The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - An IMAX 3D ExperienceMovie Reviews

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Written December 16, 2012
Long In The Tooth... But Well Worth The Trip

by UnshavenMarc

Simply put, it's an enjoyable excursion... that is to say, the start to one. As with the LOTR trilogy, the films inhabits a beautiful world. Jackson and Del Toro pepper their tale with extended fight scenes, and backstory sequences not in the source material, but it's all well served given the scope they are aiming for.

Freeman makes a most excellent Hobbit. All the cast is well sourced, and deliver that great balance of humor and pathos. While the prosthetic make-up on some of the dwarves is a bit ham-fisted, by an hour in, it's as organic as anything else.

Fans of the LOTR trilogy will be right at home. Newcomers may find the world a bit cumbersome to take in all at once.

Ultimately, I'd recommend the movie to anyone who has a predilection for long Dungeons and Dragons games, fans of LOTR, and those looking for a loooooooong adventure peppered with brilliant cinematography and amazing detail.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written January 20, 2013
Excellent Prequel

by AhuraMazda

Wow, you know a movie is very good when you get lost in the story itself instead of all the special effects, of which there were plenty. Excellent story-telling I must say. And the 3D thing really didn't get in the way either. it was used to good effect. I rarely go to movies in the theatre anymore just cuz there just aren't that many movies worth spending $11 on. But this one... you gotta see it on the big IMAX screen. It really is worth it.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written December 15, 2012
Unless you must critique EVERY little thing, see this movie!

by Danimaltl

While not the near flawless experiment that Lord of the Ring was the first part of the hobbit is the best thing I've seen all year. Fans will have to definitely adjust their expectations as fans of the book might be upset at new, darker additions, and fans of the LOTR movies might find the lighter tone and additional comedy not to their liking. Though taking things with a grain of salt may not be ideal I feel than many will be sucked back into middle earth.

Many of the moments in the film are simply fantastic, even by the standards set by the previous trilogy. The acting is definitely on par and the film had a heart even can be quite chaotic at times. The special effect are very different after ten years, but it very much fits the story the filmmakers are trying to tell. The only problems come from some conflicting tone. Especially in the beginning is seems like the grand apocalyptic story of LOTR is fighting the simple, light story
of The Hobbit. I think these films will endure.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 15, 2012
Peter Jackson & Company Hit Another Home Run

by peterruth

Martin Freeman totally nails it as Bilbo! The CG work is excellent, the cinematography is beautiful, and the story is well adapted and well told. Anyone who loves LOTR or loves epic stories should not be disappointed by this movie. It is the best film I have seen this year.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 17, 2012
The Hobbit

by brettino

A great film full of awesome cinematography, lush scenery and action. I was worried that The Hobbit would not be worthy of the "Lord of the Rings" franchise, but it is worthy. In the true sense of the original trilogy, you are angry when it ends because you are left wanting more, but we will have to wait until next December for the story to continue to unfold.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 23, 2012
Loved The Hobbit!

by

I was waiting with bated breath to return to Middle Earth and The Hobbit didn't disappoint me one bit. I knew it would be different from LOTR and I welcomed the change to see the beginning of Bilbo Baggins' adventure unfold.

The cinematography was amazing and seeing it in IMAX 3D was just a beautiful thing to behold. I was never bored for a second as our old favorites returned in Frodo, Gandalf, and even Smeagol aka Gollum and new acquaintances Kili, Fili, all of the other dwarves as well as the unconventional wizard Radagast the Brown played by Sylvester McCoy of Doctor Who fame .

I can't wait for The Desolation of Smaug to hit theatres next year. It will be a hard job for them to surpass AUJ but, if anybody can, I know Peter Jackson and company are up to the task.

I cannot recommend this movie enough! 10/10!
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 14, 2012
A Must See for Tolkien Fans

by

I had an amazing time at the Hobbit last night. One of the group I went with is as much a Tolkien nerd as I am and we nerded out the entire movie. It was detailed and beautiful in a way that Jackson simply didn't have time for in LotR.

My biggest negative thing about the movie was the fans who, as they left left at the end, were trying to explain to each other all the parts that weren't true to the book. About how Jackson "stretched it out to fill three movies." Yes, there are scenes not in the book "The Hobbit" Do they happen during "The Hobbit"? CERTAINLY. EVERY ADDED SCENE WAS A REAL SCENE TOLKIEN WROTE DOWN SOMEWHERE.

Jackson pulls from all of the source material: there are gems from the Appendices at the end of LotR, there are scenes that he ended up cutting from LotR; there is material reference from the Silmarillion. It is a lovely crafted work. And yes, it feels much more like a LotR prequel than the book. But that's okay. It fits into the the world perfectly.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 31, 2012
Jackson did it again

by Friar Tuck 40

Anyone familiar with the book, The Hobbit, knew that there would have to be a lot of filler to extend the story to 3 movies. Peter Jackson and crew used the extra material to tell the backstory that leads up to LOTR. As was true with the Ring movies all of the back story is from J.R.R. Tolkiens works.

The genius is that rather than being pendantic or boring the movie does an excellent job keeping you glued to your seats whether you know the story or not. I can not rate this movie highly enough when it comes to recreating a fantastic setting and making it seem real.

See it! We did in Imax 3d and it was well worth the trip!
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Oh No!
Written December 19, 2012
Disappointing

by cmwfandango

Was a huge fan of all LOTR films, I'd rate them 10 out of 10. This is a 2 out of 10. Very, very slow; no character development; limited plot. The good: 3D effects are fun, as was seeing Rivendell and the Shire again. But that was only worth 2 points. Jackson shouldn't have turned this short book into three long movies...the material is not nearly as meaty as LOTR, and way shorter. This was a crushing disappointment.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written December 14, 2012
Sorry for Doubting

by PostPWNED

I was cautiosly optimistic for months. My concerns included stretching one book and appendices into three films, trailers with footage that I knew would not be in the first film, and the fact that the film was not rated until recently, among many others. However, 'An Unexpected Journey' lives up to every high expectation set by the LotR trilogy and has raised the bar quite high for the next two films. I give this first instalment 4.5 out of 5 rabbit sled teams.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written January 24, 2013
Hobbit

by greenakers

Enjoyed seeing the shire. It was what I had imagined from reading the book. Thought movie was beautifully done. Especially enjoyed the 3-D. I-Max Theater made you feel more into the movie.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 15, 2012
If you liked what Peter Jackson did with LOTR you will enjoy this as well.

by Mythrandyr

I am a lifelong Tolkien fan and the first book that captured my imagination was The Hobbit. Peter Jackson's interpretation adds much to the original story that Tolkien hints around but does not reveal in detail. I found it entertaining and appreciated the imagination. The music is excellent as expected and the visual effects are equal to what The Return of the King leads me to expect from Weta. I saw the film in 48fps 3D and was fascinated by the clarity before the story pulled me away from analysis and into suspension of reality. I really felt like I was looking out of a really clean window into another world. I look forward to parts two and three and my only gripe is that we have to wait until next December for part two.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written December 16, 2012
If you love LOTR you'll love this movie

by

I'm not sure of it, but I love the development of Bilbo in this move. Also it's starts off very slow but then it's just action packed after that. it's has small subtle clues leading to LOTR. The Golum part of the movie stole the show.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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Written December 16, 2012
The Hobbit

by

Great movie, characters were well played, movie was beautiful the landscape and panoramic views of middle earth were outstanding. Loved the trolls and the goblin king.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
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Written January 9, 2013
Hobbit spun from gold to dross

by arp46

I am a fan of Tolkien and have read The Hobbit and the Ring Trilogy many, many times over. While the movie is more or less faithful to the book, its proclivity to go on and on and, oh yes, on again leads to a lot of tedious repetition in the fight scenes especially. This movie could have been 30 minutes shorter without losing a jot of information or plot line (although, apparently, saving the lives of countless goblins and orcs).

I saw it in mind boggling iMax 3D and it was visually stunning, although a little nauseating at times from the heights we were subjected to looking down from into such idyllic valleys. How they will fill another 6 hours of movie time with this rather thin story makes me wonder what they're really up to. The Hobbit, at less than a third of the length of the Ring Trilogy, doesn't deserve as much or more "air time" as that entire set was given. Tom Bombadil deserved to be preserved on film a lot more than the Hobbit needs to be stretched out to 9 hours.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
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