The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition) (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray)

This is the first of what would be a trilogy of movies based on Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, again directed by Peter Jackson, who also directed the Lord of The Rings trilogy of movies. The challenge was how to make a relatively short book into three movies. So, unlike LOTR where much was cut out to focus the story, here there is a lot added from Tolkien's other writings to flesh out the story. This movie focuses on the first part of the story, Gandalf introducing the dwarves to Bilbo, the trek through the mountains, and Bilbo's confrontation with Gollum (intercut between the dwarves battling the Goblins). The movie ends with the group escaping from the goblins and setting up the encounter with Smaug, which is the focus of the second movie. This three-disc Extended Edition includes a 182-minute cut of the film, which adds about thirteen minutes to the 169-minute theatrical cut. The additions are not as extensive as the added material in the extended versions of the LOTR films, most likely because much was added from the novel to make a trilogy of movies. Among the additions in the Extended Edition is an extended prologue about the dwarves and elves, a scene where young Bilbo Baggins first meets Gandalf, and several extensions to scenes introducing the dwarf clan (which makes the opening sequence drag a bit). And, there is a new scene in the Goblin caves involving the Goblin King. This movie stars Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen reprising his role as Gandalf, Richard Armitage as Thorin II Oakenshield, the leader of the dwarves, and of course Andy Serkis as Gollum. We also do see some characters/actors from LOTR in cameos (or extended cameos) including Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Christopher Lee as Saruman the White, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, and Ian Holm as old Bilbo. The real reason to get this set is the bonus material. On the first disc, there is a commentary track on the movie with Jackson and the co-writer and then a short featurette on shooting in New Zealand. Disc 2 contains Part 7 of The Appendicies, and like in the LOTR extended edition, there are several segments that you can watch individually or all at once. In all, they total well over two hours of material. Then, on disc 3, there is Part 8 of the appendices which has another nearly five hours of material. The appendices amount to two very long making-of/behind-the-scenes documentaries that cover pretty much all aspects of production (pre, filming, and post) and how the movie got made, how it was adapted from the source material, etc. So, if you are a fan of the books and/or the prior movies, they provide a ton of information. And, of course, the A/V quality is top-notch, with the special effects even better than what they were in the LOTR movies. Overall, the movie is very good, even if it is a bit long. I personally think the opening sequence in which all the dwarves are introduced does get a bit long, but once they start out on their journey, the movie is well-paced and does not ever really seem to drag. If you are not a die-hard fan this set is probably overkill, but if you are, and love watching all the extras, this is definitely worth the pickup.

When I first learned a few years ago that they were making a Hobbit film I was ecstatic. The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001 and I literally “grew up” with the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy. However, I then learned that Peter Jackson decided to split the book up into three movies. My first thought was “greedy Hollywood scoundrels” but nonetheless I was still excited to see the films. After my initial viewing of An Unexpected Journey in theaters last December and my recent viewing of the extended edition, I see why there are three movies and I am 100% behind the decision. Peter Jackson has used The Hobbit films to not only tell the story of the popular novel, but also to expand upon and provide an in-depth build-up to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As with the previous extended editions of the original trilogy; The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition adds more plot details and provides a healthy amount of fan service. First of all, the extended edition features excellent editing. You have to really be watching for the additional and extended scenes as they are perfectly edited into the film. There is no visual quality drop and the score is beautifully composed to make the work feel whole. The film looks amazing with great use of CGI, makeup, and costumes. I know many people were disappointed with the increased CGI when compared to the LOTR trilogy, but it does not take away from the experience for me. The film itself is an impressive feat; however, unlike the original trilogy extended editions, this extended edition doesn’t make the film better. It does not make the film worse, it just does not add anything as monumental as “The Mouth of Sauron” was in The Return of the King extended edition. A little over half of the 13 additional minutes are of the dwarves and goblins singing and doing other silly acts for comic relief. This adds a lighter feel to the film that makes it feel more like the novel and less like The Lord of the Rings. As for the film itself, it is phenomenal. The film stands up to the LOTR trilogy and is a worthy addition to the franchise. Casting was done brilliantly, with Martin Freeman as Bilbo and Richard Armitage as Thorin stealing the show. The action, while not as real as in the LOTR trilogy due to increased CGI, was exciting and plentiful. Howard Shore also continues his fine work in the franchise composing a wonderful score blending in new sounds along with bringing back some of the familiar themes from the original trilogy. The original source material from the novel is done justice along with added material present to help set up the LOTR trilogy. All of this combines into a satisfying package that makes me excited to see the remaining two chapters. While I cannot say that this extended edition is the absolute best version of the film, it is not any worse than the others. This version adds onto an already fantastic work, and hardcore fans of the franchise would do themselves justice watching this version of the film. Score: 9/10 Note: This Blu-ray also comes with two additional discs featuring Hours of behind the scenes content that I personally have not viewed yet. As most people will be purchasing this product for the actual film I did not deem it necessary to include the extra content in my review.

I love all three of these movies! Definitely worth watching and buying!

Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of the book and the LoTRs books. I think Peter Jackson did a great job on each of the LoTRs movies. I think the cinematography has gotten better over time, with The Hobbit the best "looking" of them all. I think they did a great job of putting the right stuff into the LoTRs movies. Yes, The Hobbit is a much smaller story. Yes, I think they could have done it in a single film. BUT I very much like the stuff they added in. It serves to give lots of background information that is not in The Hobbit itself, but is in other writings by JRRT. I think the background/added material does a very good job of helping to explain Thorin's motivation for his quest. For me, there was only one small part that seemed overly long and that was the flight from the goblins leading to Rivendell. Other than that, I think the action "set pieces" were cool and entertaining. I have read lots of reviews complaining about the additional material that was not strictly in the book, too much action that wasn't in the book, etc. Why not view the movie as "based on the story from The Hobbit" rather than "The Hobbit". I've also read plenty of reviews that complain about the early scenes introducing the dwarves as being overly long. I really enjoy all of those scenes and getting to learn a bit about the dwarves as individuals. I like Balin quite a lot. Thorin isn't exactly likeable but I feel like I got some understanding of him and his motivations and reasons for acting the way he does. I think all of this was important to the overall story, and I just plain enjoy the scenes early in the movie introducing the dwarves. It's fun stuff. Let me also throw in here that the scenes with Bilbo and Gollum are pure gold. They did an amazing job with Gollum. The facial expressions, the movement, everything is just awesome. They managed to make Gollum funny and scary and sad and pathetic and dangerous and cute and just freakin' nuts all at once. Kudos. Andy Serkis is amazing in this role. One of the things that I have liked about Peter Jackson's JRRT movies is that he seems unafraid of lingering over certain moments, of allowing scenes the length they deserve, of not just rushing toward the next action part. Another thing I have found about the movies that is particularly gratifying is that they are fun to watch multiple times. I have watched each of the LoTRs movies many times and still enjoy them each time. I have already watched The Hobbit at least 10 times, and I like it better the more I see it. Don't worry about any negative reviews or comments. If you like fantasy stories and fantasy movies, watch The Hobbit. It is beautifully shot, has interesting and entertaining characters (the Bilbo and Gollum scenes are fantastic!), some very fun action scenes, and the action finale is quite gripping.

As advertised, good flick.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was the welcome back to Middle Earth many MANY fans have begged Peter Jackson for after his praise-worthy adaption of the Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, this was a movie that foreshadowed the divided opinion fans no-doubt feel about this trilogy. I can rightly describe myself as one of those fans who wished this movie was done differently. Looking back, however, An Unexpected Journey is really not the worst of the trilogy. One of my criticisms before even seeing it for the first time was when Peter Jackson revealed The Hobbit was going to be three movies instead of two. If neither movie was going to have an extended edition, I believe that would have made a Hobbit series of decent length. My fears became a reality as I discovered how much material they were adding into the story just so The Hobbit could be comparable to The Lord of the Rings. The worst comparison, to me, is that the entire story of The Hobbit is told as a flashback from Bilbo’s perspective. Even though movie-going audiences are familiar with The Lord of the Rings as the original story, The Lord of the Rings is actually the sequel to The Hobbit and not the other way around. This steals some of the magic from the original book, only because we can’t follow the story from this point without being aware of the future movies. Watching The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in their chronological order is really an obsolete experience. However, I can honestly admit that the first few scenes of The Hobbit were quite promising when I watched it, as we were introduced to Bilbo Baggins and Gandolf the Grey just as it happened in the original book, and instantly we get to know them as if we were seeing them again for the first time. As he is one of the Shire folk, Bilbo has no interest or need for adventure until Gandolf invites 13 dwarves to his home and explains what business they have with them. The story of The Hobbit is simple, yet complicated at the same time. The dwarf prince, Thorin and his company are on a quest because their ancient home and treasure was taken from them by a dragon and they hope the help of a burglar like Bilbo Baggins will be enough to take it back. Many of the movie’s early scenes match the charm of the book quite flawlessly. One of the best changes from the book was the emotional turmoil and inspiration that forced Bilbo into this adventure, giving us time to relate to him and feel for him. Much of the movie after that, however, is not quite the same. Maybe the most important detail was the PG-13 rating. Just for the sake of argument, The Hobbit is supposed to have a much lighter, child-friendly tone about it; and that’s NOT because I grew up on the Rankin/Bass cartoon. The movie version has lots of action and violence that wasn’t in the book. Plus, this is NOT the Lord of the Rings 2. However, the events taken from the book are given so much more drama and peril it’s quite obvious they are going for a movie that isn’t anything like the books. The worst part is, there are moments where you can tell this movie is being goofier and more whimsical than the Lord of the Rings but it doesn’t mesh as well as the creative team believes it is. This is why I believe The Hobbit should have been toned down until it was rated PG at the very least. Who is going to believe Peter Jackson was thinking this would be an amazing movie while he was reading the book, like he did for The Lord of the Rings? There are some things that were still done exceptionally well, I must confess. I can’t help but admire Ian Mckellen’s willingness to play Gandalf yet again, because these production standards are hectic but nobody else has the right to play the grey wizard like he does. Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins is also a win. Martin Freeman not only looks like his character but he also sounds like him and he’s even played characters like Bilbo before. There was no British actor more perfect for Bilbo Baggins than Martin Freeman. Unfortunately, Richard Armitage as the leading Dwarf, Thorin, was a miscast to me because he’s much too serious minded. The Hobbit trilogy likes to emphasize Thorin’s character with a lot of pretense but I personally have a hard time looking up to his character when Richard Armitage acts like he’s going to kill everyone he lays eyes on. Plus, while An Unexpected Journey follows the book quite closely, the introduction of another conflict with the orc chieftain Azog was quite unnecessary. He was probably added for the sake of dramatic conflict but his role is emphasized with just as much pretense as Thorin was. Whether The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was good or not, it really came down to one thing. Was it necessary to make one book into three movies? The Lord of the Rings masterfully told each of its three installments with a solid beginning, middle and end. An Unexpected Journey is the only Hobbit movie that gets credit for having all three parts in one movie. I might not like how the book is being divided, but it took a few viewings before I decided this was a good movie. It’s not spectacular like The Lord of the Rings but it could have been special in a different kind of way. When I sit down to watch I see the story of Bilbo Baggins who was a simple hobbit before a company of dwarfs decided he was the burglar they needed. Bilbo goes through a struggle trying to fit in with his company as he grows to know these misfit wanderers and then finds his courage, as well a place for himself among them. It is a good experience, even if I have to trudge through a few movie sins. On a strictly personal note, this movie is not everything it could be or should be. If I thought everything good about this movie was enough to make it worthy of Tolkien’s original works, I’d be lying. The Hobbit is not just another book either because it’s the story that fantasy authors are still drawing inspiration from. But this is only the first part of the trilogy, and since it is not the worst of the three there are only so many bad things you can say about it.

The reviews for the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit movies are very confusing. This review is for the Extended Edition 3-disc Blu-ray of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. (The DVD version is 5 discs. If in doubt, check the minutes shown in the details of the page.) I did a review of the extended edition Fellowship of the Rings. It was fantastic and well worth the money as were the extended editions of the other two movies. The extended edition for The Hobbit is not as fantastic. There are a couple scenes that really make you think, "Ohhhh! Now I get it!" but that's about it. In spite of the minimal changes, it is still worth the money in my opinion. The additional material is also good - not as good as the Lord of the Rings extended editions but still. I have never read the books and he read them but a long time ago so we can not speak to any differences between the books and the movie. If you are choosing between buying the extended edition and the original, definitely buy the extended edition. If you are not a big fan and you already own the original version, you might not want to bother. If you are a fan, even if you own the original version, you will probably appreciate the extended edition - it's a borderline call. The packaging is a little different than the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings but it was designed to be part of that set and that shows. I don't care about that really but I understand collectors do. Until now, we have not purchased Blu-rays but we happened to need another dvd player and the prices for the Blu-rays have dropped so much we decided to go ahead with the Blu-ray player. We had seen the Blu-ray movies in stores displayed next to the DVD version of the movies and the difference was amazing. Still, with neither of us being fanatical about picture quality and sound beyond the "quite good" point, it is still more expensive to buy the Blu-ray discs (although they are dropping in price). We came to the conclusion that it would be worth it to buy Blu-rays of movies that were particularly graphic intensive such as the Hobbit but for run of the mill movies we would stick with the cheaper dvds. We were disappointed with the Hobbit on Blu-ray. We had watched the Hobbit before on pay-per-view and we could not see any real difference between the HD and the Blu-ray. In this case, the Blu-ray was actually a dollar or so cheaper so no big deal but don't expect to be stunned by the Blu-ray. This came with a code for a free Ultraviolet copy. If you don't know what this is please do your research. Since we did not go out and buy brand new latest and greatest equipment just to watch this movie, the free Ultraviolet copy was useless. It would not play on anything except our new Blu-ray player and why would we need it for that? We have the Blu-ray disc. Personally, I see the Ultraviolet copy as utterly useless and NOT a selling point for anything at all.

Peter Jackson's extended editions are always worth the wait, and "The Hobbit: Extended Edition" is no exception. In addition to adding back scenes that were cut for the theatrical release (which other reviewers have mentioned), there are an amazing 3 discs of bonus coverage totaling almost 9 hours. Just as J.R.R. Tolkien had appendices to his books, Jackson's movies have appendices. These extraordinary "making of" features for "The Hobbit" carry on the numbering from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The extended edition release for "Return of the King" ended with Appendices Part 6. So "The Hobbit" begins with Appendices Part 7. These are extraordinarily detailed glimpses into the creation of this movie from the very beginning to the very end. Long before any actors were notified, they worked on production design and concepts. Character designs and concepts. Scripts were changed right up to the day of shooting. Motion-capture was brought to new levels. Costuming and the decisions that went into it are fascinating! You see clips from rehearsals and clips from rushes. Clips from meetings and makeup and why this was done instead of that. Very often, they start with quotes from Tolkien, how he described something/someone, and how Jackson (writer/director/coproducer) could work off of that. Commentators include every actor and I think just about everybody on the crew, too, from the concept creature sculptor to the animation technician desperately trying to finish Azog almost right up to the day of the New Zealand World Premiere! You will not be bored by watching these many hours of extra features. All features can be listened to in English. Subtitles are available in English, Francais, Español, Portuguêse and four more languages. BONUS DISC 1 The Appendices Part 7: A. Introduction by Peter Jackson (2 minutes) B. A Long Expected Journey - The Chronicles of The Hobbit - Part 1 (total 87 minutes) You can watch the six parts individually or "play all". 1........Opening 2........The Journey Back to Middle Earth 3........Riddles in the Dark - Gollum's Cave 4........Roast Mutton - Trollshaw's Forest 5........Bastion of the Greenwood - Rhosgobel 6........A Short Rest - Rivendell & London Dan Hennah (production designer) on his team's 1st look at the plans: "We were going to be building over 100 sets in 4 studios. I can't say we actually paniced...!" It's fabulous watching the rehearsals of Frodo and Gollum in the cave, with Andy Serkis in his motion capture suit and doing THAT voice! Ian McKellen (plays Gandalf) remembers that when filming The Ring Trilogy 10 years earlier, he was made to look 25% larger "by putting me, the larger character, closer to the camera." But as The Hobbit is shot in 3D, that system doesn't work. Alex Funke (motion control supervisor) describes how it was done for The Hobbit: "The only way we can make a person bigger is to put the camera closer to him. So, effectively,[in the dinner scene in Frodo's home] we have a camera that looks at the dwarves and Bilbo in a set built to their scale. And a camera that looks at Gandalf, on a green screen, which is 25% closer to him" on a smaller scale kitchen set. Except it isn't really a set, because everything is draped in green fabric. The two cameras are synchronized, but McKellen could not hear anything on the other set. This was very disconcerting at first, and when you look at the conditions, it's amazing it works. It's touching as McKellen describes how he was so upset after the 1st day of shooting in the green-room Bag End, that he considered he'd have to leave the movie! Ikhf id ursu Khazad (Feel the fire of the Dwarves) Nevui penim miruvor (We are almost out of wine) C. The Songs of The Hobbit (36 minutes) One of the most fun songs in the movie is "Down Down to Goblin Town", sung by Barry Humphries as the Great Goblin. The always humorous Humphries (better known as Dame Edna!) says, "It's entirely about destruction, death and torture. But, I tried to do it in a sympathetic way!" BONUS DISC 2 continuation of The Appendices Part 7 A. A Long Expected Journey - The Chronicles of The Hobbit Part 1 (total 2 hrs, 21 minutes) You can watch the nine parts individually or "play all" 7........Over Hill - The Misty Mountains 8........Under Hill - Goblin Town 9........Out of the Frying Pan - The Forest Ledge 10......Return to Hobbiton - The Shire 11......The Epic of Scene 88 - Strath Taieri 12......The Battle of Moria - Azanulbizar 13......Edge of the Wilderland - Pick-Up and The Carrock 14......Home is Behind, The World Ahead 15......Credits Tim Wong (assistant stunt coordinator) talks about the stunt which sends Bilbo and the dwarves tumbling down into Goblin Town: "The trap door stunt, which leads to the Goblin caves, was probably the most intricate and dangerous stunt that I've ever been part of." Peter Jackson does a cameo in all his films. This time he is a refugee dwarf in a long dark beard. Did you see him passing Thorin at a run? Last, but not least, you are given a lovely preview of the 2nd movie, "The Desolation of Smaug", including a sneak peek of Benedict Cumberbatch in his facial motion capture get-up, breathing fire (figuratively). B. Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town (total 1 hour) You can watch the five parts individually or "play all" 1.......Hobbiton 2.......Rhosgobel (Radagast's home) 3.......Rivendell 4.......The Misty Mountains 5.......Goblin Town This feature focuses on the sets and locations. Peter Jackson says at the beginning, "It was important visually, with 'The Hobbit', that it feels like a slightly more idyllic time. I mean, the darkness that descends on this world in Lord of the Rings is brewing, but it hasn't yet expanded to the levels it's going to." For the Ring trilogy, most of Hobbiton was made of styrofoam and torn down afterwards. And still tourists made pilgrimages. This time around, they built the Hobbit holes and structures as in real life. They are made to last. Now you really can visit a Bag End. BONUS DISC 3 The Appendices Part 8 Return to Middle Earth You can watch the four parts individually or "play all" A. The Company of Thorin (1 hour 10 minutes) Tolkien's books don't give a lot of definition for many of the dwarf personalities. For a movie, though, each of the dwarves in the party has to have his own characteristics, which drives his costume and weapons. So it was left to Jackson & Team, as well as the actors to fill everything in. Adam Brown (plays Ori) says: "This is my first movie. I thought I'd aim high!" B. Mr. Baggins - The 14th Member (16 minutes) Ian Mckellen, the old pro, says of Martin Freeman: "His most remarkable quality as an actor is to be able, with absolute clarity, to convey that he's thinking two things at the same time." C. Durin's Folk: Creating the Dwarves (7 minutes) Richard Armitage (plays Thorin) went through many mutations on his costuming: "Tolkien described Thorin as having a full beard that he tucked into his belt. We have had to depart from that. I know this is controversial, because the King of the the Long Beards, people felt he should have a long beard." Graham McTavish (plays the bulkier, even for a dwarf, Dwalin): "I just thought that Dwalin would have names for his axes. Because he's that kind of guy. I remembered that Emily Brönte had two dogs called Grasper and Keeper.... What an extraordinary pair of names." And they became the names of his axes. D. The Peoples and Denizens of Middle Earth (total 2 hours) You can watch the four parts individually or "play all" 1........The Stone Trolls 2........Radagast the Brown 3........Goblins 4........Azog the Defiler Sylvester McCoy plays the wizard Radagast, who's practically turned into a forest creature himself. McCoy didn't learn he had to say a spell in formal Elvish until he got on set. McCoy says, "They tell me when I first arrive, and I misheard, and I thought it was Elvis." And he goes into an Elvis impersonation. He is better at the ElviSH. In the book, Azog apparently dies of his injury at Thorin's hand, in the Battle for Moria. With a little artistic license, they brought him back for 'The Hobbit', lusting for Thorin's head. Manu Bennet, the actor who's motion capture was used for Azog, talks about his character: "The necessary thing that Peter wanted from Azog was what we Maori call mana, the size of the guy, the spiritual strength of the character." Happy Reader

Achtung: Spoiler! Der neuseeländische Regisseur Peter Jackson führt uns zurück nach Mittelerde und hüllt uns wieder ein in eine warme, kuschelige Decke aus Bildern und Tönen, eine Decke, deren Geruch einem gut vertraut vorkommt. Es ist wie eine Heimkehr an einen Ort, an dem man lange nicht mehr war und man fühlt sich gleich wieder wohl, als ob man nach Hause gekommen wäre. Doch spätestens als die Anfang-Episode mit Frodo (Elijah Wood) und Bilbo (Ian Holm) endet, wird klar, dass der HOBBIT nicht Der Herr der Ringe - Die Spielfilm Trilogie (Extended Edition) [Blu-ray ] ist. Jackson ließ auch nie Zweifel daran, dass die neue Verfilmung zwar in der gleichen Welt spielt wie die HERR-DER-RINGE-Trilogie, aber ein komplett eigenständiger Film ist. Ähnlich der Buchvorlage kommt der HOBBIT wesentlich unverkrampfter und kindlicher daher, Humor und Kurzweiligkeit ersetzen großes Epos. Interessanterweise ist aber eben die Buchvorlage auch gleichzeitig ein großer erzählerischer Stolperstein, aber dazu später mehr. DIE MUSIK Eines der der wichtigsten Wiedererkennungsmerkmale des Films ist ohne Zweifel die Musik. Komponist Howard Shore hat wieder ganze Arbeit geleistet, wenn sein Werk auch diesmal nicht ganz so originär ist, wie bei DER HERR DER RINGE. Natürlich hat er viele seiner eigenen Leitmotive wieder aufgegriffen und so geht einem das Herz auf, wenn altbekannte Themen zu Beutelsend, Galadriel, Bruchtal und dem Einen Ring ertönen. Das stärkste neue musikalische Motiv ist sicherlich die Misty-Mountains-Melodie die immer wieder epische angespielt wird, wenn die Zwerge wieder einmal einen Bergkamm überqueren. Es ist fast so, als hätte Howard Shore nie aufgehört für Mittelerde zu komponieren und einfach nach DER HERR DER RINGE weitergemacht. Ein Soundtrack zum Niederknien! DIE TECHNIK Neu beim HOBBIT ist die Kameratechnik. Peter Jacksons 3D-Umsetzung des Films in hoher Auflösung und mit 48 Frames-per-Second (fps) ist einfach nur atemberaubend! Zu schade, dass auf der Blu-Ray nur 24-fps umgesetzt werden können. Denn im Kino war es tatsächlich so, als hätte jemand an Stelle der Leinwand ein Fenster nach Mittelerde ins Kino eingebaut. Die Distanz, die normalerweise durch die Leinwand entsteht, war völlig aufgehoben. Das 3D-Element ist genial eingesetzt, weder aufdringlich noch zu subtil, sondern genau wie das echte Leben. Die Bilder sind so brillant und klar, dass man förmlich in den Film hineingezogen wird. Allein die extrem aufgedrehten Farben sind etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig. So oder so, bei der DER HOBBIT: EINE UNERWARTETE REISE sind alle Bilder gewaltig, Bruchtal ist noch größer geworden, die Stollen der Orks unter dem Nebelgebirge sind gewaltig und das Zwergenreich unter dem Erebor ist ein wahrer Augenöffner. Ähnlich ist es mit den Action-Sequenzen, die einen einer Achterbahn gleich mitreißen, auf die man während der Fahrt einsteigt. Aber dennoch sind es die vielen oft fast kammerspielartigen Charakter-Momente, die die wahre Stärke des Films ausmachen. SCHAUSPIELEREI Auch wenn der HOBBIT in vielen Aspekten nicht an den HERRN DER RINGE heran reicht, so kann er der Trilogie von vor zehn Jahren vor allem in Hinsicht der schauspielerischen Leistung locker das Wasser reichen. Hier hat sich auch Peter Jackson als Regisseur sichtlich weiterentwickelt. Martin Freeman als Bilbo Beutlin ist wahrscheinlich die beste Besetzung, die es in dem gesamten Mittelerde-Kosmos je gegeben hat. Er verleiht dem Hobbit Bilbo Beutlin eine unglaubliche Charaktertiefe und spielt so differenziert und detailverliebt, dass es eine wahre Freude ist, ihm einfach nur zuzuschauen. Die erste Begegnung des jungen Bilbo mit Gandalf dem Grauen („Einen guten Morgen wünsche ich“) zählt schon jetzt zu den ikonischen Momenten der Hobbit-Trilogie! Das absolute Highlight des Films ist aber ohne Zweifel die ausgiebige Dialogszene zwischen Bilbo, Gollum und Sméagol. Die Stimmung des Rätselspiels, die stets schwankt zwischen Mitleid und Bedrohung, mit den passenden „comical relief“-Momenten, beispielsweise wenn Gollum dem Hobbit ein Rätsel stellt und Sméagol es unbedingt beantworten möchte, ist einfach ein inszenatorisches Meisterwerk. Die Szene an dem unterirdischen See endet in dem grandiosesten Moment des Films, wenn Bilbo (durch den Ring unsichtbar) mit dem Schwert ausholt, um Gollum/Sméagol zu erschlagen und dann plötzlich das gesamte Leid der Kreatur in deren Augen erblickt, und Peter Jackson die Brücke zu dem Gespräch von Frodo und Bilbo in Moria schlägt, als Frodo fragt, warum Bilbo Gollum nicht erschlagen habe, als er die Chance dazu hatte. Es wäre nicht verwunderlich, wenn der Oscar 2013 für die beste Nebenrolle erstmals an einen CGI-Charakter geht. Während die meisten Zwerge eher blass bleiben (es gibt einfach zu viele von ihnen) ist Richard Armitage als Thorin Eichenschild die treibende Kraft des Films. Voller Leidenschaft und mit einem fanatischen Glühen in den Augen verkörpert er den gefallenen Zwergenkönig, der sein Königreich zurückerobern will, komme was wolle und wenn er dafür auch über Leichen gehen muss. Fast prophetisch ist da Gandalfs Ankündigung, dass sein zwergischer Starrsinn eines Tages sein Verderben sein wird. Und so entwickelt sich Thorin mehr und mehr zum Kapitän Ahab von Mittelerde und der Drache wird unausweichlich sein weißer Wal. Radagast (gespielt von Sylvester McCoy) ist in seiner Albernheit wirklich grenzwertig. Er ist Peter Jacksons anarchische Durchbrechung des Kanons, dennoch bleibt es nicht aus, dass man sich dabei erwischt, ob des bekifften Istar durchaus amüsiert zu sein. Aber wenn es eine Stelle in DER HOBBIT: EINE UNERWARTETE REISE gibt, die wirklich unangenehm aus dem Rahmen fällt, dann ist es das unvermittelte Auftauchen von Radagast an der Trollhöhle und die anschließende Warg-Verfolgungsjagd durch die Leeren Lande. Plötzlich fühlt man sich an den Warg-Angriff in DIE ZWEI TÜRME erinnert, der ein ähnlicher Störfaktor in der Geschichte war und man fragt sich die ganze Zeit einfach nur was das eigentlich soll. Eine Szene, die vermutlich dramaturgischem Denken geschuldet ist, um den finalen Kampf mit den Wargen im Kiefernwald einzuleiten, die man sich aber durchaus hätte sparen können. Und so ist dies die einzige Stelle in dem Film, an der Peter Jackson seine Zuschauer für einen Moment verliert, weil er sich zu sehr in die Idee einer Verfolgungsjagd zwischen Kaninchen und Wargen verliebt hat. ABSEITS DES ROMANS Dass Peter Jackson und sein Drehbuchteam die Geschichte der literarischen Vorlage entsprechend ausbauen war bekannt, ob die Vorgeschichte der Zwerge, den Weißen Rat oder die Ereignisse in Dol Guldur. Erstaunlicherweise hält sich Jackson dabei allerdings sehr bedeckt und gestaltet die Ereignisse weniger episch, als es sich angeboten hätte. Vielleicht tut er dies, um den Tonus der Gesamterzählung nicht zu durchbrechen. Und so wirkt der Weiße Rat mehr wie ein netter, unverbindlicher Plausch auf der Terrasse von Imladris, als das Krisentreffen der Mächtigsten von Mittelerde. Sehr schön, sind allerdings die vielen subtilen Anspielungen auf das tolkienische Gesamtepos, beispielsweise, wenn Radagast in bestem Quenya die Valier Yavanna anruft und somit die bedrohlichen Riesenspinnen („Ungolianths Brut“) vertreibt oder wenn Gandalf beim Aufbruch in die Wildnis Pippins Lied zitiert („Daheim verblasst, die Welt rückt nah“). Dass Peter Jackson den bleichen Ork Azog als Antagonisten des ersten Teils aufbaut, war vermutlich eine Entscheidung, die mit der Dreiteilung der Filme zu tun hatte. In frühem Merchandising-Material war nämlich dessen Sohn Bolg noch als Bösewicht des ersten Films angekündigt. Azog ist sowohl in Tolkiens Werk wie auch im Film ein grausamer Orkhäuptling der Thorin Eichenschilds Großvater Thrór in den Minen von Moria tötete und dessen Leiche schändet. Dies geschieht laut Tolkien etwa 450 Jahre vor der Reise der Zwerge zum Erebor. Und während Azog in der literarischen Vorlage irgendwann von Dain Eisenfuß erschlagen wird, wird er in der Verfilmung von Thorin zwar verstümmelt, aber nicht getötet und beginnt dann seinen Jahrhunderte dauernden Rachefeldzug gegen den Zwergenanführer. Tja… mit dem Film-Azog ist das so eine Sache. Verglichen mit HERR-DER-RINGE-Fieslingen wie dem Lurtz, dem Balrog, den Nazgûl oder gar Sauron bleibt Azog irgendwie formlos und stets – Achtung – blass. Selbst der große Ork (grandios von Barry Humphries durchs CGI hindurch gespielt) ist ein komplexerer Charakter als Azog, der sich auf einfaches Gebrüll und Endgegner-Phrasen wie „Tötet sie alle!“ beschränken muss. Da hätte Peter Jackson wirklich mehr raus holen können aus der Figur. Es drängt sich der Gedanke auf, dass sich Peter Jackson viel zu viele Freiheiten bei der Adaption der literarischen Vorlage erlaubt hat. Komischerweise ist das aber bis auf diese ein oder zwei Ausnahmen gar nicht der Fall. Tatsächlich krankt die Dramaturgie des Films an der Buchvorlage. Dadurch, dass Jackson jede einzelne Episode und jeden Dialog aus dem Kinderbuch wirklich nahezu buchgetreu umsetzt, entsteht der gleiche unausgegorene, episodenhafte Charakter wie auf dem Papier. Die vielen kleinen Geschichten sind zwar nett anzuschauen, haben aber alle nichts mit einander zu tun und wirken im Ganzen oft inhomogen. Wie auch der Roman gibt sich der Film an vielen Stellen wie ein Flickenteppich, bei dem die einzelnen Flicken einfach nicht zusammenpassen wollen. Solche dramaturgischen Schwächen hat Jackson in DER HERR DER RINGE schon einmal besser ausgebügelt. Wenn man ihm in seiner Adaption nun also etwas vorwerfen will, dann vielleicht, dass er sich zu sklavisch an Tolkiens Buchvorlage hält (und wer hätte gedacht, dass ich als Buchfan so etwas einmal schreiben werden). Zwar bemüht sich Jackson mit dem erneuten Erstarken von Sauron (dem Nekromant) einen übergreifenden roten Faden einzuführen, doch der bleibt stets zu blass im Hintergrund. Und so stolpern Bilbo und die Zwerge von einer Episode in die nächste. Diese Episoden selbst aber – und das muss noch einmal gesagt werden – sind jede für sich sehr sehenswert. DAS FAZIT Wieder einmal hat Peter Jackson das Unglaubliche geschafft und das unverfilmbare Buch verfilmt! Vor DER HOBBIT hätte vermutlich kein Regisseur der Welt gewagt 13 singende Zwerge als Hauptcharaktere auf der Leinwand zu etablieren, oder den Rätsel-Wettstreit zwischen Gollum und Bilbo in voller Länge durchzuspielen, oder gar einen Ork-Anführer ein Lied singen lassen. Doch Peter Jackson tut es und er tut es gut! Trotz einiger Mankos bleibt DER HOBBIT: EINE UNERWARTETE REISE ein großartiger Film, der in keiner Sekunde langweilig wird. Die Zeit fliegt förmlich dahin und das Ende kommt viel zu schnell. Und wieder sind es die kleinen, liebevollen Details und die stillen Momente, die diesen Film zu etwas Besonderem machen. Auch wenn DER HOBBIT nicht mehr das gleiche Feuer entfachen kann wie seinerzeit DER HERR DER RINGE, so bleibt er doch eine zauberhafte Rückkehr nach Mittelerde und allein die Aussicht auf mehr Szenen mit Martin Freeman als Bilbo Beutlin steigern die Vorfreude auf den zweiten Teil der HOBBIT-Trilogie.

La commande est arrivée dans les délais fixés, même scindée en deux. Les steelbooks ont été livrés dans un emballage soigné et sont conformes à la description faite par le vendeur : neufs sous blister, par conséquent les disques sont sans une tache ni griffure. Très beau steelbook pour un superbe film, excellent achat : compliments au vendeur !

Before Tolkien fans start crying heresy I would urge everyone to reread the book before commenting. I have and whilst the book is still a good read at heart it is still more of a children's book and written in an appropriate style and light on characterisation. Peter Jackson has breathed greater depth into the characters, provided more layered motivation and emotional depth and created a stronger link with the Lord of the Rings which fills in the gaps between the two books and also Gandalf's experiences when he is missing from the Hobbit. Hopefully the future parts of the trilogy will deal with some of the gaps referred to in the Lord of the Rings. This is important because when it comes to the books you can read the Hobbit and have a complete tale without reading the Lord of the Rings, but you can't fully appreciate the Lord of the Rings without first having read the Hobbit. The reverse problem Peter Jackson has is that almost all of those who see the Hobbit will have seen the Lord of the Rings and therefore there needs to be more linkage between the two sets of films. That's the backdrop but what about the film itself and why in some ways is it better than the book? The book never really sets the scene with regards to the history of Erebor and the dwarves are painted more as adventurers after treasure, but the film provides more emotional depth and historical backdrop which is summed up when Bilbo explains that yes he is homesick, but he has a home whereas the dwarves have none and he is prepared to help them win back their home. It's a poignant and emotive part of the film made all the stronger because of the earlier depiction of the fall of Erebor and the the loss of the Dwarves home and their failure to find a new home in Moria. You can tell that Peter Jackson has really thought through some of the other small details and has taken a more layered and realistic approach then in the book. If nothing else Middle Earth has always been depicted as a formal place. Even the Hobbit is referred to as 'Mister' Baggins and Lords and Kings are given due deference and everyone is by now conscious of the issues relating to Stewards and Kings in Gondor, but one thing that doesn't ring true in the book given this backdrop is Thorin Oakenshield's arrival with a bundle of other dwarves falling on the floor as they arrive at Bilbo's house. The collapsing group of dwarves still features but Thorin, heir to a the great dwarf kings of Durins line arrives on his own and last of all - and that's a much more realistic depiction. Jackson has also introduced a number of other nice touches - the reasons why Thorin has the name Oakenshield; the back story to the Necromancer and the behind the scenes discussions of the White Council that take place 'offstage' in the book. Radagast never appears in the book, but has a prominent role in the film which again creates more linkage with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Martin Freeman makes a great Blbo with a combination of humour, enthusiasm and a frisson of fear that is true to the book and in only one film has become a more three dimensional character than was achieved with Frodo over three films. Richard Armitage has brought to the screen a magnificent rendition of Thorin that is so much more than the one dimensional character in the book. The Thorin in the film is clearly noble in intent, wants to do the best for his people, has a core of sadness for what happened to his home and his line and a massive hate for the Orcs who slew his kin. He is flawed, but you can immediately understand when Balin describes the battle before the gates of Moria and says that when Thorin rallied his people Balin felt that he had found someone worthy to follow; someone who he could call king. And as always with Peter Jackson's Middle Earth the battle scenes are epic; the Orcs are suitably vile; the monsters are on a grand scale and the spiders are scary. I was in two minds whether to buy this film given some of the comments I had heard and like many people I was cynical about the need to create another trilogy with such a short book. So if anything I started watching the Hobbit with a negative mind set, but it quickly won me over for all the reasons outlined above. If the other two films are anywhere near as good as this first part of the trilogy it will be a fantastic triumph. Having reread the book I really do believe that this film is better than the equivalent part of the book. This is a five star film and I think JRR Tolkien would have very much approved and applauded Peter Jackson's innovations.

♦ VALUTAZIONE Caldamente raccomandato per regalo o per la propria videoteca. Il film è molto bello e la versione estesa permette di apprezzarne ancor più la qualità, soprattutto per gli speciali legati alla bellezza dei paesaggi e ai retroscena legati alle riprese. In coda alla recensione trovate data e prezzo di acquisto; se le informazioni riportate vi sono state d’aiuto, vi ringraziamo se riterrete utile la recensione con l’apposito pulsante. ♦ CONFEZIONE E CONTENUTI Il cofanetto è semplice in cartone rigido con blocchi in plastica per i DVD. Il film è il primo della trilogia de Lo Hobbit ed è incentrato sulla formazione della squadra di nani che reclutano il piccolo hobbit protagonista del film per tornare nella loro terra di origine e riconquistare la propria fortezza e tesoro. Belli i contenuti extra presenti sui dischi, anche se abbiamo preferito i contenuti extra dei cofanetti della trilogia de "Il Signore degli Anelli". ♦ PREZZO E SPEDIZIONE Prodotto acquistato il 03/01/2015 per 19.79€, ricevuto pochi giorni dopo con servizio Amazon. Prezzo conveniente rispetto ai negozi di DVD e ai reparti del supermercato dove lo avevamo trovato. ♦ CONCLUSIONI 👍 Pro: alta qualità di audio e video, contenuti extra molto interessanti per gli appassionati della saga. 👎 Contro: - Alla luce di quanto scritto per contenuti, prezzo, pregi e difetti lo consigliamo quale ottimo prodotto.

Produit souhaité, produit reçu.