The Cinemasitter

Tag: The Lord of the Rings

  • Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

    Director Peter Jackson took a risk when he decided to break up his epic prequel to The Lord of the Rings in to three parts rather than the originally-planned two. After all, this was clearly never going to be a simple page-to-screen adaptation of The Hobbit, and it threatened to stretch an already slender plot beyond breaking point. Yet he just about succeeds in pulling it off. The Desolation of Smaug is an exciting adventure romp, providing two and a half hours of solid entertainment, while at the same time failing to come anywhere near the highs of The Two Towers, Jackson’s middle section of his earlier Rings cycle which, for many, was the best film in the entire trilogy.

    Full review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug | Film @ The Digital Fix

  • Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

    It’s difficult to recall now, but there was a time back in 2001 when it was far from certain that Peter Jackson could deliver everything his adaptation of The Lord of the Rings promised. A broadly faithful reading of Tolkien’s text matched with sumptuous visuals and a dynamism that could convert even the most fantasy-averse punter? Impossible! That he proved all the naysayers wrong has been largely overlooked since he drowned in the tsunami of awards that were subsequently thrown in his direction. Since then, he has taken a few knocks for his (some would say) overly reverential remake of King Kong and flawed adaptation of The Lovely Bones, so there was more than a little deja vu in the run up to the release of this first chapter of what is now a trilogy based on The Hobbit. Expectations were sky high: could he deliver the goods again?

    Full review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey | Cinema Review | Film @ The Digital Fix