SYNOPSIS:
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 13 Dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild, through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins, Orcs and deadly Wargs, as well as a mysterious and sinister figure known only as the Necromancer.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the Goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities…A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
REVIEW:
Martin Freeman (“The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”) stars as Bilbo Baggins. He’s a reluctant hero with a good heart and extremely likeable. Sir Ian McKellen returns to his role as Gandalf the Grey – a younger Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Returning roles also include: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as Old Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. It’s a bit odd going back and doing a prequel story, making characters younger. But with the success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s not surprising that The Hobbit was picked up as well.
Nine years after the release of the Return of the King also means that the CGI and cinematography is even that much more fantastic. The rich landscapes are breathtaking. And the creature effects are incredibly impressive and life-like. In fact, my only complaint is that the novel The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien has been split into three movies. It felt like parts of this installment could have been skipped in order to fit everything in – and just made into a slightly longer film. But I’m sure the movie makers want the extra money that 3 films can bring instead of 1 or even 2.
This first installment in the Hobbit trilogy is a fun, thrilling, adventure. Full of humor, suspense, drama, and magic – fantasy fans will certainly enjoy. Since this is the first in the trilogy of films (and it’s based on only one novel) the film ends in an abrupt, awkward place. And the wait for the next installments seem painfully long.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS:
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and DVD Special Edition contain the following special features:
Full Suite of Peter Jackson’s Production Videos. Enter Middle-earth of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as Academy Award-winning Director Peter Jackson takes you behind the scenes, on location and amidst the star-studded cast in a series of video journals that puts you in the forefront of latest in filmmaking with more than two hours of additional content. Highlights of the journals include:
o Start of Production
o Location Scouting
o Filming in 3D
o Post-production Overview
o Wellington World Premiere
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, releasing December 13, 2013, and the third film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, slated for July 18, 2014.
Begin your Hobbit Collection by owning the first installment – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and 2-disc DVD Special Edition on 3/19
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