The darkness, the uncomfortable seat, the sticky floor, the smell of popcorn and the silver screen. A visit to the cinema is more than a night out. It’s an adventure, a nightmare, a good cry or a good laugh.
Conrad Faraj is the young director behind last year's 'The Shadow People', which I saw about a year ago. I ended that review with the words:
I'd like for Faraj to continue his work and show us what more he can do. Because this film, even though it's a little rough around the edges, shows a lot of promise.
Now it seems like I got my wish. Today Faraj released a poster for his latest film 'The Wind is Watching' just in time for the end of the world. The look is familiar and it reminds me very much of the images we saw in the campaign for 'The Dark Knight'. It's not a bad image to start from and it gives 'The Wind is Watching' a nice apocalyptic vibe.
Aside from the poster I also got to look at the trailer for 'The Wind is Watching'. It promises a dystopian thriller and much like 'The Shadow People' the film features a strong female protagonist. A young woman caught up in the midst of a Second Civil War in the United States of America. It's an interesting concept and the trailer certainly feels like a cross between 'The Hunger Games' and 'Children of Men'. I'm curious as to how our heroine factors into this world and what her story is. You can expect to be able to see the trailer for yourself pretty soon.
We've been waiting a long time for 'The Hobbit' to reach the silver screen. Ever since the release of 'The Return of the King' people have been dying to see more of Middle-Earth. From all of J.R.R. Tolkien's writings 'The Hobbit' was the most likely to be adapted. It chronicles the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and shows how the Ring of Power came into the hands of a Halfling.
Written well before 'The Lord of the Rings' this story is a lot more lighthearted. While the former book details a struggle against an immense evil in the form of Sauron, 'The Hobbit' features a less urgent conflict: A quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor which was taken by a dragon with a love for gold. A band of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) believe they are destined to free their land from Smaug the dragon.
Bilbo Baggins enters the tale when the wise wizard Gandalf comes to him with a frightful proposition. He wishes for the hobbit to accompany him and thirteen dwarves on an adventure. For those who don't know, hobbits aren't adventuresome creatures. They prefer to live quiet and comfortable lives. However, after some convincing, curiosity gets the better of Bilbo and he's off on a dangerous journey. Their goal is to reach the Lonely Mountain and slay the dragon that hides there.
Tolkien managed to tell this story quickly and economically. Director Peter Jackson, on the other hand, thought he needed three movies. With 'The Lord of the Rings' this was understandable, such a dense story needed room to breathe. With 'The Hobbit' this decision might lead to Jackson's undoing. The plot isn't suited for such a luxurious treatment and would've been more resonant had it been told in one (or two relatively short) films.
The first chapter, 'An Unexpected Journey', feels like an extended cut. The entire first act is riddled with scenes that should have been removed. Many of these cover the same ground over and over and the film's pace suffers as a result. Some additions work wonderfully, like the prologue featuring the fall of Erebor at the claws of Smaug. Others, however, are so out of sync with the world Peter Jackson established in 'The Lord of the Rings' that you can't help but wonder what kind of mushrooms he was eating.
That's my main gripe with the entire film. The film lacks focus because of the addition of material which doesn't have a direct influence on the central story. I understand why Jackson wanted to include the rise of Sauron into these pictures, but it should've been more subtle. Now the film constantly cuts way from our heroes to bother us with plot points that don't come into play until 'The Lord of the Rings'. It takes the urgency away from Bilbo's quest.
As for poor Bilbo, his casting is a stroke of genius. Martin Freeman uses his comic sensibilities to great effect, bringing the ever so conservative hobbit to life. Ian McKellen must have been looking forward to these films as well. For his character, Gandalf the Grey, has a lot to do in 'The Unexpected Journey'. During this quest he's faced with the troubling appearance of a Necromancer in Middle-Earth. This mysterious figure proves to be an ancient evil seeking the power he once lost.
Then there's the company consisting out of an unwieldly number of dwarves. In this first story only a few of them get a real chance to shine. Thorin takes on a role not dissimilar from Aragorn in 'The Lord of the Rings', Balin (Ken Stott) is the kindly mentor and Bofur (James Nesbitt) the comic relief. The rest stumble along the sides of the frame without making an individual impression. But considering the crazy amount of characters this was very much expected. Luckily, the dwarves are easy to tell apart because of their distinctive looks.
'An Unexpected Journey' features a beautiful presentation of Middle-Earth. Taking place before the shadow of Sauron falls falls over this world, it has never looked this colourful or fantastic. The design of the characters is also wonderful. The dwarves look great and the numerous other creatures are designed with a tremendous eye for detail. Gollum (Andy Serkis), especially, has never looked this good. The performance capture technology has taken great strides since the earlier films.
Aside from some missteps 'An Unexpected Journey' is a welcome return to the world of Tolkien. And I'm very much looking forward to 'The Desolation of Smaug' and 'There and Back Again'. There's less doom and gloom than in 'The Lord of the Rings', instead 'The Hobbit' has fun with the fantastic elements of Middle-Earth. The tone of the entire film could best be described as playful. For instance, there's a wizard named Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) who speeds through this movie on a sled pulled by bunnies. I can't say it works but it's the one image I took away from this movie. A vagrant Santa Claus outrunning orcs on a sled pulled by Easter Bunnies.
