unexpected journey extended vs theatrical

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Peter jackson talks 'the hobbit: an unexpected journey' extended edition.

Filmmaker Peter Jackson teases what Middle-earth fans can expect to see in the extended edition of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'.

The extended editions of each installment in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy incorporate material that didn't make the theatrical cuts (for reasons that relate to pacing, narrative structure, etc.). These versions of the movies tend to please the most die-hard J.R.R. Tolkien fans, who're more than willing to spend extra time exploring Middle-earth onscreen - especially, when it means getting to see their favorite scenes from the source material that were shot, but not included for the films' theatrical run.

An extended version of Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will also be made available, on DVD and Blu-ray. The filmmaker - along with Hobbit movie trilogy co-writers/producers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens - have teased some of the scenes that will be added on, for those who are curious.

Here's what the trio had to offer Empire , about what to expect from the extended edition of An Unexpected Journey :

"You are going to get some serious Dwarvish disrespect of the elves at Rivendell," says Jackson... "You are going to get more of Hobbiton," says producer / co-writer Philippa Boyens. "We always wanted to wend our way through Hobbiton, but in the end Bilbo has to run out of the door."

Scenes with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) going about his business-as-usual in Hobbiton were featured in the trailers for An Unexpected Journey , but those did not make the theatrical cut.

All things considered, the aforementioned Hobbiton scenes probably weren't really necessary to establish that Bilbo starts out in An Unexpected Journey as a fussy homebody (who has abandoned any notion of an adventurous life). Nonetheless, it could be fun to see additional footage that better illustrates exactly what sort of Hobbit Bilbo was, prior to his grand adventure to the Lonely Mountain.

The same goes for the additional scenes that show the many Dwarves behaving like, well, Dwarves , and the possibility of moments featuring Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving) doing his best to remain prim and proper around his rowdy guests.

We'll get to see even more cultural-clashing between the Dwarves and Elves in the second Hobbit installment, The Desolation of Smaug , judging by the emphasis on the Mirkwood Elves - led by King Thrandruil - and their encounter with Bilbo's traveling party, in the film's teaser trailer .

Speaking of which, Jackson also mentioned that certain additional scenes in the An Unexpected Journey extended edition will foreshadow and/or loosely tie into the developments that transpire in The Desolation of Smaug :

"We are putting things in the extended cut that are going to play straight into the second film," explains Jackson, "like this character Girion, who is defending [the city of] Dale using black arrows against Smaug. And the black arrows play a part in an ongoing story, for they are the one thing that can pierce the dragon's hide." "There are also issues with [king of the elves] Thranduil (Lee Pace)," Jackson adds. "We get some of the reason why he and the dwarves had a falling out - to do with these white gems..."

Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy extended edition is more atmospheric in design than its theatrical counterpart, which is some ways is more appropriate (given the nature of Tolkien's source material).

By comparison, the theatrical cut of An Unexpected Journey felt more like a proper Tolkien novel unfolding in movie form, despite also being a bit over-stuffed . As such, it will be interesting to see how the film plays out when the above-mentioned additional material has been spliced into the mix.

For even more on the An Unexpected Journey extended edition, check out the latest issue of Empire Magazine .

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. The extended edition of the film will be made available in those formats about a month before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens in theaters this December.

Source: Empire

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[Rating:3.5/5]

Well, we knew it was coming, the extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , following the same pattern as the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy from Peter Jackson. I haven’t watched the film since I reviewed the theatrical version’s Blu-ray release , and I have to admit I enjoyed it more this time around, so perhaps the third time’s the charm. I can’t say that extending it is the reason, however, unlike with Lord of the Rings . I didn’t find any of the additional material added to An Unexpected Journey to bring much more to the story, and I still find the newly-extended prologue (and the first act of the film in general) to be far too drawn out and a little dull. That said, the film has a charm of its own that begins to win you over the more you allow yourself to open up to it and just escape into Jackson’s and Tolkien’s fantastical vision. Some missteps still remain, however, such as the over-the-top song and dance number in Hobbit Town. Some of these things are perhaps unavoidable when trying to stretch a single work into an epic trilogy of the same caliber of the complex and multilayered world that was created by Tolkien in his three-part epic, The Lord of the Rings .

What follows below is my original review for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . At the end is a listing of the additional and extended scenes and their starting points on the disc.:

Peter Jackson returns once again to the land of Middle-Earth for a tale that precedes the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy that he so adeptly brought to the big screen. As soon as the new journey opens, fantasy fans are transplanted to a familiar place, in part due to the skills of returning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, but also because Jackson and fellow screenwriters Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro engulf us in the familiar rhythms of Tolkien’s writing.

It is long before the epic journey that Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) would take into the heart of Mordor to save Middle-Earth, and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) has arrived to enlist the young Bilbo (Martin Freeman) in an unexpected journey. It is a journey that will take the less than willing hobbit on a dangerous quest with a group of dwarves, led by dwarf prince Thorin (Richard Armitage), through treacherous mountains, while hunted by orcs and wolves, to reach the former dwarf kingdom once resplendent with gold, now guarded by a foul dragon named Smaug.

Fans of The Lord of the Rings will immediately recognize the various scenes of the band of heroes trekking through various mountainous regions, being chased by orcs, and battling for their lives. It might all seem rather reductive at first. However, Jackson and co. are effective in setting a good pace and keeping the story lively and, well, unexpected with humor and heart. Most of all, the sumptuous visual effects which have taken great strides in the over a decade since the last trilogy was made have grown even more palpable and at times frightening. Stone giants tower over our heroes hurling boulders, hordes of orcs riding wild, snarling beasts are in hot pursuit, and, of course, the motion capture villain Gollum (Andy Serkis) looks more malevolent than ever.

Still, even with all of this, there are times when the film does drag a bit in its nearly three-hour run. One can’t help but consider if it was truly a wise choice for Jackson to turn what was a solitary novel, so much smaller in scope to the sprawling, triple-volume, Lord of the Rings , into what is going to be another cinematic trilogy on the same scale. Having never read the source material as I had with the former, I cannot comment directly on how much artistic license has been taken in order to stretch the story out over such a space. I would have to assume, however, given the condensation that took place with the Lord of the Rings for its cinematic versions, and given the girth of those films, that some padding must be going on here to expand Bilbo’s tales into three epic films.

That said, given the overall quality, nonetheless, of this initial offering, which, after all, is intended as the setup of a trilogy, we could still be in for a quite satisfying fantasy trilogy in the long run.

Extended Scenes :

Prologue: The Fall of Erebor (00:00:00)
“Blunt the Knives” (00:23:16)
Rivendell (01:24:56)
A Short Rest (01:30:34)
The White Council (01:41:40)
The Great Goblin (02:03:57)

New Scenes:

Mr. Baggins (00:17:27)
The Last Homely House (01:39:03) (see last three screen captures for a look at this scene)

Video Quality

[Rating:4.5/5]

Unlike The Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is no visible difference whatsoever between the theatrical release and the extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . You can see this in the three screen captures I’ve included from the extended edition for comparison’s sake, above, in this section, and immediately below. Two of the scenes can be seen in the previous review of An Unexpected Journey . Some differences may be noticeable due to slight variations in the frame and the different codecs (we’ve switched from lossy JPEG to lossless PNG since then).

Warner has once again sent us only the 2D release, and that’s what this review pertains to. Nothing has changed. The extended version of the film comes to Blu-ray with the same AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement from Warner. The Hobbit was shot in high definition with the Red Epic cinematographic HD camera, and is also in fact a native 3D production. Being a digital production, there is no film grain as such, but I did notice some digital anomalies in the image that are most likely a result of the production and camera. In some darker areas of the screen there was some noticeable digital noise and posterization that intruded on the otherwise pristine image. Apart from that, this is a nicely rendered transfer with extended details, nuanced shadow delineation, and strong contrast.

Audio Quality

[Rating:5/5]

Audio also remains the same, with a fantastic English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 (48kHz/24-bit) soundtrack included alongside French and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 dubs. The English track has a wide and natural dynamic range that both captures the score of Howard Shore with a natural balance and air around its instrumentation, and the various foley effects such as the marching of the orcs or clanking of swords with a tight 360-degree soundstage. Dialogue is clear and always above the fray of sounds while lows are deep, providing a decent workout for the subwoofer.

Supplemental Materials

The appendices return in this extended edition for over 9 hours of behind-the-scenes features detailing every aspect of the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , from the musical scoring, to creating the creatures, to locations and more. This is a fan’s and a cineaste’s delight. They’ve also added a commentary. Unfortunately, DVD is dropped from the package, but UltraViolet is still included.

Blu-ray Disc 1 (Main Feature) :

The Filmmaker’s Commentary – Director/writer/producer Peter Jackson and writer/co-producer Phillipa Boyens offer their perspective and stories on creating the first film of The Hobbit trilogy.
New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 00:06:35) – From Matamata to Queenstown, travel with Peter Jackson and his team across the stunning locations of New Zealand, transformed by the filmmakers into Middle-Earth.

Supplemental Blu-ray Disc 1 :

The Appendices Part 7 – A Long-Extended Journey, The Chronicles of The Hobbit (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 04:31:11):

Introduction by Peter Jackson (00:01:54)
The Journey Back to Middle-Earth
Riddles in the Dark
Roast Mutton
A Short Rest
Over the Hill…
…Under the Hill
Out of the Frying Pan…
Return to Hobbiton
The Epic Scene 88
The Battle of Moria
Edge of the Wilderland
Home is Behind, the World Ahead

Supplemental Blu-ray Disc 2:

The Appendices Part 8 – Return to Middle-Earth (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 04:45:21)

The Company of Thorin
Mr. Baggins: The 14 th Member
Durin’s Folk: Creating Dwarves
The Peoples and Denizens of Middle-Earth
Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town
The Songs of The Hobbit

The Definitive Word

The extended edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a good deal more for its massive amounts of supplements than for the additional material in the film. The new and extended scenes do not necessarily improve the film the way they did for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That said, it is certainly a film that continues to grow on you after multiple viewings and is a fantastic home theatre experience.

Additional Screen Captures

Hobbit-Unexpected-Journey-Extendedx-BD_1

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D - Extended Edition review

The first part of Peter Jackson's three-film adaptation of The Hobbit returns to Blu-ray with 13 minutes of additional footage.

Sadly there's nothing here that really adds to the plot or – more critically – makes up for the lack of characterisation that prevents us from getting to know the majority of Bilbo's travelling companions. Instead it's mostly goofy stuff such as the dwarves bathing in a sacred fountain in Rivendell and even more singing (even the Goblin King gets to belt out a tune this time around).

In truth, it's no better or worse than the earlier cut. Merely longer. Make of that what you will…

Picture: As with the original release, this Extended Edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks absolutely sensational in both its 2.40:1-framed AVC 2D and MVC 3D guises.

Indeed, there's very little to add here that we didn't say in our original review. Colours are still richly saturated, detailing is impeccable, edge definition is excellent and there are no trace of obvious technical anomalies (which is no mean feat given that all 183 minutes of the 'flat' version are have been squeezed onto a single disc). Highly impressive. Picture rating: 5/5

Audio: Warner Home Video appears to have paid attention to complaints about the rather limited LFE in the original Blu-ray's soundtrack and has definitely pushed the low-end deeper in the DTS-HD MA 7.1 mix used in this release. Otherwise it's business as usual for anyone familiar with the film's previous soundtrack. There's plenty of impressive directionality on show, alongside crystal-clear dialogue and rich musical tones. Audio rating: 5/5

Extras: This is where this five-disc set really comes into its own. Not only is the 2D presentation of the film accompanied by a typically fascinating commentary by Jackson and co-writer/producer Phillipa Boyens, but there are also two dual-layer Blu-ray platters dedicated solely to extra features.

The first disc, The Appendices Part 7: A Long-Expected Journey , is home to over four hours of behind-the-scenes documentaries and featurettes taking us from pre-production right up to the film's premiere (and we also get a few peeks at the filming of … The Desolation of Smaug ).

The second disc, The Appendices Part 8: Return to Middle-Earth , takes a closer look at the characters and places featured in the film via an additional four hours and forty-five minutes' worth of featurettes. Extras rating: 5/5

We say: Bigger really is better as far as this Blu-ray’s AV credentials and extra features are concerned

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D – Extended Edition, Warner Home Video, All-region BD, £28 Approx HCC VERDICT: 4/5

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition Blu-ray Review

A long journey gets longer..

The first Hobbit Extended Edition feels bloated as a movie, but the bountiful supplemental content and absolutely stunning audio/visual presentation of the set is well worth a purchase for fans of Middle-earth.

The Hobbit Extended Edition Review

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5 Hobbit Extended Editions Scenes That Actually Make The Movies Better

Peter Jackson ’s Hobbit series is over. It took three long years, but last December the New Zealand-born filmmaker released the final chapter in his cinematic vision of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. But while you may have seen all of the movies released so far, you actually haven’t seen the full story just yet, as we are only now about to see the world premiere of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition.

To celebrate the upcoming digital and Blu-ray release of the epic fantasy film, Fathom Events is hosting a special big screen presentation tonight of the longer version of the Hobbit ’s final chapter. In anticipation of this special event, we went back to look at the Extended Editions of both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug to look for key scenes that were removed from the theatrical version of the movies but still actually add quite a lot. What are these scenes? Read on and find out!

Young Bilbo Enjoying Gandalf’s Fireworks

"Show Don’t Tell" is an important philosophy in the movie world. After all, it’s a visual medium, and an audience is going to be bored to tears if everything is just explained to them through either narration or exposition-heavy dialogue. It’s for this reason that I give a lot of credit to a very quick scene at the start of The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey , featuring Gandalf setting off fireworks with a young Bilbo Baggins by his side.

This moment doesn’t have a giant impact on The Hobbit trilogy as a whole, but it is a pretty and fun little moment that does a good job enhancing what are at the end of the day multiple references to Gandalf’s fireworks. It is a bit weird that we never get to see the wizard’s face – presumably because the production didn’t want to shell out the money to de-age Ian McKellen – but it’s such a nice and small moment that I wonder why Peter Jackson decided to cut it out.

The Extra Songs

The songs in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey get a bit of hate of casual movie-goers, as they do have a part in slowing down the first act of the film, but the truth is that the music is an element that any real Tolkien fan should be able to appreciate. After all, the lyrics that the characters sing come directly from the book, and a director who cares much less about the source material would have axed them completely. That on the table, there’s a lot to like about the two extra songs sung in the extended version of the movie.

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There are actually two musical numbers that were ultimately left out of the Unexpected Journey theatrical cut – one with Bofur singing a tune while eating dinner in Rivendell, and the second sung by the Goblin King after capturing the dwarves – and while both are rather goofy, they make the earlier songs feel less out of place and also really capture a larger spirit of Tolkien’s book (even if the Bofur bit was a song from " Lord of the Rings ").

Kili Shows An Early Attraction To Elves

There are multiple tiny moments in both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug ’s extended cuts that help shine a light on the individuality of the dwarfs – something of which the theatrical versions could have used more – but my favorite amongst them is in the first movie when the dwarves are having a feast in Rivendell. Kili shares glances with an Elf harp player, and when caught by Dwalin has to explain that he’s never actually been attracted to elf maidens. He makes exception to one that walks behind him… only to discover that it’s no maiden.

In addition to being a funny little moment that just makes fun of the feminine looks of male elves, this winds up being a nice bit of foreshadowing that ultimately enhances the nine-hour experience of watching the entire trilogy. Kili, of course, winds up forming a close relationship with Evangeline Lilly ’s Tauriel, and while it’s not from the books, it does actually add some real emotion to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies .

What Happened To Thrain?

The theatrical versions of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug do a good-yet-unfortunate job of answering the question of what happened to Thorin’s grandfather, Thrór – revealing that Azog cut his head off in the battle of Moria – but there is one thread that’s left untied: what happened to Thorin’s dad, Thrain? The versions of the Hobbit movies that most people have seen don’t answer this question, but the extended version of The Desolation of Smaug does so in an interesting way.

An extended scene at the beginning of the movie, Thorin and Gandalf discuss that Thrain was killed during the battle of Moria, but it’s later in the movie that we learn he is both still kicking and completely out of his mind. It turns out he was captured at Moria, brought to Dol Guldur, and from what I can tell tortured until driven mad. It’s sad that he’s killed almost as quickly as he is introduced, taken down by the Necromancer, but it’s still a nice part of the larger story to have.

So That’s Where That Ring Went…

More than just answering the question of what happened to Thrór, the extended versions of both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug also feature an thread that links the entire trilogy to the events in The Lord of the Rings movies. In the longer cut of the first film, a discussion about the last of the seven rings that were given to the Dwarf-lords is started by Gandalf when meeting with Galadriel and Elrond, and Saruman shoots him down by saying that the One Ring is the only one that actually matters. This turns out to be a set up for Thrain’s reintroduction in the second movie, as it’s revealed that Azog cut his ring right off his finger, and has been using its power for himself.

This is not only a solid connection made between the first two films, but also is in general a nice original plot thread not featured in Tolkien’s book (having written "The Hobbit" before imagining "The Lord of the Rings," the author couldn’t exactly have crafted those connections). This is also a part of the story that can easily be continued in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition, so we’ll be keeping an ear perked for references to it.

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.

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'The Hobbit' Trilogy Extended Edition Heading To Theaters This Fall

If you thought you were done with Peter Jackson 's trilogy adaptation of The Hobbit , think again. The Hobbit trilogy will be returning to theaters this fall, but in the longer extended edition format that until now has only been available on home video.

Hit the jump to find out when you can catch The Hobbit trilogy extended edition theatrical release!

Far Away Entertainment (via TheOneRing.net ) revealed plans for The Hobbit trilogy extended edition coming to theaters, which will be happening on a few different nights, beginning on October 5th , one month before the The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition is slated to hit home video on November 3rd. Here's the event information:

Fathom Events and Warner Bros. are partnering to present the extended editions of all three Hobbit movies. Shown over three nights, the epic Peter Jackson trilogy will be the first time the extended editions have ever been released in theatres. Also included will be an exclusive introduction by director Peter Jackson. First night showing starts Monday, October 5 th , 2015 at 7:30pm local. Tickets will be regular admission prices for each movie.

For fans who don't want to spend half a day in a movie theater, showing each movie on a different night is probably a smart move to get the maximum number of people in theaters for these event screenings. However, it's not clear if the showings will be on consecutive nights or spread out over the month of October.

The website where this information comes from lists an October 13th date under The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition title as well, as does AMC Theatres. So this event could easily be spread out over three days between October 5th and October 13th, but we'll have to wait and see how it goes. We also don't know which theater chains will be showing The Hobbit trilogy extended edition just yet.

Since one of the most consistent complaints with The Hobbit trilogy was that the movies were too long for a book that doesn't have enough meat to fill three of them, seeing the extended editions of each movie isn't exactly high on my to-do list. And this is coming from someone who saw all three extended cuts of Lord of the Rings in theaters in one day.

For those curious, here's the extended edition running times for each movie:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 182 minutes (theatrical: 169 minutes)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – 186 minutes (theatrical: 161 minutes)
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - 174 minutes (theatrical: 144 minutes)

So each extended edition of The Hobbit trilogy adds anywhere between 13 minutes and 30 minutes to the movies, which isn't quite as epic of an event as The Lord of the Rings trilogy extended edition. Still, for hardcore fans of Peter Jackson's second journey into Middle-Earth, this will likely be something fun to do this fall.

Will you go see The Hobbit trilogy extended edition in theaters this fall?

Why So Blu?

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (Blu-ray Review)

Leading up to last year’s theatrical release, there were some that never believed that fated day in 2012 would ever come. There are others that were perfectly fine with their childhood memories of the cartoon (and its South Park spoof). But the majority of us all said SURE…MORE Lord of the Rings …BRING IT ON. Pretty please! And that’s exactly what the movie studios did with their last minute decision to make the children’s book, The Hobbit , span across not two, but three butt-numbing features. I mean you have Harry Potter and Twilight films that capitalized off the success of two-parters – so why not top it with three? Who can blame the studio? Money talks. And let’s face it… Lord of the Rings sells.

But perhaps the most controversial thing about Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit was not Del Toro’s departure, the decision to break it up into three separate films or even the alleged animal abuse, BUT the choice to shoot it in a higher frame rate, that cursed 48 FPS terminology you’ve all been beaten to death about last year. And I hate to break it to you folks, but it looked horrible theatrically. It looked fake. Everything you have read about it is TRUE. It took me out of the element so many times. Movies are about the suspension of disbelief. But when you throw a stone at me, I expect it to look like a stone, not a sponge ball. I expect the movie sets to look real, not look like “actual” movie sets. If this is the future of movies, then I want radio serials brought back. There’s a reason why 24 has been the magic number, Mr. Jackson, for more than 90 years. People like it. I don’t hear many people raving about 48 nowadays, do you? Sure I can accept your argument that it makes for more detail in quick motion, but at what cost? Isn’t a little motion blur a necessary evil to keep people from nitpicking every fake strand of your set or actor’s wig? However, I will say this…bravo on the exceptional and correct use of 3D theatrically. It looked like a million bucks in that department.

So as the story goes, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first in the three-part film adaptation of the 1937 novel The Hobbit by Tolkien. The 2013 (this December) and 2014 sequels are titled The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again . And in our tale, set some sixty-years before the adventures in T he Lord of the Rings , the peaceful, home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is visited by the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and asked to sign a contract to become a burglar in the company of thirteen dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), to reclaim their home from you guessed it…Smaug the Dragon. The journey takes Bilbo away from the safety of the Shire and ultimately proves that hero’s can come in the tiniest of packages. So therefore, size doesn’t matter. Or does it? I still believe it does!!!

It’s also on this journey that Bilbo runs into the one creature who will forever change his and Frodo’s life with a single piece of simple gold jewelry. If you guessed that creature played by Andy Serkis, then ding…ding…ding…you are right! Gollum steals the show here. Of course there’s also your numerous everyday run ins with the those hordes of countless Orcs and other creatures that go bump in the night too. An Unexpected Journey also reunites us with cast favorites reprising their Lord of the Rings ’ roles such as Elijah Wood, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett. While the legendary Mr. Lee is looking a bit rough around the edges, understandably so, I’m certainly happy to see him back and not some re-casted actor. Kudos to New Line and MGM for managing to bring all the big names back. That gets big points in my book, for what it’s worth.

So all in all, besides explicatively long narratives, The Hobbit unfortunately feels like three hours of nothing but running away from Orcs. I could think of worse ways to spend time, but these Orcs aren’t as cool and menacing as the ones in the original Lord of the Rings film trilogy, they’re mostly computer generated. I guess my only problem I have with the CGI Orcs is their leader, Azog (Manu Bennett). He looks like they took the lead character from the God of War series and basically “Orcified” him. He just looks utterly horrible, in my opinion, even on Blu-ray (despite what Gerard says). It’s almost like not enough time was spent on him or something. Sadly, he CONTINUES to break my suspension in this film. You spend all this money to make this film and the lead villain looks like a white Gumby. Unreal! However, not everything is mundane in this new universe. And yes…I’m talking about him again. Gollum! He was the character who really captured my attention and managed to ground me in the film. His performance and interaction with Bilbo saves the movie, in my opinion, and broke up the movie’s later half monotony of simply running away from Orcs. I don’t know the rest of The Hobbit tale, but I sure hope that’s not the last we see of him in the next two installments. Please God. Please!

I know this goes against critic code, but I found a quote last year that pretty much sums up the problems I have with this film. Robbie Collin of The Telegraph gave the film a 2 out of 5-star review. He said “Thank heavens for Andy Serkis, whose riddling return as Gollum steals the entire film. It is the only time the digital effects and smoother visuals underline, rather than undermine, the mythical drama of Bilbo’s adventure. As a lover of cinema, Jackson’s film bored me rigid; as a lover of Tolkien, it broke my heart.” He went on to say that “so stuffed with extraneous faff and flummery that it often barely feels like Tolkien at all – more a dire, fan-written internet tribute.” Sadly, I can’t disagree with Robbie. I wanted to LOVE The Hobbit as much as I do the original trilogy, but my worst fears were proven. The film is above average, but it feels as stretched thin as could possibly be (and notice I have not even talked about the extended scenes as of yet) as could be with unnecessarily long narratives, dialogue and ridiculous scenes that I thought were swept under the rug with the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean . Sure there are moments of emotion and the protagonist’s recognition that he can be a hero despite his small size and having never swung a sword before, but those moments get lost most of the time behind the paper thin plot. Why now do the dwarves need to reclaim their home? What was their sense of urgency? Smaug is asleep. Why wake a sleeping dragon? Surely, nothing good could come of it. However, it sure does feel good to be back in Middle Earth again. I’m split, and since we are talking about the beloved Lord of the Rings franchise here, my film score will err on the higher side of the scale since I simply adore the universe and all the little intricacies and attention to detail, but in a more normal frame rate that is.

So late last year, Peter Jackson stated an extended edition of the film had already been cut and is approximately 20-minutes longer than the theatrical cut of the film. God help us all, huh? However, that’s exactly what we are here to talk about today…the heavyweight contender… The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition . Available as a 5-disc Blu-ray 3D set or a 3-disc Blu-ray set, the film now clocks in at an insomnia curing 182 minutes. My bet is that if Gregg Senko did not like the Jabba’s Palace song and dance scene in the Special Edition of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi , then he’s not going to care too much for the additional Goblin King song (“Down, Down, Down in Goblin Town”) here or even the Dwarves nude bathing scene either (if I know him as well as I think I do). And perhaps Brandon Peters said it best with his text to me this morning. What they really need is an edited version here , not an extended edition. LOL. Very well said, my friend. Despite how you feel about things, I’ve always felt The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a wee bit on the long and bloated side, but feel free to disagree with me in the comments section below. That’s what they are there for. In my opinion, it’s not about the extra scenes here as much as it’s about the wealth of supplemental features you’ll find listed below in full detail. So how about we get started by tackling the A/V sections first before I really blow your mind with the extras?

Come on! Really? What can I really say here that you probably don’t know already? For owners of the theatrical cut on Blu-ray, you already know the presentation is near flawless. Now really…would you expect anything less than perfect here in the extended edition version? You better say no! Warner Bros. flexes its biggest muscles here to deliver yet another flawless presentation on this BD-50 Blu-ray disc with a pristine 1080 p MPEG-4 AVC encode framed in a 2.40:1 widescreen aspect ratio. Peter Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie’s gorgeous scenery is captured and rendered impeccably here throughout as originally intended and I for one could not be happier with the way things look (other than stupid, stupid looking white Orc leader that ruins every scene he’s in). I could stop here and easily not say anything else, but I’m a reviewer. The show must go on! Everything is in check here from the lush Shire greens to the spot-on flesh tones and inky black levels throughout the darkest of scenes. What more can I say? It’s perfect! There are no artifacts, banding, dirt, noise or aliasing to be found at all in the print. Need I say more? Okay. I will since you twisted my arm. Continuing on with the fine presentations we see every detail, texture and fabric in the the sets, the costumes and whatever else you want to study and examine on a molecular level. And best of all, the new scenes are dispensed within the old ones flawlessly. Without looking at the bitrates, you would never know. They are seamless. So now that you get the “picture” and hopefully understand I will not be saying anything bad about the video, what do you say we move onto the audio section? I’m ready!

Like in the video section above, Warner Bros. unleashes the Kraken with a monstrous DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track that will whoop your a$$. Again…like above…there’s nothing to complain and nitpick about at all here. The bass is thumping in all the right scenes as the events on Middle-earth are happening all around you. This presentation is a glorious feast for both your eyes and ears to behold. The lossless surround track immerses you in all the action sequences whether you’re at a party with Hobbits, waking Smaug the dragon up or fighting your Orc arch-nemesis on a hilltop. The action and adventure completely engulfs you and all you’re left to to do is to simply enjoy the thrill ride. Hearing that golden ring drop to the floor never sounded so good in my opinion. And whether you’re fighting in the underground caverns of Goblin City or outside the peaceful walls of Rivendell, this audio track is going to make you feel every minute of it and love it just the same. The fabulous score is “hear” in all its glory as well as a bang up job rendered with the dialogue levels, which remain loud, clear and intelligible throughout. You’re going to have to look high and low this year, with the exception of Pacific Rim , to find a better Blu-ray audio presentation this year. Via the feature disc’s main menu, there’s also selectable audio options for French and Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio tracks as well as English, Spanish, French and Portuguese subtitles.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition will be available on Tuesday as a 5-disc Blu-ray 3D set that features the Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray versions of the Extended Edition ; a 3-disc Blu-ray and a 5-disc DVD set. The Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD all include an UltraViolet Digital Copy which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the Extended Edition in High Definition to a wide range of devices. Now, are you sitting down for this last statement? There are nearly nine hours of new special features to be found here which boasts audio commentary with Peter Jackson, director/producer/screenwriter, and Philippa Boyens, co-producer/screenwriter, and “The Appendices,” an almighty multi-part documentary focusing on various aspects of the film and the Trilogy. Complete special feature details are provided below as well as what disc they appear on (please note I am reviewing the 3-disc Blu-ray set here). And before we begin, I also want it to be known that despite there not being an iTunes Digital Copy, this is the first 5-star score I have ever awarded in a Blu-ray review since I began crafting them in 2008. To me, that says a lot! These featurettes are absolutely amazing (the amount of detail), fascinating (it’s LOTR after all) and above all else…MASSIVE (the extreme opposite of Hobbit-size). While the feature may be the cure all recipe for insomnia, these below extras will keep you wide awake. Trust me. So here we go!

DISC 1 (Feature Film) :

• The Filmmaker’s Commentary – Director/Producer/Screenwriter Peter Jackson and Co-Producer/Screenwriter Philippa Boyens deliver an engaging commentary over The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . As you can imagine, they talk about everything from the film’s impossibly long development and challenges to all the minute details in a shot they could possibly squeeze in. This one is obviously for the fans who just can’t get enough of the film and want to know all they possibly can. The only thing that differs here as other reviewers have pointed out is the fact that there is only one commentary to be found here as opposed to Extended Edition release of The Lord of the Rings , which includes four separate tracks for each film in the trilogy. However, that’s not a ding for me. It’s née to hear actors ramble on about their scenes, but give me a director’s commentary any day. Their words and insight are the ones who truly matter, in my opinion.

• New Zealand: Home to Middle-Earth (HD, 6:53) – In this brief featurette, Peter Jackson and gang tour the New Zealand countryside, revealing the locations used to bring The Hobbit ‘s Middle-Earth to life. It should also be noted that this is the same short featurette that appeared on the standard Blu-ray edition released earlier this year. However, this set does not include the 127-minute, ten-part Video Blog series. That’s exclusive to the March 2013 2D and 3D releases of the film’s theatrical cut. Don’t be disappointed though. You are getting so much more across the next two Bu-ray discs.

The Appendices Part 7: A Long Expected Journey (HD) – The film’s appendices, “The Chronicles of The Hobbit – Part 1,” are spread across two additional BD-50 discs in the Blu-ray set, with a wealth of bonus content that puts most other Blu-ray sets to shame. The four-and-a-half hours of extras that appear on the first bonus content disc breaks down as follows. However, before we begin it should also be noted that all these can be played individually or via a Play All selection on the disc’s main menu.

◦ Introduction by Peter Jackson (HD, 1:54) – Peter Jackson welcomes fans to Appendices 7 and 8 (continuing on from the number sequences he began with the first trilogy of films), and even assures us that we can expect the same treatment from the next two Hobbit home video releases.

◦ Opening (HD, 2:42) – This brief segment kind of visually sets the mood and tone of everything you are about to see here on this Blu-ray disc. Be prepared to be amazed and dazzled! I must admit, I was.

◦ The Journey Back to Middle-Earth (HD, 48:19) – This one is the lengthiest of the Part 7 documentaries and featurettes and focuses on the long road and countdown to filming, pre-production, “Dwarf Boot Camp” training, script read throughs, Peter Jackson’s bleeding ulcer and so much more. It’s kind of interesting to learn how the campaign to get The Hobbit made all began and how Peter Jackson always said no to whether or not he should direct these films. LOL. It was also nice to see del Toro in this one working on the pre-production side of the house before the film was even given a go. You need to see the look on Jackson’s face when del Toro announces he is leaving back in May of 2010. The Dwarf Boot Camp is also quite humorous to engage in too if you should choose.

◦ Riddles in the Dark (HD, 17:00) – Jackson, Freeman and Serkis stage the iconic “Riddles in the Dark” sequence as if it were a one-act play. And I guess my concern above was addressed. This will sadly be Gollum’s final cinematic appearance. Boo! However, it was great seeing Martin and Andy interact with one another during rehearsals and best of all, Serkis was also appointed Second Unit director. Yahoo! Seeing Gollum come to life right in front of me is just mind blowing. I’m gong to miss this little guy in future installments. Just the details and science of the guy (muscles and skeletal structure) completely blow my hair back.

◦ An Unexpected Party (HD 25:28) – This one is incredible in my opinion as we take a look at the newly devised slave motion capture technology employed to film the first scenes of the Dwarf actors visit to Bag End. It’s actually amazing that all the actors fit in Bilbo’s kitchen. I can’t say enough about this one. This one extra is worth the price of admission here in my opinion. I loved seeing how they filmed the different scale sizes of the characters, not to mention the Dwarves fighting with food too.

◦ Roast Mutton (HD, 17:12) – Here we take a look at challenges thrown at the crew during last minute set changes in the scene where Dwarf actors are being prepared as rotisserie for Trolls and three of the Dwarve actors don motion capture suits to portray the trolls themselves. Interesting, huh?

◦ Bastion of the Greenwood (HD, 10:41) – This one takes a closer look at actor Sylvester McCoy and stunt-double Tim Wong who both bring Radagast to life. Jackson and the FX team also focus on the wizard’s unique army of sleigh-pulling giant rabbits.

◦ A Short Rest (HD, 29:12) – This one shows us Ian McKellan, Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving’s return to Rivendell and includes everything from workshops to learning Elvish all over again. Christopher Lee, Ian Holm and Elijah Wood also reunite in London for another Lord of the Rings shoot.

◦ Over Hill (HD, 13:40) – This one takes a closer look at the Company being soaked in a mountain thunderstorm staged on a set, and the execution of the Goblin trapdoor scene, which becomes the most challenging stunt of the film. Keep in mind, there’s nothing the dwarf cast wants more to be completely soaked in 25 pounds of clothing, not to mention the huge overhead sprinklers, wind machines and the unbelievable noise. It kind of gave the characters a chance to not even worry about how to act because they are in the middle of this gigantic rainstorm.

◦ Under Hill (HD, 19:15) – Barry Humphries becomes The Goblin King in this segment. We also take a look at the goblin sets and how the extras are transformed from physical to digital creatures. The goblin extras dwindle in size as the heat completely wipes them out. They would pour the sweat out of their shoes at the end of the day. It’s absolutely gross! However, the extras still have a smile on their face at the end of the day. That’s good! They all had to wear CGI masks so they could focus on the movements and the heads would be perfected later in post. Whenever you get a rip in your suit, you get to don more goblin boils. LOL. And if you ever wanted to see goblin midgets drying humping, this one is for you! It can only be described as educational.

◦ Out of the Frying Pan (HD, 16:07) – This is a fun one with a closer behind-the-scenes dissection of the final battle between Thorin’s Dwarves and Azog’s orcs that involves mechanical trees, interactive pinecones (fiery ones), flaming inferno effects and flying on giant eagle rigs (don’t get me started there).

◦ Return to Hobbiton (HD, 18:35) – Familiar faces and special cameos return to the Hobbiton sets in Matamata after the filming of a scene in which Gandalf first meets a young Bilbo Baggins at Old Took’s party.

◦ The Epic of Scene 88 (HD, 8:28) – This one captures events on location where the cast and stunt team end up running across large stretches of New Zealand filming the Warg Chase sequence.

◦ The Battle of Moria (HD, 10:57) – This one looks closer at the film’s prologue scene which ultimately turned into a full-blown bloody battle to establish Thorin Oakenshield and his ancient enemy, Azog (the white Gumby).

◦ Edge of the Wilderland (HD, 22:37) – Pick-ups shooting covers a wide range of scenes throughout Middle-earth, and the Dwarf cast creates a special last shot for Martin Freeman as the shoot wraps. What were initially strangers on set have blossomed into full-blown loving relationships.

◦ Home is Behind, the World Ahead (HD, 11:40) – This one gives us a brief summary of the completion and delivery of the film and a sneak peek at what’s to come in the next installment of “The Chronicles of The Hobbit – Part 2.” What do you say we get over to second disc of extras now?

◦ Credits (HD, 3:03) – I don’t think you need any explanation of this one.

The Appendices Part 8: Return to Middle-Earth (HD) – The film’s appendices continue on a third BD-50 disc with another four hours, forty-five minutes and nineteen seconds of supplements. Can you say W-O-W?! I’m exhausted. However, here goes nothing as I tackle this third Blu-ray disc in the set. All these featurettes can be played individually or via a Play All selection on the disc’s main menu. These giant troll-sized extras on the third Blu-ray disc break down as follows.

◦ The Company of Thorin (HD, 1:02:41) – This is a six-part documentary dissects the five families of Dwarve characters featured in the film, their relationships and backgrounds. Segments include “Assembling the Dwarves,” “Thorin, Fili & Kili,” “Balin & Dwalin,” “Oin & Gloin” and “Bifur, Bofur & Bombur” with an option to play them all via a selectable menu to the right of the choices. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at the company of actors who brought the dwarves to life on the big screen.

◦ Mr. Baggins: The 14th Member (HD, 16:10) – Here we get a revealing look at the movie’s lead actor, Martin Freeman, and the process of creating the character of Bilbo Baggins for the film.

◦ Durin’s Folk: Creating the Dwarves (HD, 57:25) – Here we have almost an entire hour devoted to the process of conceptualizing, designing and physically realizing the Dwarves in The Hobbit . This one includes concept art design, costuming, makeup, props and more that went into making them big screen heroes.

◦ The People and Denizens of Middle-Earth (HD, 58:09) – Here we have almost another hour devoted to creation of new characters ad creatures from conceptual design and casting to digital performance and visual effects. Segments include “The Stone Trolls,” “Radagast the Brown,” “Goblins” and “Azog the Defiler” with an option to play them all via a selectable menu to the right of the choices. Personally, I enjoyed watching the making of the trolls the best thanks to the creature department at Weta! It was also cool to watch them recycle three of the dwarf actors to play the three trolls and how they perfectly matched them to the stone trolls in the first trilogy. Just wish Azog was up to snuff. How they settled upon this final design with all their talent is sadly beyond me. It’s unbelievable though how many iterations of design the character underwent and how the production team only had 6 weeks to make him work in the film. It’s no wonder he looks like sh1t.

◦ Realms of the Third Age: From Bag End to Goblin Town (HD, 58:59) – Want to know how The Hobbit locales such as Hobbiton, Rhosgobel, Rivendell, Goblin Town and the Misty Mountains came to be? If so, you’re in the right place! This near hour long journey follows the creation of the Middle-earth locales from conceptual design to physical and sets and digital realities.

◦ The Songs of The Hobbit (HD, 32:32) – Here you can take a closer look at how the filmmakers adapted Tolkien’s songs for An Unexpected Journey , which includes “Blunt the Knives,” “Misty Mountains,” “The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late,” “Goblin Town” and “Song of the Lonely Mountain.”

◦ Credits (HD, 3:23) – I think you already know what these are. And you’re correct! And wow! We finally got through all of these extras! Pat yourself on the back. We both deserve applause. You still with me? Good! There’s only a few more things to cover and then you and I will be on our merry Hobbit way!

UltraViolet Digital Copy – This is supposed to be an HD version, but it’s not claimable until the 5th. Nevertheless, enjoy it on any of your favorite UV devices or players.

So after I went through the above nine hours of special features, you didn’t think I would skimp on my usual exclusive Blu-ray unboxing pictures, did you? Check out below what I think is the coolest Blu-ray box since the Hulk green one many years ago.

Here’s the front of the Blu-ray set still wrapped up.

And here’s the rear of the Blu-ray case still sealed in all its glory.

And here you go! The coolest Blu-ray case ever! Black!

Once opened, here’s the Blu-ray disc containing the feature film.

When you flip the Blu-ray spindle over, here’s the other two discs of extras.

Let’s face it, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is not the most thrilling of action movies. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before here. But oh boy, does it feel great to be back in this universe on the Blu-ray format. I can’t argue that. And while there’s really no reason at all to have an Extended Edition of this film, the real treasure here are the 9 hours of supplemental features, not the film itself, in my opinion. That’s where the magic happens in this three-disc set. And if nothing else, this set will definitely get you ready and pumped for the December 13th release of the second flick in the planned trilogy, The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug . I know I’m excited? How about you? Pre-order The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition by clicking here or on the image below. You’ll find it everywhere in retailers near you on Tuesday, November 5th. Enjoy!

17 Responses to “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (Blu-ray Review)”

How was the extended cut footage?

I’m interested in hearing about the extended scenes too. Also, out of the three movies coming, only two of them are actually from The Hobbit. The third movie is a bridge between The Hobbit and the original LOTR trilogy.

As I discussed in my last paragraph in the film section above the additional or extended scenes were not necessary unless you want a 5-minute Goblin King song (I am not kidding) or get ur rocks off by seeing dwarves bathe nude in Rivendell. The rest were just hobbit and extended scenes of violence. The theatrical cut was too long as it was so all these scenes are very unnecessary. I did not own that one on Blu-ray though so this is a welcome addition to my collection.

Yeah, Desolation of Smaug will pretty much be a stand alone flick (Smaug being the focus) and then the Battle of the Five Armies will be chapter 3.

Thanks for setting me straight. I thought I remember the 3rd film being stretched out for the appendixes and stuff. But man…seriously. You guys can’t admit that there is a lot of fat that can be trimmed in The Hobbit? The Goblin King song is awful in this Extended Edition. I could not believe they did it. It made the Troll scene seem like a serious scene. I watched the bit rate fluctuate a little in the extended scenes, but nothing glaringly different like one saw in the extended Blu-ray cuts of Underworld or The Patriot.

So the second film will pretty much be three hours of marching towards the dragon and defeating him? Serious questions. Those big birds at the end of the first film here…why couldn’t they just carry them to the mountain where Smaug lives and spare us a couple hours of our lives? 🙂

However, I will say this…the REAL reason to buy this is the two Blu-ray discs of extras. I have not had this much fun since The GDT Pacific Rim commentary track or the Prometheus 3-hour doc (God I LOVE that film).

We’ve already discussed the Eagles involvement before – don’t need to retread that again. It’s like saying, “hey, why didn’t Gypsy Danger use the sword to begin with” in Pacific Rim. It would have been a boring ass movie otherwise – what would have been the point? Read the book and see EXACTLY why the Eagles didn’t just carry them over to where they needed to get.

I haven’t seen the extended edition yet so I can’t comment on it. That’s why we were asking for more details on what made this edition different than the theatrical version.

Here you go guys. The complete list of all of them including the naked dwarves.

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/10/25/81272-the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-extended-edition-scene-guide/

I feel it is disengenuous to needlessly double dip when this extended version could have been offered first (and only) along with the theatrical version, which would not have occupied much more space. The extras are something that many LOTR fans appear to value, making this release valued, but should have been already on the initial release. The fairly lackluster film did not need an “extended” treatment, but rather pared down to a leaner, more substative film.

Great review! I’m wondering if the Appendices are subtitled in spanish.

Thanks in advance!

Man I want to give Spence a job or a medal or something for his comments! THANK YOU! The sad thing is Spence, that this is exactly what it is…an offensive double dip. The Extended Cut was ready for prime time release way before the theatrical cut Blu-ray release in March. I can see if the bonus materials were not, but man they should give the consumers a choice. Just seems so unfair. Frank…I will have to look for you on that Appendices question. Thanks for the comments!

I mean, it’s the exact same pattern that occurred when the LOTR films were arriving on DVD back in the 2000s. Release of the theatrical version first, with some extras, followed by a deluxe release in the fall. Any fan should have seen that coming, regardless of whether or not they desire an extended version of the film. The reasoning is of course maximizing profit, but it works in the favor of some. Casual viewers can enjoy the theatrical cut a few months after its original release. Die-hards get to see the extended edition only a month before the release of the new film, let alone get all the special features they want, now that they have been finished up and properly prepared for release, given the time spent to prepare for the Extended Edition discs.

Exactly. Consumers do have a choice – they can buy the theatrical version or wait for the Expanded editions. Like Aaron said, it’s been a pattern for years and it’s not like they’re hiding the fact that the expanded sets are coming. They told consumers that up front a long time ago. I don’t get all the whining about double dipping when this is an established pattern that lets fans pick the version they want.

Thanks for the link Brian. That’s exactly what I was looking for to find out how this version was different than the theatrical one. I already knew what happened in the movie but I wasn’t sure what new footage was included. I’m definitely going to get this new Extended Edition.

I guess I should apologize. I don’t mean to seem like I am griping about double dipping. It is what is. I’m just part of the group of moviegoers that feel THAUJ was just way too long and bloated and did not need an extended cut…unless like I said…you want The Goblin song or like seeing dwarves nude. Me…I prefer the theatrical cut. However, you can’t get these bonus features anywhere else and they literally blew me away.

Agreed, Aaron.

I watched this today and I will never go back to the theatrical cut again. “Down, down, down in Goblin Town!!!!”

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

While Peter Jackson's prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" delivers more of what made his earlier trilogy so compelling -- it doesn't offer nearly enough novelty to justify the three-film, nine-hour treatment.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

Chief Film Critic

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Fulfilling just a fraction of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “ There and Back Again ” subtitle, “The Hobbit ” alternately rewards and abuses auds’ appetite for all things Middle-earth. While Peter Jackson’s prequel to “The Lord of the Rings ” delivers more of what made his earlier trilogy so compelling — colorful characters on an epic quest amid stunning New Zealand scenery — it doesn’t offer nearly enough novelty to justify the three-film, nine-hour treatment, at least on the basis of this overlong first installment, dubbed “An Unexpected Journey .” The primary advance here is technical, as Jackson shoots in high-frame-rate 3D, an innovation that improves motion at the expense of visual elegance.

Though international B.O. success seems all but assured for a franchise that has already commanded nearly $3 billion in worldwide grosses, splitting the source material into multiple pics here mimics a frustrating trend among lucrative fantasy adaptations, from the two final “Harry Potter” films to the bifurcated “Twilight Saga” finale, stringing fans along with incomplete narratives. Whereas “ The Lord of the Rings ” naturally divided into the three books, “ The Hobbit ” contains scarcely enough story to support a single feature, as those who recall Rankin/Bass’ 1977 animated made-for-TV version know all too well.

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Tolkien’s delightful yet easier-going novel, written with young readers in mind, recounts the relatively simple tale of how Bilbo Baggins (“The Office’s” Martin Freeman, affable as ever) traveled with dwarves to face the dragon Smaug and, in so doing, came to acquire the fabled ring.

A mythologically dense, CG-heavy prologue details how Smaug raided the dwarf stronghold of Erebor, taking possession of the Arkenstone, a glowing gem of ambiguous power. Conjured by Jackson and returning co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens (credited along with Guillermo del Toro, who at one point planned to direct) for the sake of spectacle, this unnecessary pre-title sequence recalls setpieces from the second and third “Lord of the Rings” movies, as if to assure fans they can expect more of the same — and sure enough, “The Hobbit” offers familiar run-ins with orcs, trolls , goblins and even Gollum before interrupting the adventure halfway to its destination, the Lonely Mountain, to make room for the next installment.

But Bilbo’s “unexpected journey” is awfully slow to start. The film first locates him in Bag End, the cozy home in the Shire where the eleventy-one-year-old halfling hero (played briefly by Ian Holm and accompanied by Elijah Wood’s Frodo) narrates the adventure that first brought Hobbits into the affairs of Middle-earth’s more bellicose species. That tale begins six decades earlier, when the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) appears with a challenge for the younger Bilbo (Freeman), leaving a magic sign that brings a swarm of dwarves to the reluctant hero’s door.

With names like Balin and Dwalin (Ken Stott and Graham McTavish), Oin and Gloin (John Callen and Peter Hambleton) and Fili and Kili (Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner), the 13 dwarves are virtually indistinguishable apart from their facial hair — though one needn’t be Galadriel (Cate Blanchett’s future-seeing Elf queen) to recognize O’Gorman as a Kiwi heartthrob in the offing. In the absence of clearly defined characteristics, the unwieldy lot make Snow White’s companions seem downright three-dimensional.

Speaking of 3D, the technique adds a level of dynamism to Andrew Lesnie’s swooping camerawork, which once again cuts from the closest of closeups to the widest of wide shots, in addition to plunging down and around elaborate enemy encampments, such as the underground Goblin-town, where spindly rope bridges teeter over gaping chasms. But 3D also complicates the forced-perspective tricks Jackson used in the earlier films, making for odd, eye-boggling moments, especially in the crowded Bag End scene, where Gandalf somewhat unconvincingly towers among characters half his size.

More disconcerting is the introduction of the film’s 48-frames-per-second digital cinematography, which solves the inherent stuttering effect of celluloid that occurs whenever a camera pans or horizontal movement crosses the frame — but at too great a cost. Consequently, everything takes on an overblown, artificial quality in which the phoniness of the sets and costumes becomes obvious, while well-lit areas bleed into their surroundings, like watching a high-end homemovie. (A standard 24fps projection seems to correct this effect in the alternate version of the film being offered to some theaters, but sacrifices the smoother motion seen in action scenes and flyover landscape shots.)

After Bilbo finally accepts his calling 40 minutes into the picture, such technical distractions virtually disappear as Jackson draws auds into his familiar world, particularly a troll-infested forest and the film’s darker, more expressionistic realms. Recognizing the limitations of their source material, Jackson and his co-writers pilfer freely from Tolkien’s other writings, including appendices to “Lord of the Rings” that reveal such details as where Gandalf goes during his long disappearances.

With few exceptions, these insights bog down a tale already overtaxed by a surfeit of characters. The film introduces Radagast (Sylvester McCoy), a comical brown wizard with an ordure-streaked beard, and an unsatisfying subplot involving a Necromancer that’s clearly an early form of Sauron, out of place in this story. It also makes room for cumbersome reunions — or “preunions,” perhaps — with Galadriel, Elrond ( Hugo Weaving ) and Saruman ( Christopher Lee ) in the elf city of Rivendell, hinting at the greater roles they will play in “The Lord of the Rings.”

The pic stands on firmer footing when embellishing the book’s more cinematic sequences into full-blown setpieces, such as a perilous cliffside passage complicated by the fact the mountains themselves appear to be doing battle, like giant stone Transformers. An expanded subplot pitting dwarf captain Thorin (Richard Armitage, nobly trying to match Viggo Mortensen ‘s smolder) against a battle-scarred and vengeance-bent orc helps disguise the fact that this particular road trip has no immediate villain.

Still, Jackson and his team seem compelled to flesh out the world of their earlier trilogy in scenes that would be better left to extended-edition DVDs (or omitted entirely), all but failing to set up a compelling reason for fans to return for the second installment. The film hints at a looming run-in with Smaug, but makes clear that this mission serves more to win back the dwarves’ lost kingdom than to protect the fate of Middle-earth. Bilbo’s arc, therefore, consists of proving his value to a mission that doesn’t concern him personally.

In keeping with the child-friendly tone of the source book, “The Hobbit” is more comical, features a couple of amusing songs, and doesn’t dally on funerals the way “The Lord of the Rings” did. But it’s no kinder on small bladders or impressionable eyes, running every bit as long and violent as Jackson’s initial trilogy.

While it would have been fascinating to see del Toro’s take on “The Hobbit,” there’s something to be said for continuity. Few film series have achieved the consistency of look and feel maintained across these Middle-earth-set stories, and once the adventure gets going, Jackson reminds auds of his expertise at managing action on a scale that would have made David Lean wish he’d had CGI in his toolbox.

That connection is clearest in the character of Gollum, once again performed by Andy Serkis , who loses not only an unmistakably schizophrenic game of riddles to Bilbo, but also his precious ring. Below-the-line contributions, including those of composer Howard Shore and the entire production and costume design teams, support the illusion that we never left Middle-earth.

Production: A Warner Bros. release of a New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures presentation of a Wingnut Films production. Produced by Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson. Executive producers, Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins, Carolyn Blackwood. Co-producers, Philippa Boyens, Eileen Moran. Directed by Peter Jackson. Screenplay, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Crew: Camera (color, widescreen, HD, 48fps, 3D), Andrew Lesnie; editor, Jabez Olssen; music, Howard Shore; production designer, Dan Hennah; supervising art director, Simon Bright; art directors, Andy McLaren, Brad Mill, Brian Massey; set decorators, RA Vincent, Bright; costume designers, Ann Maskrey, Richard Taylor, Bob Buck; sound (Dolby Digital/Datasat/SDDS/PRP), Tony Johnson; sound designers, David Farmer, Dave Whitehead; supervising sound editors, Brent Burge, Chris Ward; re-recording mixers, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges; stunt coordinator, Glenn Boswell; armor, weapons, creatures and special makeup, Taylor/Weta Workshop; senior visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri; visual effects supervisor, Eric Saindon; visual effects and animation, Weta Digital; animation supervisor, David Clayton; special effects supervisor, Steve Ingram; assistant director, Carolynne Cunningham; second unit director, Andy Serkis; second unit camera, Richard Bluck; casting, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Victoria Burrows, Scot Boland, Liz Mullane, Ann Robinson. Reviewed at Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Calif., Nov. 30, 2012. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 169 MIN.
With: Gandalf Ian McKellen Bilbo Martin Freeman Thorin Richard Armitage Balin Ken Stott Dwalin Graham McTavish Bifur William Kircher Bofur James Nesbitt Bombur Stephen Hunter Fili Dean O'Gorman Kili Aidan Turner Oin John Callen Gloin Peter Hambleton Nori Jed Brophy Dori Mark Hadlow Ori Adam Brown Old Bilbo Ian Holm Frodo Elijah Wood Elrond Hugo Weaving Galadriel Cate Blanchett Saruman Christopher Lee Gollum Andy Serkis Radagast Sylvester McCoy Great Goblin Barry Humphries Thror Jeffrey Thomas Thrain Mike Mizrahi Tom Troll William Kircher Bert Troll Mark Hadlow William Troll Peter Hambleton Necromancer Benedict Cumberbatch (English, Elvish, Orcish dialogue)

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Peter Jackson Says THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Extended Cut Will Include Around 30 Minutes of Additional Footage

Director Peter Jackson just revealed that The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies extended cut will include 30 minutes of additional footage.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies doesn’t even come out for another two weeks, but Peter Jackson is already making plans for his extended edition of the film. Steve is currently at The Hobbit press conference in London where Jackson just revealed that there will be an extended cut of the film on the Blu-ray with around 30 minutes of additional footage. The extended edition of An Unexpected Journey clocks in at 183 minutes long (13 minutes of additional footage) and the extended cut of The Desolation of Smaug is 186 minutes long (25 minutes of additional footage) so when the time comes to marathon the entire The Hobbit trilogy, we’ll be spending about 543 minutes in Middle Earth, which is actually significantly less than the Lord of the Rings extended trilogy’s 680-minute grand total.

Hit the jump for more on Jackson’s plans for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies extended cut.

Jackson may already know about how many minutes he’s adding to the theatrical cut of the film for the extended addition, but he does still need the time to actually put the thing together. Jackson noted that this should take him around four or five months to get done after he returns home. Assuming that happens at the end of the month, he should have The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies extended cut complete in the middle of 2015.

We’ll have more material from The Hobbit press day for you in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, click here for more The Battle of the Five Armies coverage or browse the recent links below:

First THE HOBBIT THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Clip: If Thranduil Won’t Warn Thorin, Bilbo Will
Early THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Reviews Seem More Favorable Than Prior Installments
New THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Images Prepare for War
Lake-town Gets Toasty in New THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Images
THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Celebrates Last Trip To Middle Earth With Five Empire Magazine Covers

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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K

The hobbit: an unexpected journey 4k blu-ray review, a stunning 4k uhd presentation starts the hobbit trilogy..

The start of the adventure, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a magnificent trip back to middle earth. Returning to the helm is director Peter Jackson ( The Lord of the Rings trilogy). A spectacle filled with fantastic CGI and breathtaking imagery, the first film in the Hobbit trilogy dramatically unfolds from the get-go as a group of dwarves gather at the home of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) before setting out on a new quest: to reclaim their land. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) enlists Bilbo as the "thief" of the party (a much needed role to recover lost treasure). What dangers await Bilbo Baggins as he treks forth outside of his quaint home in The Shire?

For more information on the theatrical edition , please refer to the original review by Blu-ray.com writer Kenneth Brown. Please Note: the star-rating on this edition reflects my own opinion of the feature-film.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K Blu-ray, Video Quality 4K

Arriving on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros., The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is presented in a 2160p HEVC / H.265 encode in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 widescreen. Fans of the franchise are going to be enormously pleased with the results of the 4K presentation. Supervised by director Peter Jackson, the new 4K encoding is a sight-to-behold. The reference-quality presentation is jaw-dropping. It is a immaculate presentation that showcases the film with the best picture-quality to date even better than at the cinema.

As The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey unfolded, there were many sequences which highlighted the manner in which the 4K photography made a major difference to the presentation. From the opening scenes at The Shire, the beautiful landscapes are razor-sharp, the green outdoors radiant with terrific color reproduction that is dramatically enhanced by the HDR. This isn't a small upgrade at all: every scene looks significantly better with the resolution boost and because of the HDR grading.

As the film progresses, I was continually swept away by the visuals. During an epic sequence with Gandalf the Gray, I could see sweat bubbles in his beard that I never noticed before on previous releases. Every pore and crevice of the actors seemed visible in stunning resolution. It was truly marvelous.

Another element of the presentation which impressed me was the manner in which the special effects were handled. I had lower expectations for the special-effects, expecting these visuals to appear as merely adequate resolution up-ticks. The opposite is true: the CGI has never looked as crisp and dynamic as it does here. Whether it be the orcs or the goblins, the CGI is vivid, detailed, and immersive. Stunning.

Not only does the resolution increase impress, the HDR grading is astonishing at every turn. Bright outdoor scenes display more vivid and detailed colors than ever before while dark scenes are similarly more enthralling to see. Small details in the grading make all the difference: Bilbo's sword turns blue as orcs appear with a more organic (yet vivid) appearance, the pattering rain during the attack of the giant rock monsters looks even more realistic, and the Riddles in the Dark sequence with Gollum showcases dramatic increases in detail in the background.

Another matter worth discussing is the frame-rate. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is presented in traditional 24 fps and does not utilize a high-frame-rate (as was seen in select screenings during the original theatrical release). I doubt most fans will find fault with this matter: there is no soap opera effect as a result. The movement of the cinematography looks outstanding.

Note: The screenshots in the review are from the 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded Blu-ray edition of the feature-film.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality

As if the video-presentation wasn't enough of a reason to upgrade, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey features a top-notch Dolby Atmos presentation. The audio design is similar to previous releases of the film but features some breathtaking expansiveness that is the direct result of the extra Atmos height channels. The presence of the entire audio presentation is even more enveloping and rewarding as dramatic fight sequences are given even more ferocity. Even dramatic scenes seem to benefit from Dolby Atmos as the original score by Howard Shore sounds all the more powerful and commanding. Dialogue is never overshadowed by the sound effects, either. Every element of the sonic landscape comes through with remarkable clarity and depth.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

Warner Bros has opted to not include any of the supplemental features found on the previous home-media release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . Buyers should be aware that they are only getting the new 4K UHD discs (and a digital-code).

Part of the reason for this decision seems to be the expectation that most fans purchasing the 4K discs will already own previous releases. Another factor to consider: Warner Bros has announced a mega Middle Earth collection will be released in the summer of 2021 (which will include brand new supplemental features). These new extras were not prepared in time for the standalone 4K set.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

The theatrical cut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set the tone for the prequel series to The Lord of the Rings . The adventure, action, and comedy were beautifully intertwined to form a cohesive and entertaining vision of Middle Earth. Peter Jackson crafted a great start to his Hobbit trilogy and the results are an enduring classic in the fantasy genre. The 4K UHD Blu-ray delivers the best video-audio presentation to-date and is a must-own for series fans. Don't miss it.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Other Editions

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Prime Video: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)
Read About All The New Scenes In 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Review: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Extended Edition among best
The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey 3D Review
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition) now available On
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition)

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Unexpected Journey
A Long Journey To An Uncertain End
The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

COMMENTS

Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The (Comparison: Theatrical Version
04:11-04:12 / 04:11-04:56 In the Theatrical Version the shot of Thranduil is slightly longer (he turns his head a little more to the side).. The Extended Version the shot changes to a view of Thror. Thranduil is presented with a jewel case full of white gems. As he is about to touch it, the case is clapped shut before Thranduil's very nose.
Peter Jackson Talks 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Extended Edition
Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy extended edition is more atmospheric in design than its theatrical counterpart, which is some ways is more appropriate (given the nature of Tolkien's source material).. By comparison, the theatrical cut of An Unexpected Journey felt more like a proper Tolkien novel unfolding in movie form, despite also being a bit over-stuffed.
Are the Hobbit extended editions worth getting? Ive only ...
Yes. An Unexpected Journey doesn't add much: that film played like an extended cut in theaters already. But there are nice little bits and pieces in it. The Desolation of Smuag, which was the best to begin with, is improved massively.There's a whole new story thread added, several setpieces get a chance to breathe more (Mirkwood being my favourite setpiece of the trilogy as result of the ...
The Hobbit 4K Review: Finally the Trilogy Looks Like Real Movies
An Unexpected Journey improves the most with this new home video release, ... The 4K release includes both the theatrical and extended versions of all three Hobbit movies, ...
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition), The
The theatrical edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was released on Blu-ray in March but fans knew a fully loaded special edition with Peter Jackson's director's cut was forthcoming. This three-disc Extended Edition includes a 182-minute cut of the film, which adds roughly thirteen minutes to the 169-minute theatrical cut.
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
The theatrical cut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey already feels like an extended edition, but it turns out there's plenty more footage to expand the first film of the The Hobbit trilogy ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (extended edition)
Followed by: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (extended edition) is an extended version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. It has 13 minutes of additional footage added back into the film (bringing its total running time up to 182 minutes), as well as multiple documentaries about the making of the ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (2012)
The extended edition of An Unexpected Journey includes 13 minutes of additional material to the theatrical release, which brings the running time to 182 minutes. The extra scenes are mainly embellishments and I would argue that they do not dramatically alter the tone and feel of the film. My thoughts are mostly the same for both the theatrical ...
Read About All The New Scenes In 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Tuesday brings the Blu-ray release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition.Ever since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, director Peter Jackson has been releasing one ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition) Blu-ray Review
Supplemental Materials. [Rating:5/5] The appendices return in this extended edition for over 9 hours of behind-the-scenes features detailing every aspect of the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, from the musical scoring, to creating the creatures, to locations and more. This is a fan's and a cineaste's delight.
Hobbit, The: An Unexpected Journey
Review. Having already reviewed the theatrical cut of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Blu-ray here at The Bits, I'll forgo discussing the film again for this review.Here's what you need to know about the 182-minute Extended Edition cut: The 12 minutes of newly-added material doesn't really amount to much.That's going to be disappointing to some of you, but it's ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D
Picture: As with the original release, this Extended Edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey looks absolutely sensational in both its 2.40:1-framed AVC 2D and MVC 3D guises. Indeed, there's very little to add here that we didn't say in our original review. Colours are still richly saturated, detailing is impeccable, edge definition is ...
THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY Extended Edition Blu-ray ...
An Unexpected Journey covers only the first six chapters of The Hobbit, an impossibly small amount of time for such a large film.Director Peter Jackson and his colleagues filled it by pulling huge ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition Blu-ray Review
The release of the three Lord of the Rings Extended Editions were something of a revelation a decade or so ago, particularly for J.R.R. Tolkien fans that wanted to immerse themselves even further ...
5 Hobbit Extended Editions Scenes That Actually Make The ...
published 13 October 2015. Peter Jackson 's Hobbit series is over. It took three long years, but last December the New Zealand-born filmmaker released the final chapter in his cinematic vision ...
'The Hobbit' Trilogy Extended Edition Heading To Theaters This Fall
For those curious, here's the extended edition running times for each movie: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - 182 minutes (theatrical: 169 minutes) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - 186 ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (Blu-ray Review)
Extras. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition will be available on Tuesday as a 5-disc Blu-ray 3D set that features the Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray versions of the Extended Edition ; a 3-disc Blu-ray and a 5-disc DVD set. The Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD all include an UltraViolet Digital Copy which allows consumers to download and ...
'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Extended Edition DVD ...
Purchase at the following links where the prices are $39.99 for the 5-disc Blu-ray 3D set, $24.99 for the 3-disc Blu-ray set, and $24.49 for the 5-disc DVD set. Related: Learn how to win the ...
What are your thoughts on "The Hobbit Extended Editions"?
Personally I found that: Unexpected Journey: It felt like Mr.Jackson wanted to make the hobbit trilogy a musical. Desolation of Smaug: I didn't notice that much of a difference. Battle of Five Armies: The most notable difference to me was the battle was much longer and a lot more gory. What are your thoughts on the extended editions?
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey While Peter Jackson's prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" delivers more of what made his earlier trilogy so compelling -- it doesn't offer nearly enough novelty to ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D Blu-ray Review
Like the theatrical version of An Unexpected Journey, the Extended Edition boasts a bellowing beast of a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track.There's just one -- I'd say minor, some would say major -- difference. Bass enthusiasts will notice a slight, arguably negligible boost in LFE oomph that will most likely satisfy those who were disappointed with the March 2013 Blu-ray's low-end output ...
Peter Jackson Says THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES Extended
The extended edition of An Unexpected Journey clocks in at 183 ... Jackson may already know about how many minutes he's adding to the theatrical cut of the film for the extended addition, but he ...
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4K Blu-ray (Theatrical)
1080p. Arriving on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros., The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is presented in a 2160p HEVC / H.265 encode in an aspect ratio of 2.40:1 widescreen. Fans of the franchise ...