The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

In Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson's sometimes slow-moving opening film of a three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved Middle-earth fantasy, narrative occasionally takes a backseat to special effects. Long before his nephew Frodo was born, reluctant Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is persuaded by the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to leave his comfortably cozy hobbit home in the Shire to join 13 dwarves who are determined to reclaim their ancestral mountain home of Erebor, which was appropriated by the dragon Smaug. After pillaging Baggins' pantry, the rowdy dwarves, led by brave warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), embark on a treacherous quest during which they encounter savage orcs, goblins, trolls, and wargs, as well as the elves Galandriel (Cate Blanchett) and Elrond (Hugo Weaving), and a mysterious figure known as the Necromancer. Humble Bilbo exchanges riddles with the tricky creature Gollum (embodied by Andy Serkis) and acquires that fabled, “precious” gold ring. Although the expository mythology here is occasionally numbing, the spectacular visuals are often truly breathtaking. Jackson filmed this and the two subsequent installments back-to-back in New Zealand; hopefully, the next two films will be a bit more engrossing. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include 10 production video blogs by director Peter Jackson (127 min.), a location featurette (7 min.), trailers, and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this somewhat sluggish opening film in Jackson's three-part adaptation of Tolkien's fantasy classic.] (S. Granger)[Blu-ray Review—Nov. 5, 2013—Warner, 5 discs, 182 min., PG-13, $54.98—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 2013's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D (Extended Edition) sports a stunning transfer with DTS-HD 7.1 sound. Adding 13 more minutes to an already somewhat bloated film, extras include audio commentary by director Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens, the huge comprehensive documentaries “The Appendices, Part 7: “The Long-Expected Journey” (271 min.) and “The Appendices, Part 8: “Return to Middle-Earth” (285 min.) on the filmmaking process (from location to casting to shooting), the “New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth” location featurette (7 min.), and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Bottom line: given the popularity of the “extended editions” of the three Lord of the Rings films, expect this one to generate high interest as well.]