The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

PG-13

Released Dec 14, 2012

2 hr. 49 min.

Fantasy

Adventure

List

64%

305 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.

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Critics Consensus

Peter Jackson's return to Middle-earth is an earnest, visually resplendent trip, but the film's deliberate pace robs the material of some of its majesty.

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Terry M

Good family movie. Loved it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Ryland C

Really fun movie! I wish I went on an adventure of my own.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Dineth Hansana K

This is the best of the trilogy. it just is, don't question.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Harmagedon

a good beginning who ressemble a little with the first film, for the best

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/04/24

Full Review

Rovo S

Looks like a cartoon!! it's an embarrassment compared to lord of the rings!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

Full Review

Forged S

Recently, I've seen quite a few people post that they're watching the whole of Peter Jackson's Middle Earth series, specifically the extended editions. Good idea. But I'm doing one better and watching the classic Rankin/Bass cartoons as well. But before I do, I have to say this. While I appreciate when studios release "extended editions," they do not always translate to better cinema. In fact, most of the time, the excess scenes are generally comprised of useless exposition that doesn't add anything of value. Also, while I understand the desire to create a trilogy of films, I feel specifically in the case of The Hobbit, the story would've been better served had the director kept them a two-parter. Creators under certain constraints tend to create better material. That being said, this is probably the only movie in The Hobbit trilogy that A) Focuses primarily on the titular character (ya know, the reason for the movie) and; B) Isn't trying to consistently remind you of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. For those two reasons alone, this is my favorite movie of the bunch and my reason for my initial interjection.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/10/24

Full Review

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Peter Jackson

Director

Ian McKellen

Gandalf

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Ken Stott

Balin

Graham McTavish

Dwalin

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J. Hoberman

The New York Review of Books

There is a good deal to be said about Peter Jackson's long-awaited and exceedingly long adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, most of it bad.

Mar 28, 2017

Full Review

Christopher Orr

The Atlantic

It frequently seems as though Jackson was less interested in making The Hobbit than in remaking his own fabulously successful Lord of the Rings series.

Dec 14, 2012

Full Review

Perri Nemiroff

Shockya.com

Two thirds is so packed with charming characters, stellar visuals and sense of adventure, it makes that other third come across as much more of a failure than it really is.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 14, 2012

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

This is a cinematic world so fully realized that leaving it is a sad prospect.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 20, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

A wonderfully satisfying fantasy adventure that not only connects to the previous films, but charts its own ground with great effectiveness.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 21, 2022

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

When it comes to the fantasy genre, it really doesn't get more epic than this.

Rated: 9/10

Dec 1, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) lives a simple life with his fellow hobbits in the shire, until the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) arrives and convinces him to join a group of dwarves on a quest to reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. The journey takes Bilbo on a path through treacherous lands swarming with orcs, goblins and other dangers, not the least of which is an encounter with Gollum (Andy Serkis) and a simple gold ring that is tied to the fate of Middle Earth in ways Bilbo cannot even fathom.

Director: Peter Jackson
Executive Producer: Alan Horn, Ken Kamins, Toby Emmerich, Carolyn Blackwood
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: WingNut Films
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Frightening Images|Intense Fantasy Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $303.0M
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, SDDS, Datasat

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