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Peter Jackson's 2012 extravaganza of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved "The Hobbit"(An Unexpected Journey") is an epic film worthy of Mr. Jackson's past efforts with the great Tolkien "Lord Of The Rings" trilogy(which I loved)-except it deviates from the book much of the time. Loyal Tolkien fanatics may grind their teeth at the film's many strayings from the original "Hobbit" story, but I suppose the filmmakers had to expand things considerably to stretch the story out to make 3 separate films- "The Desolation of Smaug" and "There and Back Again" being the next two installments. We see characters in this movie who aren't even mentioned in the book, such as Radagast the Brown, Galadriel, and Saruman the White-characters not mentioned until the LOTR books. But we have to forgive the New Line Cinema folks; they keep the action moving and hold our interest very well. And, altogether, they stick to the main storyline pretty well, most of the time. "The Hobbit-An Unexpected Journey" is a bit more light-hearted than the LOTR trilogy of 12 years ago, as was the book itself. Several of the actors from those films are present in this film-Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, and Ian Holm reprising his role as "Old" Bilbo...it's almost nostalgic. Anyway, this film is completely enjoyable if you just don't get too sticky about the plot variations. I liked it! 4****Read full review
the magic of middle-earth continues! a wonderful story with a lighter touch than lord of the rings - should be suitable for kids in the upper single digits (call it 8+). i bawl my eyes out every time the eagles arrive - i've been waiting forty years, since i read the book when i was 7yrs old, to see them fly! and the songs are perfect - so beautifully done that i have distinct memories of hearing them as a child (which of course is impossible but you know what i mean). the special effects are top-flight and the characters develop and evolve from the initial first impressions into people with real depth and facets. even the bad guys and scary scenes, while still scary, have a slightly softened touch (compared, for example, to the hard-core orcs you see in LOTR) that should make them acceptable to a younger audience than LOTR. it's a wonderful, gentle introduction into the world of middle-earth. as for me, i'm going to buy a ferret just so i can name her Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.Read full review
If you're a die-hard Tolkien fan like I was growing up and read all the books, just don't expect the story to follow like it did in the original story. Of course Peter Jackson had to make it as appealing as he could to all audiences, so you have female hero characters added in that were never in the story, a little love story added in, etc. The CGI can be a little over the top, but if you like that sort of thing then you won't mind. If I had the means to take a great masterpiece like The Hobbit and turn it into a movie, I would have done it much differently and it would've only been 2 parts, not 3. That being said, just go into it forgetting everything you know about the original story and you'll probably like it, like I did.
It's a great movie to watch with the family. As with "Lord of the Rings", the cinematography, costumes, scenery and music are fabulous. With the Hobbit, the story does feel like there is a lot of filler, no doubt because one small book was stretched out into 3 movies. But it can still be very entertaining, and seeing Gandalf, Galadriel and even Saruman is delightful.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
As a ringer, I found this installment of the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to be quite delightful...there were a few deviations from the original storyline, but tied in the fate of Middle Earth with the One Ring, and the discovery of it by Bilbo, just as the book denotes. I await the other installments of The Desolation of Smaug and There and Back Again with great anticipation. True ringers should appreciate the efforts to see, also, the tie-in with the LOTR movies, and points that couldn't be filled in 2&1/2 hour installments from the previous releases, as time is a commodity one doesn't want to be bored of, and this movie, like all the others is an action-packed thrill ride for any fantasy story lover...
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