For me, very little of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was, well, unexpected.

I rejoiced when I heard the news that J.R.R. Tolkien’s first novel, “The Hobbit,” was on its way to the big screen.

The book laid the foundation of what became the monumental “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and it stands as one of my favorite adventure novels of all time.

The book itself is shorter than any of the succeeding stories, and it moves at a hurried pace throughout.

When it was announced that “The Hobbit” would encompass two movies, I felt it was the right decision to make seeing that some sequences could be stretched a little in order to maintain appropriately lengthened films and still have the proper pacing.

Later, however, it was revealed that director Peter Jackson was going to turn it into three films. It was at this point that I became concerned.

I began to worry that, in order to accommodate Jackson’s wish for a trilogy, scenes will become embellished to the point where situations would drag, and the urgency of the story would be lost.

I was right.

Though “The Hobbit” is a fun, welcoming return to Middle-earth, it ultimately doesn’t live up to the grandeur of the films that preceded it.

The movie’s runtime is 160 minutes, which isn’t surprising when you consider the prior films, but it honestly feels longer.

If you’re familiar with the book, you should remember the opening scene, in which the laid-back hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) must play host to a party of loud and intrusive dwarves. This part of the book lasts maybe a chapter or two, but in the movie it goes on for nearly an hour.

Like in the introductory scene, some moments seem to slog on, and the story loses its sense of urgency.

Once the story does get going, we find Bilbo facing many perils alongside his dwarven companions.

The story follows Bilbo, who accompanies the dwarf king, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), who, along with his band of 12 dwarves, goes off toward The Lonely Mountain to reclaim their lost treasure and home, both of which were lost to the dragon, Smaug the Terrible, many years ago.

The dwarves recruit Bilbo as a burglar, but both he and Thorin make it clear early on that Bilbo isn’t exactly burglar material. For the majority of the film they are proven correct, as Bilbo is more baggage than can be helped.

Following the company is the wizard Gandalf the Grey, once again played by Ian McKellen.

On the surface, this is a tale about a treasure hunt. But deep down, it is a story of personal change by Bilbo and the brooding Thorin.

Bilbo matures over time, and discovers a strength not commonly found among his fellow hobbits, and the cold Thorin begins to once again find value in others after witnessing Bilbo’s surprising bravery.

The movie, like the book, is much more lighthearted than LOTR. The dwarves’ slapsticky introduction and occasional bouts of song and belching jokes make the film more family friendly in comparison to the darker trilogy.

There are moments, however, which seem to channel that familiar darkness. Several scenes of the film make obvious nods to the upcoming battle to destroy the One Ring, such as talk of a looming evil, as well as depicting how the Ringwraiths returned to life.

The movie goes fairly deep into Thorin’s tortured past. His land and treasure were taken by the dragon Smaug. There is also a recurring subplot featuring Thorin and his longstanding feud with Azog, a fearsome, white orc.

I didn’t watch the movie in 48 frames-per-second, the new high-speed format touted by Jackson as the future of film. Instead, I watched in the standard 24 frames-per-second. But I certainly don’t feel that I missed out. I’m sure I’ll check out the faster format for a future viewing.

I didn’t, however, feel that I missed out by going standard.

Jackson’s latest return to Middle-earth looks nothing short of spectacular, featuring bright, green plains, rolling hills and stunning vistas, many of which thanks to New Zealand’s natural beauty.

Sadly, not everything will receive my vote of approval. Technology has improved in the time between the two trilogies, and Jackson decided to take advantage by using more computer graphics than before.

CGI technology is nothing to be ashamed of, and much of it looks pretty grand in “The Hobbit.” Jackson wields the technology like a dwarf with his hammer in a field of goblins.

I believe that CGI can enhance a movie, but in “The Hobbit” I feel that it does more to hinder than help.

In the LOTR trilogy, enemies such as orcs and the Ringwraiths had a commanding presence on screen. This was due to the fact that they were played by real actors in suits and makeup.

With “The Hobbit,” however, the orcs, goblins, wargs and even Azog and the Great Goblin were all rendered in CGI. By removing the actual actor from the roles, I believe that much of the tension the audience felt from enemies such as the Uruk Hai from “Fellowship of the Ring” was lost.

Azog himself isn’t able to cast off the clean sheen of computer graphics to become a fearsome foe. Against the real-life actors and sets, he looks more like he was taken out of a video game.

Besides Gandalf, there are a few returning characters in “The Hobbit.” Both the elves Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Lady Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) return. So does Saruman the White (Christopher Lee), who, at this point in the overarching story, had not yet been corrupted by Sauron.

Besides Thorin, both Dwalin and Balin were the most memorable dwarves in the party. The rest really don’t stand out from the group. This is due, really, to the fact that the movie’s runtime wasn’t long enough to fully introduce all the characters.

With two more films in the works, I feel certain that every dwarf will ultimately have his time to shine.

“The Hobbit” introduces a new wizard, Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy). This eccentric wizard is a master of animal and plant life, and among his powers is the ability to speak to animals and command a rabbit-driven sleigh.

He is odd, though, and his appearance reflects his uncivilized ways. Radagast is a fun character, though, and I hope he makes a return in later films.

The movie recounts Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum and the finding of the One Ring, as well as detailing the key moment in which Bilbo spared Gollum’s life — an encounter that was first heard of in “Fellowship.”

The trilogy is off to a slow start with “The Hobbit,” but that’s not a knock on the film’s quality itself. It’s really just the pacing.

“The Hobbit” didn’t capture the same magic as “The Fellowship of the Ring,” but it’s far from being a bad movie.

In fact, there is a lot to like about the first chapter in Bilbo’s great adventure. The epic Tolkien lore is still intact, and many of the new and returning characters are memorable.

Freeman performs well as the meek Bilbo Baggins, and his transformation of the character from lay-about to the reluctant hero is believable and heartening.

Fans of the LOTR trilogy will have no problem settling back into Tolkien’s world, and while others may be put off by the slow nature of the film, it certainly does offer the promise of greater things to come.

This looks to be the start of a grand adventure.

Final score: B-