Should you watch The Hobbit in 48 frames per second?

One of the most notable and controversial inclusions in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the option to watch the movie in 48 frames per second (fps). This blog post is for those of you who are weighing up whether to watch The Hobbit in 48fps or have seen The Hobbit in the standard 24 fps and want to know if it is worth watching the movie again in a higher frame rate.

So what is 48fps?

Traditional movies are shot and projected at 24 frames per second. With The Hobbit: An Unexpectedly Journey, director Peter Jackson made the decision to shoot the film at 48fps. This means that, in theory, the film has more clarity because there are double the number of frames per second.

My experience of watching The Hobbit in 48fps

I watched The Hobbit in IMAX, 3D and with a high frame rate so it was pretty much the complete package. I haven't seen The Hobbit in 24fps 3D, nor have I seen it in 2D so I am comparing my experience with other traditional 24fps movies.

It took me around 10 mins to adjust to the higher frame rate. My first reaction was that actions seem to be sped up, almost at 1.5x speed. Bilbo seemed to be jumping around like a hyperactive child. But after the opening 10 minutes, I felt that, apart from the film being much more clear and detailed than normal, there wasn't much notable differences with traditional 24fps films.

Before the movie I had read some of the online commentary blasting the new format as being 'too fast' or 'so real that it's fake'. To be honest, I think some of the criticisms are a bit exaggerated. Things do not move at a lightning speed. Because we are so accustomed the films being shown in 24fps, we perceive motions to be moving faster. The higher frame rate was never distracting (the way 3D can sometimes be) and it is still the same story with the same characters in the same world.

The images are definitely a lot crisper and smoother. I guess the best way for me to describe 48fps is that it is similar to watching a DVD in Blu-Ray quality on a HD TV for the first time. There is a sense of hyper-realism as everything seems almost too smooth and too lifelike. The 'graininess' that you see in traditional 24fps movies is completely gone. I personally think that part of the charm of movies is that it is not 100% realistic. When you walk into the cinema, you are entering an alternate universe and the graininess is a constant reminder that you are in another world. Especially in a fantasy world like Middle Earth, which is supposed to be different from our world, maybe too much realism can take away some of the magic of storytelling.

48fps and 3D
One of the strengths of 48fps is that it blends in really well with 3D. Sometimes when you watch a 3D movie, it pretty much looks like a 2D movie with slightly added depth. Not so with 48fps. The combination of a high frame rate plus 3D creates an immersive experience so that it really feels like you are entering a three dimensional world. The giant IMAX screen and surround sound also helped transport the audience to Middle Earth.

I think some scenes are naturally suited to 48fps. Actions scenes, in particular the escape from the goblins and the Rock Giants sequences, flowed beautifully in part due to the higher frame rate. There is a danger in chase scenes that actions become so blurred that you lose track of motion and direction. But a high frame rate allows the action scenes to remain smooth and natural.

However, I did notice that the lighting at times seemed a bit too bright. Some of the war scenes also reminded me of video game cutscenes. I don't know if this is due to the high frame rate or just the nature of the CGI. Apparently video games can run at 60fps which may explain why some of the large-scale battle scenes had a video games 'feel' to it.

So should you watch The Hobbit in 48fps? 

Even if it's just for the novelty factor, I think you should still try watching The Hobbit in 48fps. Shooting movies in 48fps may be the industry norm in the future and this will be the perfect opportunity to experience the first full-length Hollywood movie shot entirely in 48fps.

Most importantly, the high frame rate doesn't detract from the story. Like 3D and IMAX, the higher frame rate is just a way of presenting the film and doesn't completely change your experience of the movie. After the initial 10 minutes, I quickly forgot about the fact that I was watching a movie in 48fps because I was so engrossed in the story.

And even if you don't want to watch it in 48fps, you still have the option to watch it in the standard 24fps. If you are a traditionalist and like your movies to have that 'cinematic look', then stick with 24fps. But if you are willing to try something new, I suggest watching The Hobbit in 48fps and experience something different this holiday.

Gollum thinks you should watch The Hobbit in 48fps