Overall rating

5 / 5

Must See!!

PostedJanuary 21, 2013

Anthony323

from Phoenix, AZ

Age:25 to 34

Gender:Male

Goes to the movies:once every few months

Dialogue

5 / 5

Special Effects

5 / 5

Art Direction

5 / 5

Acting

5 / 5

Story

5 / 5

Camerawork

5 / 5

Great start to a great pre-quel!!! Go and see it!!

Pros well paced, great story

Yes, I recommend this movie.

Share:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report inappropriate content

Overall rating

5 / 5

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

PostedJanuary 12, 2013

Ringbearer

from White Plains, NY, USA

Age:45 to 54

Gender:Male

Goes to the movies:monthly

Dialogue

4 / 5

Special Effects

5 / 5

Art Direction

5 / 5

Acting

5 / 5

Story

5 / 5

Camerawork

4 / 5

This is a great movie for fans of fantasy/sci-fi and epic adventures, particularly those who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies and Tolkien's books. And although it's really a prequel to the LOTR, I'd recommend seeing those movies first - some of the same character's appear, and the significance of the events that take place in The Hobbit (such as Bilbo finding the "One Ring") is better understood by knowing what follows.

I like how this movie begins at the same time as the LOTR trilogy did, with the older Bilbo Baggins and his nephew Frodo - played by the original actors. But then, while the LOTR continued the story from that point, the Hobbit flashes back 60 years in time, as Bilbo recounts his "unexpected journey". The intro also includes a brief history of significant events in Middle Earth, to set up the subsequent story.

While the stakes are not as high in the Hobbit as they were in the LOTR (saving the world from evil), many of the themes and messages are the same - e.g. the importance of loyalty and honor, desire to be noble and good, and the courage and faith to pursue those goals. And the eponymous "Hobbit" - Bilbo Baggins is a great embodiment of these qualities. While small in stature, peaceful in nature, and not inclined toward adventure, we get to see him rise to the occasion and surprise even himself by what he can accomplish. Initially armed with only his good nature and desire to be helpful as his moral compass, and heart and conviction as his weapons, he is gradually transformed by circumstances to become heroic. For as Galadriel will later say to Frodo in the LOTR "even the smallest person can change the course of the future".

The acting is all top notch, most notably Martin Freeman as the hobbit and Ian Mckellen reprising his role as Gandalf the wizard. We also get to see other familiar characters such as the elves Elrond and Galadriel, and Saruman the wizard. And one of the highlights is the first appearance of the tragic and disturbed Gollum, who has an encounter with Bilbo that will have larger implications than either of them can imagine, as anyone who has seen the LOTR knows. The visuals and scenery are amazing and really need to be seen on the big screen to be appreciated. And the new HFR format, which has received mixed reviews, looked great to me. It's like watching HD TV but made even better being three dimensional. The music was also excellent, capturing the same mood and complimenting the action as it did in the LOTR movies.

Overall, this is a great movie going experience. For those like me who've read the book, the suspense will not be experienced the same as for those who haven't, of course. But it's nice to see the story come to life and to see that it follows the book closely for the most part (some additional material was also added from Tolkien's other stories of Middle Earth). Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Pros great story, great actors, great visuals, great music

Yes, I recommend this movie.

Share:

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful1unhelpful0

Report inappropriate content

Overall rating

5 / 5

Great Prequel - Part 1 of 3

PostedJanuary 5, 2013

SES4movies

from Eastpointe, MI, USA

Age:35 to 44

Gender:Male

Goes to the movies:monthly

Dialogue

5 / 5

Special Effects

5 / 5

Art Direction

5 / 5

Acting

5 / 5

Story

5 / 5

Camerawork

5 / 5

This movie is a great addition to the Lord of the Rings franchise. And seeing it in HFR 3D is a MUST!

While some people will tell you that HFR 3D makes the movie look too real, in my opinion, that is the whole point of seeing it in that format.

For those that don't know yet, a typical movie is filmed in 24 fps (frames per second). The human eye and brain on the other hand is capable of seeing and processing approximately 50 fps. So, when you see a typical movie, you are, in all actuality, only catching half of what you are able to fully process. Until now, nobody has thought to change that (the "if its not broke, don't fix it" mentality). Peter Jackson decided to use HFR (High Frame Rate) filming when he began shooting The Hobbit. He was aiming for the more realistic look and feel to the movie that comes with HFR, a relatively new approach to movie making. Some people that have seen the HFR version claim that it has an almost soap-opera look to it. Others claim that they don't like the fact that it picks up even the smallest nuances on screen. Me personally, when I watch a movie, I want to be immersed in the on-screen world. I want to get lost in another place, a different time. It is the appeal of the movies. With the HFR version of this movie, that is easier to do.

=======================================
<<<SPOILER ALERT>>>
If you have not seen the movie, stop reading now!!!
=======================================

Many reviews that I have read focus on the fact that the movie is drawn out, yet that is how the book is also designed. Others seem disappointed that the actions scenes are few and are far between, yet this is also done by design for this is the introduction to the story if you will, part 1 of 3. There are also some comparisons to this movie and the Lord of the Rings movies. While they have some similarities, such as the same author (J.R.R. Tolkien), the same director (Peter Jackson), much the same cast of characters (Bilbo, Gandalf, Saruman, the elves Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond - Frodo also makes a brief appearance) that is where the similarities between the two movies end.

The Lord of the Rings was written as an all out book of action. From the very beginning of the story, you know LotR is going to be non-stop action and fighting - because it is an epic story of Good versus Evil and what is needed for one to destroy the other.

The Hobbit on the other hand is the story of endurance. Its is a story of self-discovery and growth in the face of overwhelming odds. When you review this movie on the merits of what it is and what it is meant to do, it is done to perfection. J.R.R. Tolkien was a masterful story teller, taking great pains to convey to his readers every minute detail. Peter Jackson does a great job of converting that to film. While there were parts of the movie that seemed to be drawn out (like for instance scenes which showed nothing more than the convoy of elves, wizards and hobbit doing nothing but marching and chanting), most individual scenes played a part in the movie as a whole, contributing to the bigger picture.

Pros great story, great actors

Cons cliff-hanger ending

Yes, I recommend this movie.

Share:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report inappropriate content

Overall rating

4 / 5

The Hobbit is worth the trip.

PostedJanuary 5, 2013

DiegoM9

Avid Movie-Goer
This content was submitted by an avid movie-goer
Avid Movie-Goer

from Miami, FL, USA

Age:17 or under

Gender:Male

Goes to the movies:weekly

Dialogue

5 / 5

Special Effects

4 / 5

Art Direction

4 / 5

Acting

5 / 5

Story

4 / 5

Camerawork

3 / 5

The Hobbit is a very good movie. Although it's not as grand and brilliant as the Lord of the Rings, the acting is still great and there is plenty of action. The advanced FPS didn't work too well for me, but my eyes adjusted after a while. Overall, it is definitely worth a watch.

Pros great actors, howard shore's score, dialogue

Cons slow, 48 fps

Yes, I recommend this movie.

Share:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report inappropriate content

Overall rating

4 / 5

HFR 3D: Give it a shot

PostedDecember 24, 2012

FilmGoer911

Avid Movie-Goer
This content was submitted by an avid movie-goer
Avid Movie-Goer

from Steamboat, CO

Age:35 to 44

Gender:Male

Goes to the movies:weekly

Dialogue

4 / 5

Special Effects

4 / 5

Art Direction

5 / 5

Acting

4 / 5

Story

3 / 5

Camerawork

5 / 5

Movie was slow at times (probably to allow for the book to become a trilogy) but still told an engaging story with very good special effects (save the fire which often looked fake).

Yes, I recommend this movie.

Share:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Was this helpful?helpful0unhelpful0

Report inappropriate content

Overall rating

5 / 5

The Best Hobbit movie made

PostedDecember 24, 2012

wjhall273

from Massachusetts