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

Poster art for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey -- An IMAX 3D Experience."

See this movie in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D in Digital 3D The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in Standard 35MM The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - An IMAX Experience in IMAX

Review This Movie

Must Go! Based on 10,571 reviews
Breakdown:

Sort by: Helpfulness
Review Date

Must Go!
Written January 5, 2013
STELLAR!!!!!!!!!!

by ladyhunt

I loved it to the MAX.......you gotta know...My Grand-Daughter had seen it(13) and said "you gotta go Gramma!!!" Also my husband,(We're in our 60's) mother in law(86) ......Totally all of us were impressed!!! Stellar film...Can't wait till the next!!!
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 18, 2012
Finally Here!

by ChemE75

I must for any Tolkien fan. Been a gazillion yrs since I read the book, but it follows very closely as I recall, as did the LOTR. Everyone plays their part perfectly and the dialog is easy to understand with subtitles when necessary. The 3D experience is well done - not overly in your face - more subtle while adding depth to the scenes. The riddle contest with Gollum was perfect. Only disappointment is having to wait for the next installment - the almost 3 hrs went by incredibly fast so I was a bit in shock at the end since it seemed to come way too fast.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 16, 2012
Jackson did it again!

by delights_in_movies

Plenty of heart stopping action with the added bonus of revisiting the characters you loved and hated in "the Lord of the Rings"! The creation of Middle Earth is just stunning and seeing it in 3D was really thrilling. Fun, Deep, Beautiful, and Action Packed. I laughed, teared up, and was mesmerized by the horror! The acting is terrific. Go and Enjoy!!
- 8 out of 12 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written April 6, 2013
An Expected Good Film

by TheAngerWithIn

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was just as I expected, a good film.

Peter Jackson returned to the director's seat for the Hobbit Trilogy much like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Though the movie was slow to start off, once it got going it was a full of non-stop action.

Comedy insued throughout the movie making the crowd the laugh.

All in all the Hobbit: An Expected Journey was great film and I'm looking forward to the sequel!
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
So-so
Written December 16, 2012
Extravagant, exciting and completely destroys the spirit of the story

by

After creating such a spectacular movie while remaining true to the story and spirit of LOTR, I am so incredibly disappointed with the travesty this movie has has made of The Hobbit.

If you have never read the book or if you only care about the fantastic fight scenes and breathtaking cinematography, then this movie will just be the prequel to the LOTR that you hoped it would be. Go see it in IMAX 3D or whatever they best quality theater you can. It is worth the ticket price to see.

For those of us who have loved this story since childhood, it is heartbreaking to know that Peter Jackson has sold out the Tolkien story just to show off his CGI "talent" and make as much money as possible.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 21, 2012
A Beautiful Adventure

by judbyler

Loved it! Jackson has done a masterful job of keeping to the original story while finding creative ways of hinting at the Lord of the Rings trilogy. No, it isn't a word for word rendition. How could it be, even in 3 hours - or 9 before all installments are done. There are a few embellishments, to be sure, but allowing Radagast to have some face time turned out quite well. 4.5 out of 5 due to motion blur.
One additional issue had an effect on my overall movie experience. When I chose my advance seating, the theater map was not clear. It appears reversed in the Fandango site from what it should logically be. The bottom of an IMAX theater is where the screen is located, so the screen should be located at the bottom of the theater map. This little oversight made me choose seats I thought were in the first row of the top tier, just above the cross-walk and handicap seating. Instead, I was two rows below the cross-walk in the lower tier. Still good seats, but not what I thought I paid for.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
So-so
Written December 18, 2012
None of the book's charming storytelling-- manic & overly long

by

Where do I begin? I am so disappointed! Jackson did such a good job bringing Tolkien's LoTR Trilogy to life, I really thought this would be just as majestic. Sadly, this has not been the case. Jackson chose NOT to remain faithful to the book's original storyline & opted to "flesh it out" with bits from Tolkien's other writings- sounds good in theory, but a major Fail in actual practice. This movie has forgone all the charm of the book & turned into CGI blurred never-ending pan-shots, long chase scenes, & orc battles. Sounds much more interesting than it is; trust me, please.
IF you must go, skip the 3-D IMAX; in fact, skip any 3-D. The action is too manic & blurry for this to be cinematically enjoyable. I have not seen the High-speed Frame version, so I cannot give an opinion on that, but maybe it would help solve the blurriness.
Also be warned- this movie can give you severe motion sickness. I sat through Cloverfield & never had a problem; the Hobbit made me feel slightly ill.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Go
Written January 14, 2013
Good movie, but 3D is not worth it

by

The movie itself was pretty good and fun to watch. Watching a 3D movie for 3 hours basically just means a lot of eye strain and annoyances. The movie itself would draw you into the wonderful New Zealand landscapes and make you feel like you are there in 2D. Make it 3D and everything looks fine for an hour or two and then just becomes a distraction that makes you want to take the glasses off and watch a blurry picture.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written January 1, 2013
Hobbit - An unexpected journey

by Bodiford

It kept me enthralled the whole time. Story was good to tell what happened before the Lord of the Rings. The photography was excellent and the IMAX 3D was spectacular. Go and see it. I was a bit miffed when the end left me wanting the rest, but I guess the rest will be as wonderful as the first one.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 31, 2012
Great night at the movies

by Danpye

Beautifully shot and executed and a very entertaining film. The addition of some back story that isn't contained in the book itself (how Thorin got the name "Oakenshield", what happened with the Necromancer, etc) adds to the film without being distracting and provides additional character development that helps the film overall. Never thought it bogged down, as I've read in some reviews, and very much enjoyed the action sequences and dialogue.

Well worth seeing in IMAX 3D - the cinematography alone is worth the full experience. Did not see the high frame rate print, but don't feel I missed out on anything.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Go
Written December 16, 2012
Giant Birds Must Charge By The Hour

by Dystopika

Well-made and EGREGIOUSLY padded. Saw this in IMAX 3D (not HFR), and it looked real pretty. Jackson harvested from appendices to fatten this book into a trilogy. Movie 1 is pretty (in 24 fps, at least), though it RUNS long. I was struggling somewhere in the middle. And toward the end. There are some amazing sights and it ends strongly enough... but, IMHO, THE HOBBIT should have been two movies at most. That said, I've read The Hobbit and the LOTR books, and I've *liked* them but I've not made a religion of them. In some ways, Martin Freeman makes a more interesting/engaging protagonist than Elijah Wood. Still, caveat emptor. While I'm here, DISHONORED is a pretty fun videogame. Hello, Hi, How are you?
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 21, 2012
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

by hltroendle

I loved the movie. For Tolkien fans, the longer it has been since you read the book the better. You need to not spend the time watching going, "this wasn't in the book" or "that isn't how it went". Jackson never sticks right to the book so deal with it. Just forget how the book went and enjoy the movie. The book was great and the movie is great. Just don't try to compare the two.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 16, 2012
The Hobbit: The Unexpected Journey

by brigid612

To see The Hobbit at IMAX 3-D was absolutely perfect! Peter Jackson has surpassed himself on a prequel to the Lord of The Rings! The book came to life on the screen I am so looking forward to the next two releases!
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 17, 2012
Wow! Be ready to be amazed

by

I think it might be the 3D talking, but worth the time and effort, stretching one book into three movies is a bit annoying, but I guess it will work.
- 4 out of 4 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No
Must Go!
Written December 26, 2012
Worth waiting over 40 years for this movie! J.R.R. Tolkien would surely approve!

by CalBears75

I first read The Hobbit in 1967 or 1968 and hoped that some day it would be made into a movie worthy of the masterpiece that J.R.R. Tolkien created. The movie was certainly beyond worthy. Martin Freeman is absolutely brilliant as Bilbo, and each and every cast member is fabulous.
I rarely see a movie twice, but have seen this one twice already and hope to go again before it leaves the Imax.
- 5 out of 6 found this review helpful.
- Was this helpful to you?
- Yes
- No