The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Trailer Preview

Jackson! Dwarves! Elves! Oh, You Bet We're Excited!

By Richard Luck, 21 December 2011

There was a time when The Hobbit looked set to become one of the greatest movies never made. With the project stopping and starting like a second-hand car, it was hard to believe the movie would ever come to fruition. Only with the arrival of the first trailer has the existence of Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings prequel become more concrete than conjecture.

And was the wait worth it? Hmmm, hard to say. It's certainly nice to see the Shire again and to be reacquainted with the ways of Middle-earth's most humble creatures, Hobbits. It's also a genuine joy to see Ians McKellen and Holm return as Gandalf and the older incarnation of Bilbo Baggins. As for the new elements, Martin Freeman is a perfect fit for Bilbo the Younger and while the dwarves have a faint whiff of Walt Disney about them, Aidan Turner, Ken Stott and Co seem by turn cuddly, comic and courageous.

So what's there not to like? Not an awful lot, to be fair. The only problem is that The Hobbit's thunder has been utterly stolen by a little thing called the Lord Of The Rings saga, and while it's great to see the old gang again, the thrill of seeing Gandalf and Galadriel brought to life has all but evaporated.

Those fearing disappointment, however, need only watch the last moments of the promo to realise that things are probably going to be alright. With Gollum, Andy Serkis has on his hands a character that needs only a second of screen-time to create chills and excitement. To see the "gangle creature" preparing for his big showdown with Bilbo is to experience again the excitement you felt when first reading about their epic encounter.

Roll on 'riddles in the dark', roll on 14 December 2012.