The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

A younger and more reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out on an "unexpected journey" to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of Dwarves to reclaim their stolen mountain home from a dragon named Smaug.

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens (screenplay),

Stars:

Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage

Top 250 #200 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 42 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian McKellen	...	Gandalf
Martin Freeman	...	Bilbo
Richard Armitage	...	Thorin
Ken Stott	...	Balin
Graham McTavish	...	Dwalin
William Kircher	...	Bifur / Tom Troll
James Nesbitt	...	Bofur
Stephen Hunter	...	Bombur
Dean O'Gorman	...	Fili
Aidan Turner	...	Kili
John Callen	...	Oin
Peter Hambleton	...	Gloin / William Troll
Jed Brophy	...	Nori
Mark Hadlow	...	Dori / Bert Troll
Adam Brown	...	Ori

Storyline

Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever ... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to ...

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Plot Keywords:

mountain | ring | journey | dragon | goblin | 

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Taglines:

From the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends.

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Blog Official Facebook

Country:

USA New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 December 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Hobbit: Part 1

Filming Locations:

Rock and Pillar Range, Otago, New Zealand

Box Office

Budget:

$180,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$84,617,303 (USA) (14 December 2012)

Gross:

$303,001,229 (USA) (19 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), WingNut Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

169 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gloin, played by Peter Hambleton, is father of Gimli, the character portrayed by John Rhys-Davies in the Lord of the Rings films.

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Goofs

When Bilbo is attempting to save the ponies from the trolls, the real horses are bridled and tied to the posts. When the ponies are computer generated, they are loose and unbridled.

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Quotes

Bilbo Baggins: I just need to sit quietly for a moment.
Gandalf: You've been sitting quietly for far too long!

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Connections

Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Robin Williams/Jennifer Saunders/Elijah Wood/JLS (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Misty Mountains"
Lyrics by J.R.R. Tolkien from "The Hobbit"
Music composed by David Donaldson, David Long, Steve Roche and Janet Roddick
Produced by Plan 9 and David Long
Performed by Richard Armitage with Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Graham McTavish, James Nesbitt, Dean O'Gorman, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner

User Reviews

The Hobbit turns out to be a rather unexpected delight

Firstly, I have to make a statement- the LOTR movies, for me, have set an impossibly high bar both in this universe and within the movie world as a whole. Their cinematic beauty and value cannot be denied.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, however, is an entirely different movie. Sure, it's set in the world of Middle Earth, but that's really about all it holds in common with the aforementioned trilogy, alongside a few familiar faces. Many members of the audience I was in complained that the movie took a long time to get going, but it actually was paced rather well, with a suitably sized introduction with Ian Holm and Elijah Wood making way for the current storyline. The first thing you notice as a viewer is that this movie is notably funnier. Whilst the LOTR trilogy had it's lighter moments, The Hobbit revels in the lighter side of life, with lots of genuinely hilarious moments interspersing themselves with scenes of real peril.The visually stunning moments are still there, and whilst I saw this movie in 2D, some moments would have been absolutely perfect in 3D. At first, it's a little difficult to get into, especially when the light-hearted opening with the countless visiting dwarfs gets underway. However, if you can remind yourself as a viewer that The Hobbit was a book written for a much younger, impressionable audience, then you'll likely have a good time watching this. That said, it is far from childish, and although it is a lighter, more fun affair, there are still many parts within the story that an adult audience can relate to.

Martin Freeman has been a firm favourite of mine since his humble beginnings on British terrestrial television, and seeing him here on the big screen is both a welcome and bizarre experience. That said, his demeanour and technique are perfect for the role of Bilbo Baggins, as he exudes the homely, simple manner of a Hobbit very effectively. Ian McKellen is perfect as everyone's favourite wizard, and Richard Armitage (another former British television star playing his trade to the silver screen)is a brilliant Thorin (son of Thrain!), mixing a toughened heart with a tortured soul. If anything, Thorin may turn out to be the true hero of the piece. The rest of the dwarfs are also brilliant, and many of them are the highlights of the movie.

The special effects are once again spectacular, with the eye wateringly stunning rock giant battle a particularly memorable moment. The makeup effects are up to the job, too, and the attention to detail is ridiculous, right down to the individual scratches and weathered look of the weapons the characters wield. If you enjoyed the LOTR trilogy, then Peter Jackson will have you in awe again, although The Hobbit trilogy looks set to be a much more relaxed and 'fun' adventure. At the end of the day, the only complain to be made about the movie is that it simply isn't LOTR. Those movies set such a high level that even Peter Jackson himself can't seem to top them with this effort, but that's a minor complain for what is otherwise I very well made movie.

Cinematic, adventurous, enjoyable and epic- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey knows its audience and caters to them very well indeed.