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.

Fabulous movie series - you have to watch it!!!

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! =)

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.

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 get this out of my system first. Tyrion who? Thorin is the KING. Well, now that's out, I have to say I love this movie. And I love it for the very same reasons others might hate it. First, it's the first third of the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's not the whole story, was not advertised as such, and people who complain it's incomplete amaze me: they need to read a description first, or maybe a press release, and know what to expect. Second, of course it seems like a precursor to the real happenings, because it is. This is just the first part of Bilbo's journey, and despite his fervent hope it's the worst, it is not, by far. That's the key - the story is to be continued, and this movie does not work that well as a stand-alone, but I can absolutely live with that. And will eagerly await the sequel. Thirdly, at first I was bewildered when I saw clear parallels between the Hobbit and Lord of the Ring movies (there was a scene where, if you don't look too closely, the dwarves and Bilbo would pass for the Fellowship, traversing the magnificent wilds of Middle-earth). It seemed a stretch, seeing this group of bumbling characters in such epic settings. They seemed so out of place, at first I thought Peter Jackson tried to make an epic out of a fairy-tale, and failed miserably. Then halfway through the movie it dawned on me: the characters might be a bit bumbling, but they do inhabit the same epic land named Middle-earth. And ready or not, they will have to find their way in it, find their way home. As soon as I understood this, the jarring feeling of out-of-placeness faded, and I was able to enjoy the journey. And fourth, the characters themselves. Bilbo is yet to come into his prime (I though he was getting there by the end, with the Gollum scene and especially with orc confrontation), and the wizard/elf/necromancer politics are a bit out there yet, but the interactions between the dwarves and their characterization are superb. I absolutely love Fili and Kili, and let me say this, I could call Thorin my king. So, to conclude, ignore the nay-sayers, watch the movie, and judge for yourself.

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

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

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.

Produit souhaité, produit reçu.