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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Martin Freeman in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug. A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug. A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.

  • Peter Jackson
  • Philippa Boyens
  • Martin Freeman
  • Ian McKellen
  • Richard Armitage
  • 1.5K User reviews
  • 675 Critic reviews
  • 58 Metascore
  • 11 wins & 76 nominations total

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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  • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

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  • Trivia The production team returned to the same shooting location for Hobbiton as they used in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The land is part of a farm, which the owners allowed to be transformed into the Hobbiton set by The Lord of the Rings production crew in the late 1990s. After filming wrapped on the first trilogy, the farm's owners turned the land into a Tolkien tourism spot, offering guided tours of the Hobbiton set. With the crew from The Hobbit trilogy making improvements and additions to the aging Hobbiton set, the farm owners were happy to temporarily close down their tourism business, so filming could take place there again.
  • Goofs When the party is captured by the Goblins and Bilbo crawls away, a Goblin's CGI foot passes through the bridge he's walking on.

Galadriel : Mithrandir? Why the Halfling?

Gandalf : I don't know. Saruman believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage.

  • Crazy credits Lists the publishers for all of The Hobbit in all the different languages.
  • Alternate versions Also shown in a 3D and 48 fps version, but the content is the same.
  • Connections Edited into The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Extended Edition Scenes (2013)
  • Soundtracks Blunt the Knives Lyrics by J.R.R. Tolkien from "The Hobbit" Music composed by Stephen Gallagher (as Stephen Gallagher) Produced by Stephen Gallagher (as Stephen Gallagher) Performed by Jed Brophy , Adam Brown , John Callen , Mark Hadlow , Peter Hambleton , Stephen Hunter , William Kircher , Graham McTavish , James Nesbitt , Dean O'Gorman , Ken Stott , Aidan Turner

User reviews 1.5K

  • and_mikkelsen
  • Oct 17, 2022
  • Why are the names of the blue wizards are not mentioned in this film?
  • When Gandalf talks to Bilbo about Sting, he mentions that "Elvish blade glows blue when orcs or goblins are nearby", should this rule apply to the Foe-hammer and the Goblin-cleaver as well?
  • Are the Goblins different from the Orcs?
  • December 14, 2012 (United States)
  • New Zealand
  • United States
  • arabuloku.com
  • Official Facebook
  • The Hobbit: Part 1
  • Mangaotaki, Waikato, New Zealand
  • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
  • New Line Cinema
  • WingNut Films
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro
  • $180,000,000 (estimated)
  • $303,030,651
  • $84,617,303
  • Dec 16, 2012
  • $1,017,106,749

Technical specs

  • Runtime 2 hours 49 minutes
  • Dolby Atmos

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A reluctant hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home - and the gold within it - from the dragon Smaug.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2012, Fantasy/Adventure, 2h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth is an earnest, visually resplendent trip, but the film's deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty. Read critic reviews

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Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.

Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Frightening Images|Intense Fantasy Violence)

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Peter Jackson

Producer: Carolynne Cunningham , Zane Weiner , Fran Walsh , Peter Jackson

Writer: Fran Walsh , Philippa Boyens , Peter Jackson , Guillermo del Toro

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2012  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $303.0M

Runtime: 2h 49m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: WingNut Films

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Datasat

View the collection: Lord of The Rings

Cast & Crew

Ian McKellen

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

William Kircher

James Nesbitt

Stephen Hunter

Dean O'Gorman

Aidan Turner

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

Mark Hadlow

Elijah Wood

Hugo Weaving

Cate Blanchett

Christopher Lee

Peter Jackson

Screenwriter

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo del Toro

Carolynne Cunningham

Zane Weiner

Executive Producer

Toby Emmerich

Carolyn Blackwood

Andrew Lesnie

Cinematographer

Jabez Olssen

Film Editing

Howard Shore

Original Music

Production Design

Andy McLaren

Art Director

Brian Massey

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Critic Reviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Audience reviews for the hobbit: an unexpected journey.

having read the books a long time ago in a galaxy far away (inc. the silmarilion or whatever the F) and having seen the LOTR's films when they came out too but not really paying any attention to it all since then, this was a reminder of the imagination and creativity of J.R.R. Tolkien expertly put to screen once again by peter jackson. now fervently waiting to devour the desolation of smaug whenever it plays on TV.

hobbit journey movie

Precious Gollumses!!

It's definitely no LOTR...But it's still a pretty cool movie. Sure, it took it's time to try to tell the story and dragged on for a little too long, but other than that, the special effects were great, and it was entertaining as hell. It's a good introduction to The Hobbit franchise.

The decision to split up The Hobbit, has in turn split audiences. Many decry it as a simple money making scheme (which in essence it is), others struggle to see how on book only a quarter the size of any LotR book is expected to stretch the same amount of cinema time as the whole Rings trilogy combined. I however, see it as a positive. I don't mind in the least paying an extra $15 out of my own pocket for an extra 6 hours of quality film like this. It's only when they expects people to pay actual money for shite like the Twilight franchise or the Death at a Funeral U.S. remake that I have a problem with Hollywood's greed. The Hobbit, on the other hand, is perfectly capable of backing up its ticket price. And then... Lots. And lots extra. Which is nice. It differs greatly from the book in many aspects, though it has been so damn long since I've read it that I'm not sure what's actually been changed, what's new, what's gone, and what I just don't have right in my head. Martin Freeman (Sherlock, Hot Fuzz, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead, Love, Actually, Ali G Indahouse) is a fantastic Bilbo, he manages to sort of create this halfway point between Frodo and the Bilbo of the LotR trilogy. Which is really kind of perfect when you think about it. Gandalf's the same as ever, really nothing to recap (which is a solid move in my mind). Frodo's also back for some flashback/forward scenes (depending on how you look at it). Which totally makes sense, flaunt 'em if you got 'em. This isn't a line by line adaptation of The Hobbit, it's the first film of the Peter Jackson prequel to the Peter Jackson trilogy of the Rings, both of which are somewhat based on the books. So in his version of the world (which is still very loveable, just different) it makes perfect sense to have these great cameos. The Dwarves are where it all gets a bit confusing. Remembering names and faces, all that jazz. Before I continue though, let me get myself decapitated by all of Tumblr. Why the fuck is everyone going so goddamn schizoid over Kili (Played by Aidan Turner [Being Human, The Tudors]) when he's the one Dwarf without a motherhuggin' beard!? I may not be as beard-savy as L'alice (whose Tumblr is MainliningBeards) but I do appreciate the shit out of them (on that, how amazing is Thror's beard? All armoured and junk, goddamn). He's this skinny fucker with no beard, and does archery all over the place. I mean, yes it does seem like they somehow managed to fuse together Legolas and Aragon to create this dude, which is a nice touch, but he's not that babin' and he sure as shit isn't a Dwarf. Now the other two "sexy" members of the party (is sexy not heterosexual enough, should that be "eye-candy"... Nah, fuck it. Sexy) I can totally get behind. Thorin Oakenshield (Played by Richard Armitage [Captain America, Robin Hood, Strike Back, Spooks]) and Fili (Played by Dean O'Gorman[Xena, Young Hercules, Toy Love]) are not only very, very attractive, but I also totally buy them as fantasy creatures from Middle Earth. The actors playing Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori weren't overly familiar to me. Though Graham McTavish (Green Street Hooligans 2, Rambo, The Bill, Rome, King Arthur, Erik the Viking, Dante's Inferno, Call of Duty franchise, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Dawn of War II) as Dwalin is clearly a fuckin' badass. I do have some qualms with changes made, not from novel to screen, but from LotR to The Hobbit. Given that both are Peter Jackson's work, and they're meant to be in his world, why was it necessary to change the appearance of firmly grounded canonical things? The Goblins of The Hobbit (above) are great, but look nothing like the original ones. The Wargs seem to have actually taken a backwards step in my eyes, and are also unfamiliar in this screen world. It's difficult to back up my statements about "It's okay to not be the same as the book, it's Jackson's world" if Jackson keeps changing his mind about what his world even looks like. Azog not looking like any other orc was fine by me though. He was an incredible looking bad guy, with a back story, a great actor behind him (Australian Manau Bennett [Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms, Spartacus series, Sinbad and the Minotaur, 30 Days of Night, The Condemned]). Ultimately, the only killer for me about The Hobbit, is knowing that despite the fact that it's completely finished, it's still only being released at a rate of one film a year, and that hurts, because honestly, The Hobbit's great. Watch it as an adaptation of the book, watch it as a fantasy epic, watch it as the LotR prequel, watch it as a heart-warming tale of adventure from mediocrity, watch it as a cinematic marvel, or just plain watch it as Beard-Porn, whatever, it's maybe not life changing, but it's enjoyable as Hell. 79% -Gimly

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Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – review

I n last Sunday's Film of the Week , the protagonist, a Hollywood screenwriter played by Colin Farrell, had a title for his drama, "Seven Psychopaths", but no plot. This week's principal film, The Hobbit , began life in a not dissimilar fashion. Back in the early 1930s, when he was an Oxford don, JRR Tolkien was marking exam papers for the now defunct School Certificate when he came across a blank sheet. For some reason he wrote on it: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." The line isn't exactly "Call me Ishmael" or "Happy families are all alike", but this first line of what was published in 1937 as a children's book began what has proved to be a literary phenomenon, an alternative religion, an endless invitation to exegesis and a major industry that has led to an immensely successful trilogy of books and films about life in Middle-earth. Now the New Zealand screenwriter Peter Jackson, who followed up the Lord of the Rings trilogy with King Kong and The Lovely Bones , has returned to his old hobbits, and in collaboration with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro, has turned the initially modest The Hobbit into a full-scale trilogy of its own.

Given three films, each presumably close to three hours long, Jackson and co have plenty of time on their hands, and 20 minutes of the film has passed before the immortal "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" is spoken. What we get at first is a back story from a posthumously published Tolkien work explaining how a blight fell on the underground city of Erebor when fire-breathing dragons, hungry for gold, attacked it, driving its dwarf inhabitants into exile. This extremely violent event, involving much death and destruction, warns the audience that it's a film for extremely hardy kids. It sets up an invitation to Bilbo Baggins to take part in an adventurous quest proposed by the wizard Gandalf (the splendidly authoritative Ian McKellen). It involves him in joining a party of dwarves as the team's "burglar" on a mission to regain their ancestral lands and wealth from Smaug, the dragon guarding them beneath the Lonely Mountain. A quiet, peace-loving hobbit, Bilbo is happily installed in his cosy subterranean home in the Shires, an idyllic corner of Merrie England inhabited by contented peasants who look like people in the background of paintings by Fragonard or Constable. Bilbo (Ian Holm, reprising his role from The Lord of the Rings ) is seemingly writing his memoirs, puffing on his churchwarden pipe and blowing out smoke rings as big as haloes and eating regular meals. As he contemplates the past he's replaced by his equally pacifist younger self, to which part Martin Freeman brings the same decent, commonsensical, very English qualities that informed his excellent Dr Watson on TV.

His first challenge is provided by the bald, bearded, beaky-nosed, unkempt dwarves, six pairs of them with rhyming names and all constantly brawling, eating and singing. They resemble tramps auditioning for the role of Magwitch in a musical of Great Expectations . The 13th dwarf is altogether more serious. He's their leader, the handsome, tragedy-tinged Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). These knockabout scenes go on far too long, but eventually the quest begins and the dwarves, Gandalf and an initially reluctant Bilbo embark on their epic journey to the Lonely Mountain, encountering orcs, trolls, elves and goblins along the way and facing endless perils. There are echoes of the Old and New Testament, of similar journeys from Homer's Odyssey through Morte d'Arthur to Gulliver's Travels , and there are all the essential mythic elements: all-conquering swords, magical rings, mysterious maps, giant eagles and dangerous riddling contests such as the one engaged in by Bilbo and Gollum (Andy Serkis).

It's an exciting story, easy to follow and lacking both the solemnity and the portentous symbolism of The Lord of the Rings . You don't need to be a Tolkien devotee who knows their orcs from their elvish to enjoy the movie, and it's generally less irritating than the book, with none of the archness Tolkien adopts when addressing children. Thankfully there's also an absence of knowing references to other movies and TV shows, and there isn't an American accent to be heard. The dwarves have various British regional brogues, mainly Celtic; the trolls speak comic cockney; the elves, largely played by Australian actors, stick to standard English.

The mountainous terrain, increasingly dark and menacing as the story progresses, at times resembles paintings by John Martin and Caspar David Friedrich , and is beautifully photographed by Jackson's regular cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie, who has that feeling for landscape that's such a feature of antipodean cinema. At the centre of the film, and sensitively handled by Jackson, are the relationships between Bilbo, his gruff mentor Gandalf and his antagonist Thorin, and it's something children will respond to. In his book Anatomy of Criticism , the Canadian literary theorist Herman Northrop Frye makes a distinction between "high mimetic" and "low mimetic" figures, ie heroes who are mythically and socially superior to ordinary people or at the same human level as the rest of us. Gandalf, who teaches Bilbo what heroism is, and Thorin, who exhibits the necessary qualities in his actions, are high mimetic figures, while Bilbo is low mimetic. Bilbo can become a hero and then return to his former world, as indeed is suggested at the beginning of The Hobbit . What we see in Martin Freeman's moving and endearing performance is Bilbo doing just that. I liked the film and its measured pace and, except when I found myself looking over the top of my glasses, was largely unaware of the 3D.

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Summary The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshie ... Read More

Directed By : Peter Jackson

Written By : Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson

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Bilbo Begins His Ring Cycle

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hobbit journey movie

By A.O. Scott

  • Dec. 13, 2012

In “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s first Middle-earth fantasy novel, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) sets out with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a posse of dwarfs to battle a fearsome dragon. [Spoiler alert] they do not kill the dragon, although [spoiler alert] they eventually will, within the next 18 months or so, because [spoiler alert] this “Hobbit,” which is [migraine alert] 170 minutes, is the first installment in [film critic suicide-watch alert] a trilogy .

What’s that old saying so memorably garbled by a recent president? Fool me twice — won’t get fooled again! This is not to say that Mr. Jackson is a con man. On the contrary: He is a visionary, an entrepreneur, a job creator in his native New Zealand. And his “Lord of the Rings” movies, the last of which opened nine years ago, remain a mighty modern gesamtkunstwerk , a grand Wagnerian blend of pop-culture mythology and digital magic now available for easy, endless viewing in your living room.

“The Lord of the Rings” was the work of a filmmaker perfectly in tune with his source material. Its too-muchness — the encyclopedic detail, the pseudoscholarly exposition, the soaring allegory, the punishing length — was as much a product of Tolkien’s literary sensibility as of Mr. Jackson’s commitment to cinematic maximalism. These were three films to rule them all, and they conjured an imaginary world of remarkable complexity and coherence. This voyage, which takes place 60 years before Frodo’s great quest, is not nearly as captivating.

Part of this has to do with tone. The “Rings” trilogy, much of which was written during World War II, is a dark, monumental epic of Good and Evil in conflict, whereas “The Hobbit,” first published in 1937 (and later revised), is a more lighthearted book, an adventure story whose comical and fairy-tale elements are very much in the foreground.

The comparative playfulness of the novel could have made this “Hobbit” movie a lot of fun, but over the years Mr. Jackson seems to have shed most of the exuberant, gleefully obnoxious whimsy that can be found in early films like “Meet the Feebles” and “Dead Alive.” A trace of his impish old spirit survives in some of the creature designs in “The Hobbit” — notably a gelatinous and gigantic Great Goblin and an encampment of cretinous, Three-Stooges-like trolls — but Tolkien’s inventive, episodic tale of a modest homebody on a dangerous journey has been turned into an overscale and plodding spectacle.

Also, not to be pedantic or anything, but “The Hobbit” is just one book, and its expansion into three movies feels arbitrary and mercenary. This installment takes Bilbo and his companions, led by the exiled dwarf king Thorin (Richard Armitage), son of Thrain, through a series of encounters with orcs, elves, trolls and other beings, some scarier or more charming than others. The only character who manages to be a bit of both is the incomparable Gollum, once again incarnated by Andy Serkis in what remains an unmatched feat of computer-assisted performance.

The meeting between Bilbo and Gollum, which takes place in a vast, watery subterranean cavern, is the one fully enchanted piece of “An Unexpected Journey.” It’s a funny, haunting and curiously touching moment that summons the audience to a state of quiet, eager attentiveness. Even if you aren’t aware of the apocalyptic importance of Gollum’s precious ring, you feel that a lot is at stake here: Bilbo’s life and integrity; Gollum’s corroded soul; the fate of Middle-earth itself.

If only some of that feeling animated the rest of the movie. There are, of course, plenty of shots of noble characters turning their eyes portentously toward the horizon, and much talk of honor, betrayal and the rightful sovereignty of dwarfs over their dragon-occupied mountain. But it all sounds remarkably hollow, perhaps because the post-“Lord of the Rings” decade has seen a flood of lavish and self-serious fantasy-movie franchises. We have heard so many weird proper names intoned in made-up tongues, witnessed so many embodiments of pure evil rise and fall and seen so many fine British actors in beards and flowing robes that we may be too jaded for “The Hobbit,” in spite of its noble pedigree.

But I don’t mean to blame the cultural situation for the specific failings of the movie, which rises to weary, belated mediocrity entirely on its own steam. Mr. Jackson has embraced what might be called theme-park-ride cinema, the default style of commercially anxious, creatively impoverished 3-D moviemaking. The action sequences are exercises in empty, hectic kineticism, with very little sense of peril or surprise. Characters go hurtling down chutes and crumbling mountainsides or else exert themselves in chaotic battles with masses of roaring, rampaging pixels.

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It seems harder and harder to bring any real novelty or excitement to this kind of thing, though it is not clear how much Mr. Jackson really tries. (“Giants! Stone giants!” someone cries, and a couple of mountains dutifully slug it out.) When the initial rush of a chase or a skirmish dissipates, you are left with the slightly ripped-off feeling of having been here before, but with different costumes, in a “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie or “Clash of the Titans.”

And near the end, when giant birds arrive to pull “The Hobbit” out of the squall and muck of tedious combat, your pleasure at this soaring aerial tour of New Zealand may be accompanied by a shrug of recognition, since the flight plan retraces the routes of “Avatar” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

“The Hobbit” is being released in both standard 3-D and in a new, 48-frames-per-second format, which brings the images to an almost hallucinatory level of clarity. This is most impressive and also most jarring at the beginning, when a jolly dwarf invasion of Bilbo’s home turns into a riot of gluttonous garden gnomes.

Over all, though, the shiny hyper-reality robs Middle-earth of some of its misty, archaic atmosphere, turning it into a gaudy high-definition tourist attraction. But of course it will soon be overrun with eager travelers, many of whom are likely to find the journey less of an adventure than they had expected.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). Mass slaughter of digital monsters.

Follow A. O. Scott on Twitter, @aoscott , and watch The Sweet Spot , with A. O. Scott and David Carr on culture and criticism.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film of The Hobbit film trilogy , lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes. It was directed by Peter Jackson , who previously had directed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy . It was a major box office success, grossing over $1.017 billion worldwide. The film is the fourth Middle-earth film adaptation to be released, and the first chronologically.

Martin Freeman portrays a young Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm reprises his role as an older Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis reprise their roles as Gandalf and Gollum , respectively, as do Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett , as Elrond and Galadriel .

The character of Radagast the Brown appears in the movie and is portrayed by Sylvester McCoy , who had been known mostly for his portrayal as the seventh incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who .

  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3 Development
  • 4.3 Extended Edition only
  • 4.4.1 Men of Dale
  • 4.4.2 Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains
  • 4.4.3 Mirkwood Elves
  • 4.4.4 Hobbits of the Shire
  • 4.4.5 Hunter Orcs
  • 4.4.6 Elves of Rivendell
  • 4.4.7 Goblins
  • 5 Appearances and mentions
  • 7 Extended Edition
  • 10 Translations
  • 11 References
  • 12 External links

A reluctant Hobbit , Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of Dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug . [1]

Memorable quotes [ ]

Gandalf: Agreed. "

Development [ ]

Credits [ ].

  • Ian McKellen as Gandalf
  • Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
  • Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield
  • Ken Stott as Balin
  • Graham McTavish as Dwalin
  • William Kircher as Bifur
  • James Nesbitt as Bofur
  • Stephen Hunter as Bombur
  • Dean O'Gorman as Fíli
  • Aidan Turner as Kíli
  • John Callen as Óin
  • Peter Hambleton as Glóin
  • Jed Brophy as Nori
  • Mark Hadlow as Dori
  • Adam Brown as Ori
  • Ian Holm as Old Bilbo
  • Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
  • Hugo Weaving as Elrond
  • Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
  • Christopher Lee as Saruman
  • Andy Serkis as Gollum
  • Sylvester McCoy as Radagast
  • Barry Humphries as Great Goblin
  • Jeffrey Thomas as Thrór
  • Michael Mizrahi as Thráin
  • Lee Pace as Thranduil
  • John Rawls as Yazneg
  • Stephen Ure as Fimbul
  • Timothy Bartlett as Master Worrywort
  • William Kircher as Tom
  • Peter Hambleton as Bert
  • Mark Hadlow as William
  • Bret McKenzie as Lindir
  • Stephen Ure as Grinnah
  • Kiran Shah as Goblin Scribe
  • Manu Bennett as Azog
  • Conan Stevens as Gundabad Orc Chieftain
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug and Necromancer
  • Glenn Boswell as Dwarf Miner
  • Thomas Robins as Young Thráin

Extended Edition only [ ]

  • Luke Evans as Girion
  • Dan Hennah as The Old Took
  • Stephen Gledhill as Old Gammidge
  • Tim Gordon as Old Hob
  • Oscar Strik as Little Bilbo
  • Sonia Forbes-Adam as Belladonna (Took) Baggins
  • Erin Banks as Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
  • Brian Hotter as Otho Sackville-Baggins
  • Eric Vespe as Fredegar Chubb
  • Mervyn Smith as Tosser Grubb
  • Ruby Acevedo as "Cute Young Hobbit"
  • Katie Jackson
  • Honor McTavish
  • Louis Serkis
  • Ruby Serkis
  • Sonny Serkis

Uncredited [ ]

Men of dale [ ].

  • Mary Nesbitt
  • Peggy Nesbitt
  • Many unknowns

Dwarves of the Lonely Mountains [ ]

  • Peter Jackson
  • Jabez Olssen
  • James Wells
  • Richard Whiteside

Mirkwood Elves [ ]

  • Brendan Casey
  • Cameron Jones
  • Carl Van Room
  • Few unknowns

Hobbits of the Shire [ ]

  • Joan Z. Dawe
  • Melissa Kern
  • Aaron Morgan
  • Kaela Morgan
  • Ravi Narayan

Hunter Orcs [ ]

  • Frazer Anderson
  • George Harach
  • Christian Hipolito
  • Ane Kirkeng Jørgensen
  • Joseph Mika-Hunt
  • Elliot Travers

Elves of Rivendell [ ]

  • Jared Blakiston
  • Shane Boulton
  • Melanie Carrington
  • Andrew Fitzsimons
  • Luke Hawker
  • Dean Knowsley
  • Luke Wilson

Goblins [ ]

  • Renee Cataldo
  • Ben Fransham
  • Tim McLahlan
  • Nathan Meister
  • Terry Notary
  • Thomas Rimmer
  • James Trevena-Brown
  • Mark Trotter

Appearances and mentions [ ]

Species and creatures

Factions, groups and titles

Objects and artifacts

Miscellanea

Gandalfthehobbit

Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, in a photo from the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Deviations from the book [ ]

  • [1] Elijah Wood appears briefly as Frodo Baggins , while this character does not appear in the book. However, his appearance is purely a cameo as the set-up for the movie, as the Red Book of Westmarch is being written and read by Bilbo, shortly before the start of The Fellowship of the Ring .
  • The Dwarves do not arrive in order (first Dwalin, then Balin, then Kíli and Fíli, then Óin, Glóin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur all at once, and then Thorin arrives significantly later) and they do not have their multi-colored hoods or beards as they did in the book.
  • Bilbo was shown to be allergic to Horses .
  • The Dwarves surrender when the Trolls threaten to rip Bilbo in two instead of being overpowered and popped into bags.
  • Bilbo goes to the Trolls because they steal the Dwarves' ponies.
  • In the book, it was Gandalf that stalled the trolls until they turned into stone. This was done by Bilbo in the film.
  • The trolls' cave is wide open, and there is no locked door blocking it.
  • In the book, Bilbo finds Sting and takes it. In the film, Gandalf comes upon it and gives it to Bilbo.
  • The group is attacked by Orcs on the way to Rivendell , just after the Trolls sequence in the movie. This did not happen in the book.
  • Radagast the Brown aids the Dwarves in escaping the Orc Warg-riders near Rivendell. In contrast, Radagast did not appear in the book at all, and there is only one mention of him.
  • Radagast investigates the darkness of Mirkwood, and at Dol Guldur encounters the Necromancer and the Witch-king of Angmar , with whom he briefly duels and from whom he takes a Morgul Blade. In contrast, Tolkien never wrote of any such incident.
  • Azog has survived the War of the Dwarves and Orcs in which he was wounded by Thorin, who cut off his arm, and hunts Thorin Oakenshield and his followers. In contrast, in the Tolkien literature Azog was beheaded by Thorin's cousin Dáin Ironfoot in the Battle of Azanulbizar , well before the events of The Hobbit . The events of leading to and included in the battle are also altered: Thrór leads an army to Moria to reclaim it as opposed to investigating it with a single companion, and he is beheaded during the battle while in the books this occurred several years beforehand. The origin of Thorin's name of Oakenshield is taken from the appendices of The Return of the King , but here takes place during battle with Azog and involves him picking up an oaken branch rather than cutting it off a tree.
  • While at Rivendell with Thorin's party, Gandalf meets with Elrond , Galadriel , and Saruman (the film's version of the White Council ) and relates Radagast's news about Mirkwood, but Saruman discounts Radagast's news about the Necromancer, who he says must be no more than a human pretending to be a wizard. This conflicts with Tolkien's version, in which the White Council already knew that the Necromancer was Sauron and was at Dol Guldur , since Gandalf had already confirmed this 89 years earlier, and Saruman had discovered two years earlier (although he did not inform the Council of this) that Sauron had learned of Isildur 's loss of the One Ring at the Gladden Fields by the river Anduin and his servants were searching the area. Accordingly, in Tolkien's original version, in the year of the events of The Hobbit , Saruman finally agreed to an attack on Dol Guldur because he wanted to prevent Sauron from finding the Ring. [2]
  • There is no mention of Galadriel in the book, although she is part of the White Council.
  • At the White Council meeting, Galadriel relates how the Witch-king of Angmar, after his defeat near Fornost , had been killed and sealed in a tomb in that could not be opened in the High Fells . This is a serious departure from canon (Tolkien's writings), in which the Witch-king had not died, but fled. In fact, Glorfindel had stopped pursuit of the Witch-king and prophesied, "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall." [3] This prophecy, of course, was the basis for the later dramatic moment in The Lord of the Rings in which Éowyn was able to kill the Witch-king because she was not a man. This prophecy no longer makes sense if the Witch-king had already been killed and is now (as Saruman implies) just a spirit raised by a necromancer who could "summon the dead." Furthermore, per Tolkien the White Council knew the Witch-king had not been killed because he and the rest of the Nazgûl had previously been fighting with Gondor and had captured (and presumably killed) the last King of Gondor at Minas Morgul in TA 2050, long after he had fled Fornost [2] . It is possible, however, that the Ringwraiths could not die due to their Wraith nature and were imprisoned in the tombs, and only Sauron had the power to call them forth. As for how they presumably killed the last King of Gondor , Galadriel never specifically says if the other Ringwraiths were sealed in the High Fells along with the Witch-king when Angmar fell. So it is possible that the other Ringwraiths challenged and killed Eärnur , and were defeated and sealed with their leader centuries later.
  • When traveling along the mountain pass, Bilbo observes the stone-giants hurling rocks at a distance, "across the valley." Bilbo and his companions take refuge under a hanging rock during the thunderstorm (thunder-battle), but are never involved in the stone-giants' game.
  • In the book, it was Bilbo that alerted the party when the trapdoors in the Front Porch open. In the film, the Dwarves realize this just as they fall into the hole.
  • In the book, the Goblins only had tunnels, not rope bridges.
  • In the book, Bilbo is with the Dwarves when they are taken to the Great Goblin and later rescued by Gandalf. In the film, Bilbo is separated from the group and falls to Gollum's cave before the Dwarves are taken to the Great Goblin.
  • In the book The Hobbit , as in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring film , Bilbo Baggins finds the One Ring by chance when his hand happens to fall upon it as he is crawling through one of the dark Goblin-town tunnels, well before he comes across Gollum. In this film, Bilbo sees Gollum fighting with a Goblin and we see Gollum drop the Ring during the fight.
  • Gollum has six teeth in the book, not nine.
  • In the book, when Gollum and Bilbo were playing the game of riddles, the cave was pitch black and Bilbo could only see Gollum's glowing eyes and hear his voice echoing through the walls of the cave. In the film, the cave was partly lit up and Bilbo could see Gollum entirely.
  • In the book, Gandalf saves the Dwarves in the goblin cave with a storm of burning smoke and instantly slays the Goblin King with his blade. In the film, the Goblin King is merely knocked aside in this scene (though many of his minions die in the telekinetic blast), and slain later on.
  • In the film, Gandalf does not use multi-colored fire when lighting the pine cones.

Quizzing the Dwarves

Extended Edition [ ]

The extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on October 22 , 2013 for digital downloads and November 5 2013 for hard copies. It includes these scenes:

  • The introduction. The Elvenking Thranduil is given more screen time. He approaches the throne while Thráin gestures for a Dwarf to show Thranduil a chest of gems. As Thranduil looks entranced and reaches for it, the Dwarf closes the lid. Bard's ancestor Girion is given screen time. He is seen behind his Wind lance attempting to shoot down Smaug during the dragon's attack on Dale .
  • Bilbo's introduction to himself. A flashback wherein a young hobbit boy comes running up to Gandalf and plays with him. His mother Belladonna runs after him and acknowledges Gandalf as an old friend.
  • After Bilbo meets Gandalf on the front bench, he buys supper from Hobbiton while suspiciously looking around everywhere to make sure Gandalf is not around.
  • Kíli glances over to a female Elf in Rivendell and winks at her. Dwalin sees him and Kíli begins making excuses. In one of his excuses, he mistakenly calls another male Elf a female and Dwalin corrects him. The rest of the Dwarves laugh much to Kíli's embarrassment.
  • While eating, Nori and Óin complain about the song played by the Elf musicians. Bofur climbs up a platform and begins singing. The other Dwarves join in and start throwing food around. Elrond and Lindir look surprised and angry about Dwarves activities because they start throwing fruit to Elrond, Lindir and Bofur but they say nothing about it.
  • Bilbo is wandering around Rivendell during the daytime. He approaches the statue holding the shards of Narsil before a particular painting catches his eye. The painting depicts Isildur about to cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand. Bilbo is particularly interested in the One Ring on Sauron's hand.
  • A conversation between Bilbo and Elrond in Rivendell. Elrond also welcomes Bilbo to stay in Rivendell if he wishes.
  • Lindir complains to Elrond about the Dwarves' behavior. They find them swimming in a large fountain.
  • Gandalf and Elrond further discuss Thorin and Company's quest. Elrond voices his concern of Thorin himself, since both his grandfather and father succumbed to madness. Bilbo and Thorin overhear this conversation.
  • At the White Council, Gandalf brings up the fact that the Ring of Power once owned by Thorin's father mysteriously vanished. Saruman dismisses this as it would be of no use since all believe the One Ring was lost long ago.
  • A new song from the goblin king and longer interrogation.

Bilbo with Dwarves

Bilbo in Rivendell with the Dwarves

  • Guillermo del Toro was originally on board to direct, but bowed out due to "ongoing delays in the setting of a start date for filming."
  • When it appeared Martin Freeman would not be available to play Bilbo in The Hobbit films due to scheduling conflicts with the BBC television series Sherlock , other actors such as James McAvoy and Tobey Maguire were considered. A false rumour was spread online that David Tennant was considered, but both Tennant and Jackson denied this. Tennant was actually considered for (and offered) the role of Thranduil but had to turn it down when his girlfriend discovered she was pregnant.
  • Ryan Gage was originally cast to play Drogo Baggins , father of Frodo Baggins . According to Peter Jackson , "Ryan is a great young actor who we originally cast in a small role, but we liked him so much, we promoted him to the much larger Alfrid part."
  • This is the only film in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies in which Legolas makes no appearance.
  • The scene when Bilbo first puts on the Ring is very similar to the scene in The Fellowship of the Ring where Frodo puts on the Ring in The Prancing Pony .
  • The filmmakers titled the project Little Rivers to aid in hiding the film's identity.
  • When a Giant Eagle grabs Thorin's unconscious body, his oak-log shield falls off his arm and is permanently left behind.
  • This was both the last film not distributed by Disney, Universal or Paramount and the last film distributed by Warner Bros . to gross $1 billion until the release of Aquaman in 2018.

Gallery [ ]

DVD Combo set

Translations [ ]

References [ ].

  • ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/
  • ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Lord of the Rings , Appendix B
  • ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings , Appendix A (I, iv).

External links [ ]

  • Official site of The Hobbit films
  • Trailer for the movie
  • Differences between the book and the film Art
  • Lord of the Rings

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The hobbit: an unexpected journey, common sense media reviewers.

hobbit journey movie

Tolkien tale isn't as great as LOTR, but better for tweens.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

As in The Lord of the Rings, the message of The Ho

No one except Gandalf thinks that Bilbo can be of

Less violent than The Lord of the Rings, but there

Slang use of "jaxie" (meaning "ass").

Although there are no product placements in Middle

The dwarves are a voracious lot -- even more than

Parents need to know that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's stand-alone quest through Middle-earth, is less violent than the scarier Lord of the Rings trilogy. But there are definitely some frightening sequences, like the battle between the…

Positive Messages

As in The Lord of the Rings , the message of The Hobbit is that even the smallest person can make a huge difference. Gandalf even says "it's the small things that keep the darkness at bay" in reference to Bilbo's involvement in the dangerous mission. Gandalf advises Bilbo that it's not knowing how to take a life that takes courage but knowing when to spare one. The dwarves' quest reminds viewers of the importance of home, kinship, and belonging somewhere. Curiosity, perseverance, and teamwork are major themes.

Positive Role Models

No one except Gandalf thinks that Bilbo can be of much help, but Bilbo rises to the occasion by summoning his courage when the time calls for it -- except for the fact that he fulfills his destiny as a "burglar" by stealing Gollum's precious ring. Thorin is dedicated to his fellow dwarves, and they in return revere him as their faithful leader.

Violence & Scariness

Less violent than The Lord of the Rings , but there's still some carnage: a battle between the dwarves and the dragon leads to the dwarf king being decapitated, an orc leader's arm amputated, and a multitude of dwarves and their property destroyed. There are several close calls when Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves are pursued or nearly die on their journey across Middle-earth, usually by orcs and their beasts. The orc leader is a frightening sight -- particularly with his claw-like prosthesis, and he's bloodthirsty. A group of goblins/orcs tries to kill the group as well.

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Products & Purchases

Although there are no product placements in Middle-earth, the Tolkien books and Peter Jackson film adaptations have spawned a ton of merchandise: apparel, video games, LEGO toys and board games, role-playing games, special movie tie-in editions of the books, and more.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The dwarves are a voracious lot -- even more than hobbits. They ransack Bilbo's pantry and consume large quantities of drink (and food). Gandalf and Bilbo smoke the mellowing pipeweed.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, director Peter Jackson 's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's stand-alone quest through Middle-earth, is less violent than the scarier Lord of the Rings trilogy. But there are definitely some frightening sequences, like the battle between the dragon and the dwarves of Erebor, during which one character is decapitated, another has an arm amputated, and there's mass destruction. The group of Bilbo, Gandalf, and 13 dwarves is often tracked and pursued and nearly killed several times, but they manage to avoid death -- at least in this installment. Bilbo (like Frodo and his friends in the LOTR movies) again shows that size doesn't matter when it comes to making a difference. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Based on 52 parent reviews

Suitable for kids IMO.

Definitely not as good as the book..., what's the story.

Peter Jackson's first installment in his three-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien 's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY starts off with an eleventy-one-year-old Bilbo Baggins (played once again by Ian Holm ) narrating the tale of how he, a mellow hobbit from the Shire, ended up enmeshed in a dangerous quest. Sixty years before The Fellowship of the Ring is formed, a considerably younger Bilbo ( Martin Freeman ) sets off an the titular Unexpected Journey with his friend Gandalf the Grey ( Ian McKellen ) to help 13 dwarves reclaim their homeland -- the kingdom of Erebor, which was taken over by a killer, gold-seeking dragon that forced the dwarves into exile. The motley crew, led by Gandalf and the smoldering heir to the Erebor throne, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), encounter two-and-a-half hours of conflict (most notably with the bloodthirsty orcs) with a brief respite found in the elven homeland of Rivendell, where Galadriel ( Cate Blanchett ) offers Gandalf her unconditional support.

Is It Any Good?

Despite issues with length and pacing, there's no denying this is a production worth seeing, especially with kids new to Tolkien's detailed universe. As a novel, The Hobbit skews younger than The Lord of the Rings , so it's only natural that the film is also more accessible for tweens -- just have them look the other way for a few of the darker battle sequences. The story is simple enough, and the visuals are dazzling (the 48 frames per second rate is neither as spectacular or headache-inducing as rumors would have you believe). The acting is admirable, including the return of our favorite wizard, Gandalf, Lady of Lorien Galadriel, and head elf Elrond ( Hugo Weaving ). Unfortunately, the dwarves all sort of blend together in a tangle of hair and mischief, with the notable exception of the broody Thorin and his swashbuckling nephews, Fili and Kili (Dean O'Gorman and Aidan Turner).

The main issue with Jackson's adaptation is that the run time is brutal, even for hardcore fans of Jackson's epic LOTR trilogy. Whereas that trilogy made sense as three separate movies -- considering it was the adaptation of three books -- The Hobbit isn't a substantive enough work to demand three movies, even with Jackson pulling extra material from Tolkien's indices. The fabulous visuals and impressive action sequences reminiscent of the trilogy are bogged down by an overlong and overly thorough first quarter that could have used a considerable edit job.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how The Hobbit compares to The Lord of the Rings . How are the stories similar (a hobbit joins a dangerous quest), and how are they different? Which adventure do you prefer?

For those familiar with the book , how does the movie adaptation differ? If you haven't read the book yet, does the movie make you want to delve into Tolkien's classic? Why do you think Tolkien's fantasy tale has withstood the test of time?

What does Bilbo learn about himself throughout the journey?

How do the characters in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey demonstrate curiosity and courage ? What about perseverance and teamwork ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

  • In theaters : December 14, 2012
  • On DVD or streaming : March 19, 2013
  • Cast : Ian McKellen , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage
  • Director : Peter Jackson
  • Inclusion Information : Gay actors
  • Studio : New Line
  • Genre : Fantasy
  • Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters
  • Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance , Teamwork
  • Run time : 166 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG-13
  • MPAA explanation : extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images
  • Last updated : October 26, 2023

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Looking to watch ' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ' on your TV or mobile device at home? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Peter Jackson-directed movie via subscription can be challenging, so we here at Moviefone want to do the heavy lifting. Read on for a listing of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription options - along with the availability of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of how you can watch 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' right now, here are some details about the New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, WingNut Films, Warner Bros. Pictures action flick. Released December 6th, 2012, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' stars Martin Freeman , Ian McKellen , Richard Armitage , Graham McTavish The PG-13 movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 49 min, and received a user score of 73 (out of 100) on TMDb, which compiled reviews from 17,830 experienced users. What, so now you want to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves who seek to reclaim their mountain home from Smaug, the dragon." 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on TBS, tru TV, Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, and AMC on Demand .

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The hobbit collection.

The Hobbit collection is a three-part epic fantasy-adventure film directed and produced by Peter Jackson and based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel of the same name. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before "The Lord of the Rings", and will act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

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New zealand: home of middle-earth, the stone trolls, video blogs, theatrical trailers, game trailers, rotten tomatoes® score.

This is a cinematic world so fully realized that leaving it is a sad prospect.

A wonderfully satisfying fantasy adventure that not only connects to the previous films, but charts its own ground with great effectiveness.

When it comes to the fantasy genre, it really doesn't get more epic than this.

This is a film for true Tolkien connoisseurs.

In the end you're left wondering how it went that way, and how in the hell are they going to squeeze two more movies out of this?

'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is an expected journey that radiates entertainment, majesty and wonder. [Full review in Spanish]

While it doesn't have the same sense of urgency and darkness as the LOTR trilogy, An Unexpected Journey is a fun and welcomed adventure, filled with humor, spectacular visuals and great action sequences. [Full review in Spanish]

Despite a few minor flaws, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a superb (and suitably epic) addition to Peter Jackson's past adaptations of Tolkien's work. See it in 3D and 48fps for the ultimate experience.

It feels more scattershot than Jackson's prior films, a pastiche of set pieces that don't add up to a unified story.

It feels much like a gentler, more humorous and watered-down version of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Additional Info

  • Genre : Action, Fantasy, Drama
  • Release Date : December 14, 2012
  • Languages : English, Spanish
  • Captions : English, Spanish
  • Audio Format : 5.1

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13 Cases Where the Book Was Way Better Than the Movie

Posted: January 18, 2024 | Last updated: January 18, 2024

<p>Plenty of popular books have made for incredible movies: the “Harry Potter” series, “The Notebook,” “The Help” — the list goes on. Some readers and viewers even prefer the movie versions of their favorite stories. On the other hand, some film adaptations are better left in their original, written form. Here are some of the most notable, well-known, and well-loved books that were made into cringeworthy films.</p>

Leave It On the Bookshelf

Plenty of popular books have made for incredible movies: the “Harry Potter” series, “The Notebook,” “The Help” — the list goes on. Some readers and viewers even prefer the movie versions of their favorite stories. On the other hand, some film adaptations are better left in their original, written form. Here are some of the most notable, well-known, and well-loved books that were made into cringeworthy films.

<p><b>Film Adaptations:</b> <b>“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (2013), and “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“‘The Hobbit’ is just one book, and its expansion into three movies feels arbitrary and mercenary.” — The New York Times</p><p>Despite “The Hobbit” being only one book, the 310-page novel was split into three different movie installments, resulting in some serious overkill. J.R.R. Tolkien’s lighthearted fantasy is full of action and adventure, but stretching the story across a trilogy of films bogs down the impact, deviating from the original, simple plotline. </p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/biggest-movie-franchises/">The 25 Biggest Movie Franchises in America</a> </p>

‘The Hobbit’ | J.R.R. Tolkien

Film Adaptations: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (2012), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” (2013), and “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (2014)

Critic Quote: “‘The Hobbit’ is just one book, and its expansion into three movies feels arbitrary and mercenary.” — The New York Times

Despite “The Hobbit” being only one book, the 310-page novel was split into three different movie installments, resulting in some serious overkill. J.R.R. Tolkien’s lighthearted fantasy is full of action and adventure, but stretching the story across a trilogy of films bogs down the impact, deviating from the original, simple plotline.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “The Scarlet Letter” (1995)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“Read the book. Forget this movie.” — CNN</p><p>Arguably one of the most well-known stories of all time, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” completely falters from the original intention of the story and deviates to an over-sexualized romance instead. Even stars Demi Moore and Gary Oldman as the unlucky lovers can do nothing to salvage this mangled interpretation.</p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/cult-movies/">33 Cult Films We Can’t Stop Watching</a></p>

‘The Scarlet Letter’ | Nathaniel Hawthorne

Film Adaptation: “The Scarlet Letter” (1995)

Critic Quote: “Read the book. Forget this movie.” — CNN

Arguably one of the most well-known stories of all time, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” completely falters from the original intention of the story and deviates to an over-sexualized romance instead. Even stars Demi Moore and Gary Oldman as the unlucky lovers can do nothing to salvage this mangled interpretation.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “The Time Machine” (2002)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“So much effort has been put into creating a believable world for the traveler to come from and a creditable back story for his trip that what happens 800,000 years in the future seems to belong to a completely different — and less interesting — picture.” — Los Angeles Times</p><p>H.G. Wells’ classic novella “The Time Machine” was penned in 1895. In 2002, Wells’ great grandson unveiled the film adaptation, but missed the mark. While the original story’s plot line revolved around an inventor creating a time machine in an effort to save the life of the woman he loved, the movie contained too many bells and whistles and muffled the point of the tale.</p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/best-online-bookstores-not-amazon/">The Best Places to Buy Books Online</a></p>

‘The Time Machine’ | H.G. Wells

Film Adaptation: “The Time Machine” (2002)

Critic Quote: “So much effort has been put into creating a believable world for the traveler to come from and a creditable back story for his trip that what happens 800,000 years in the future seems to belong to a completely different — and less interesting — picture.” — Los Angeles Times

H.G. Wells’ classic novella “The Time Machine” was penned in 1895. In 2002, Wells’ great grandson unveiled the film adaptation, but missed the mark. While the original story’s plot line revolved around an inventor creating a time machine in an effort to save the life of the woman he loved, the movie contained too many bells and whistles and muffled the point of the tale.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “The Lovely Bones” (2009)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “In this case, though, he has changed the focus and characters to such a significant degree that his film might resonate more with those who have not read the book.”— The Hollywood Reporter</p><p>Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” is a haunting, yet beautiful story about a young girl who is murdered and watches over her family as they grieve her loss and try to find her killer. While the book exudes an eerie beauty and focuses on the healing process, the movie leans more toward a suspenseful thriller that is a little disturbing. Despite earning an Oscar nod for Stanley Tucci as the murderous neighbor, the movie was considered a fail by lovers of the book.</p>

‘The Lovely Bones’ | Alice Sebold

Film Adaptation: “The Lovely Bones” (2009)

Critic Quote: “In this case, though, he has changed the focus and characters to such a significant degree that his film might resonate more with those who have not read the book.”— The Hollywood Reporter

Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” is a haunting, yet beautiful story about a young girl who is murdered and watches over her family as they grieve her loss and try to find her killer. While the book exudes an eerie beauty and focuses on the healing process, the movie leans more toward a suspenseful thriller that is a little disturbing. Despite earning an Oscar nod for Stanley Tucci as the murderous neighbor, the movie was considered a fail by lovers of the book.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “Paper Towns” (2015)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“Teenage angst has been a lucrative movie racket for years, but what happens when the kids are pretty much all right? Not a whole lot, at least in ‘Paper Towns,’ a serenely bland adaptation of the John Green young-adult novel about a regular boy in love with the mystery girl next door.” — The New York Times</p><p>After the success of the film adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” it made sense to try for another box office hit and turn “Paper Towns” into a movie. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t measure up and wasn’t able to effectively convey the charm of the novel.</p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/bestselling-book-your-state/">The Bestselling Book That's Set in Your State</a></p>

‘Paper Towns’ | John Green

Film Adaptation: “Paper Towns” (2015)

Critic Quote: “Teenage angst has been a lucrative movie racket for years, but what happens when the kids are pretty much all right? Not a whole lot, at least in ‘Paper Towns,’ a serenely bland adaptation of the John Green young-adult novel about a regular boy in love with the mystery girl next door.” — The New York Times

After the success of the film adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” it made sense to try for another box office hit and turn “Paper Towns” into a movie. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t measure up and wasn’t able to effectively convey the charm of the novel.

Related: The Bestselling Book That's Set in Your State

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “A Walk to Remember” (2002)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “‘'A Walk to Remember’ proves that a movie about goodness is not the same thing as a good movie.” — The New York Times</p><p>Plenty of Nicholas Sparks novels have been translated over to film adaptations, many of which became commercially successful. “A Walk to Remember” ended up being quite underwhelming, however, despite featuring a pre-”This Is Us” Mandy Moore. While the movie follows the same general plot of the book, it lacks some of the more detailed conflicts that occur in the novel, making it less captivating.</p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/worst-clint-eastwood-movies/">The Worst Movies Ever Made, According to Critics</a></p>

‘A Walk to Remember’ | Nicholas Sparks

Film Adaptation: “A Walk to Remember” (2002)

Critic Quote: “‘'A Walk to Remember’ proves that a movie about goodness is not the same thing as a good movie.” — The New York Times

Plenty of Nicholas Sparks novels have been translated over to film adaptations, many of which became commercially successful. “A Walk to Remember” ended up being quite underwhelming, however, despite featuring a pre-”This Is Us” Mandy Moore. While the movie follows the same general plot of the book, it lacks some of the more detailed conflicts that occur in the novel, making it less captivating.

Related: The Worst Movies Ever Made, According to Critics

<p><b>Film Adaptations: “Twilight” (2008)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“Bella’s decision to get hot and heavy with a hot-and-hungry vampire, far from seeming like an act of mad, transgressive passion, comes across as merely stupid and ill-considered.” — Variety</p><p>While Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novel was able to dive into character development and provide insight for readers, the movie did not spend enough time allowing viewers into the minds of characters, making their actions seem confusing and at times, comical. As a result, the movie didn’t quite land the way the book did, though it was successful enough at the box office to turn Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart into stars and fuel four sequels.</p>

‘Twilight’ | Stephenie Meyer

Film Adaptations: “Twilight” (2008)

Critic Quote: “Bella’s decision to get hot and heavy with a hot-and-hungry vampire, far from seeming like an act of mad, transgressive passion, comes across as merely stupid and ill-considered.” — Variety

While Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” novel was able to dive into character development and provide insight for readers, the movie did not spend enough time allowing viewers into the minds of characters, making their actions seem confusing and at times, comical. As a result, the movie didn’t quite land the way the book did, though it was successful enough at the box office to turn Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart into stars and fuel four sequels.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “Gulliver’s Travels” (2010)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “The film feels rushed and slight at every point.” — The Hollywood Reporter</p><p>Johnathon Swift’s 1726 novel “Gulliver’s Travels” is a beloved classic for adults and children alike, but the big screen adaptation is cheesy and lacks the whimsy and charm that the novel exudes. Critics everywhere agreed that the film had a lazy, lackluster script and star Jack Black did little to salvage it.</p>

‘Gulliver’s Travels’ | Johnathon Swift

Film Adaptation: “Gulliver’s Travels” (2010)

Critic Quote: “The film feels rushed and slight at every point.” — The Hollywood Reporter

Jonathon Swift’s 1726 novel “Gulliver’s Travels” is a beloved classic for adults and children alike, but the big screen adaptation is cheesy and lacks the whimsy and charm that the novel exudes. Critics everywhere agreed that the film had a lazy, lackluster script and star Jack Black did little to salvage it.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “The Great Gatsby” (2013)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“Arguably, the movie reaches its orgiastic peak 30 minutes in, with the first full reveal of Gatsby himself (Leonardo DiCaprio), accompanied by an explosion of fireworks and the eruption of Gershwin on the soundtrack. Where, really, can one go from there?” - Variety</p><p>F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby” has now been adapted into film four different times, with the most recent rendition debuting in 2013. The film, starring Leonardo Dicaprio, focused too much on the style and pizazz of Gatsby’s world rather than emphasizing the actual substance of the story. While everyone looked the part and there was no shortage of glitz and glam, the plot just wasn’t as engaging and well-executed as it should have been.</p>

‘The Great Gatsby’ | F. Scott Fitzgerald

Film Adaptation: “The Great Gatsby” (2013)

Critic Quote: “Arguably, the movie reaches its orgiastic peak 30 minutes in, with the first full reveal of Gatsby himself (Leonardo DiCaprio), accompanied by an explosion of fireworks and the eruption of Gershwin on the soundtrack. Where, really, can one go from there?” — Variety

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless masterpiece, “The Great Gatsby” has now been adapted into film four different times, with the most recent rendition debuting in 2013. The film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, focused too much on the style and pizazz of Gatsby’s world rather than emphasizing the actual substance of the story. While everyone looked the part and there was no shortage of glitz and glam, the plot just wasn’t as engaging and well-executed as it should have been.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “Eragon” (2006)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “Even the scaly star, a Delft-blue beastie whose tint suggests either royal lineage or hypothermia, seems unsure of her motivation.” - The New York Times</p><p>While Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” is a book full of rich mythology and fantasy, the film adaptation was underwhelming at best. The movie lacked creativity and missed so many opportunities for humor, charm, and flair. Despite stars like John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons, there was no cure for terrible dialogue and nonsensical plotting.</p>

‘Eragon’ | Christopher Paolini

Film Adaptation: “Eragon” (2006)

Critic Quote: “Even the scaly star, a Delft-blue beastie whose tint suggests either royal lineage or hypothermia, seems unsure of her motivation.” — The New York Times

While Christopher Paolini’s “Eragon” is a book full of rich mythology and fantasy, the film adaptation was underwhelming at best. The movie lacked creativity and missed so many opportunities for humor, charm, and flair. Despite stars like John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons, there was no cure for terrible dialogue and nonsensical plotting.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “‘A Wrinkle in Time’ is wildly uneven, weirdly suspenseless and tonally all over the place, relying on wall-to-wall music to supply the missing emotional connection and trowel over huge plot holes.” — Variety</p><p>The film version of Madeleine L’Engle’s fantasy “A Wrinkle In Time” rushes through the story and doesn’t spend enough time developing characters and the plot, jumping from scene to scene too quickly. The film is overdone to the point of tackiness and the theme of the story becomes muddled with all of the background noise despite Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which and lush special effects. </p>

‘A Wrinkle In Time’ | Madeleine L'Engle

Film Adaptation: “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018)

Critic Quote: “‘A Wrinkle in Time’ is wildly uneven, weirdly suspenseless and tonally all over the place, relying on wall-to-wall music to supply the missing emotional connection and trowel over huge plot holes.” — Variety

The film version of Madeleine L’Engle’s fantasy “A Wrinkle In Time” rushes through the story and doesn’t spend enough time developing characters and the plot, jumping from scene to scene too quickly. The film is overdone to the point of tackiness and the theme of the story becomes muddled with all of the background noise despite Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which and lush special effects.

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “The Cat in the Hat” (2003)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote:</b> “For an alleged comedy, “Cat” pulls few real laughs out of its hat, but does have the effect of putting the viewer into a state of low-level stupefaction, a condition that can cut either way depending upon one’s mental and physical constitution.” — Variety</p><p>Dr. Suess’ “The Cat in the Hat” is a children’s classic, full of fun and whimsy. The book is the perfect amount of cheeky and is entertaining for both kids and adults. The movie, starring Mike Myers, might amuse children but will leave adults feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic scenes and underwhelmed by the humor. </p><p><b>Related:</b> <a href="https://blog.cheapism.com/bad-holiday-movies-big-stars/">Awesomely Bad Holiday Movies Starring A-Listers</a></p>

‘The Cat in the Hat’ by Dr. Seuss

Film Adaptation: “The Cat in the Hat” (2003)

Critic Quote: “For an alleged comedy, “Cat” pulls few real laughs out of its hat, but does have the effect of putting the viewer into a state of low-level stupefaction, a condition that can cut either way depending upon one’s mental and physical constitution.” — Variety

Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” is a children’s classic, full of fun and whimsy. The book is the perfect amount of cheeky and is entertaining for both kids and adults. The movie, starring Mike Myers, might amuse children but will leave adults feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic scenes and underwhelmed by the humor. 

Related: Awesomely Bad Holiday Movies Starring A-Listers

<p><b>Film Adaptation: “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (2010)</b></p><p><b>Critic Quote: </b>“What’s really lacking in ‘The Lightning Thief’ is a genuine sense of wonder, the same thing that brings viewers back to Hogwarts over and over again. Percy’s world seems like a decent place to visit, but it’s just not magical enough to make you want to live there.” — The Hollywood Reporter</p><p>Book lovers everywhere are often skeptical when their favorite stories are turned into movies. In the case of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” the story deviates from the book quite a bit, ultimately rubbing viewers and readers the wrong way. The movie has a weaker plot line than the book and bland characterizations, making it an overall flop.</p>

‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief’ | Rick Riordan

Film Adaptation: “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” (2010)

Critic Quote: “What’s really lacking in ‘The Lightning Thief’ is a genuine sense of wonder, the same thing that brings viewers back to Hogwarts over and over again. Percy’s world seems like a decent place to visit, but it’s just not magical enough to make you want to live there.” — The Hollywood Reporter

Book lovers everywhere are often skeptical when their favorite stories are turned into movies. In the case of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” the story deviates from the book quite a bit, ultimately rubbing viewers and readers the wrong way. The movie has a weaker plot line than the book and bland characterizations, making it an overall flop.

This article was originally published on Cheapism

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Screen Rant

The 10 most iconic movie props, ranked.

Movie props are essential elements in all films, with some achieving iconic status, serving as memorable pieces of film history.

  • Iconic movie props like the plastic bag in American Beauty can evolve into powerful symbols that enhance storytelling and captivate audiences.
  • Props like the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings trilogy transcend their fictional origins, becoming cultural touchstones that convey deeper themes.
  • The Mjölnir in the Marvel Cinematic Universe symbolizes heroism and character growth, serving as a visual emblem of strength and worthiness.

Movie props play a crucial role alongside actors and narratives, adding significant elements to a film, from character development to advancing the plot. Among these, several props have become major icons within popular film culture. These memorable objects have transcended their original context, becoming instantly recognizable symbols of the movies they appeared in. Their enduring presence in the collective consciousness is a testament to the profound impact of the films they were featured in.

While these props may have initially served a specific purpose within the story, their significance has grown over time, transforming them into beloved and iconic aspects of cinematic history. From the lightsabers of the Star Wars franchise to the golden ticket from the Willy Wonka movies , these props have captured the imagination of audiences and become an integral part of the cultural lexicon. The fascination with these iconic movie props continues to thrive, as they evoke nostalgia, inspire countless references and imitations, and serve as tangible reminders of the magic and storytelling power of cinema.

10 The Plastic Bag

American beauty (1999).

The white plastic bag's journey from a serendipitous find to an iconic prop is a testament to the power of simplicity in storytelling. Property master Lynda Reiss' tireless search for the perfect unmarked bag, despite budgetary constraints, underscores the importance of every detail in bringing a director's vision to life. The bag's lack of branding allows it to become a versatile symbol , reflecting the protagonist's inner world and the beauty he discovers in the ordinary.

Its graceful movement in the wind, captured by the character's video camera, creates a captivating visual that lingers long after the scene has ended. The plastic bag's ability to evoke emotion and convey meaning through its minimalistic presence demonstrates how even the most unassuming object can become a powerful tool in the hands of skilled filmmakers. This prop's iconic status is well-deserved , as it plays a crucial role in one of the film's most memorable and thought-provoking moments.

9 The One Ring

The lord of the rings trilogy (2001-2003), the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring.

*Availability in US

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the One Ring from the Lord of the Rings trilogy has become an iconic prop that transcends the boundaries of the fantasy genre. Its sleek, gold band and intricate Elvish inscriptions have become instantly recognizable, even to those who have never watched the films or read the original novels by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Ring's power to corrupt and tempt those who seek to possess it serves as a central theme throughout the story , driving the narrative forward as the diverse inhabitants of Middle-earth unite in their quest to destroy it.

The prop's significance is heightened by its association with the character of Frodo Baggins, the unassuming hobbit entrusted with the daunting task of carrying the Ring to Mount Doom. The One Ring's enduring legacy has been further solidified by its impact on popular culture. With references to its corrupting influence and Andy Serkis' iconic portrayal of Gollum permeating the zeitgeist, the One Ring will forever be associated with the iconic franchise .

8 The Mjölnir

Marvel cinematic universe.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.

Thor's legendary hammer, the Mjölnir, has become a symbol of strength, worthiness, and heroism within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Its iconic design, featuring a short handle and a square-shaped head adorned with intricate engravings, makes it instantly recognizable to fans of the superhero genre . The hammer's significance in the MCU extends beyond its formidable destructive capabilities, showcasing the character of those who wield it.

The memorable scene in which Captain America proves himself worthy of lifting the Mjölnir showcases the prop's ability to elevate the narrative and define pivotal moments in the franchise. The hammer's roots in Norse mythology add depth to its story , bridging the gap between ancient tales and modern-day superhero adventures. As a symbol of Thor's growth and the power of goodness, the Mjölnir has become an integral part of the MCU's visual language and a highly sought-after piece of memorabilia.

7 Hannibal Lecter's Mask

The silence of the lambs (1991), silence of the lambs.

The Silence of the Lambs follows FBI trainee Clarice Sterling (Jodie Foster) as she hunts a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). To find the killer, she must place her trust in the notoriously dangerous but brilliant cannibal, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). With Buffalo Bill's latest victim the daughter of a U.S. Senator, the pressure is on Sterling to catch the criminal before he can bring his twisted scheme to fruition.

The eerie, cage-like mask that confines Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs has become a symbol of the character's terrifying presence and the unsettling nature of his crimes. Its design serves a practical purpose within the film's narrative , protecting others from Lecter's cannibalistic tendencies while allowing him to breathe and communicate. The mask's open eyeline adds to its unnerving effect, enabling Lecter to maintain his piercing gaze and assert his psychological dominance over those around him.

The prop's ability to dehumanize the character paradoxically heightens his menace, transforming him into a caged beast whose intellect and cunning remain undiminished by his physical restraints. This iconic status of the mask is further cemented by its prominent role in the film's sequel, Hannibal, where it serves as a chilling reminder of Lecter's past and the lingering threat he poses to society. Lecter's use of the mask symbolizes the complexity of his character , blurring the lines between humanity and monstrosity.

6 The Neuralyzer

Men in black (1997), men in black.

Not available

In the world of Men in Black , the neuralyzer stands out as a quintessential piece of technology that has left a huge impact on pop culture. This unassuming, pen-like device possesses the power to erase the short-term memory of any witness to extraterrestrial activity, ensuring that the secretive work of the MIB remains hidden from the public eye. The neuralyzer's sleek, futuristic design perfectly encapsulates the film's blend of science fiction and comedy , making it an instantly recognizable prop that has become synonymous with the franchise.

How Men In Black's Neuralyzer Actually Works

The neuralyzer's crucial role in the narrative elevates it from a mere gadget to a key plot device, showcasing its originality and narrative significance within the film's universe. Its iconic status as a memory-wiping tool seamlessly integrates into the story , distinguishing it from more conventional weapons commonly seen in Hollywood blockbusters. This unique feature underscores its impact on the audience, contributing to its lasting impression.

5 The Golden Ticket

Willy wonka and the chocolate factory (1971), willy wonka and the chocolate factory.

Based on Roald Dahl's 1964 novel, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory stars Gene Wilder as the titular eccentric candymaker who invites five children into his mysterious factory to show them how he creates his popular candies. The film mostly follows Charlie Bucket, a young boy from a poor family who miraculously wins one of the five Golden Tickets that allows him access to Wonka's factory tour. 

The golden ticket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has become synonymous with hope, opportunity, and the fulfillment of dreams. The prop's shimmering, metallic surface and ornate design make it an instantly recognizable object, even to those who have never seen the film. The golden ticket's meaning within the story cannot be overstated, as it serves as a catalyst for Charlie's journey and the life-changing events that follow.

Its scarcity and the worldwide frenzy surrounding its discovery underscore the ticket's value and the transformative power it holds for those lucky enough to find one. The prop's iconic status has transcended the confines of the film, becoming a cultural touchstone and a metaphor for rare opportunities and coveted experiences. The golden ticket's enduring popularity speaks to its ability to capture the imagination and evoke a sense of wonder , solidifying its place as one of the most memorable and beloved props in cinematic history.

4 The Wilson Ball

Cast away (2000).

Directed by Robert Zemeckis in his second collaboration with Tom Hanks, Cast Away tells the story of FedEx executive Chuck Noland, who strives to survive in a deserted island after a plane crash. The film, which mostly takes place in the uninhabited island, earned Hanks a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Considered one of Tom Hanks’ best movies , Wilson the volleyball in Cast Away becomes an unlikely companion and a powerful symbol of the human need for connection in the face of isolation. The prop's transformation from a simple sports item to a personified friend is a testament to the character's resourcefulness and the depth of his loneliness. The blood-drawn face on the volleyball adds a haunting and visceral quality to the prop , underscoring the desperation and vulnerability of Chuck's situation.

Wilson's presence in the film serves as a catalyst for Chuck's character development, providing him with an outlet for his thoughts and emotions, and ultimately helping him maintain his sanity during his prolonged isolation. The volleyball's iconic status is further cemented by its role in one of the film's most heart-wrenching scenes , where Chuck's anguished cries for his lost companion echo across the vast expanse of the ocean, highlighting the profound bond that can form between a person and an inanimate object under extraordinary circumstances.

3 Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

The wizard of oz (1939), the wizard of oz.

Based on Frank L. Baum's book of the same name, The Wizard of Oz follows young Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) as she's swept away to the magical land of Oz. Upon arriving, she falls afoul of a witch, then enlists the help of a scarecrow, a tin man, and a lion in order to find the Wizard and get home to her family. 

An enduring symbol of the power of home and the resilience of the human spirit, Dorothy's ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz have captured the imagination of generations. The vibrant red hue of the slippers stands in stark contrast to the sepia-toned world of Kansas, representing the magic and wonder of the Land of Oz. The prop's significance within the narrative is paramount , as the slippers serve not only as a source of protection for Dorothy, but also as her ultimate key to returning to her family.

The iconic status of the ruby slippers extends far beyond the film itself , with their scarcity and value making them a highly sought-after piece of Hollywood history. The slippers' timeless design and the craftsmanship behind their creation have elevated them to the status of a cultural touchstone. The slippers will forever be an embodiment of the film’s legacy.

2 The Lightsaber

Star wars franchise.

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.

Lightsabers have become synonymous with the Star Wars franchise, transcending their role as simple props to become cultural icons in their own right. The distinctive hum and glow of these energy-based swords have captured the imagination of audiences, embodying the mystical power of the Force and the eternal conflict between good and evil. Each lightsaber is a reflection of its wielder , with the color of the blade often indicating the character's alignment and personality, from the heroic blue and green of the Jedi to the menacing red of the Sith.

The lightsaber's versatility in combat, capable of deflecting blaster fire and slicing through the toughest of materials, represents its importance as a weapon of choice for the galaxy's most powerful warriors. Beyond its practical applications, the lightsaber serves as a narrative device , illuminating the paths characters take and the choices they make, ultimately shaping their destinies and the fate of the galaxy itself. Its iconic status as a symbol of Jedi prowess and Sith domination further solidifies its role in the Star Wars saga.

1 Morpheus' Red and Blue Pills

The matrix (1999).

In a dystopian future, hacker Neo (Keanu Reeves) learns about the Matrix, a simulated reality hiding the truth of humanity's enslavement by machines. He joins rebels led by the mysterious Morpheus, who believes Neo is destined to free humanity. Betrayal leads to a deadly confrontation with villain Agent Smith as Neo discovers his true power, defeats his enemies, and promises to change the world.

The red and blue pills have become iconic props that represent a defining moment in The Matrix franchise , representing a powerful metaphor for the choice between truth and ignorance. The stark contrast between the two pills, one offering a path to enlightenment and the other a return to the comfortable illusion, has resonated with audiences long after the film's release. The props' significance lies not only in their visual impact, but also in the philosophical questions they raise about the nature of reality and the consequences of seeking knowledge.

The act of Neo choosing the red pill has become a cultural shorthand for embracing the often difficult truth, while the blue pill represents the temptation to remain in blissful ignorance. The Wachowskis' use of these seemingly simple props as a narrative device has elevated them to the status of enduring symbols , sparking discussions and interpretations that extend far beyond the confines of the film.

A Big Bold Beautiful Journey: Everything We Know About The Margot Robbie And Colin Farrell Movie

This sounds interesting...

Margot Robbie in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin

  • Release Date
  • The Director
  • Other Things We Know

Margo Robbie and Colin Farrell have given some of the best performances in recent memory with their roles in Barbie and The Banshees of Inisherin , respectively. And now the two decorated actors are preparing for their project , A Big Bold Beautiful Journey . This new, exciting, and mysterious project will see the talented actors work with a director with a brilliant track record and unique vision, the screenwriter behind one of the best movies of 2022 , and it all sounds like so much fun.

Though there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding the upcoming project, we actually know a fair amount about one of the most interesting movies to fall onto our radar in quite some time. All of that being said, here’s everything we know about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey at this point in time. 

What Is The Release Date For A Big Bold Beautiful Journey?

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Though we would all love to see Margot Robbie follow up the massive success of Barbie with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey and dominate the box office two years in a row, the truth is the release date for the movie has not been announced yet.  

Considering production hasn’t yet started (more on that later) at the time of this writing, there’s a good chance we won’t see Robbie and Colin Farrell’s new film on the 2024 movie schedule . However, expect to hear much more about the release date, or at least the release window, in the coming weeks and months.

Margot Robbie And Colin Farrell Will Lead A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

Margot Robbie in Barbie and Colin Farrell in The Banshees of Inisherin

Not a whole lot is known about who will be appearing alongside them in A Big Bold Beautiful Journey , but Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell will be leading the cast when the film makes its eventual debut somewhere down the road. Back in February 2024, Variety announced that Robbie and Farrell were set to star in the mysterious romantic movie, but didn’t provide any details about their respective roles. Regardless, these two A-listers are more than capable of handling anything that comes their way.

If you look at Margot Robbie’s best movies , you’ll see a great number of versatile projects including heartwarming meta-comedies like Barbie , a variety of comic book movies like The Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey , and sprawling crime epics. The same can be said for Farrell, who has spent the past few decades appearing in movies like The Lobster , In Bruges , The Batman , and Miami Vice , which was great even though he wasn’t a fan of his own work . 

The Movie Has Been Described As An Imaginative Tale Of Two Strangers

Colin Farrell in In Bruges

Details about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey ’s plot are currently being kept under wraps, but the Variety article announcing the project did provide some insight into the upcoming Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell movie. The outlet announced in February 2024 that the movie is an imaginative tale of two strangers, as well as an unbelievable journey that connects their stories. 

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And while we don’t really know what all of that means or how it will fit into the story, this could be something like the 2023 Best Picture winner , Everything Everywhere All at Once , which featured a hard-to-describe premise and imaginative story about a woman traversing the multiverse on an odyssey of self-discovery. 

Korean Filmmaker Kogonada Is Set To Direct A Big Bold Beautiful Journey

Jodie Turner-Smith in After Yang

In addition to having two major Hollywood stars involved with the project, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey will also have a visionary director behind the camera. According to The Hollywood Reporter , Korean-born American filmmaker Kogonada will be helming the mysterious romance movie. 

After making a name for himself with a series of video essays on influential filmmakers like Wes Anderson , Terrence Malick , and Stanley Kubrick a little more than a decade ago, Kogonada began to make movies on his own. First, he released the 2017 drama film, Columbus , which he followed up with 2021’s After Yang , which featured Colin Farrell in a major capacity. The director also helmed two episodes of the upcoming Star Wars show , The Acolyte . 

The Script Was Written By The Menu’s Seth Reiss

Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes speaking in The Menu

When Kogonada begins directing A Big Bold Beautiful Journey , he will be working off an original script written by Seth Reiss, who many will remember for being the scribe behind The Menu , a genre-bending horror flick that was as fun as it was intense, and featured unforgettable performances from the likes of Anya Taylor-Joy , Nicholas Hoult , and Ralph Fiennes as the over-the-top and demanding Chef Slowik.

Interestingly enough, the upcoming project will only be Reiss’ second movie, as most of his career has been spent writing for TV series, late-night talk shows, and various comedy specials. For the past 10 years, Reiss has served as a writer and writing supervisor for Late Night with Seth Meyers , which came after spending several years writing for The Onion and its various spinoffs. 

Sony Pictures’ Tom Rothman Has Called A Big Bold Beautiful Journey A ‘Project From Heaven’

Margot Robbie in Barbie

Sony Pictures acquired the distribution rights for A Big Bold Beautiful Journey in February 2024, and the studio must be very excited about its upcoming project. In a statement shared with Variety , Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman called the imaginative new acquisition a “project from heaven." Believing audiences are hungry and “desperate for originality,” the executive gave off the impression he was convinced the upcoming Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell movie will be one for the ages.

Production Will Kick Off In Spring 2024

Colin Farrell in Winter's Tale

We don’t know exactly when cameras will start rolling on A Big Bould Beautiful Journey , but the shoot will kick off at some point in Spring 2024, according to Deadline . Production is said to be taking place in California, but a precise location and start date have not yet been revealed by Sony Pictures or anyone else involved with the project. 

We should know more about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey in the very near future as more actors are announced to appear alongside Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, additional plot details are revealed, and everything else is sorted out.

Philip Sledge

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

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hobbit journey movie

COMMENTS

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    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a 2012 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.It is the first installment in The Hobbit trilogy, acting as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.. The story is set in Middle-earth sixty ...

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  5. The Hobbit (film series)

    The Hobbit is a series of three epic high fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson.The films are subtitled An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013), and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). The films are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, with large portions of the trilogy inspired by the appendices to The Return of the King, which expand on ...

  6. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    Movie Info. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on ...

  7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)

    Available on iTunes. This Extended adventure follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and ...

  8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    A quiet, peace-loving hobbit, Bilbo is happily installed in his cosy subterranean home in the Shires, an idyllic corner of Merrie England inhabited by contented peasants who look like people in ...

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    The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through ...

  10. 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' by Peter Jackson

    Directed by Peter Jackson. Adventure, Family, Fantasy. PG-13. 2h 49m. By A.O. Scott. Dec. 13, 2012. In "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," Peter Jackson's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's ...

  11. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film of The Hobbit film trilogy, lasting 3 hours and 2 minutes. It was directed by Peter Jackson, who previously had directed The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. It was a major box office success, grossing over $1.017 billion worldwide. The film is the fourth Middle-earth film adaptation to be released, and the first chronologically. Martin ...

  12. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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    Parents need to know that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, director Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's stand-alone quest through Middle-earth, is less violent than the scarier Lord of the Rings trilogy. But there are definitely some frightening sequences, like the battle between the dragon and the dwarves of Erebor, during which one character is decapitated, another has an arm ...

  14. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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  15. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Stream and Watch Online

    Released December 6th, 2012, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' stars Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish The PG-13 movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 49 min, and ...

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    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Hobbit Bilbo Baggins joins 13 dwarves on a quest to reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor. IMDb 7.8 2 h 44 min 2012. X-Ray PG-13. Fantasy · Adventure · Ambitious · Exciting.

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    Purchase The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on digital and stream instantly or download offline. Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with the first of three films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's enduring masterpiece. Set in Middle-earth 60 years before the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, the adventure follows the journey of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic ...

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  21. Netflix

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  22. Here's The Correct Order of Watching The Lord of the Rings and The

    Here you will find a list of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies and TV series arranged in chronological order. See how to watch them. Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson, New Line Cinema, 2001 ... An Unexpected Journey. 2012. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. 2013. The Hobbit: The Battle of the ...

  23. 13 Cases Where the Book Was Way Better Than the Movie

    Film Adaptations: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012), "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013), and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014) Critic Quote ...

  24. The 10 Most Iconic Movie Props, Ranked

    The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. prequel (s) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the One Ring from the Lord of the Rings trilogy has become an iconic prop that ...

  25. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey: Everything We Know About The Margot

    Details about A Big Bold Beautiful Journey's plot are currently being kept under wraps, but the Variety article announcing the project did provide some insight into the upcoming Margot Robbie ...