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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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Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, is persuaded into accompanying a wizard and a group of dwarves on a journey to reclaim the city of Erebor and all its riches from the dragon Smaug.

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2012, Fantasy/Adventure, 2h 49m

What to know

Critics Consensus

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

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

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

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Original Language: English

Director: Peter Jackson

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

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

Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2012  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015

Box Office (Gross USA): $303.0M

Runtime: 2h 49m

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Co: WingNut Films

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Datasat

View the collection: Lord of The Rings

Cast & Crew

Ian McKellen

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

William Kircher

James Nesbitt

Stephen Hunter

Dean O'Gorman

Aidan Turner

John Callen

Peter Hambleton

Mark Hadlow

Elijah Wood

Hugo Weaving

Cate Blanchett

Christopher Lee

Peter Jackson

Screenwriter

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo del Toro

Carolynne Cunningham

Zane Weiner

Executive Producer

Toby Emmerich

Carolyn Blackwood

Andrew Lesnie

Cinematographer

Jabez Olssen

Film Editing

Howard Shore

Original Music

Production Design

Andy McLaren

Art Director

Brian Massey

News & Interviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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Critic Reviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Audience reviews for the hobbit: an unexpected journey.

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

Precious Gollumses!!

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

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

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Ian McKellen

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Graham McTavish

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

• Average 6.5
• Reviews 305

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© 2012 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

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Fancy watching ' The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ' on your TV, phone, or tablet? Discovering a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the Peter Jackson-directed movie via subscription can be a huge pain, so we here at Moviefone want to do the work for you. We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription choices - along with the availability of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' right now, here are some details about the New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, WingNut Films, Warner Bros. Pictures action flick. Released December 6th, 2012, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' stars Martin Freeman , Ian McKellen , Richard Armitage , Graham McTavish The PG-13 movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 49 min, and received a user score of 73 (out of 100) on TMDb, which put together reviews from 17,830 top users. You probably already know what the movie's about, but just in case... Here's the plot: "Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves who seek to reclaim their mountain home from Smaug, the dragon." 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is currently available to rent, purchase, or stream via subscription on Apple iTunes, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, and AMC on Demand .

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The hobbit collection.

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

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The hobbit: an unexpected journey.

: Bilbo Baggins is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield.

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Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Action, Epic Battles, Adventure, Magic, Epic Quests

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The adventure follows Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim Erebor with the help of Gandalf the Grey and 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield.

Cast and Crew

Starring: Ian Mckellen , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage

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Starring: Ian Mckellen , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage

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• Denver Post Lisa Kennedy To its own narrative detriment, "The Hobbit" works hard to lay the framework for what will follow. Certainly that's one way to set out on a trilogy, but it's surely not the best.
• San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle If you loved the earlier films, these are moments you will hold on to, but they're very few, and they're not enough.
• Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer My first thought in watching The Hobbit was: Do we really need this movie? It was my last thought, too.
• Richard Roeper.com Richard Roeper There's no denying the majesty in Peter Jackson's visuals but he's taken a relatively slim children's book and stretched it beyond the limits.
• Washington Post Ann Hornaday "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" has finally arrived, not on wings of gossamer fancy but with a hairy-footed thud.
• Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com Cary Darling His first installment of The Hobbit, Tolkien's relatively slim precursor to the sprawling "Rings" saga, is a technically impressive but bloated adventure that makes you feel every one of its 169 minutes.
• Dallas Morning News Chris Vognar I was impressed with how much of the story's good humor Jackson and Co. manage to weave into the spectacle. It's there in the close shave with a gang of hungry trolls, and it really lifts off once Andy Serkis' uncanny Gollum enters the picture.
• Rolling Stone Peter Travers Part One of director Peter Jackson's planned film trilogy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit forces audiences to run an obstacle course before the fun kicks in.
• Shockya.com Perri Nemiroff Two thirds is so packed with charming characters, stellar visuals and sense of adventure, it makes that other third come across as much more of a failure than it really is.
• Movie Mom Nell Minow Jackson himself seems to miss the forest of the story for the literal trees.
• The New York Review of Books J. Hoberman There is a good deal to be said about Peter Jackson's long-awaited and exceedingly long adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, most of it bad.
• The Atlantic Christopher Orr It frequently seems as though Jackson was less interested in making The Hobbit than in remaking his own fabulously successful Lord of the Rings series.
• leonardmaltin.com Leonard Maltin Are the creatures amazingly rendered? Yes. Have we seen their lifelike equal onscreen before? No.
• Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern An overlong adventure enlivened by wonders.
• CNN.com Tom Charity An Unexpected Journey is a major comedown, a muddle-headed and cumbersome piece of filmmaking that betrays Jackson's mercenary motives -- Tolkien's book, too.
• NPR Bob Mondello 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.
• Slant Magazine R. Kurt Osenlund The tone of Jackson's latest is, appropriately, much more jovial than that of Rings, which unfolds in an era far more stricken with despair.
• New York Times A.O. Scott Tolkien's inventive, episodic tale of a modest homebody on a dangerous journey has been turned into an overscale and plodding spectacle.
• Chicago Reader Ben Sachs Little about the storytelling suggests a beating heart beneath the visuals; once the journey has begun, the characters find themselves in life-threatening danger with stupefying regularity.
• Detroit News Tom Long The last hour of this movie is pretty much nonstop, and it's a gas.

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How to Watch The Hobbit Movies in Order

Quick links, the hobbit: an unexpected journey marks the start of the quest for erebor, the hobbit: the desolation of smaug prepares middle earth for war, the hobbit: the battle of the five armies brings an end to an era.

• Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy serves as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings , setting up the latter's War of the Ring.
• Each film in The Hobbit trilogy escalates the conflict between Middle Earth's races by introducing new groups and major antagonists.
• Although less well-received than The Lord of the Rings , The Hobbit Jtrilogy does justice to Tolkien's work, capturing the spirit of Middle Earth.

When it comes to the fantasy genre, no franchise is more well-known than J.R.R. Tolkien's flagship work, The Lord of the Rings . This iconic trilogy, originally published in 1954 & 1955, created many of the genre's most well-known tropes, and even 80 years after its initial release, the series continues to introduce new fans to the world of Middle Earth. That said, The Lord of the Rings and its various adaptations would never have been possible were it not for the success of Tolkien's previous novel: The Hobbit .

Released in 1937, The Hobbi t is the direct predecessor to The Lord of the Rings , so it's no surprise that the two works share plenty in common. Both stories feature a Hobbit as their main character, take place across Middle Earth, and see their protagonists gather allies for a dangerous quest. In addition to this, both narratives were adapted into a trilogy of feature-length films by acclaimed director Peter Jackson. However, whereas The Lord of the Rings novels were released by Tolkien in three volumes, The Hobbit has always been packaged as a single story, making the timeline of its film adaptations a bit trickier to follow.

Adapts The Hobbit Chapters 1 - 6

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.

Director Peter Jackson

Release Date December 14, 2012

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

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

Rating PG-13

Runtime 169 minutes

Main Genre Adventure

Genres Adventure, Fantasy

Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures

Sequel(s) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

10 Best Scenes in The Hobbit Trilogy, Ranked

Although The Lord of the Rings films were released a decade before The Hobbit trilogy, the latter is actually set many years before Frodo Baggins initiates his quest to destroy the One Ring. Since The Hobbit movies are a prequel trilogy, the first chronological entry in Peter Jackson's Middle Earth films is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , which debuted in 2012 to massive box office success. The film follows the beginning of Bilbo Baggins' journey, setting the stage for not only the events of The Hobbit trilogy but also the all-out war against evil that takes place in Jackson's previous film trilogy.

At the beginning of An Unexpected Journey , viewers are introduced to the Shire: a quaint, relatively safe location full of its easy-going inhabitants, the Hobbits. While these peaceful beings don't have a formal hierarchy like many of the races of Middle Earth, the Shire is home to Bilbo Baggins, a well-known Hobbit in the area who is particularly interested in the outside world. Because of Bilbo Baggins' adventurous streak, he attracts the attention of the powerful wizard Gandalf the Grey and the legendary dwarf Thorin Oakenshield; in the film's opening sequence, the duo recruits Bilbo to join them on their quest to reclaim the Dwarven treasure located in Erebor.

What Happened in Middle-earth Between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings?

After some convincing, Bilbo agrees to join Thorin Oakenshield on his journey East, and at first, their journey goes smoothly — at least for the most part. However, as they travel across Middle Earth, they start to encounter powerful artifacts (like the One Ring to Rule Them All) and increasingly powerful groups of enemies, making it more and more obvious that the Quest of Erebor will be more dangerous than An Unexpected Journey 's protagonists initially believed. The film concludes with a single scene that teases this danger by showing a glimpse of The Hobbit 's most iconic antagonist: Smaug.

Adapts The Hobbit Chapters 7-13

The hobbit: the desolation of smaug.

Release Date December 13, 2013

Cast Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt

Sequel(s) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Streaming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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The first film in The Hobbit trilogy introduces viewers to the world of Middle Earth, but the second film — The Desolation of Smaug — significantly raises the stakes by putting its protagonists at the center of the realm's most important conflict in several decades. With Bilbo Baggins in possession of the One Ring, the Dwarves of Erebor nearing their ancestral home, and the powers of Sauron rapidly growing, The Desolation of Smaug is a powder keg waiting to explode from the moment that it begins.

To make matters worse for Bilbo Baggins and his allies — who are without Gandalf's assistance while he seeks out Sauron during most of the film — their journey in the second The Hobbit movie complicates things by introducing two new groups to the mix: the humans of Lake Town and the Wood Elves of Mirkwood. The involvement of these two parties means that the Quest for Erebor will feature all of Middle Earth's major races, including the titular villain of the film, the dragon known as Smaug.

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As the last great dragon of Middle Earth, Smaug's mere presence has kept the Orcs, Humans, Elves, and Dwarves of Middle Earth at a political standstill for decades, so there are massive ramifications when Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, and their adventuring party wake the ancient beast from its slumber. The final moments of The Desolation of Smaug see the iconic dragon escape Erebor, take to the skies, and head toward Lake Town, initiating a series of conflicts that change the world forever.

Adapts The Hobbit Chapters 13-19

The hobbit: the battle of the five armies.

Release Date December 17, 2014

Cast Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom

Streaming The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

What If Smaug Had Survived The Hobbit?

Unlike the previous entries in The Hobbit film trilogy, its final entry — The Battle of the Five Armies — starts in a moment of pure intensity: Smaug's assault on Lake Town. This fiery rampage sets the tone for the entire film and clearly establishes that Peter Jackson's final adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels has no intention of shying away from conflict, even after Bard the Bowman cements himself as a legendary hero by felling Smaug with a single arrow. In actuality, the death of Smaug only intensifies the brewing conflict between races, as the dragon's disappearance guarantees that multiple parties will be vying for the treasure residing within Erebor.

With the Dwarves of Erebor, Elves of Mirkwood, and Men of Lake Town unable to see eye-to-eye, various armies under the control of Sauron are able to make their move and begin an attack on The Battle of the Five Armies ' protagonist. Orcs, goblins, and various other creatures band together under one banner, forcing the Free Peoples of Middle Earth to find common ground or fall victim to the ruthless forces at Sauron's disposal. Things are only intensified by Bilbo Baggins' possession of the One Ring, which could easily turn the tide of the battle in an instant.

As expected, The Battle of the Five Armies brings an end to almost all of the narratives previously introduced in The Hobbit films and plays a massive role in setting up the Fellowship of the Ring's iconic journey in The Lord of the Rings . While The Hobbit trilogy is generally regarded as a worse product than The Lord of the Rings , it more than does justice to Tolkien's work and legitimately brings Quest for Erebor to life on the silver screen, even if it falls short in some areas.

The fantasy genre is full of great films, but few are more well-written, well-structured, or well-liked than Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Hobbit . After the success of his The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was only appropriate that Bilbo Baggins' story also be told, and as evidenced by the overwhelming commercial success of An Unexpected Journey , The Desolation of Smaug , and The Battle of the Five Armies , it's clear that the trio of films did a great job of capturing the spirit of Tolkien's world.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a series of epic fantasy adventure films and television series based on J. R. R. Tolkien's novels. The films follow the adventures of humans, elves, dwarves, hobbits and more in Middle-earth.

Created by J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

Latest Film The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Upcoming Films The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim

First TV Show The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

Latest TV Show The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power

First Episode Air Date September 1, 2022

Cast Charlie Vickers, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Bean, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Morfydd Clark, Billy Boyd, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan

Character(s) Sauron, Gollum

Video Game(s) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, The Lord Of The Rings: Battle For Middle-Earth, LEGO Lord of the Rings , Lord of the Rings Online, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Genre Action-Adventure, Fantasy

Where to Stream Max, Hulu, Prime Video

The Best Quote From Each Middle-earth Movie

"It's mine. My quote. My precious."

Juggernaut fantasy franchises are aplenty in the modern landscape of blockbuster-focused filmmaking, but Peter Jackson 's Middle-earth Saga will forever be incredibly hard to top. Taking place in the intricately complex and richly expansive world created by J.R.R. Tolkien , these six movies are full of fascinating world-building, compelling characters, beautifully written storylines, and, of course, highly memorable and quotable dialogue.

From The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , the characters of Middle-earth have a very particular way of talking. Lines of dialogue in these films are often poetic and always full of rich meaning ; not a single word is wasted. Of course, though, there is always one quote in each film that stands out above the rest as the most impactful. And while each fan might have their favorite line, few can deny these quotes are the best in their respective movies .

Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

6 "All We Have to Decide Is What to Do With the Time That Is Given to Us."

'the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring' (2001).

The one that started it all, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is still considered one of the best-ever first films in movie franchises . It's about Frodo Baggins, a meek Hobbit from the Shire, who sets out with eight companions on a journey to destroy the One Ring to save Middle-earth from the rise of the evil tyrant Sauron. It's an incredible way to start a trilogy full of fascinating world-building but also riveting stories that perfectly stand on their own two feet.

One of the movie's most powerful and thematically important scenes is a moment of rest before the relentlessly suspenseful action that takes place in the Mines of Moria. Here, Frodo is sorrowful about how the Ring has impacted his life, wishing "none of this had happened." In one of his usual inspirational speeches, Gandalf gives him words of encouragement , delivering this insightful and poignant line. He invites him to find comfort in the prospect that, perhaps, it was fate that put him in the spot he's in and to think of how to make his struggles worth it. The line is profound and somewhat esoterical , very much in keeping with the trilogy's themes.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

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5 "There's Some Good in this World, Mr. Frodo, and It's Worth Fighting For."

Samwise gamgee (sean astin) - 'the lord of the rings: the two towers' (2002).

With some moments of exhilarating action and others of profound emotion, as well as one of the franchise's most underrated scenes , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is one of the best middle films in any movie trilogy. The story sees Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum while the rest of the Fellowship takes a stand against Sauron and Saruman.

Some would argue (and deservedly so) that the single best moment of dialogue in the whole saga is Sam's stirring speech at the end of the movie. Here, in a beautifully written monologue, Sam lays out the themes of the narrative and the causes that make their struggle worth the pain , ending by telling Frodo why they must keep going: Because "there's some good in this world," "and it's worth fighting for." Flawlessly delivered by Sean Astin , one of the many actors robbed of an Oscar nomination for his performance in the trilogy, it's a terrific speech that works as the perfect transition to Return of the King .

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

4 "my friends, you bow to no one.", aragorn (viggo mortensen) - 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king' (2003).

One of the movies with the most Oscar nominations in history , tied as the one with the most wins, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the trilogy's rousing conclusion. In it, Gandalf and Aragorn lead the armies of Men to fight Sauron so that Frodo and Sam may approach Mount Doom unnoticed and destroy the One Ring.

Of the movie's numerous moments of emotion and excitement, few are as touching as the scene in the third act where Aragorn is crowned in Minas Tirith after Sauron is finally defeated and Middle-earth is in peace. Here, seeing the four Hobbits bow to him, Strider tells them, "You bow to no one," and the entire congregation bows to them instead. It's a beautiful moment that makes it hard not to shed a few tears , watching the praise of these four brave men who proved that their size didn't determine their worth.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

3 "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.", gandalf (ian mckellen) 'the hobbit: an unexpected journey' (2012).

Nine years after the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fans were eager to return to Middle-earth; The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey scratched that itch. Not many would call it one of the best prequels of all time , but it certainly brought lots of interesting things to the table, as well as offering the thrill of returning characters and familiar locations. Sixty years before the events of The Lord of the Rings , it's about a Hobbit who joins a wizard and a party of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the dwarves's home from the dragon Smaug.

When the White Council gathered in Rivendel to discuss how to handle the situation of Sauron's supposed return, one of the old familiar faces that viewers get to see is Lady Galadriel. Here, Galadriel asks Gandalf why he chose Bilbo to join their company. Unsure, Gandalf answers that he finds tremendous power in the "everyday deeds of ordinary folk" like Bilbo and that the Hobbit gives him courage in their dark times. It's a touching line, as well as a reminder of the core message at the heart of the whole saga : surprising amounts of courage lie in even the most unexpected of people.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2 "if this is to end in fire, then we will all burn together", torin oakenshield ii (richard armitage) - 'the hobbit: the desolation of smaug' (2013).

The Hobbit trilogy is filled with memorable and iconic lines of dialogue , and The Desolation of Smaug is no exception. This sequel follows the dwarves, the hobbit Bilbo and the wizard Gandalf on the continuation of their quest to reclaim Erebor from Smaug the dragon. Meanwhile, Bilbo grows more familiar with his newly acquired mysterious ring.

In one of the film's most pivotal scenes, after narrowly escaping Smaug's deadly fire, the dwarves and Bilbo find themselves trapped in a room full of dead dwarves. "The last of our kin," Balin mutters. Though the team wants to play it safe and hide in the mines, Thorin refuses to die, "clawing for breath," instead ordering his friends to help him fight the dragon in the forges, delivering this rousing sentence that could bring chills to anyone. Despite its seemingly inspiring nature, this line speaks to the arrogance of this dwarf who shook the fate of Middle-earth and to the terrible effect that dragon sickness had on his heart.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

1 "if more people valued home above gold, this world would be a merrier place.", torin oakenshield ii (richard armitage) - 'the hobbit: the battle of the five armies' (2014).

Even if it's typically considered the weakest installment in the Middle-earth saga, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies still has an awful lot to offer those who love Tolkien's Legendarium. Marketed as the epic conclusion of the franchise, it's about Thorin's company being forced to take part in a war against an array of combatants to keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of the rising darkness.

The film is fun and action-packed, particularly if one watches the R-rated extended edition . It brings the arc of all major characters to a satisfying close—including those that are poignantly tragic. This includes Thorin Oakenshield, who dies in combat against Azog, the Orc-lord. The last person he sees is Bilbo, in whose arms he takes his last breath. His last conversation with the Hobbit is deeply moving , telling him to return to the comfort of the Shire and praising his valuing of "home above gold," which encapsulates one of the driving themes of the Hobbit trilogy .

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

NEXT: The Best Quotes from 'The Lord of the Rings' Trilogy, Ranked