The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended Edition) (Blu-ray)

I was introduced to the world J.R.R. Tolkien thanks to my brother and the SNES video game adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring (Under the title "J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings: Volume I) and reading The Hobbit during 8th grade, I was immediately transported to this fantastic world he created. When I first heard that The Hobbit was going to be adapted to live action, I was somewhat excited and also concerned due to the fact it was a smaller story compared to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I got more excited when news broke that Guillermo del Toro was going to direct and co-write the screenplay with Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens andit would be two parts. Unfortunately financial problems with MGM and of course the rights to the story were in limbo so Guillermo had to step down as director. Early 2012, The Hobbit has finally arrived. While it isn't pitch perfect as the Rings trilogy, I thought it was an okay adaptation. This trilogy stars Martin Freeman of The Office and Sherlock fame as the younger Bilbo Baggins as he embarks on a quest along with Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves to defeat the dragon Smaug and take back their home from his clutches. Along the way they encounter trolls, goblins, wargs and spiders. The trilogy features a new ensemble cast that includes Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Lee Pace, Evangeline Lilly, Manu Bennett, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Aidan Turner, Barry Humphries, Billy Connolly and Benedict Cumberbatch. Sir Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Sir Ian Holm and Sir Christopher Lee (both in their final role and appearances in the Middle Earth Saga), Hugo Weaving and Orlando Bloom reprise their respective roles from the LOTR trilogy. The Extended Edition of The Hobbit Trilogy is a vast improvement to their theatrical releases and loaded with over 29 hours of behind the scenes documentaries altogether. Love it or hate it, The Hobbit Trilogy: Extended Edition is a visual adventurous spectacle to experience on blu-ray. All 9 discs are in pristine condition with no scratches, the cases and box are in very good condition and play perfectly.

This is a wonderful DVD collection of the Hobbit trilogy. I gave this as a gift to my Mom, who is a huge fan of Tolkien's world of Middle Earth (whom I've taken after), and it was very well received (she has the Extended Edition DVD box collection for the Lord of the Rings and was anxiously waiting for the Hobbit's equivalent). Lots of discs: there's about 5 discs for each movie (the first two are the extended edition of the movie, and the other discs are bonus features). It has been a delight to watch all three movies with their additional scenes (some humorous, and some with new characters), not shown in theaters. And we are equally enjoying watching every bonus feature. Your appreciation for the incredible dedication and thought that the entire cast and crew has channeled into these movies, will reach new heights as you watch the bonus features.The Hobbit Extended Edition DVD boxset comes with each of the three movies in their own boxed cases with the discs inside. I like the covers for each movie (they're different than the covers of the other Hobbit movie editions: they're poster-like images of scenes from the films) and inside the fold-out cases are illustrations from Alan Lee and John Howe. The discs are a little odd to take out, because on two of the "folds," one disc is overlapping over another, so you have to carefully pop and slide the one on the bottom out carefully, or take out both to get to the one you want. Other than that, the discs are pretty much safely secured. I'm still debating on whether to get this pretty Extended DVD edition, or the Blu-Ray Extended Edition (which will probably be a little slimmer to fit on one's DVD book shelf). But this is a great purchase for the cinematic Middle Earth fan.

Note: I have not yet viewed the special features.Minor spoiler included.After viewing The Lord Of The Rings Extended Versions, I decided to see if The Hobbit Extended Versions would live up to the aforementioned trilogy in terms of excitement and entertainment. In many ways, it does, because this is a prequel that is essentially a long flashback to Bilbo's adventures only slightly alluded to in the latter trilogy, and as a result, there are nods to it that will only make sense if you view The Lord Of The Rings first (not to mention that there are also two bookend scenes, one each, at the beginning of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and at the end of The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies). But in other ways, since you're probably so familiar with the more famous trilogy, this one might feel like a let-down. But that is all a matter of personal taste.The first two Extended Versions are rated PG-13, but the third one is rated R for Some Violence during a chase scene on ice and on the main field of battle during the climax. It's not Scarface-level graphic, but for those of you with weak stomachs, you have been cautioned. There is plenty of violence in the trilogy, which aside from what I have mentioned in regards to the third installment, is not graphic, there are a few mild sexual innuendoes, and a few brief profanities during the third installment, and no sexual content (characters in bed, etc) throughout the trilogy.I highly recommend watching The Lord Of The Rings Extended Versions first, and then watch The Hobbit Extended Versions. It will make for a far richer experience.

I haven’t opened it to watch it yet. I love all of the LOTR movies. This is the set I still needed to replace after the ex wife took our copy with her.

Movies arrived in great condition

More and more is better.You need extra time for all the extras added, which are funny, entertaining, and magical.

Hours of fantasy that can be watched over and over again, The Hobbit is a fun film series. Much creative freedom is used, but the core parts of the books are present.