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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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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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A few days ago Peter Jackson announced that, in celebration of Tolkien week, a second, full-length trailer would be released for the first installment in his Hobbit trilogy, titled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey . For many a fan, this is the first new footage they've been treated to since the teaser premiered some nine months ago; others will recognize that a healthy chunk of the new trailer features excerpts from the 12 minutes of material previewed at the Hobbit Comic-Con panel .

An Unexpected Journey continues to look like a visually-magnificent treatment of J.R.R. Tolkien's source novel, as you would expect from the filmmakers behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Middle-earth is as gorgeous a fantasy realm as ever, thanks to Jackson's expertise at capturing the New Zealand landscapes in all their majesty - not to mention, improvements in CGI over the past nine years since Return of the King was released in theaters.

Moreover, this trailer offers a taste of the lighter tone Jackson and his collaborators are aiming for with the first Hobbit  installment, when compared to the weightiness of the second and third  Rings  movies. Not only are the stakes lower, but the colorful Dwarves  lend themselves to comedic antics. So far, the humor in  An Unexpected Journey  is broader than anything since the Shire opening to Fellowship of the Ring , but the jokes don't seem too forceful - nor do they appear to diminish the dramatic atmosphere of the film's action-packed portions (again, so far).

Here is the official synopsis for An Unexpected Journey , followed by a collection of screenshots from the latest trailer:

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). 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 (Andy Serkis). 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 know.

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[gallery columns="2"]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey  hits theaters on December 14th, 2012; its sequel,  The Desolation of Smaug , follows on December 13th, 2013; and the final installment,  There and Back Again , release on July 18th, 2014.

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‘the hobbit: an unexpected journey’ trailer: what the blogosphere is saying.

Fans got their first peek at Peter Jackson's upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale Tuesday night.

By THR Staff

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Fans got their first look at Peter Jackson ‘s upcoming movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when the first trailer hit the Internet on Tuesday night.

The clip introduces a young Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ) and the company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakensheild ( Richard Armitage ). It also sees the return of Lord of the Rings castmembers Ian Holm (as the older Bilbo), Ian McKellen (as Gandalf) and Cate Blanchett (as Galadriel).

PHOTOS: ‘The Hobbit:’ Peter Jackson Releases Official Dwarves Photo

The movie, an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tale, is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It centers on Bilbo’s quest to take back the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the evil dragon Smaug.

Immediately, the blogsphere went into a frenzy as reactions hit the Web. So what did they have to say?

Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times said the the trailer might have been too short for fans but still was a solid first look at the movie. “While it was all too fleeting there was enough in it to stir the heart of fans,” he wrote.

CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg praised trailer in a post featuring 94 screen grabs from the clip.

“Though the preview didn’t feature any epic battles or hordes of orcs, what it lacked in action it more than made up for with beauty and an insane amount of nostalgia,” he wrote. “Every shot in the trailer is breathtaking, from Bilbo Baggins wandering through the Shire to Gandalf in a fight against a mysterious creature. Everything about it is stunning.”

PHOTOS: ‘The Hobbit’: Get A First Look At Bilbo and Gandalf

Gawker’s Seth Abramovitch experienced deja vu while watching the trailer.

“Good god, it’s f—ing The Lord of the Rings again,” he wrote. “The score, the Shire, the Ians (Holm and McKellen), the font, the Dwarf makeup, the Gollum, the Precious — they’re all back. If you wanted to return to Middle Earth exactly as Jackson had left it in 2003, then you’re in for a treat. But movies don’t tend to age as well as books do — particularly effects-driven ones — and this one looks and feels dated by about a decade. I’ll stick to HBO’s Game of Thrones, thanks.”

Binh Ngo of Movies With Butter echoed those sentiments, calling the trailer “kind of a letdown.”

“It is not because the movie looks like it is poorly done, but because the movie is the prequel to the Lord of the Rings movies, which most of us have seen,” Ngo wrote. “We know what will happen to all the characters, so it’s difficult to be surprised by the events in the movie.The stakes are so much lower here as well. In the Lord of the Rings, the world is on the brink of being overrun by Sauron’s army horde; in The Hobbit, a group of dwarves just want to reclaim their home. Taken for what it is though, The Hobbit will still stand on its own, just don’t expect to see Lord of the Rings here.”

On the other hand, MovieFix staff noted that the familiarity works in the trailer’s favor, calling the clip a “must-see.”

“It’s so good to see Gollum, Gandalf and the marvellous world of Middle-earth again!” they wrote. 

VIDEO: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’: First Trailer Introduces Young Bilbo Baggins and Dwarves

The Washington Post’s Jen Chaney was on the same page.

“Visually and tonally, this preview for part … looks like a perfect match for the Frodo Baggins tales that released in 2001, 2002 and 2003,” she wrote “This time, of course, the focus is Bilbo Baggins, who goes on a quest along with a gaggle of dwarves, all determined to snatch back valuable treasure from the dragon Smaug. But plot isn’t the main matter at hand in the trailer. … This clip is all about reacquainting us with Middle-earth.”

E! Online’s Bruna Nessif also wrote that Lord of the Rings fans should be satisfied.

“Die-hard LOTR fans might also enjoy the overall look and feel to the film,” Nessif wrote. “Unlike the animated Hobbit from back in the day, a lot of scenes from the new film are going to seem very similar to Jackson’s first three films, with dark and chilling moments and the oh-so-exciting run-ins with Goblins, Orcs, Wargs and giant spiders.”

STORY: ‘The Hobbit’ ‘Like a Family Reunion’ for Elijah Wood

On the other hand, Buzz Sugar’s Becky Kirsch was yet another who opined that the trailer did not live up to expectations.

“If you’re expecting something of the same caliber as The Two Towers, you might be a little disappointed; this preview is low on action and high on introduction and backstory,” she wrote, adding: “As excited as I am for this movie, I can’t help but feel a teensy bit underwhelmed by this trailer. The production value looks amazing of course, but I was hoping the preview would incite a little more excitement. That said, we’ve got a whole year to build up the hype.” 

The movie opens Dec. 14, 2012. Part 2, subtitled There and Back Again, opens Dec. 13, 2013.

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10 Storylines Left Unresolved in 'The Hobbit' Trilogy

The Hobbit: An Unresolved Storyline

Following the success of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Hollywood planned to adapt J. R. R. Tolkien 's other major fantasy work, The Hobbit . After a lengthy round of behind-the-scenes legal drama, which saw the departure of the original director, Guillermo del Toro , Sir Peter Jackson returned to the director's seat, turning the book into a new trilogy. Unfortunately, this new trio of movies failed to capture the majesty of the book or the Lord of the Rings series due to a bloated runtime, overuse of CGI, and mediocre character writing.

Many fans were quick to point out that, despite The Hobbit being the shortest of Tolkien's works, it was made into three very long films. Amazingly, even with all of this runtime, many storylines are left unresolved . When the extended edition came out, some received proper conclusions at the cost of forcing audiences to spend more money on content that should have been in the original release. However, other storylines weren't so lucky, remaining unresolved with no hope of ever seeing them fulfilled.

10 The Troll Gold

Some extra gold never recovered.

Early in the quest, Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman ) and the dwarves are saved by the wizard Gandalf ( Sir Ian McKellen ) from a trio of hungry trolls. Delving into the troll's cave, they discover many treasures, including the swords Orcrist, Glamdring, and Sting, which Thorin ( Richard Armitage ), Gandalf, and Bilbo take, respectively. The other dwarves also find a small pile of wealth, which they bury for later recovery.

In the book, Bilbo recovers the troll gold on his way home, but since he already has more than enough treasure, he hands it to Gandalf, who says he will put the gold to good use. It's a small moment, but poignant for highlighting one of An Unexpected Journey 's main themes regarding sharing wealth rather than hoarding it. The films omit this scene and simply forget about the gold, which makes one wonder why they even showed the dwarves burying the gold in the first place.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

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9 Bilbo's Acorn

A last minute detail with no resolution.

While staying at the house of the skinchanger, Beorn ( Mikael Persbrandt ), Bilbo takes an acorn offscreen. He shows it to Thorin, who believes Bilbo might have had his missing heirloom, the Arkenstone, and tells him that he intends to plant it back home to remind him of the adventure. As Thorin lies dying after the eclectic Battle of the Five Armies , he tells Bilbo to plant his tree and watch it grow.

The acorn is a strange addition to The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies since the audience never sees Bilbo pick it up. It's meant to visualize Bilbo's love for the simple pleasures in life instead of treasure , but since there is no scene of Bilbo planting it, it comes across as a bit hollow. There is a deleted scene of Bilbo planting the acorn to inspire Bard ( Luke Evans ) to keep fighting for the promise of a better tomorrow, but it wasn't even restored in the extended edition.

8 Radagast and Mirkwood

Does his forest get healed or not.

One of the five wizards tasked with helping the people of Middle Earth combat the forces of evil, Radagast the Brown ( Sylvester McCoy ) prefers to spend his time among nature, tending to the birds and beasts of the Greenwood. One day, a mysterious corruption known as Mirkwood spreads through the woods, killing animals and heralding giant spiders. Following them, Radagast discovers a Necromancer setup in the fortress of Dol Guldur, who is revealed to be Sauron ( Benedict Cumberbatch ).

Radagast is last seen flying atop the backs of the eagles as they join the Battle of the Five Armies, but there is no indication if he survives or not . There is also no explanation if the sickness on Mirkwood, or the giant spiders, vanished following Sauron's banishment by the White Council. Given that the corruption of the forest is also linked to the Mirkwood Elves under King Thranduil ( Lee Pace ), and Radagast's investigation of the corruption is what revealed Sauron, it's baffling that they're all but abandoned .

A Fan Favourite Side-Character Who Does Nothing

On the run from the pale orc, Azog the Deflier ( Manu Bennett ), Gandalf leads Bilbo and the dwarves to the house of Beorn, the skin-changer. Able to shift between man and bear, Beorn has more than enough reasons to hate the orcs since his people were hunted or captured for sport. This hatred compels Beorn to help the dwarves, whom he also doesn't like since they don't care as much for the natural world as they do gold.

Beorn is last seen leaping into the orc army from the back of an eagle, but even in the extended edition, all he does is toss orcs around. It was farfetched to believe that he would get to kill either Azog or his son, Bolg ( Lawrence Makoare and John Tui ), for revenge against his people like in the book, but the rest of his epilogue is sadly removed. He was supposed to accompany Bilbo and Gandalf part of the way back west and become more sociable, leading to an era of security and prosperity in the lands surrounding his home. Instead, Beorn is sort of just there, and his story receives no proper conclusion .

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

An unnecessary love triangle that overstayed its welcome.

In The Hobbit movies, the writers created Tauriel ( Evangeline Lilly ), a Sylvan elf who serves as Thranduil's captain of the guard and has a friendship with his son, Legolas ( Orlando Bloom ), who is attracted to her. Unfortunately for him, she falls for Thorin's nephew, Kili ( Aidan Turner ), to the point where she is willing to defy her king's commands if it means keeping him safe. Ultimately, she does little to help the primary characters, is banished from Mirkwood for defying Thruaduil, and can only watch as a Bolg kills Kili in front of her.

One would think that Tauriel would be the one to avenge Kili by killing Bolg, or at least try to, but the writers gave this task to Legolas instead, leaving Tauriel's story in an awkward position . The last time she appears is when mourning Kili's loss while Thranduil acknowledges their love as real. What she does afterward , be it wandering the world or returning home if Thranduil lifts her banishment, is anyone's guess , which is baffling given how much screentime she received.

Helps Defend Erebor, But His Coronation is Behind a Paywall

The lord of the Iron Hills and cousin to Thorin, Dain Ironfoot ( Billy Connolly ), comes to Thorin's aid with an army of dwarves to defend Erebor from the men of Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood, who have come for a share of the treasure. Their battle is interrupted by a massive army of orcs led by Azog. Dain wastes no time ordering his dwarves to face the new threat and is joined by the men and elves in fighting for their mutual survival.

With Thorin and both of his nephews slain in the battle, Dain is crowned the new King Under the Mountain, but audiences need to buy the extended edition to see this. This is another baffling decision since reclaiming Erebor was one of the primary motivations for the whole trilogy, so not confirming who would rule it when the royal line ended feels shortsighted . Even worse is that neither version of the film reveals just how generous Dain was as a leader and ally, leaving his film version as a very memorable character but with no indication of what kind of king he would be.

4 Bard and Dale

Does the dragonslayer get his dues.

When the company's actions awaken the wrath of the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch), he flies to Laketown to exact revenge on the men who live there for aiding the dwarves. It falls to Bard, the descendant of Girion, Lord of Dale, to kill the dragon and rally the survivors to brace for the coming winter. He joins forces with Thranduil to collect a share of the treasure, which proves to be difficult once Thorin falls under dragon sickness.

One would think that since Bard was the one to kill the trilogy's primary antagonist, his story would be a top priority and worthy of a proper conclusion. Alas, fans never know if he gets the promised treasure or if it was used to rebuild Laketown, Dale, or both . The most that Bard gets is in the extended edition, where he and the rest of the Laketown survivors mourn Thorin's death. This act, although noble, feels out of place, given how everything that happened to them was Thorin's fault.

3 White Gems of Lasgalen

What happened to the gems that almost started a war.

During the opening flashback detailing the history of Erebor, Thranduil commissions the dwarves of Erebor to fashion the White Gems of Lasgalen into a necklace. However, the gems are withheld from him due to improper payment and lost when Smaug claims the mountain. Decades later, Thranduil still covets the gems and is willing to go to war for their retrieval.

Neither the theatrical nor the extended edition of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies confirms if Thranduil gets the gems . What's more, neither version tells audiences that Thranduil wants them so badly because they belonged to his dead wife: this information comes from a deleted scene. Again, these gems serve as the primary driving force of one of the trilogy's main players, so conveying their resolution and importance to the character should be nothing less than mandatory.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

2 alfrid lickspittle, unfunny comic relief who almost gets off scott free.

To contribute to the expanded Lake Town storyline, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 's writers created Alfrid Lickspittle ( Ryan Gage ). He is a toady to the Master of Laketown ( Steven Fry ), who helps him hoard the town's wealth, acting as Prince John and the Sherrif of Nottingham to Bard's expanded Robin Hood-esk role. Following the Master's death at the beginning of T he Battle of The Five Armies, Alfrid attaches himself to Bard and becomes an unfunny and aggravating source of comic relief. He spends the movie being unhelpful, rude, and lazy before running off dressed as a woman with a bra full of gold.

Alfrid might be the worst addition to the movies because the screen time he leeches could have gone to any of the many unresolved plotlines. At the very least, he gets killed off in the extended edition, but it's so over the top with its symbolism that it's hard to take seriously. The biggest issue with Alfrid's story is that, regardless of which version fans watch, he's completely superfluous. The story has enough examples of the corrupting power of greed, and his halfhearted attempts to tempt Bard lead to nothing, making his whole story pointless.

1 The Arkenstone

The mcguffin that started it all is all but forgotten.

Called the King's Jewel, the Arkenstone lay in the heart of Erebor and became the family heirloom of the Kings Under the Mountain. Unfortunately, it was lost when Smaug took Erebor; without it, the dwarven people became scattered and leaderless. As such, Gandalf convinces Thorin to go on a quest to retrieve the Arkenstone so he can unite his people and retake Erebor with an army.

The Arkenstone is the single most important object in the story, kickstarting the entire plot. This crucial quality makes it all the more infuriating when, in the theatrical cut of the films, the last time it is seen or mentioned is when Bard puts it away during negotiations. The extended editions do include it during Thorin Oakenshield's funeral , but even then, its importance is nowhere near what it's supposed to be. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Bard could have decided to use the Arkenstone as a paperweight, and it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

NEXT: The 10 Strongest Characters from The Hobbit Movies, Ranked

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

PG-13 | Adventure, Fantasy