the unexpected journey movie review

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

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

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.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

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.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

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 .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

Parents say (52)
Kids say (233)

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 : April 25, 2024

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Reviews

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

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 20, 2022

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

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 21, 2022

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

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Dec 1, 2020

This is a film for true Tolkien connoisseurs.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.0/4.0 | Sep 10, 2020

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?

Full Review | Original Score: C | Jul 14, 2020

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

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 25, 2020

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]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 30, 2020

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.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 15, 2020

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

Full Review | Original Score: 3.2/5 | Nov 14, 2019

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

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 31, 2019

If The Hobbit does become a huge hit, winning fans beyond the loyalists, it won't be the first bad movie to score at the box-office.

Full Review | Aug 6, 2019

As Bilbo Baggins, Martin Freeman... is a perfect mix of innocent wide-eyed wonder-filled man child and stodgy stick in the mud.

Full Review | Jul 30, 2019

A grand cinematic spectacle that demands our full surrender but doesn't overwhelm its simple tale of courage with its spectacular special effects.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 8, 2019

For the most part I found the whole excursion to be rather dull. The action is absent in long stretches, with what feels like an endless string of backstories.

Full Review | Apr 11, 2019

As the camera panned down over Hobbiton, the clarity of the colors and costumes made the scene look like a local RenFair-except, not even as gritty as that.

Full Review | Mar 3, 2019

The Hobbit is a long and bumpy walk worth taking.

Full Review | Feb 26, 2019

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a very good two-hour film buried within a meandering 166 minutes.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 20, 2019

The results aren't quite so resonant, but the right notes are still being played, and we certainly come away fond enough of the characters and invested enough in their world to want to come back for more when it's ready.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Jan 30, 2019

Bret MacKenzie returns as FIGWIT and it's about as jarring as Ed Sheeran in Game of Thrones but it's still good.

Full Review | Jan 14, 2019

It makes sense for Peter Jackson to want to fill out his canvas. Film can show certain things that prose cannot (and vice versa, obviously).

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Review

THE HOBBIT Review. Our review of director Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, starring Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage & Ian McKellen.

Pros: Incredible clarity and sharpness of detail. Characters and objects in the background are nearly as clear and defined as those in the foreground of a shot. It makes for absolutely gorgeous establishing shots and exploration of new settings (Erebor, the Dwarven Kingdom before Smaugâ€™s attack, is amazing. Iâ€™d love to see a film just about the Dwarves and their lives under the mountain). Itâ€™s great when steady or slow-moving camera work is applied. Beautiful for scenery or landscape shots; would make for excellent documentary applications.
Cons: Definite â€œmotion sicknessâ€ potential during scenes of chaotic action or fast-movement; the increased clarity often feels as if youâ€™re standing on set with the actors/characters, so when they take a crazy tumble down a rabbit hole, for example, you feel just as disorientedâ€¦which might not be too pleasant for some. There is a bit of an adjustment period for 48fps; I was jarred by it at the start but warmed up to 95% of its usage over time. 48fps means you cannot hide mistakesâ€¦period; there were some poorly-rendered VFX sequences that were unintentionally comical and resembled the old-school tactic of filming a stationary actor in front of a moving background. These effects were bad, bad, bad; thereâ€™s no way around it.

I admire and support Jacksonâ€™s decision to use 48fps and 3D going forward, but there is still some work to do to make it seamless. If you want more technical explanations of 48fps, head over to PC Magâ€™s explanation (via The One Ring ). Another quick note on a technical aspect: most of the enemies simply had no weight to them. Goblins were tossed aside like paper dolls with the Dwarves flicking them out of the way without breaking a sweat. I can only think of a handful of instances of this happening in Lord of the Rings, such as the surge down the stone ramp leading out of Helmâ€™s Deep in The Two Towers or parts of the massive Battle of the Pelennor Fields in Return of the King. But for An Unexpected Journey, there was no sense of real danger during most of the fight scenes, right up until the end. This is strange, because the flashback battles were, for the most part, epic and brutal and heavy, with real emotion tied in to the loss of believable warriors. On the plus side, the costume and make-up design for the flesh-and-blood characters and creatures was phenomenal, even managing to surpass the originalÂ Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The greatest achievement of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is how well it ties in with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, much better than, say, the original Star Wars films and their prequels, which are widely-considered to be inferior. As we recently discussed in our Star Wars podcast, watching the films in episode order is not only visually jarring, it ruins the dramatic tension of the whole arc. At first blush, The Hobbit: An Unexpected JourneyÂ appears to avoid this pitfall. The film Â is set up in such a way that new viewers are briefly introduced to Bilbo and Frodo, but regard them only as an old storyteller and his nephew, nothing more. Returning viewers of the Lord of the Rings feel a bit of nostalgia for the old films and are transitioned into the new films by having a familiar starting place. This introductory scene, which some early reviewers cited as unnecessary, links the trilogies together in a much stronger way. I donâ€™t know how Jackson plans to end his Hobbit trilogy, but the opening of An Unexpected Journey and Fellowship of the Ring are already neatly tied together.

Also, â€œEaster eggsâ€ are not just there for fun; they actually refer to each other in the films (depending on which order you watch them in), as well as to the source material in the books. Without giving too much away, An Unexpected Journey enriches the relationship between Gandalf and Bilbo (and, by extension, Frodo), as well as Gandalf and the elder powers of Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman. The film also explores the reasons for the deep-seated hatred between Dwarves and Elves, Gandalfâ€™s connection to nature, the desecration of the Greenwood, the secrets of Saruman, the origin of some of the famous weaponry in the series and, of course, the lore of the Ring. So An Unexpected Journey manages to pay homage to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, while forging strong introductions to the themes that are explored in the chronologically later-occurring films, especially for first-time viewers. Itâ€™s evident that much care was given over to consideration of how to weave these two tapestries together and itâ€™s brilliantly achieved.

Special attention must be given to the musical score of the film, both for original pieces (such as "Misty Mountains,"Â the haunting yet stirring theme for the Dwarves) and incorporation of the themes from Lord of the Rings. The musical cues go a long way to reinforce the connection I mentioned above. While the Misty Mountains theme pervades the film, there are also ties to the Shire, the Ring and even a heroic bit of music that I wonâ€™t spoil here, but will come as a welcome surprise.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has set a high bar for the next two installments, but if the Lord of the Rings trilogy is any indication, I fully believe that bar will be surpassed. Moving forward, Iâ€™d like to see the films become a bit more serious, especially since Bilbo is now in possession of a certain ring and all the grave consequences that portends. It would also be a more gradual transition into the Lord of the Rings trilogy and would allow new fans to mature along with the entire six-film arc, much like the Harry Potter films so expertly achieved. While The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is destined to be a stand-alone adventure classic in the vein of The Neverending Story, Willow and Legend , it is surely strongest when viewed as a satisfactory part of a greater whole.

For more on The Hobbit , here's 6 clips from the film and twenty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage .

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

13 Dec 2012

169 minutes

Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The

“All good stories deserve embellishment,” Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellen) tells Bilbo (Martin Freeman) before the latter has even left the snug, leathery comfort of his Bag End armchair and embarked on his Unexpected Journey. There is no way this line, a pithy conclusion to a tall tale of Bilbo’s Tookish grandfather (beheads goblin, invents golf), could have been written unknowingly. The Hobbit is a good story. And embellishment, controversially for some, has been the order of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo Del Toro’s adaptation — both narratively (An Unexpected Journey is now a trilogy opener rather than part one of two) and visually; this sunnier, 60-years-younger Middle-earth was digitally shot at double the frame rate of the three earlier movies which concerned this mythic realm’s difficult autumn years.

To begin with the first form of embellishment is to immediately address the concern that Jackson and co.’s Hobbit may be a painful inflation of a slim, bedtime storybook, as opposed to The Lord Of The Rings’ leaner interpretation of a vast fantasy-historical epic. Team Jackson looks outside the novel’s narrative (which, while quicker than Rings, is still rich in detail and packed with incident) to the Tolkienverse yonder, and unashamedly treats The Hobbit as a prequel in which the return of Sauron The Deceiver is foreshadowed ominously.

Yet the cutaways to guano-faced nature-wizard Radagast The Brown (Sylvester McCoy) nursing hedgehogs, going boss-eyed and rabbit-sledging to creepy ruined forts do feel of limited relevance to the main quest. Beyond Gandalf expressing to a sceptical Saruman (Christopher Lee) his fear that dwarf economy-hoarding wyrm Smaug could come into play as a fiery WMD for “the enemy”, the threads concerning the White Council, the Necromancer and aforementioned fort Dol Guldur— all direct prequel material — have yet to be firmly twined with Bilbo’s relatively modest adventure. He may find the One Ring here, but for now its connection to Sauron is known only by us and Howard Shore’s string section.

Even so, this particular trek to a mountain has been smartly remoulded — the final destination’s always a mountain, this one Lonely rather than Doomed. It is well-paced, bringing in chief antagonist Azog (Manu Bennett), the albino orc-lord barely in the book, who from the start is hunting the “dwarf scum”, soon giving the quest frantic chase movie impetus. Existing set-pieces have been thoughtfully redrafted, so don’t expect the encounter with the trolls (a cockney Three Stooges) to play out as it does in the novel. And new sequences have been added, such as a skirmish with warg-mounted orcs on Rivendell’s borders. The Goblin Town diversion comes replete with Jacksonian grace notes, featuring a neat swinging gantry gag that references King Kong — although he doesn’t let these set-pieces breathe as freely as those in either Rings or Kong. While it’s good to see Gandalf get stuck in like never before, this is no Moria. And despite the running time, there is still the occasional sense that Jackson is rushing, underpinned by the fact that, for all their elaborate individuality, the dwarves remain somewhat amorphous, with only Thorin (an impressive Richard Armitage), Balin (Ken Stott), Bofur (James Nesbitt) and Fili/Kili (Dean O’Gorman/Aidan Turner) given any special attention.

Still, thanks to an Ian Holm-presented prologue, we’re in no doubt as to the significance of their mission. This isn’t just a treasure hunt: this is a desperate gambit to reclaim a homeland for a people who have suffered a generation of bitter diaspora. There is an appeal to the way Tolkien’s book begins small, seemingly trivial — Bilbo the reluctant burglar off on a perilous jaunt — then rises out into something so huge that five armies roll up to the ultimate fracas. But it is appropriate to Jackson’s cinematic rendition of Middle-earth that we should swiftly understand Thorin’s position (part Aragorn, part Boromir) in its weighty narrative history. This comes not only via the prologue, in which we witness the full glory of Erebor and its nuking by malevolent bat-lizard Smaug (of whom there are glimpses), but also an impressive flashback to Thorin’s hard-fought, albeit temporary, triumph over Azog on the slopes outside Moria.

One question raised by the book is: why precisely did Bilbo, a homely fellow and appreciator of simple comforts, agree to head off into such danger? And why didn’t he bail when the going got extreme? These are ingeniously addressed, and in fact form the arc of An Unexpected Journey. The Hobbit Episode I is the story of how Bilbo commits to adventure, how he realises his motive. And Team Jackson’s answer is elegantly simple, a fine-brushed masterstroke of scripting: the creature who just wants to go back home discovers that what he’s doing here is helping these homeless dwarves reclaim theirs.

It’s a concept sold flawlessly by Martin Freeman, perfect casting for the fusty halfling. There really is no other character like Bilbo in Tolkien’s chronicles, and he is arguably this saga’s strongest: a proper, decent, everyday sort of chap (if a little on the conservative side) whose resourcefulness is drawn from a deep well of inner strength. Not as beleaguered as Frodo, nor as acquiescent as Samwise, nor as comical as Merry and/or Pippin. “I’m not a hero or a warrior,” Bilbo asserts. He’s us. And Freeman encapsulates that throughout, without mugging or winking. His Bilbo does take his predicament seriously, and while this is the jauntiest — at times silliest, at times funniest, certainly the most child-friendly — Middle-earth movie yet, Freeman remains its emotional lodestone.

The most powerful moment comes during the Riddles In The Dark incident, which briefly brings back Andy Serkis’ Gollum, the other arguably strongest character in the saga. It is a joy and a thrill to once more see mo-cap master Serkis owning the role, and to have the celebrated encounter brilliantly re-envisioned through the prism of the Sméagol/Gollum split personality. However, the true punch of poignancy comes at that most pivotal of moments: when Bilbo, invisibly standing over Gollum with sword at his throat, exercises mercy. Jackson holds on Freeman’s face. This isn’t just Tim-from-The Office or Watson in pointy ears, but an actor at the height of his prowess finding every layer to a character it now seems he was born to play.

So what, finally, of that other embellishment, the history-making visual treatment? 48 frames per second is, as they say, something else. And you can take that both ways. On the one hand, the crispness of detail is almost overwhelming, whether you’re noticing the seam down the back of Gandalf’s hat, or repulsed by the scabby goitre dangling from the Great Goblin’s (Barry Humphries) hideously distended face. On the other, there’s something about the lack of grain and motion blur that oddly makes the movie feel less epic — it’s so immediate and intimate that the distance between seat and screen is all but removed. This may make you feel more thrillingly part of the action, or it may diminish the spectacle and unflatteringly highlight the film’s more set-bound nature. Something to bear in mind when deciding if you’re going to seek out the upgraded experience.

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Bilbo Begins His Ring Cycle

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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.

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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Screen Rant

'the hobbit: an unexpected journey' review, if the hobbit: an unexpected journey is any indication of what's to come, lord of the rings faithfuls have reason to be hopeful that the director will create another captivating round of adventures..

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first installment in Peter Jackson's new Middle-earth trilogy - once again based on the beloved fantasy world created by author J.R.R. Tolkien. After director Guillermo del Toro left the project, Jackson returned to the director's chair and expanded the would-be film series - originally conceived as a two-part adaptation of The Hobbit storyline - into a full-on Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy.

While the plot of Part 1, An Unexpected Journey , and Part 2, The Desolation of Smaug , offer a relatively straightforward storyline, the mystery surrounding Part 3, There and Back Again , has left many fans wondering if Jackson and New Line Cinema sacrificed a quality Hobbit adaptation in favor of a third opportunity for box office earnings.

There and Back Again is set for release in summer 2014, so it'll be awhile before we can definitively weigh in on that trilogy decision; however, if The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is any indication of what's to come, Lord of the Rings faithfuls have reason to be hopeful that the director will create another captivating round of adventures in Middle-earth. An Unexpected Journey does not match the scale established in Lord of the Rings , but there are still plenty of eye-popping visuals, enchanting action set-pieces, and intriguing character cameos, to prevent the film from being the underwhelming (and cheesy) experience that some skeptics were anticipating. In fact, the more intimate storyline, centered around reluctant/adventure-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), his thirteen dwarf companions, and the renowned Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), often outshines similar plot beats from The Fellowship of the Ring .

In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , a pre- Lord of the Rings Bilbo Baggins has abandoned his thirst for adventure in favor of a safe and comfortable life in The Shire. For years, Bilbo has preferred the quiet of Bag End, his Hobbit-hole, a well-stocked pantry, and the warmth of his fireplace to the beauty and terrors of the lands beyond his home - until Gandalf the Grey knocks on his door.

The wizard invites the hobbit on a quest to help a band of dwarves retake their homeland, The Lonely Mountain, from a ruthless and dangerous dragon, Smaug. Unwilling to resist the chance for adventure, Bilbo agrees to accompany the group, which is led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), heir to the King Under the Mountain crown. The company faces challenge after challenge, and - unbeknownst to even the wise Gandalf - bears first witness to a dangerous sequence of events that will haunt the next generation of hobbits, dwarves, elves, and men.

Unsurprisingly, there are several similarities between An Unexpected Journey and The Fellowship of the Ring , most notably the core premise (a ragtag group of heroes on a life-or-death quest through the wilds of Middle-earth); however, Jackson's latest installment is differentiated by a number of smart filmmaking choices and solid character dynamics that were present in the Tolkien source material - especially the multifaceted Bilbo Baggins.

Freeman gives a sharp and charming performance as the brave hobbit - adding nuance to a role that draws stark contrast to Elijah Wood's turn as Frodo (who enjoys an especially light-hearted cameo return). Unlike the Lord of the Rings protagonist, Bilbo revels in his adventure - even when he's in over his head - with a solid balance of wit, humor, and bravery that translates into genuinely entertaining (as well as emotionally impactful) scenes. Even though the tone of The Hobbit novel is a bit lighter compared to Lord of the Rings , the film version of Bilbo easily fits into Jackson's darker overarching movie universe - which should be a relief to viewers that were put-off by the rowdy dwarf antics that have dominated the movie adaptation's marketing.

In fact, the dwarves successfully walk a very fine line between jolly goofballs and downright tough-as-nails warriors. Many of their respective combat sequences aren't just exciting, they include unique action beats that are especially impressive when you take into consideration the blend of camera tricks, CGI, and practical prosthetics used to make onscreen interactions look believable when dwarf, goblin, hobbit, and wizard parts all collide in battle. A flashback sequence that establishes Thorin as the leader of the dwarf company is especially impressive, and could rival fan-favorite battles from Return of the King - cementing the character as one of the toughest brawlers in Middle-earth.

Several subtle (and some not-so subtle) changes lead to tense and exciting action sequences, complete with imaginative visual spectacle, helping to ratchet up the relatively modest Hobbit source material storyline - and produce a film experience that matches the thrill and breadth of the original film trilogy. That said, franchise fans will also appreciate many iconic character moments in An Unexpected Journey - notably the fateful game of riddles between Bilbo and Gollum (Andy Serkis). Jackson manages to provide even the quietest scenes with weight - as certain developments carry impact far beyond the short-term Hobbit -centric storyline.

Unfortunately, not all of the Hobbit / Lord of the Rings bridging serves the story at hand - resulting in a lengthy film (169 minutes) that contains a few overlong or disjointed scenes. All of the Lord of the Rings foreshadowing is interesting, but at times it undercuts the importance of the current objective (Smaug and the Lonely Mountain). It's clear that The Hobbit story could have likely been told in two films and, as a result, viewers will probably be mixed on the success of the bridging scenes in An Unexpected Journey , The Desolation of Smaug , as well as There and Back Again ; however, the extra content hardly undermines the quality of Jackson's latest effort - even for especially cynical moviegoers.

Adding to the controversy is the director's choice to shoot in 48 frames-per-second - a format that results in hyper-realistic visuals but, as many filmmakers argue, is so true-to-life that it can actually be a distraction - depriving filmgoers of immersion. We've put together a separate editorial discussing the successes and shortcomings of The Hobbit in 48fps but, with regard to a review recommendation, without question the format is worth experiencing - if for no other reason than to form your own opinion (assuming there's a HFR 3D-ready theater near you). 48fps can be disorienting at first, but An Unexpected Journey makes smart use of the presentation - delivering a number of jaw-dropping visual set pieces. There are plenty of movies that we would not want to see in 48fps and, much like 3D, filmmakers should be smart about when to use and avoid the format, but Jackson's Hobbit movie is a worthy (and encouraging) trial run.

In the long run, The Hobbit prequels could be weakened by Jackson's expanded three film plan, but if Part 2 and Part 3 are as enjoyable as An Unexpected Journey , it'll be hard for moviegoers to complain. The film includes everything that made the original Lord of the Rings trilogy so memorable - action-adventure, charm, humor, and breath-taking fantasy battles. Sure, a few extemporaneous Lord of the Rings elements slow things down and distract from the core Hobbit storyline, but overall, the director has once again presented audiences with a captivating and exciting trip to Middle-earth.

If you’re still on the fence about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , check out the trailer below:

[poll id="477"]

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comment section below. If you’ve seen the movie and want to discuss details about the film without worrying about spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, please head over to our Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Spoilers Discussion .

For an in-depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant editors check out our Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey episode of the SR Underground podcast .

Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick for future reviews, as well as movie, TV, and gaming news.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images. Now playing in 2D, 3D, IMAX, and 48fps theaters.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – review

"Unexpected" is right, for a couple of reasons. Peter Jackson , the man who brought Lord Of The Rings to the big screen to eardrum-shattering acclaim 10 years ago, is now taking just the same approach to Tolkien's much slighter, slimmer children's book The Hobbit. It's getting expanded into three movie episodes of which this whoppingly long film is the opener.

So Tolkien's gentle tale is going to be a triple box-office bonanza, occupying the same amount of space as the mighty Rings epic, an effect achieved by pumping up the confrontations, opening out the backstory and amplifying the ambient details, like zooming in on a Google Middle Earth.

The second unexpected point is the look of the thing. Jackson has pioneeringly shot The Hobbit in HFR, or High Frame Rate: 48 frames a second, as opposed to the traditional 24, giving a much higher definition and smoother "movement" effect. But it looks uncomfortably like telly, albeit telly shot with impossibly high production values and in immersive 3D. Before you grow accustomed to this, it feels as if there has been a terrible mistake in the projection room and they are showing us the video location report from the DVD "making of" featurette, rather than the actual film.

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There can be no doubt that Jackson has made The Hobbit with brio and fun, and Martin Freeman is just right as Bilbo Baggins: he plays it with understatement and charm. But I had the weird, residual sense that I was watching an exceptionally expensive, imaginative and starry BBC Television drama production, the sort that goes out on Christmas Day, with 10 pages of coverage in the seasonal Radio Times, and perhaps a break in the middle for the Queen's Speech.

Well, it grows on you. The HFR style has immediacy and glitter, particularly in the outdoor locations, where the New Zealand landscapes, in all their splendour, are revealed more sharply and clearly, and there is an almost documentary realism to the fable. Indoors though, it's not quite the same story.

We approach the drama via its mythic setup: the terrifying dragon Smaug appropriates the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. The older hobbit, played with maundering geniality by Ian Holm is presented to us; then it's back in time to meet our unlikely hero, the gentle Bilbo Baggins, younger but still a somewhat donnish, bookish bachelor figure like Tolkien and CS Lewis. He is contacted by the charismatic Wizard Gandalf The Grey — and it's a pleasure to see Ian McKellen back in the cloak, whiskers and pointy hat, bringing a sparkle of life and fun to the part, and stealing the scene with ruminative little smiles and eyebrow-raisings.

Under Gandalf's influence, Bilbo is forced to confront his destiny as a hobbit of action, and acquaints himself with the robust warrior class of dwarves. There's a nice performance from Ken Stott as Balin, with an outrageous big purple-ish nose, as if he's spent his time in exile drinking malt whisky. They are led by the mighty and taller warrior Thorin, played by Richard Armitage.

And so the quest begins, and the questers come across such familiar figures as Galadriel – a seraphic and almost immobile Cate Blanchett – and Saruman, played with impassive dignity and presence, of course, by Christopher Lee. But soon they must tackle the evil Orcs.

There are explosively dramatic battles, with a lot of 3D plunging from vertiginous heights. But the crux comes with Bilbo's meeting with the ineffably creepy Gollum, played in motion-capture once again by Andy Serkis. It is a terrific scene, a contest of nerves, a duel of wits, and the one moment in the film where the drama really comes alive and Freeman's (admirable) underplaying of the role works well against Serkis's animal paranoia.

There is also something quietly affecting in Gandalf's moral strategy in recruiting Bilbo: "I 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'm afraid, and he gives me courage."

And the rest of the film offers an enormous amount of fun, energy and a bold sense of purpose. But after 170 minutes I felt that I had had enough of a pretty good thing. The trilogy will test the stamina of the non-believers, and many might feel, in their secret heart of hearts, that the traditional filmic look of Lord of the Rings was better. But if anyone can make us love the new epically supercharged HFR Hobbit, it's Peter Jackson.

Peter Jackson
Science fiction and fantasy films
JRR Tolkien
Lord of the Rings
Action and adventure films
Martin Freeman
Ian McKellen

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - video review

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User reviews

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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

All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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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

Aug 24, 2020
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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Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Mariusz Zubrowski
Movie Reviews
26 responses
--> December 16, 2012

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) by The Critical Movie Critics

Bilbo Baggins pauses for a pic.

When I’m not in the bathroom painting the porcelain canvas, I’m waging war with the Cyclops. But while Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famous novel lacks one-eyed beasts, it’s no doubt masturbatory. From a meandering script (conceived by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro) that doesn’t stick to a single body of Tolkien’s fantasy porn collection — referencing other works to “pad out” the world — to the decision to shoot in 48fps (frames per second), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey isn’t a quickie. It’s a ceremonious nut to how Peter managed to flip three feature-lengths from one 300 page book. And after his last directorial work, “ The Lovely Bones ,” was panned, it’s no wonder he’s overcompensating.

On the technical preference, Jackson explained “It’s less eye strain and you have a sharper picture, which creates more of a three-dimensional world.” He then added, “48 does make for a smoother experience.” Unfortunately, if your movie looks like shit, it doesn’t matter how smoothly it runs. At best, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey plays like cheap video game cut-scenes; other times, it floats on bad BBC soap waters. With dated, plasticky sets and cliché character designs, Peter makes this one of the finest breakthroughs in the art of bad filmmaking. Thanks to his frame rate experimentation, quieter scenes fare better than the actiony ones, which are viciously cartoony. As a rule though, each shot is drowned in Instagram-esque filters. It’s like watching a nature documentary from the ‘70s — bad dramatizations attached.

For the clueless, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey chronicles Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a small-bodied gentleman comfortable with his ordinary life. The great wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), however, sees there is more to Bilbo than Bilbo sees himself. To help reach his full potential, the spell-meister volunteers the Hobbit to join a quest led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), a legendary warrior, to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. With twelve other dwarves, they embark on a journey through Middle-earth, where trolls, goblins, and Orcs clash dicks for supremacy.

A perilous path explored.

One can nitpick, but the movie’s few successes are warm bath fantastic. McKellen’s performance as Gandalf bubbles up your soul, while Freeman’s Bilbo is scented candles likable. Armitage’s rough turn as Thorin compliments them both. For fans of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Elijah Wood’s Frodo also has a short cameo. And if that doesn’t satisfy you, Andy Serkis splashes by as Gollum — another favorite. Nine years after “ The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King ,” the actor still steals the show without showing his face. The fascinating scene Bilbo and Gollum share is one of the rare moments where the film isn’t a pruned finger.

Overall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , the first installment of Jackson’s “The Hobbit” prequel trilogy is indeed an unexpected journey. For the director and his faithful devoted, it’s a trek down a marsh of mediocrity; to me, it began an adventure into my bathroom for an inspired review.

Tagged: dragon , Hobbit , novel adaptation , prequel

Eventually I'll put something nifty here. Until then, know that I'm watching you. Closely.

Movie Review: Justice League (2017) Movie Review: My Scientology Movie (2015) Movie Review: The Magnificent Seven (2016) Movie Review: Creed (2015) Movie Review: The Green Inferno (2013) Movie Review: Sicario (2015) Movie Review: Terminator Genisys (2015)

'Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)' have 26 comments

December 16, 2012 @ 7:19 pm Guano

I could try but I don’t think I could have said what a failure this is any better.

December 16, 2012 @ 7:32 pm MushroomCloud

Gollum is the absolute best.

December 16, 2012 @ 7:47 pm Batterup

You’re awfully harsh in your critique (what’s with the bathroom references?). I haven’t seen it, so I can’t comment but most every other critic thought the opposite of you.

March 1, 2013 @ 7:01 pm Mariusz Zubrowski

Dunno, was oddly inspired by the bathroom.

December 16, 2012 @ 8:13 pm 404Redirect

Peter Jackson, as expected, has done an amazing job.

December 16, 2012 @ 8:44 pm critically_kurt

Filming in 48fps was a brilliant choice. It took a few minutes to adjust to but it made the picture leap off the screen.

December 16, 2012 @ 10:02 pm Marty Was

It definitely made the picture more vivid but it also made all the VFX look like VFX. The actors did not blend with the generated backgrounds or extras. Nothing looked real.

December 16, 2012 @ 8:47 pm DistrictM

Not Jackson’s best. It was 40 minutes too long, and everything about the movie’s highlight–the fight in cave against the goblins and the goblin king–was terrible.

December 16, 2012 @ 8:54 pm nerys

I’m into this for Smaug. The rest as far as I’m concerned is padding material.

December 16, 2012 @ 9:18 pm LaRosa

It was pretty good. Not near the epic fantasy I was expecting or the one Peter Jackson was obviously aiming for.

December 17, 2012 @ 1:11 pm DoraFanatic

How do you know what he was aiming for? This film plays out very much like The Fellowship of the Ring did. I don’t hear you complaining about that movie, do I?

December 16, 2012 @ 10:00 pm CHC

Whether it is true to the book is immaterial. Whether it measures up to LoTR is immaterial. What is material is whether The Hobbit is a well-crafted, entertaining movie. It is both plus some.

December 16, 2012 @ 10:38 pm Frick

It’s not just a trek down a marsh of mediocrity, it’s an EXHAUSTING trek down a marsh of mediocrity.

December 16, 2012 @ 10:46 pm Ogates

If you can remain focused through the beginning of the movie which is stuck in the Shire for 30 minutes too long, you’re in for a great ride.

December 16, 2012 @ 11:14 pm LadyRix

Unlike the reviewer, as a long time fan of Tolkien’s work, I am happy with Jackson’s movie adaptation of this (even if he didn’t follow the book word for word) and am looking forward to the sequel.

December 17, 2012 @ 2:08 am Periwinkle

Saw this yesterday and loved it.

December 17, 2012 @ 6:36 am Newthrone

Maybe someone can explain this to me: why didn’t the giant eagles just transport the adventurers to their destination??

December 17, 2012 @ 3:45 pm SeeWeed

Because the book says they didn’t.

December 17, 2012 @ 9:19 am Trag Lee

Haven’t seen so many divided reactions! Now I have to see for myself!

December 17, 2012 @ 9:22 pm Zen Dispenser

Saw it. It isn’t on par with LotR but its still a nice addition to the lore

December 18, 2012 @ 3:05 pm Ezmerelda

Yes, before you say it, I know it’s adapted from a ‘children’s book’ but I thought it was too light-hearted. Even the battle scenes were dumbed down with slapstick. Nothing about their quest felt serious.

December 21, 2012 @ 9:15 pm Greg A.

I’ll give it to Peter Jackson, the man sure knows how to make a long-winded movie.

December 28, 2012 @ 10:37 am Sire JimBob

It’s one third of a trilogy – save the criticisms until 2014 when “There and Back Again” gets released and grade as a whole piece of work. The current crop of naysayers may sing a different tune then.

January 3, 2013 @ 11:10 am Tom Valance

I’m glad so many people are willing to state the truth about the Hobbit, which will only please those already affected by Jackson’s previous meanderings. I thought the Lord of the Rings was interminably, but I have no words for this; I’m going to save myself a good six hours by avoiding the other two.

January 14, 2013 @ 3:57 pm LOTR fan

I almost fell asleep during the first part of the movie, I haven’t seen such an overhyped movie in a long time..

March 5, 2013 @ 10:08 am Greg Eichelberger

Uh, the whole point of a review is to write about the currently-released film. “Save the criticisms until 2014??! And then write about the FIRST installment again? People may disagree with the author’s conclusions (and I still have NO idea what his bathroom and masturbation references have to do with ANYTHING), but this film has a whole lot of faults to overcome.

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Movie Reviews

A 'hobbit,' off on his unhurried journey.

Bob Mondello

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) takes a fantastic adventure across Middle-earth in Peter Jackson's prequel to his Lord of the Rings trilogy. James Fisher/Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson
Genre: Fantasy
Running time: 169 minutes

With: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage

Watch Clips

'Funeral Arrangements'

Credit: Warner Brothers Pictures

'Cut The Ropes'

'I'm A Hobbit'

'At Your Service'

The Hobbit 's path to the screen may have started out as tortuous as a trek through the deadly Helcaraxe, filled with detours (Guillermo del Toro was initially going to direct), marked by conflict (New Zealand labor disputes) and strewn with seemingly insurmountable obstacles (so many that the filmmakers threatened to move the shoot to Australia).

But with Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy having taken in almost $3 billion at the box office, there was never any real doubt that J.R.R. Tolkien's remaining Middle-earth fantasy would ultimately become a film — or, as it happens, three of them.

In that sense, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey isn't "unexpected" at all, though between its lighter tone and a decade's worth of improvements in digital film techniques, there should be enough of a novelty factor to delight most fans.

After a sequence that recounts the eviction of the dwarves from their Lonely Mountain kingdom by the treasure-coveting dragon Smaug, Jackson takes us to the Shire, 60 years before the Rings cycle. Frodo's adopted Uncle Bilbo, played by LOTR 's Ian Holm in a framing sequence and by a smartly cast Martin Freeman thereafter, is a comparative youngster, while Gandalf (Ian McKellen) looks as old as the New Zealand hills.

"I'm looking for someone," says the wizard, "to share in an adventure."

Bilbo says no way, but that night, dwarfs start showing up at his door. First one, who eats his dinner; then another, who raids his pantry; then lots more. They are a boisterous bunch — not seven dwarfs, but 13, all with alarming facial hair and all hell-bent on taking back their homeland — right after they 1) get acquainted, 2) have dinner, 3)attend to some paperwork and 4) sing a couple of songs.

You'll sense that there's a bit of padding going on here. Although Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, is shorter than any one of the three books that make up Lord of the Rings , it's being turned all by itself into three new movies. So where the challenge in LOTR was to condense and reduce and condense again, the challenge here is to include every syllable, plus an appendix or two to boot.

In this first film — which covers just six book chapters in close to three hours — the filmmakers are reduced to detailing troll recipes and staging a hedgehog rescue. They also, happily, make much of an encounter with the one little dude who makes any trek to Middle-earth worthwhile: Gollum.

Actor Andy Serkis plus motion-capture still equals the most memorable character in all of 21st century film. Here, though the surrounding story tends toward boisterous high spirits befitting the material's origins in a child-friendly book, Gollum is insidious — even dangerous. The high-stakes game of questions he plays with Bilbo is the one moment when this movie can't be dismissed as Lord of the Rings -lite.

It wouldn't be a Tolkien adventure without dwarfs like Bombur (Stephen Hunter, left), Ori (Adam Brown) and Dori (Mark Hadlow). Warner Bros. Pictures hide caption

Still, even if it's mostly technology this time rather than story that's providing the depth, there is a new feel to reckon with. Director Jackson takes to 3-D like an orc to battle, turning an escape from a cave full of goblins into a plunge inside a Rube Goldberg contraption — the camera soaring one way as our heroes careen another, across spindly wooden bridges that sway and collapse in a choreographed frenzy. Waves of goblins swinging in on ropes get turned into pinwheels, giant logs become pinball flippers flicking them right and left, all in a new process that doubles the number of frames per second, making even the fastest action clear, smooth and stutter-free.

Does that high frame rate also make slower scenes look too real — not orcs and dwarfs, but actors in makeup? Well, if you're worried about that, you have a record six viewing options for The Hobbit : the usual standard format and 3-D format, plus IMAX and 3-D IMAX, the new high-frame-rate 3-D, and high-frame-rate 3-D-IMAX. So you can choose how "realistic" you want your fantasy world.

Just remember that all that's really required for willing suspension of disbelief is an army of the willing. An army that is already, a day before the opening, lining up at your local multiplex.

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DVD & Streaming

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Action/Adventure , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

December 14, 2012
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Ian McKellen as Gandalf; Richard Armitage as Thorin; Ken Stott as Balin; Graham McTavish as Dwalin; William Kircher as Bifur; James Nesbitt as Bofur; Stephen Hunter as Bombur; Dean O'Gorman as Fili; Aidan Turner as Kili; John Callen as Oin; Peter Hambleton as Gloin; Jed Brophy as Nori; Mark Hadlow as Dori; Adam Brown Ori; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Andy Serkis as Gollum; Sylvester McCoy as Radagast; Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin; Jeffrey Thomas as Thror; Michael Mizrahi as Thrain; Lee Pace as Thranduil; Manu Bennett as Azog; Elijah Wood as Frodo

Home Release Date

March 19, 2013
Peter Jackson

Distributor

Warner Bros.

Movie Review

“Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner.”

That’s how hobbit Bilbo Baggins responds when a certain gray-garbed wizard by the name of Gandalf shows up to “invite” Bilbo on an adventure. The hobbit has the temerity to think he can say no.

Then the dwarves show up.

First there’s Dwalin, a mighty warrior nearly as wide as he is tall. Then there’s the aging Balin, as old and frail as Dwalin is stout. And as those two begin rummaging through Bilbo’s well-stocked pantry, 11 more of their bearded kin tumble through his round front door, with Gandalf in tow: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori. The last dwarf to arrive is the proud, would-be dwarf king Thorin.

Their purpose? Nothing less than launching a brazen assault on the dragon Smaug, who slumbers within a mountain the dwarven people once called home. Sixty years before, Smaug drove the dwarves from Erebor—now called Lonely Mountain—taking up residence and scattering the dwarves into exile throughout Middle-earth.

Now the dwarves believe the time has come to right that ignominious wrong.

There’s just one thing: They need a … burglar. Someone slight and quiet, someone capable of creeping into Smaug’s lair without the ol’ worm noticing. Someone, Gandalf has suggested, like Bilbo Baggins.

Hobbits, however, are hardly natural-born adventurers. They’re more like natural-born gardeners. Thus, Bilbo tries to say no. After all, there’s no guarantee he’d make it back alive. But the dwarves have barely taken their leave of homebody halfling when Bilbo has second thoughts … and races to join them.

It’s an epic, perilous quest, one that leads Bilbo and the dwarves from his cozy hobbit hole into lands that are anything but warm and inviting. Goblins, trolls, giants, orcs, wargs and all manner of other nasties await the short-and-stout company.

As does a certain precious ring … and the guardian who’s loathe to lose it to the reluctant hobbit who wasn’t sure he really wanted to go on this unexpected adventure in the first place.

As was true in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, heroism, loyalty and sacrifice permeate The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of three films from Rings director Peter Jackson bringing British author J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved tale to life on the big screen.

Positive Elements

Early on, a flashback depicts Smaug decimating Erebor and the city of Dale near the mountain. The dwarves are powerless to stop him, and many die trying to resist. This leads to their dispersion, a humiliating end for a proud race.

Thus Jackson’s take on Tolkien’s tale pushes the story to more epic proportions. It’s not just about marching off to reclaim loot from an interloping dragon; it’s about the dwarves reclaiming a kingdom and a sense of dignity and destiny. In this sense, there are parallels between Thorin, the rightful heir to the throne, and Aragorn, who stages a similar struggle in The Lord of the Rings .

More personally, the dwarves repeatedly rescue Bilbo from various dangers. The group eventually ends up at Rivendell, home of Elrond’s elves. And despite Thorin’s hatred from them (they did nothing to help his people battle Smaug when they could have), the elves treat the dwarves kindly, initiating a reconciliation of sorts.

Thorin initially doesn’t think much of Bilbo, either, repeatedly criticizing the hobbit. But when Bilbo risks his life to protect Thorin, the hobbit earns the dwarf leader’s respect.

Talking about his rationale for choosing Bilbo, Gandalf tells the elf queen Galadriel, “Saruman [another wizard] believes that it is only great power that can hold evil in check. That is not what I’ve found. I 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’m afraid, and he gives me courage.”

Thorin says of his compatriots, “I would take each and every one of these dwarves over the mightiest army. Loyalty. Honor. A willing heart. I can ask no more than that.”

Spiritual Elements

The milieu of The Hobbit is a magical, fantastical one. Gandalf employs wizardly abilities in splitting a huge rock, speaking to a moth, turning pinecones into improvised incendiary devices and using his staff to battle orcs and goblins, among other things. Another wizard, Radagast, communes amongst animals and seems to speak to them. When a plague begins wiping out wildlife in Radagast’s forest, he restores a dead hedgehog to life and seems to (at least temporarily) keep the evil magic that is encroaching at bay.

Radagast is alarmed by the animals’ deaths, which leads him to investigate an abandoned castle where he encounters a malevolent force called the Necromancer. The Necromancer is, in fact, Sauron, and he’s begun to reassert his evil powers in Middle-earth. Radagast discovers that Sauron has begun reanimating (if not quite resurrecting) the deceased spirits of wicked kings (who will later become the Nazgûl). Saruman doesn’t believe such a thing is possible, but Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel are deeply troubled by Radagast’s report nonetheless.

Throughout the film, we hear references to chance and fate guiding the outcome of events. We also hear about the portents (such as birds returning to Lonely Mountain) that indicate the time has come for the dwarves to retake their home.

Sexual Content

Violent content.

After Bilbo is given a short sword, Gandalf tells him, “True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.” It’s awesome advice. And Bilbo takes it when he has the chance to kill the wretched keeper of the One Ring of Power, that subterranean interloper known as Gollum.

But Bilbo’s grasp of the concept doesn’t do much to curtail the overall bloodshed shown here.

Those who’ve read The Hobbit might be surprised at the amount of violence presented. That’s due in part to the fact that Peter Jackson has included two major battle sequences not described in Tolkien’s original. As the film opens, we watch the devastation that Smaug wreaks on Dale. Explosions topple towers, unfortunate victims get hurled to and fro. Indeed, Smaug’s attack is akin to a World War II bombing raid in its destructive effect.

The second such scene is a massive battle—similar in scale to the final battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King —between armies of orcs and dwarves. The combat is mostly bloodless, but it’s fierce and intense as the age-old foes engage violently, dealing limb- and head-removing blows with various medieval weapons. A culminating beheading is followed by the assailant holding his victim’s bodiless head high, then mockingly bowling it down a slope. Avenging that death, Thorin cuts off the attacker’s hand.

Afterward, the camera pans over a vast battlefield filled with the dead.

A cacophonous clash between two stone giants generates flying boulders. A ferocious melee between Thorin and an orc king ends with the dwarf unconscious and carried in a wolf-like warg’s mouth. Three trolls capture Bilbo and his friends and are on the verge of eating them (we see several dwarves beginning to roast on a spit) when the rising sun turns the trolls to stone. Fissures in a mountain cave send Bilbo and Co. tumbling down a chute into the clutches of a goblin horde. Gandalf’s arrival yields a battle royal as the fleeing dwarves traverse narrow passes and rope bridges. Arrows and swords fly and flash, resulting in the deaths of many goblins, several of which are decapitated. Gandalf slashes the stomach of the enormous Great Goblin, then slashes again across his throat, killing him. Elsewhere, a goblin victim makes a peculiar face before his head rolls bloodlessly off his shoulders.

Gollum brutally beats and kills a goblin that’s fallen into his clutches, and is glad for the food the dead creature provides. He also thinks Bilbo will prove to be a savory morsel, and threatens to eat the hobbit if he loses a game of riddles.

Crude or Profane Language

Discussing the game of croquet, one dwarf says, “Wonderful game if you’ve got the balls for it.” Elsewhere, another dwarf says he looks forward to delivering some “dwarvish iron right up [Smaug’s] jacksy” (British slang for backside ).

Drug and Alcohol Content

That the dwarves are quite fond of ale is an understatement. One scene pictures them imbibing greedily, with the liquid running down their beards as they guzzle. Gandalf drinks a cup of red wine.

Gandalf, Bilbo and Radagast smoke their pipes and blow smoke rings. The latter takes a drag on Gandalf’s pipe at one point, crosses his eyes and blows smoke out his ears in a way that humorously hints at the smoke’s effect.

Saruman disdainfully says that Radagast’s affinity for mushrooms has made him crazy.

Other Negative Elements

We hear a belching contest among the dwarves. Radadast’s hair is filled with bird droppings because he has a nest tucked under his hat. While pondering how best to cook the captured dwarves, a troll quips about their “stinky parts.”

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit is often viewed as a children’s story in comparison to the more serious Lord of the Rings saga. Indeed, Tolkien imbued his characters in The Hobbit with a dose of whimsy that’s largely absent from the grimmer, gravitas-filled trilogy that follows it.

Peter Jackson didn’t get that memo.

Jackson, who helmed the cinematic versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy from 2001 to 2003, has crafted a prequel that arguably feels closer in spirit to that story than the book itself does. That’s partly because The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey strives to connect all the narrative dots between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

The first result is a tale I suspect many Tolkien fans will approve of (though purists may take issue with the ways Jackson has tinkered). The second result is a movie that is squarely in PG-13 territory in terms of its violence, some of which is magically generated. Decapitations, severed limbs, intense battle sequences and a high body count are just as pulse-quickeningly frenetic as anything in the Rings trilogy. The third result, of course, is a story crammed with bravery and heroism. A fable that inspires as it teaches. A Middle-earth parable that profoundly speaks to all of us who deal with the dilemmas of good and evil in the real world.

Still, my last thought on this first chapter remains: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not The Hobbit you might remember reading years ago.

A postscript: Much has been made of Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit films at 48 frames per second, twice the 24 frames-per-second rate at which movies are typically filmed. More than a few critics have said the preternaturally high-definition realism of the resulting images has undermined the story. And, personally, I did find it a bit off-putting. A colleague, though, couldn’t even tell the difference. And the story itself is so immersive that whether you think the new technology awesome or annoying, you’ll probably forgot all about it by the time Bilbo and the dwarves begin their adventure in earnest.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Review

Well, the verdict is in and High-Frame Resolution (HFR) 48 FPS - not so good.

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Warner Brothers Pictures

174 mins. dir. by: peter jackson with,, martin freeman, richard armitage, and ian mckellen.

Peter Jackson and company brought a series of books to the big screen that many thought to be un-filmable when they struck gold with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Returning to the world of J. R. R. Tolkien by tackling the precursor novel to The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, Jackson brings back all the charm and wonderment of Tolkien’s mystical world, and then crushes it under the obtrusive fist of the films HFR (High Frame resolution) 48 FPS presentation.

Bilbo Baggins (the always wonderful Martin Freeman) leads a simple life that he doesn’t care to see change. Unbeknownst to Bilbo, the great wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) has signed Bilbo up to take part in a perilous journey for which he is ill equipped. Gandalf has agreed to help a group of thirteen dwarves reclaim their home from the great dragon Smaug. To complete their plans of re-capturing their home, Gandalf has convinced the dwarves they need a Hobbit to fulfill the role of, burglar; someone who can sneak in and out of the dragon’s lair without being detected. Reluctant to join up at first, Bilbo has a change of heart and heads off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Much like a docudrama, The Hobbit loses heaps of dramatic tension as we all know certain characters will not meet their untimely doom when caught in a sticky situation. That dumbfounded awe and power of discovering the nooks and crannies of Middle-Earth and its colorful array of inhabitants has faded. The story has changed and the goal is different in specifics alone. Little people doing big things, the naive hero learning the world expands past his fence, the wise guide who doesn’t disclose what he really knows; it still holds a modicum of entertainment, but holds no surprises. A movie doesn’t need nail biting tension to make it a success, but The Hobbit certainly tries to sell the angle too many times to ignore.

Story is everything when it comes to a great film. I’ll never stopped saying it–a film can have a great story and succeed through spotty cinematography or poor sound, yet the newfangled 48FPS style of The Hobbit is the exception to the rule. The Lord of the Rings trilogy took digital effects to new heights making creatures we all know don’t exist, look real. The Hobbit on the other hand, takes real people and makes them appear fake. The sharp detail and fluid 3D aspects work well, but the entire film looks like a made for T.V. movie rendered into a video game cinematic instead of a stunning display of glorious eye candy. Characters often move at odd speeds, as if someone sat on a remote’s fast forward button or like a buffering video catching up after it stalls. The visual disruption of The Hobbit is so distracting it was hard to focus on the dialogue of the film’s two openings.

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The fear has set in that Peter Jackson may fall into the George Lucas trap. Jackson is a far better director than Lucas ever was, but like the original Star Wars films (Lucas as a director or not), The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a milestone in cinematic history that marked an evolution in digital effects and created a marker for younger generations to adore as the defining moment in film for their childhood. Now, just like Lucas, tacky inconsequential visual styles and fancy technology have become more important to Jackson than telling a good story. It’s not so much that the HFR delivery affects his ability to tell the story, as it completely ends up deflating every aspect of the movie from that story to its stunted sense of whimsical joy.

As the film pressed along and my eyes adjusted, things did progress a little. The entire second half of the film has some great little vignettes as the team of small warriors fall into the hands of the Goblin King and Bilbo runs into our old friend Gollum, which leads to him obtaining a certain ring. Even through the unnatural character movements of the HFR process, Gollum is more impressive than ever. With even more of actor Andy Serkis’ real face bleeding through the twisted creature’s digital features, the battle of wits between Bilbo and Gollum is playfully silly while resting on a layer of terrifying uneasiness.

Ian McKellan isn’t the only familiar face returning to Middle-Earth, of course. Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis and Elijah Wood are all back in this installment. In another example of a prequel being affected by our knowledge of films/novels we’re familiar with, it’s hard not to set aside any ill feelings one might have for Christopher Lee as Saruman. When The Hobbit was written, he was still very much a highly respected “good guy.” Knowing that he becomes corrupted by Sauron’s re-emergence, changes the situations at hand when he is on screen. For the other recurring characters though, we do get to see a slightly different side of them at times. I’d say it’s almost awkward to see a happier, kinder Lord Elrond. Personally, I was also happy to see Flight of the Conchords’ Brett Mackenzie reprise his role as a nameless elf. He gets a bit more featured time here; go Brett.

It’s hard to tell if The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey would be a different movie if it were presented in a format that simply looks better than this HFR garbage. A film’s presentation shouldn’t play such a contributing factor in its ability to satisfy an audience, but there’s just no escaping the misfire it causes to a film series that became an instant classic. Put The Hobbit next to any of the original three films and it looks like the direct-to-DVD knock-off with a slightly different name meant to trick you into a purchase. The Hobbit will still entertain its audience, but will never live down the stigma of its technological failure. When you buy your tickets for The Hobbit , make sure you see the 24fps version and only pay for the HFR if you are still that curious about how bad it really looks.

Rating: 65/100

Matthew Schuchman | @stachereviews

As a young man growing up on the, not so mean streets of North Massapequa, Matthew Schuchman became a film buff at the age of 10. Encouraged by…

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey parents guide

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Parent Guide

Fans (and others with the patience to endure the drawn out plot) will undoubtedly love what they discover here, and so they should..

Based on J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first in a trilogy that follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a Hobbit who joins Gandalf the Wizard (Ian McKellen) and a group of Dwarves on a dangerous quest to reclaim a stolen treasure.

Release date December 13, 2012

Run Time: 170 minutes

Official Movie Site

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by rod gustafson.

There are a few movies that are “critic proof,” and needless to say The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is likely one of those select titles. Released nearly a decade after the first of Peter Jackson’s film depicting the troublesome ring that was tossed into the fiery pit, Tolkien aficionados have had their eye firmly set on the day the acclaimed author’s junior companion novel would be put to film. And no nay saying of any kind is likely to keep them from filling up theater seats.

For the few, like me, who have not enthusiastically read the book, you can anticipate a road trip movie of massive proportions—think Lord of the Rings with a little more humor and not quite as much blood. The tale opens with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) reminiscing to Frodo (Elijah Wood) about a time, 60 years ago, when he became the very unwilling 14th member of a Dwarf army determined to regain their lands from fierce invading dragon named Smaug. Led by the legendary warrior Thorin (Richard Armitage) and under the guidance of the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen), the little group battles a new foe around every corner… and in every scene. Orcs, goblins, trolls, giant spiders and a variety of other nasty nemeses populate the screen en masse giving much opportunity for epic scenes of swordplay.

Like the LOTR trio, this film easily winds past the two-hour mark. And don’t expect a tidy ending, with this being only the first in yet another triple title adaptation. Considering this time director Peter Jackson only has one book to stretch into three movies, this adventure sometimes slows to the pace of a hobbit on holidays. Battles are tediously long and there’s lots of time to admire the beautiful surroundings of the director’s home and native land (this franchise is also shot in New Zealand). That being said, at least the visuals are an engaging feast filled with digital and real world characters and objects.

Perhaps the greatest issue with this film will be the question of its appropriateness for some of the youngest admirers of the novel. Unlike reading a book, where a child’s imagination is limited by his or her own experience, this movie often details battle scenes with fairly explicit imagery. Decapitations leave heads rolling, arms are sliced off and countless humans and other beings meet their deaths in massive battles. While the violence is a bit less explicit than the previous Lord of the Rings movies, and blood effects are minimal, there is still plenty here to keep children up at night. As well there are frequent jump scenes and moments of peril. Thankfully sexual content and profanity are pretty much non-existent.

Fans (and others with the patience to endure the drawn out plot) will undoubtedly love what they discover here, and so they should. This is a massive undertaking and while the story isn’t complete, there are positive messages about extending ourselves beyond our comfort zones and committing to a greater cause. For teens looking for adventure at the theater The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will likely be a satisfying return to the shire.

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Rod Gustafson

The hobbit: an unexpected journey rating & content info.

Why is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey rated PG-13? The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.

Violence: Dragons attack a castle causing mass destruction and implied loss of life. Many large battles take place between humans and other mythical creatures, resulting in many deaths and some explicit injuries including decapitations and dismemberment (one creature’s arm is sliced off—we see the stump afterward). Large creatures capture dwarves, rope them to a spit and attempt to cook them over a fire. The movie includes some scary “jump” scenes and depictions of characters in nearly continual peril.

Sexual Content: None noted.

Profanities: A single humorous colloquial reference is made about male anatomy.

Drugs/Alcohol: A character smokes a pipe with an unknown substance, and at one point he offers it to another character to calm his nerves.

Other: Characters burp loudly. A character makes an informal wager on the possibility of a future event. There is a discussion about a necromancer, and other occult and mystical themes are found throughout the script.

Page last updated July 17, 2017

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Parents' Guide

Bilbo Baggins is very reluctant to join the dwarves on their adventure. What are his reasons for not wanting to go? Have you ever passed up an opportunity that you lived to regret afterward? How can we determine if our reasons for not wanting to do something risky are justified?

What are some historical examples of one group of people agreeing to help another in a time of need? How can we offer this same assistance in our everyday lives?

Learn more about J.R.R. Tolkien and his novels that ignited the world’s imagination here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien

The most recent home video release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie is November 5, 2013. Here are some details…

October 11, 2016 Warner Brothers studios has announced the combined release of all six of Peter Jackson’s films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. This compilation is available in two packages: The Middle Earth Theatrical Collection (A 6-disc set (Blu-ray or DVD) featuring the theatrical versions of each movie) and The Middle Earth Limited Collector’s Edition (a box set of 30 discs featuring the extended editions of each movie plus extras).

Home Video Notes: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (Extended Edition) Releases Date: 17 November 2015 The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies releases to home video (Blu-ray/ DVD Copy/UltraViolet Digital Copy) in an Extended Edition with the following extras: - Featurettes - Music Video - Trailers - Commentary with Peter Jackson, Director/Producer/Screenwriter and Philippa Boyens, Co-Producer/Screenwriter. - The Appendices – The Appendices Parts XI and XII showcase a chronological history of the filming of The Battle of the Five Armies, documenting the work done on set chronologically through the three shooting blocks and in the world of its digital effects. - New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth – Part 3.

Also Releasing on November 17, 2015: The Hobbit Trilogy Extended Edition This box set includes extended editions of all three movies: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Home Video Notes: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)

Release Date: 5 November 2013

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey releases to home video in an Extended Edition (now 182 minutes long). Both the Blu-ray (3 Discs) and the Blu-ray 3D (5 Discs) packages include:

- The Filmmakers’ Commentary

- New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth

- The Appendices Part 7: A Long-Expected Journey

-The Appendices Part 8: Return to Middle-Earth

- And More!

Home Video Notes: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

- New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth

- Video Blogs

- Theatrical Trailers

- Game Trailers

Home Video Notes: The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy Release Date: 24 March 2015 The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy releases to home video (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy, or Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy). The boxed set includes the following: - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Related news about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Warner Brothers studios announce release of Middle Earth Movies

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Lego Embraces Hollywood

The Hobbit: 20 Differences Between The Book & The Movies

From Gandalf seeking out Bilbo for the quest to the dwarven contract and Bilbo leaving Bag-End, key changes enhance the cinematic experience.
Film additions like the White Council and new characters like Tauriel and Azog add depth and dramatic tension, although some changes may divide fans.
Sting's history, Bilbo's age difference, and Frodo's cameo all depict divergences from the original book, shaping the cinematic adaptation.

When it comes to The Hobbit book vs movie there are many notable differences, and some are quite surprising. When Peter Jackson announced that he’d be directing a trilogy based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel, The Hobbit , the response was one of excitement. However, the trilogy left some fans of the book were confused, given how little the amount of source material was available to flesh out such an ambitious project. In his transformation of the book into a trilogy of big-budget Hollywood action blockbusters, Jackson took many creative liberties.

This inevitably meant that the differences between The Hobbit book and movies were stark. Jackson implemented changes galore, adding in plenty of new content which was loosely adapted from Tolkien's other works. Some of it hit the mark, while the rest felt like superfluous filler. There's no question that in the case of The Hobbit book vs movie, Jackson did his best to please audiences. However, there were a few alterations that many fans didn't feel fit the story at all, making it seem like Jackson was trying to add extraneous connections to LOTR to capitalize on its success.

11 Lord Of The Rings Movie Changes Peter Jackson Was Right To Make

Gandalf's reason for seeking out bilbo, the gandalf of the novel never met child bilbo.

Gandalf's reasons for finding Bilbo are different when looking at The Hobbit book vs movie. In the novelization of The Hobbit , it is established that Gandalf seeks out Bilbo for the quest, particularly because of a memory he had of his mother. According to Gandalf, he was impressed by Belladonna Took, because of her adventurous spirit and personality, and he hoped that side would come out if Bilbo joined them on an adventure.

In the film, Gandalf reminisces about knowing Bilbo as a young boy, who adored the thought of danger, excitement, and adventure. The change isn't a huge one, but it does say a lot about Bilbo's character as he appeared in the book, versus the film adaptation. Either way, it's an opportunity for Gandalf to deliver one of his best lines of the trilogy .

The Dwarven Contract

Peter jackson made the paperwork longer for comic effect.

Another one of the biggest differences between The Hobbit book and movie is the dwarven contract. The dwarves play a central role in both The Hobbit movies and the original book, with the presence of the race as a whole far greater than it was in Lord of the Rings. In fact, it's partially due to a contract with the dwarves that Bilbo leaves the shire in the first place. The details of the dwarven contract with Bilbo Baggins are never explicitly specified, which is why it's so comical to see the film version go on forever when unrolled.

It was Jackson's way of injecting some comedy into the film, especially at such an early start to the story.

It was Jackson's way of injecting some comedy into the film, especially at such an early start to the story. In the book, the contract is a simple note left on his mantle, with two short paragraphs acting as content. That's a stark contrast to the film version, and one of the few changes Jackson made that actually helped make the story better.

Bilbo Leaving Bag-End

In peter jackson's version of the tale hobbits never travel light.

Even the way that Bilbo leaves Bag-End contrasts in the case of The Hobbit book vs movie. This change was small, but noticeable, and it occurs when Bilbo finally decides to make a go of it and join the dwarves on their adventure. In the film, he races after them with a backpack full of stuff and catches up with them before they get too far down the road. In the book, however, it is said that Bilbo left Bag-End without even a handkerchief in his pocket.

In truth, Jackson's change was probably for the best, as any Hobbit would never run off without a few of the comforts of home. It's established in the Lord of the Rings movies that Hobbits enjoy their creature comforts, with the likes of Samwise Gamgee bemoaning his of any food other than Lambas bread even while in grave danger, and Pippin insisting on second breakfast. With this context in the cinematic franchise, it makes much more sense that Bilbo left The Shire well-prepared.

Knowledge Of The Necromancer

Gandalf already knew about the antagonist in the book.

Sauron is a mystery to those who only watched the movies , but changing Gandalf's knowledge of the Necromancer arguably broke canon when it comes to The Hobbit book vs movie. In The Hobbit films, Gandalf learns of the Necromancer when he speaks to Radagast, which is what Peter Jackson used as the reason for Gandalf leaving Thorin and company.

This change was likely made to ensure audiences weren't lost along the way as the story unfolded

However, in the book, Gandalf is already well aware of the Necromancer. In J.R.R Tolkien's version of The Hobbit , Gandalf has already visited Dol Guldur, and heard of the Necromancer, as it was there that he encountered Thráin, the father of Thorin Oakenshield, and received the map and key that he later gives to Thorin . This change was likely made to ensure audiences weren't lost along the way as the story unfolded, as having to flashback to Gandalf's goings-on prior to the events of The Hobbit would have required even more screentime in an already lengthy trilogy.

Dwalin's Beard

A subtle yet noticable aesthetic difference.

Though it was not a massive change that impacted the plot, there was one element of Dwalin's appearance that classifies as one of the differences between The Hobbit book and movie. Interestingly enough, the book says, " It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt, and very bright eyes under his dark-green hood. " This is a stark change from how Dwalin is shown in the movie, with a brunette beard and dark eyes.

While some readers have argued over the ages that it wasn't meant to literally be blue, others believe Dwalin's beard really was meant to be that way, in order to seem "otherworldly." When the script was written for the Hobbit film, Jackson opted to take out a lot of the whimsy to make it more in line with The Lord of the Rings , meaning Dwalin's blue beard was one of the first things to go.

Contacting The Eagles For Help

Once again the eagles created conversations in the lord of the rings prequel.

Another one of the biggest changes in the case of The Hobbit book vs movie sees Gandalf acting when he canonically did not. When Azog and his orcs descend upon the party at the end of the first Hobbit film, Gandalf contacts Gwaihir, the Lord of the Eagles , via a carrier moth. This was done primarily to act as a nod to the first Lord of the Rings film, where Gandalf escapes imprisonment from the rooftop of Orthanc, in much the same way.

Given Gandalf's relationship with the Eagles, the film version is probably the better one, despite the small change made to Tolkien and Lord of the Rings canon.

In the book, however, Gandalf never makes the attempt. Rather, Gwaihir himself notices the ruckus from afar, and soars through the skies to come to their rescue. It's hard to tell which version is better, but given Gandalf's relationship with the Eagles, the film version is probably the better one, despite the small change made to Tolkien and Lord of the Rings canon.

Lord Of The Rings: 25 Most Powerful Beings In The Tolkien Universe, Ranked

Thranduil's face, almost everything about the elven lord has been expanded.

More key differences between The Hobbit book and movie include Thranduil having a much more fleshed-out backstory that isn't in the novels. Interestingly, Thranduil is never referred to by name in The Hobbit book, but is simply called "the Elvenking." However, there's an even bigger difference between the text and the movie, which is Thranduil's burned face that he hides with magic.

Thranduil attributes this to the "fire serpents in the North," but this is not mentioned at all in the book, nor is there any record of elves being able to hide old wounds. It was primarily added to give Thranduil a more menacing and obsessive character, even though he proves himself to be one of the most powerful heroes in The Hobbit . Thranduil is one of several character in The Hobbit Peter Jackson added more dimensions to in order to turn a single book into a trilogy of movies, and it's one change that definitely makes the story better.

Tricking The Trolls

The hobbit movies granted bilbo a great hero moment.

The great The Hobbit book vs movie debate also sees a cunning act perpetrated by Bilbo originally belonging to Gandalf. In The Hobbit movies, it is Bilbo Baggins who cleverly tricks the trolls as they discuss the best ways to cook the dwarves . Eventually, the sun rises, and they are caught unawares, leading to their permanent demise.

Giving him this achievement certainly makes him seem more cunning and valuable to the overall quest.

In the book, it is Gandalf who actually deceives the trolls by throwing his voice, pretending to be one of them, and making them argue among themselves until dawn arrives , and turns them to stone. In the films, Gandalf was not present during the scene. The reason for this change is most likely to make Bilbo seem like a more competent hero, and giving him this achievement certainly makes him seem more cunning and valuable to the overall quest.

The White Council

Saruman and galadriel make an appearance the book doesn't include.

Differences between The Hobbit book and movie also see the inclusion of the White Council. The Hobbit movies feature the White Council, with both Saruman and Galadriel present in Elrond's home of Rivendell. However, neither Saruman nor Galadriel are mentioned in The Hobbit book, and the White Council does not meet during the narrative.

Though this is different from the book, it does act as fan service, as it means that viewers got to see some more of their favorite characters from The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, as well as adding some more depth and drama to. The lack of the White Council in The Hobbit may also be because Tolkien wrote The Hobbit several decades before Lord of the Rings. Including Galadriel and Saruman in the cinematic prequel deepens ties between the two, and it's entirely possible Tolkien would have included them had the order he wrote the stories been reversed.

Jackson Added A Lot Of Material To Turn The Hobbit Into A Trilogy

Arguably the most glaring change brought up in The Hobbit book vs movie debate is the length. The Hobbit is a rather short book, especially in comparison to the intimidating size of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy . The question remains as to why Jackson or the studio would ever think it was a good idea to flesh the story out across three films.

Opinions on whether the additional length of The Hobbit trilogy definitely vary.

By placing various amounts of filler in between established moments from the book, Jackson tried to fill in the blanks and create a stronger story. In truth, the entire tale could have been told in two parts, avoiding unnecessary filler and focusing on a tight narrative. Opinions on whether the additional length of The Hobbit trilogy definitely vary. However, it does make sense from a business perspective for obvious reasons (as it meant 3 movies worth of profits), and it does seem thematically fitting that the prequel to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is also one.

The Prologue

A welcome and scene-setting addition to the story.

One of the most welcomed differences between The Hobbit book and movie was the addition of a prologue. The world of Lord of the Rings is particularly complex, which is why the prologue in Fellowship of the Ring was so effective. Audiences were given something very similar at the start of The Hobbit , and even though it didn’t occur in the book, it did actually help establish the narrative moving forward.

Middle-earth lore was built across many books, with plenty of interesting details only appearing in footnotes. With such a wellspring of detailed information, these prologues helped create exposition and further pull audiences into the magnificent fantasy world. The introduction of a prologue to The Hobbit movies was also helpful for established Tolkien fans who'd read the novel. Since there were many changes to come, the prologue in The Hobbit established Peter Jackson's vision of Middle-earth before Lord of the Rings and that it would be different from the novel.

The Presence Of Radagast The Brown

Elevating the wizard was a wise move.

In The Hobbit , Tolkien mentions the wizard Radagast The Brown only a handful of times as one of the five wizards of Middle-earth. In the movies, Peter Jackson greatly expands his role, allowing the character to interact with the likes of Gandalf and Bilbo, while starring in his own scene in which he helps avert a group of goblins from catching up with the main characters. Having an additional wizard definitely enhanced the cinematic version of Middle-earth, and showed that Gandalf and Saruman weren't the only ones out there.

Radagast also provides comic relief as an innocent, eccentric, and bumbling character who hides a deep, vast power.

Radagast also provides comic relief as an innocent, eccentric, and bumbling character who hides a deep, vast power. The expanded story of Radagast's character is another welcome change in The Hobbit book vs. movie debate. Obviously, these parts of his personality never came across through Tolkien’s brief mention of his existence, but it was nice to see another wizard besides Gandalf and Saruman on Middle Earth.

All Wizards/Istari In Lord Of The Rings

The presence of tauriel, some felt evangeline lilly's character was unnecessary.

Sometimes new characters work, but Tauriel's addition is another one of the differences between The Hobbit book and movie that had audiences scratching their heads because of the way Jackson handled her arc. Played by Lost’s Evangeline Lilly, Tauriel is a character exclusive to the film adaptation of The Hobbit, and she isn’t in any of The Lord of the Rings films, the first The Hobbit movie, or the book, at any point.

This was one of the more controversial additions to the film trilogy, and one many fans felt was unnecessary. She was seemingly created to provide a strong, relatable female character that doesn’t really exist in The Hobbit , and also to act as one part of a tragically romantic love saga between herself, and the dwarven character Kíli. It also led to what seemed like a Hobbit plot hole, due to her character's unfinished story arc.

The Presence Of Azog

An additional villain in peter jackson's trilogy caused some chagrin.

The topic of Azog in The Hobbit book vs movie debate causes an issue, as his presence in the film speaks to a timeline problem. The character of Azog is one of the most powerful villains in the Hobbit/LOTR universe , and he does exist in Tolkien's established lore, but he was beheaded by the character Dain long before the events of The Hobbit took place . As such, the character was essentially lifted from the pages of Middle-earth history, and deposited into the trilogy to act as a principal antagonist.

Some readers took umbrage that Azog was included as another antagonist when he didn't originally have a part in the central story of The Hobbit .

With one arm missing, Azog proved to be an effective and intimidating villain that could act as a counterweight to Thorin Oakenshield's character. His story arc ended in suitably dramatic fashion during a final showdown between the two, in the third and final film. However, some readers took umbrage that Azog was included as another antagonist when he didn't originally have a part in the central story of The Hobbit .

The Presence Of Legolas

Orlando bloom's return had no literary basis.

One of the more debated negative differences between The Hobbit book and movie was the inclusion of Legolas. Peter Jackson wanted to establish some consistency between The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings , even if the former was a prequel. As such, audiences see Legolas appear in both The Desolation of Smaug, and The Battle of the Five Armies .

However, Legolas doesn’t appear in the book at all, and it feels as if he was deposited into the film trilogy as a way to bring back an audience favorite. In truth, he added little to the overall story, and in some cases, actually deprived other characters of the limelight. Much like some other changes, it is entirely possible that Tolkien would have included Legolas had he wrote The Lord of the Rings first. Since he didn't, though, it's impossible to know for certain, which is why Orlando Bloom's return for the prequel movies will forever be a controversial change for hardcore Tolkien scholars.

The Barrels

A simple alteration that enhanced the cinematic experience.

It might not be as important as many other differences between The Hobbit book and movie, but the barrel scene is nevertheless worth mentioning. When the dwarves escape the hall of the elven king, they float down a river using barrels as boats. The movies shows the dwarves in open barrels, allowing them both to communicate with one-another and be seen by the audience. In the books, these are sealed, rather than open with the characters sticking out.

Unlike some differences between The Hobbit books and movies, the alteration here didn't disrupt the established plot in any way

Unlike some differences between The Hobbit books and movies, the alteration here didn't disrupt the established plot in any way, and was purely aesthetic. This allowed for a more visual connection to the scene, as it established the dwarves' presence, and also the battle that followed shortly thereafter. It also added more tension and excitement to the story, by introducing such a chaotic battle.

The Dwarf Deaths

Peter jackson's movies did three characters a serious injustice.

One of the most heated points of debate in the case of The Hobbit book vs movie has to do with Kíli, Fíli, and Thorin. One piece of storyline mentioned consistently between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings is the death of Kíli, Fíli, and Thorin. However, the manner in which they died in the movies quickly became a point of contention among readers of Tolkien's works.

The movies show the three being slaughtered rather brutally during a fight with Azog and his orcs. The book finds them charging into a battle that they know they won’t survive, dying as brave heroes as a result. This might seem like a small change, but it's one that many have felt disrespected their characters. The book versions of the characters died fearlessly, whereas their cinematic equivalents were simply overpowered in a fight they likely believed they could win.

The Frodo Cameo

Some felt elijah woods returning to link both trilogies was unwise.

More scrupulous readers of Tolkien's works were a little put off by Frodo's inclusion in The Hobbit movie, as he didn't appear in the book at all. It can be argued that one of the more pointless moments in The Hobbit was Elijah Wood’s cameo appearance as Frodo Baggins. It occurred when Bilbo told him a very rough version of his original adventures. Since Tolkien would not write The Lord of the Rings until many years after The Hobbit, Frodo was not even a concept.

The cameo scene felt similar to what Jackson was trying to accomplish by including Legolas.

In fact, Tolkien’s version of this was the reverse, something that only further upset readers. At the start of The Fellowship of the Ring , it is likely that the opening scene of The Shire was built around the aging Bilbo, in order to glean some connection to the previously released Hobbit book. Therefore, it wasn't worth bringing Frodo into the Hobbit films at all, and the cameo scene felt similar to what Jackson was trying to accomplish by including Legolas.

Why The Ring Didn't Affect Bilbo The Way It Did Frodo

The history of sting.

The act of Bilbo finding, choosing, and naming his sword Sting was an important piece of development for the character, given its status as one of the most iconic weapons of Tolkien's works . Of course, this also turns out to be one of the biggest differences between The Hobbit book and movie. In the movie, he is simply given it by Gandalf, after the wizard finds it on the floor of the troll hoard.

The entire scene of the company finding the dwarven weapons seems a bit lazy in comparison to the books. It was more of a convenient way to establish the presence of the blades, with very little exposition or attention given to each of them. Tolkien goes into much more detail about Sting and the swords history in his writing, and it seems surprising that of all the elements of the story, Sting is one that Jackson dumbed-down, since the sword was already an established presence in his cinematic Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Bilbo's Age Difference

One of the biggest issues audiences had about the Hobbit trilogy was the changing of lead actor Ian Holm to Martin Freeman. This was understandable from a production perspective, as the late Ian Holm was already in his 70s by the late 2010s when The Hobbit was being produced. However, the chagrin from some fans wasn't due to disliking Martin Freeman, as his performance in the role was widely praised.

It was rather that Bilbo's age in the movies was a complete contradiction of Bilbo's character from the books , and by far the biggest sin cited in The Hobbit book vs movie debate. It is clearly established that Bilbo's possession of the One Ring meant that he maintained his youthful appearance for decades after finding it. Yet, the stark contrast in physicality between the two actors pretty much robs the story of that fact and creates a gaping plot hole.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

As Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday, he recounts the extraordinary journey that changed his life. Guided by the enigmatic wizard Gandalf, Bilbo joins a band of Dwarves on a perilous quest to reclaim their homeland from the fearsome dragon, Smaug. Along the way, they face treacherous foes, unearth long-buried secrets, and discover unexpected courage within themselves. With danger lurking at every turn, Bilbo's adventure unfolds in a tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the enduring power of hope.

Director Peter Jackson

Release Date December 14, 2012

Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro

Cast Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee

Rating PG-13

Sequel(s) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: 20 Differences Between The Book & The Movies

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COMMENTS

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Rated: 9/10 • Dec 1, 2020. 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 ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Review
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 ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Join Bilbo Baggins on his epic adventure in the first part of Peter Jackson's new Tolkien trilogy, based on the classic fantasy novel. Martin Freeman brings an endearing spirit to the role of the ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a very good two-hour film buried within a meandering 166 minutes. Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 20, 2019
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey almost attains greatness yet despite so many moments of epic fun, greatness remains just out of its reach. This is a very good and entertaining movie even if it ...
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Review
THE HOBBIT Review. Our review of director Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY, starring Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage & Ian McKellen.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review
Release Date: 12 Dec 2012. Running Time: 169 minutes. Certificate: 12A. Original Title: Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The. "All good stories deserve embellishment," Gandalf The Grey (Ian ...
'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 ...
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Review
Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick for future reviews, as well as movie, TV, and gaming news. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images. Now playing in 2D, 3D, IMAX, and 48fps theaters.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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 ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Sun 9 Dec 2012 09.21 EST. Xan Brooks, Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes review the first of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit guardian.co.uk. "Unexpected" is right, for a ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) is a movie I originally saw in theaters, is in my DVD collection and I recently rewatched with my daughter on HBOMAX. ... Despite the underwhelming reviews and reception, I found The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey satisfying; it met my expectations perfectly. I won't deny, however, that the film overall ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Directed by Peter Jackson. With Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott. 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.
Movie Review: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
Movie review of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) by The Critical Movie Critics | Peter Jackson directs Bilbo Baggins in is quest versus Smaug. ... Overall, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of Jackson's "The Hobbit" prequel trilogy is indeed an unexpected journey. For the director and his faithful devoted ...
Movie Reviews
Peter Jackson takes his audience back to Middle-earth in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, set in a time before the Lord of the Rings films. NPR's Bob Mondello says that where the Rings films ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Movie Review "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner." ... An Unexpected Journey is not The Hobbit you might remember reading years ago. A postscript: Much has been made of Peter Jackson's decision to shoot The Hobbit films at 48 frames per second, twice the 24 frames-per-second rate at which movies are ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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 ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Review
Reviews The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Review. Well, the verdict is in and High-Frame Resolution (HFR) 48 FPS - not so good.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Feb 11, 2022 - The movie and video game rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are about to go on sale for an expected $2 billion - with Amazon first in line to buy.The Saul Zaentz Company ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey movie review
Perhaps the film's most effective padding (and deviation from Tolkien's original text) was furnishing Bilbo with enough agency to fully realize his heroic potential. In the book, Bilbo is basically ordered by Gandalf to join the dwarfish motley crew. In the film, he chooses to sign a contract. In the book, Gandalf stalls the trolls until ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition Blu-ray Review
The release of the three Lord of the Rings Extended Editions were something of a revelation a decade or so ago, particularly for J.R.R. Tolkien fans that wanted to immerse themselves even further ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Review for Parents
There are a few movies that are "critic proof," and needless to say The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is likely one of those select titles. Released nearly a decade after the first of Peter Jackson's film depicting the troublesome ring that was tossed into the fiery pit, Tolkien aficionados have had their eye firmly set on the day the acclaimed author's junior companion novel would be ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D
Picture: As with the original release, this Extended Edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks absolutely sensational in both its 2.40:1-framed AVC 2D and MVC 3D guises. Indeed, there's very little to add here that we didn't say in our original review. Colours are still richly saturated, detailing is impeccable, edge definition is ...
The Hobbit: 20 Differences Between The Book & The Movies
The movies show the three being slaughtered rather brutally during a fight with Azog and his orcs. ... The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. As Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday, he ...
Desperate Journey: First Look at New Film From Annabel Jankel
Production has wrapped on Emmy Award-winner Annabel Jankel's latest film, Desperate Journey. The film, written by the two-time Oscar nominee behind The Postman, Michael Radford, is a fast-paced ...

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