When we first sat down in the theater while we were anticipating to see The Hobbit: An

Unexpected Journey, excitement would be an understatement. A true die-hard fan even dressed up and went to the midnight premiere.

We first sat down and mindlessly munched on some popcorn, talked to each other, text or chitchat with the man in an elf costume seated in the aisle above. Of course, before enjoying the movie we paid for we must first suffered through the very anti-climactic previews for movies that come out in 20 years that we didn’t pay to see.

Then the “turn off your cell phones” spiel went on the screen and the theater darkened, directly followed by more previews, another cell phone warning and then the music. Oh, how I love the music.

It may simply be that I truly enjoy movie scores but the nostalgia of this score in particular was unparalleled. The opening music brings you back to that first time watching Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

If I remember correctly Bilbo says something in the first few scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey that is also said to open The Fellowship of the Ring, “My dear,dear Frodo.” Between the music and this line we about died at this point but the need to finish this movie kept my heart beating, racing more like.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brings you back to that trilogy that many of us grew up loving but it has a quality unique for itself. Galadriel, Elrond and the ever famous Gandalf the Grey—all characters that I noticed to be the same. It was almost like seeing an old friend when I saw them.

This first part of Bilbo’s adventure provides us with some desired background for the first three movies based off of J.R.R Tolkien’s masterfully crafted world, while is itself a beautiful movie.

The songs the dwarves sing and the inviting Hobbit home at the beginning of the movie seem to draw you into the screen, heralding the awesome movie to come. The story, the wonderful actors and the beautiful graphics all gave this movie a distinct flare in the 2012 movie world.

The expectations for the graphics of this movie were high and they exceeded beyond what any could imagine. The colors so vivid it felt as if you were venturing to The Lonely Mountain yourself, fighting off hordes of Orcs and Goblins or venturing to an Elven city.

The movements of the characters were as fluid as water. It was as critics say, “A visual masterpiece,” or “Stunning to hold.”

The flow from scene to scene was very subtle; there weren’t any awkward transitions. The words from the book were put into life. The movie followed The Hobbit, helping the mind see the novel come to life.

When the ending was reached, it had the audience aching for more. I believe Jackson has created another classic with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and I cannot wait to see the next part of the movie.

I strongly recommend this movie to anyone that enjoys fantasy, has enjoyed The Lord of the Rings or likes indulging in sliced happiness. And to those who don’t, take a chance. Open your mind and explore your imagination.