An Unexpected Journey

This post contains spoilers for the movie "The Hobbit." 
(I actually watched this back before Christmas, but we weren't blogging, so forgive me if I make a mistake.)

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was, well, unexpected. I thought it was going to be boring and I wondered how they would spread that small book into three separate movies. I was so wrong. It wasn't walking scenes or boring conversations with no one important (not that there are many of these in the books-everything's important), but battles and deep, meaningful talks and jokes that made me laugh until I almost cried. This movie made me feel things that I hadn't felt about a movie in a long time, possibly since I first saw the other Lord of the Rings movies.

I don't want to give to much away, but this film is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins going on a quest after being chosen as a "thief" by the wizard Gandalf the Gray. Accompanying him are thirteen dwarves: Thorin Oakenshield and his company of many similar-sounding people. Thorin is a dwarven prince whose home was taken from him by the dragon, Smaug, who has an intense love for treasure. Thorin aims to reclaim this home with the help of these men, but is extremely skeptical about Bilbo. The encounter strange things along the way: stone giants, elves, and a crazy wizard named Radagast the Brown. Bilbo also meets Gollum, from whom he obtains a ring that makes him invisible (one ring to rule them all). At the end, after Bilbo saves Thorin from a killing blow that would be dealt by an evil albino orc, Thorin admits that Bilbo is brave and that is a value to their company.

This movie was just... wow. Everything was well done. The acting, the animation, the details in the story itself. It was beautiful and mystical and gave me powerful feelings. I clapped at the end of the film, and I wasn't even the one to start it! Thorin's sincerity brought me to tears. Kili and Fili, dwarves in the company, made me swoon and giggle as I was reminded of Fred and George Weasley. And Gandalf's profound words and care for each person made me think about my own life and what I could be doing to better it. I've seen so many good movies, but this one just takes the cake. It's right up there with the Avengers at like one million out of ten for a rating.