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

First, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey itself I greatly enjoyed. It was a worthy successor to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies, despite the fact that Peter Jackson took a few more creative liberties with An Unexpected Journey (and after watching the second movie, it is clear with the entire Hobbit trilogy) than he did with The Lord of the Rings. Despite the changes, Peter Jackson still keeps the same feel from the original Lord of the Rings movies, the characters mostly fit with how you'd imagine them from reading the story (or at least they did for me), and many of the scenes have fairly clear reasons for why they were altered. In The Lord of the Rings and in The Hobbit, some of the scenes Jackson had to move along more quickly in the movies than they had moved in the book, and in The Hobbit, Jackson is trying to tie the story far more to The Lord of the Rings than the book did, which is the reason for many of the more drastic changes. However, the movie still keeps the general story line intact. As far as the extended edition scenes, on my first viewing I thought almost all of them were fairly poorly worked in, but much like The Hobbit soundtracks, I warmed up to them after watching the extended edition two to three times. Extended edition scene spoilers: The extended edition scenes I liked from the beginning were many of the Rivendell scenes, especially with Bilbo and Elrond, which connect The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey to Bilbo's eventual moving to Rivendell in The Fellowship of the Ring. I also enjoyed the scene near the beginning with Bilbo buying food in Hobbiton, and briefly worried that a blue hat-like figure was Gandalf (it was actually another hobbit carrying some sort of laundry basket or something). I also did enjoy the Rivendell scene where Bofur sings a version of the 'Man in the Moon' song Frodo sang in Bree in The Fellowship of the Ring book, and though I still feel the extra dwarf scenes around there weren't worked in the best, I now feel they were worked in better than I had when I first watched the extended edition. Probably the scenes that changed the most in how much I liked them were the extra content in the intro. I initially felt that they were worked in awkwardly and made an already long intro drag even more, but after watching the intro a few more times I felt that they were actually worthwhile additions, especially since they weren't very long, and were actually worked in fairly well. There are two extended edition scenes, however, that I still feel are a bit of a disappointment. The first is right before entering Rivendell, Bilbo turns to Gandalf and tells him he can feel something, and Gandalf tells him fairly mysteriously and actually somewhat creepily that what he feels is a very powerful magic. This scene seemed somewhat awkward and I understand why they cut it for the theatrical edition. My least favorite added scene was the goblin-town scene. I enjoyed the music and am glad I saw the part, but unlike many of the other extended scenes where it was clear they had actually tapped the longer scenes and then cut them down for the theatrical edition, the goblin-town scene with the goblin-king seems like they had an ALTERNATIVE scene they had made and tried to put them both together. It would have worked far better put in some sort of bonus or alternative scene area on the disc instead of into the movie, but I'm pretty sure Peter Jackson and his group will never use the alternative scene idea and will stick with extended editions since they seem to like extended editions so much. SECOND MOVIE SPOILER: After watching The Desolation of Smaug (which was a great sequel), I also noticed that at least one of the extended scenes (and I thought I had thought of two scenes earlier, but only one is coming to me at the moment) hinted at events to happen in the second movie. The scene I am referring to is the scene with the dwarves in Rivendell where Kili jokes about how he doesn't find elf-maidens very attractive because he prefers his women with lots of facial hair, but there was one specific "elf-maiden" he joked he thought was attractive at the dinner. Another dwarf (I think it was Oin) said that the elf was actually an elf-(dude? man? guy? not sure what the male version of "maiden" in elf-maiden would be) and all the other dwarves laugh. This scene, at least to me, seems to hint at the semi-romance between Kili and Tauriel in the second movie. CONCLUSION: In my opinion the extended version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is well worth getting over the theatrical version. The theatrical version was around 2.5 hours, and the extended edition only adds 12 minutes to that, so it would be pretty hard to screw up the entire movie with them. Also, most of the extra scenes were well worth adding, and even the not-so-great additions like the goblin-king extra scenes were still very interesting to watch despite them not fitting the best into the movie. So I would highly recommend getting The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and would highly recommend the version you get be the extended edition. Enjoy Middle-Earth, and "May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks." - Gandalf, The Hobbit book by J.R.R. Tolkien

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

i love tolkien and have quite some collectibles already (books, cds, blu-rays). this one is special, though. i bought this extended version with the limited edition bilbo/gollum statue in december but only got around watching it yesterday. and this is my first amazon review EVER. THE MOVIE: by far not the best tolkien movie by peter jackson (sort of excusable since "the hobbit" falls very short when compared to LOTR). it just takes so long for things to happen and evolve. caught myself looking at the watch a couple of times! but it is so beautifully made! especially towards the end; such beautiful shots! and also themes that are of great importance to tolkien are beautifully represented (courage in face of great danger; good x evil not being a battle of power/strength; believing in the good in people; arrogance, pride and greed leading to madness and wickedness; etc.). personally, i just love the way they respect and value some "stupid" details: "in a hole in the ground lived a hobbit" was the first line of the tolkien saga ever to be written; and they introduce and value it beautifully. THE EXTENDED VERSION: what to expect of an extended version of an already too slowly paced movie?! lots of important/funny/revealing scenes cut from the theatrical version; absolutely a must have! i actually caught myself being far less bored than during the theatrical version. now there's a surprise! THE SOUNDTRACK: howard shore (who already had written 88[!!!!!!!] musical themes for LOTR) wrote one of the most beautiful themes ever which is the song thorin sings in bilbo's house and then becomes a recurrent theme throughout the movie. simply beautiful. for those of you who aren't aware, shore creates a series of related musical themes that underline important information from the story. what i do NOT understand at all (and probably appalled shore himself) was the use of the nazgûl theme at the end of the movie, when thorin faces azog the defiler. as soon as the song started i naturally expected a nazgûl to appear, following the logic of the tolkien/shore/jackson soundtracks so far. of course a nazgûl at that point is absurd. i had hoped that they would correct that for the extended version, but that was not the case. :/ THE BILBO/GOLLUM STATUE: the actual reason i purchased this version was because of the statue. unfortunately i didn't pay attention that there was also the same statue on the 5-disc blu-ray extended version; i would've gotten that one. the statue is BEAUTIFUL! i didn't really know what to expect. but it is now the center piece of the (upright) piano that belongs to my wife in our living room and she had no objections to that, lol! (needless to say she is not the biggest tolkien fan) VERY IMPORTANT: amazon does not state the languages featured in this extended blu-ray. there are 3 spoken languages: english, french and portuguese!!! and 4 different subtitle versions: english, french, spanish and portuguese! i have many friends in brazil who would have bought it had they known. well… bad for you, amazon.com! 5 stars not for the movie, but this extended limited edition blu-ray! =)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Guten Tag, ich möchte hiermit den kürzlich erworbenen - und natürlich im Kino angesehenen - Film "Der Hobbit" bewerten. Vorab: Viele der Vorrezensenten vergleichen den Hobbit immer wieder mit der (fantastischen) Film-Trilogie "Herr der Ringe" (weiter aufgeführt als "HdR"). Dabei ist der Hobbit doch eigentlich die Basis zum HdR. Wer eine epische Schlacht, ein "namenloses Grauen" oder gar ungemein viel Action erwartet hat, wird hier natürlich enttäuscht. Man kann bei einem Kinderbuchtitel (!) nicht erwarten, dass dieser nach dem Stil des Epos HdR gefilmt und ausgestrahlt wird. In dem Buch allein geht es natürlich nicht primär um den Einen Ring, sondern vielmehr um die Umstände wie Bilbo zu diesem gekommen ist, sein erstes richtiges Abenteuer antritt und welche Gefahren auf ihn und seine Gefährten lauern. Im folgenden werde ich die Rezension in bestimmte Bereiche untergliedern, diese jeweils bewerten und am Ende zusammenfassend bewerten. ============================================================================================================================================================= 1. Die Handlung / Entwicklung der Charaktere ----- 4,5/5 Sternen Zunächst lässt sich sagen, dass die Regisseure komplett neu anfangen mussten. Ideen waren sicherlich da, die Umsetzung ist aber das Schwierige. Der Film musste ein bisschen etwas von der Spannung aus dem HdR haben, andererseits aber eine ganz eigene Geschichte entwickeln. Die Besetzung der einzelnen Charaktere ist durchaus - und in manchen Teilen mehr oder weniger - sehr gut gelungen. Besonders Bilbo, der von dem großartigen Schauspieler Martin Freeman verkörpert wird, geht in seiner Darstellung sehr gut auf. Auch die Zwerge sind gut besetzt, jeder hat seine eigenen Macken, zum Teil witzig, zum Teil ernst zu nehmen. Gandalf ist natürlich wieder - wie im HdR zuvor auch - gut umgesetzt worden. Besonderes Augenmerk richte ich auch auf Thorin Eichenschild - gespielt von Richard Armitage. Sehr charismatisch und ein gänzlich eigener Stil. Was mich leider ein wenig bei dem Film gestört hat, ist die Umsetzung der Trolle. Diese können - müssen aber nicht - komplett verblödet sein. Zum Teil wenig schick anzusehen. Witzig, ja, aber ernst zu nehmen - nein. Vielleicht sollte das aber auch so sein. Sonst hätte Bilbo ja keine Chance gegen sie... ;-) Die Handlung an sich ist klar - die Zwerge müssen den Drachen Smaug aus Erebor vertreiben und das alte Zwergenreich zurückerorbern. Der rote Faden zieht sich durch den Film, und das ist gut so. In vielen anderen Filmen wird er gerne mal aus den Augen verloren. Neben diesem gibt es aber noch weitere, kleinere Handlungsstränge. Sie vervollständigen das Bild, dass man nach dem Film von Herrn Beutlin und seinen Gefährten hat. Prinzipiell muss sich jeder selbst ein Urteil bilden, denn der Film ist sicherlich nicht jedermanns Geschmack. Spieldauer des Films sind knackige 169 Minuten. Klingt viel, doch wenn man erst einmal richtig im Film ist und Spaß hat, dann vergehen diese sehr schnell. ============================================================================================================================================================== 2. DVD-/ Blu-ray-Qualität ----- 5/5 Sternen Für viele Zuschauer ist natürlich der Punkt der Qualität sehr wichtig. Wer in den vollen Genuss der Eindrücke aus Mittelerde kommen möchte, sollte sich einen guten Blu-ray-Player und natürlich den Hobbit als Blu-ray zulegen. Das Bild ist gestochen scharf und wurde in einer sehr hohen Auflösung gedreht. Fakt: es gibt keine kleinen "Körnchen" im Bild, keine Ruckler, nichts Schwammiges. Ich selbst habe mir auch die DVD zwecks Vergleich zugelegt. Die Qualität ist gut, wie sonst auch bei DVD's. Etwas besonderes kann ich nicht ausmachen. Sie hebt sich eben nicht so ab (wie beispielsweise die Blu-ray des Hobbits von anderen Blu-ray's!). Wen eine etwas schlechtere Qualität nicht stört, der kann auch ein paar Euronen sparen und sich die normale Version (DVD) zulegen. Der Film bleibt schließlich derselbe! ============================================================================================================================================================== 3. Sound ----- 5/5 Ohja, der Sound ist wichtig. Sehr wichtig. Und wieder einmal kann ich guten Gewissens sagen: Volltreffer! Die gelegentlichen Kampfszenen, untermalt mit sehr guter Filmmusik, machen umso mehr Spaß und überzeugen auf ganzer Linie. Man freut sich jedes Mal auf die nächste Szene mit diesem Klang. Ich habe mir die Blu-ray auf dem PC mit einer begleitenden 5.1 Anlage angeschaut. Die Ausgewogenheit muss man hier deutlich loben. Kreatives Köpfchen, dieser Super-Komponist Howard Shore! Tiefen und Höhen sehr gut umgesetzt und schön anzuhören (dafür benötigt man aber natürlich eine gute Anlage). ============================================================================================================================================================== 4. Specials ----- 4/5 Nun zu den Specials. Die Blu-ray kommt gleich mit 2 Discs daher, die DVD nur mit einer. Schade eigentlich. Somit haben nur die Zuschauer Einblick in die Dreharbeiten und Vorbereitungen, die sich die etwas teurere Blu-ray gönnen und vor allem leisten können. Ich selbst habe mir die komplette zusätzliche Special Disc der Blu-ray angeschaut und war bis zum Schluss fasziniert. Viele wissen gar nicht, was für eine Arbeit dahinter steckt und denken sich "Och, die Regisseure und Schauspieler, die verdienen ja gut Geld für kaum Arbeit". Das ist falsch. Wer sich genauer damit auseinandersetzt, wird merken, dass es die kleinen Dinge sind, die das große Ganze in die Länge ziehen und unglaublich viel Arbeit machen. Also: wer an Zusatzmaterial in Form einer Special-Disc interessiert ist, sollte sich die 2-Disc Version zulegen. ============================================================================================================================================================== Fazit ----- 5/5 (da ich gesamt 4,5 gegeben hätte, es diese aber nicht gibt und aufgerundet 5 ergibt ;-)) Wer KEINEN vierten Teil von Herr der Ringe erwartet und sich ernsthaft damit auseinandersetzen und zufrieden geben will, dass dieser Film die Vorgeschichte (!) des HdR ist, der sollte einfach zugreifen und die Wunderwelt Mittelerde auf sich wirken lassen. Sehr gute Story, zum Teil rührend schön, und vor allem zu sehen, wie sich Charaktere innerhalb des Films gut weiterentwickeln ist einfach lohnenswert! Ich hoffe ich konnte euch mit dieser (etwas langen) Rezension bei eurer Kaufentscheidung helfen. Bitte, zugreifen! MfG, Musician

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

As usual with my reviews, I will limit my comments to the product advertised, in this case the steel-book limited edition blu-ray of the extended version of The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey. Hopefully helping you to make the decision on whether the extended cut of the film is really worth the expenditure, especially if you, like me, already have the theatrical cut. I will also give you a run-down of all the additional scenes. The packaging itself is the usual black plastic box sandwiched between metal covers, and in all honesty looks cheep when compared to the extended versions of the original trilogy in their book-style, individually coloured sleeves. Inside are the two-disc 3D version of the film; a single disc containing the extended blu-ray version and two discs containing the appendices which are numbered parts seven and eight, to fall in with the nomenclature of those in the extended version of The Lord Of The Rings, and hints at a box set containing all six films and their appendices in the not too distant future.(No surprise there then). The quality of the blu-ray, as you'll already know if you have the theatrical version, is second to none, with dazzling colour saturation, perfectly solid blacks and stunning detail, as one would expect from twenty first century high def'. And the additional scenes or partial scenes fit in seamlessly. I can not comment on the effectiveness of the 3D version as I do not have a 3D player and have little love for the medium in any case. Subtitles are included on the Blu-Ray version, as are various language options which include: French, Italian and Spanish. The scene-extensions are as follows:(Please read no further if you want it to be a surprise) 1. During the prologue, the Elf-king Thranduill is shown a chest of stolen elven treasure when he confronts Thror, King Under The Mountain, which further explains why the elves are reluctant to help the dwarves when attacked by Smaug. 2. During the dragon attack on the town of Dale, we glimpse some of the large arrow-firing machines that form that towns defense. 3. A firework flashback during old Bilbo's narrative at the beginning of the film proper, reveal the origins of Bilbo's friendship with Gandalf. 4. The afternoon following young Bilbo's stressful meeting with Gandalf outside his Hobbit hole, Bilbo goes for a wander through Hobbiton searching for the wizard in the hope that he has truly gone. This is the longest of the additional scenes, and is a wonderful opportunity for us to get a lingering look at Hobbiton market. For every Hobbit-loving person, this is truly a magical addition, though does nothing to add to the story as a whole. 5. During the dwarf dinner scene, we get to learn a little about Biffor, and how the axe that remains embedded in his head has effected his speech. 6. As the dwarfs and hobbit approach Rivendell, we get a sense of Bilbo's character as he talks to Gandalf of a magical feeling he has as he looks down on the Last Homely House. Gandalf begins to sense that there is more to this hobbit than meets the eye. 7. There are a few additional scenes during the dwarf's stay at Rivendell, these include: kili winking at an elf who he thinks is female, only to be told that in fact it is a male elf. The dinner scene itself is extended with a food fight as we watch the growing irritation of the elves with their rowdy guests, during which Bofur sings a song. Interestingly the song, 'The Cat And The Fiddle' is a song originally sung by Frodo Baggins in the book, The Fellowship Of The Ring, as he dances on a table in The Prancing Pony, prior to his finger slipping into The One Ring ad his introduction to Aragorn. So for all Lord Of The Rings aficionados, this is an interesting little addition and nod back to the books. As the dwarves feast, Bilbo's growing affection for Rivendell is revealed as he wanders off along tree-lined balconies and through open rooms, where Elrond finds him and invites the hobbit to stay in Rivendell if he so wishes. This little addition gives us a better understanding of why Bilbo should later want to return to the elves when he finally decides to leave the dwarves as they sleep in the porch of the goblin cave. Following the feast, the dwarves finally test their hosts patience to the limits, as they strip off and dive into a fountain in the centre of Rivendell to bathe, overlooked by stunned elves. 8. A meeting between Gandalf and Elrond, where they discus Thorin's past, is overheard by Bilbo and the dwarf leader. This further helps to explain Thorin's decision to leave Rivendell unannounced and unexpectedly. 9. The meeting at Rivendell between Gandalf, Elrond, Saroman and Galadrial, is extended, and we get some important information about the missing rings of power and how the dwarves fit in with the One Ring story. 10. Finally, we get another song, this time sung by the Gobblin King, which does little in my mind but add length to an already overly-long story line. So there it is, a breakdown of the extra 13 minutes in the extended edition. They are all nice little scenes, with the expanded views of Hobbiton, for me the highlight. But none of the extended scenes really add anything to the storyline, with only the background information on the One Ring and the missing rings of power, really adding anything to the narrative subtext of the overall story of Middle Earth, and which ties in with later events in the 'Ring' trilogy. What really counts in this extended edition however are the appendices. Nine hours of extras which I am still wading through, all shot in wondrous high-def' and a vast qualitative improvement over appendices one through six of the original trilogy. I promised myself when purchasing the theatrical edition of the Hobbit, that this time around I would not buy the extended version when it was released, as I knew there would be nothing important added - the Hobbit storyline having been already stretched to breaking point. In the end I couldn't resist it. Was it worth the £17.00 I paid for the steel-book? The jury is still out as I have only watched it through once at time of writing. I'm certain in time that the question will be irrelevant however, as I will certainly get my monies worth out of it in the end, having already watched the original blu-ray some fifteen times. I'm certain I will never grow tired of The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey. If you have enjoyed reading this review, please read my others.

Produit souhaité, produit reçu.