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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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Movie Info
Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on 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.
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Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Frightening Images|Intense Fantasy Violence)
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Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
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Original Language: English
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Director: Peter Jackson
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Producer: Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
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Writer: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $303.0M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
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Production Co: WingNut Films
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Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Datasat
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View the collection: Lord of The Rings
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Critic Reviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Audience Reviews for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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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.
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Precious Gollumses!!
flixster f Super Reviewer -
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.
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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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