaug from his ancient home of Erebor (aka The Lonely Mountain), it is a tale of accepting adventure, and becoming the person or hobbit that’s inside of you. The film is at once familiar and excitingly new, embodied in the character of Bilbo Baggins played by both Ian Holm and Martin Freeman. While Holm is the same Bilbo we know and love, Freeman brings a welcome adventurous sensibility to him, a hobbit who’s not afraid to go out and get things done, and the obvious model for Frodo. He’s been made to be a bit of action hero in parts, but Freeman handles everything thrown at him with aplomb, and giving the audience the perfect introduction to the familiar yet different film world. The dwarves too are expanded upon. Not just called upon to be the comedy relief of Gimli, they get a back-story and a depth. While it’s hard to keep track of who’s who in the twelve of them, they each get their own little moment to shine, and prove to be a far more riotous bunch of travelling companions than the Fellowship. There’s much more of a sense of fun about them too, even with Richard Armitage’s Thorin glowering every chance he can get. They’re not the only new faces either, as Sylvester McCoy appears as Radagast the Brown, a slightly odd wizard who discovers the return of the Necromancer. It’s a manic, excitable, enjoyable turn that sums up the tone of the movie – lighter, more carefree, but with a sense of menace just around the corner. Gandalf the Grey is back in action, and it’s a treat to have him return. Sir Ian McKellen is clearly enjoying every moment, and if Bilbo is the heart of the movie, then Gandalf is the soul. As well as a great face-off against the Goblin King (which is easily the best sequence viewed in HFR, marrying together actors, CGI, and models in a seamless and spellbinding way) he also gets to flex his dramatic chops in a sequence with the White Council, one of the scenes taken from the Appendices. Meeting with Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman, they foreshadow all the terrible things that are about to befall Middle Earth. It’s brilliant to hear Christopher Lee again, and his Saruman has lost none of his dark power, even if he is ‘good’ this time round. However, the most excited buzz went round the screening room when Gollum came on-screen, as tragic, evil and pathetic as ever, and in possession of the one ring. Some may take issue with the film’s length and slow start, but this reviewer loved it. If you’re a fan of the extended editions of LOTR, then you’ll appreciate the time it takes. Stretching the slim book to a trilogy is obviously going to leave the films with some pacing issues, and we go about 30 pages in three hours. While it does take its time to get going with the quest, it never outstays its welcome. We could have easily sat there and watched more, and the last 45 minutes are a blast, with an ending that makes you want it to be next December immediately. It’s a very good movie, but not a great one. It lacks the stand-out jaw dropping moments from the original films, and feels like it’s saving all the best moments for the later movies. Nonetheless, it’s a film which we’re already looking forward to seeing again, and soon. Just not in 48fps. On this evidence, 48fps is a horrible way to shoot and exhibit a film. We can but hope it turns out to be a passing fad. In short, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a movie which can transport you to another place entirely, provided you don’t see it in HFR.
