Blu-Ray Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Version

Peter Jackson returns to Middle-Earth with The Hobbit after a few unremarkable films. Guillermo Del Toro was set to direct due to legal issues between Jackson and New Line and it’s a shame cause it would probably be a slightly better film. The Hobbit like the previous Lord of the Rings films has arrived in time for its sequel with an extended edition and in keeping with previous extended editions it’s a better film.

I saw The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when it came out last year and the 48fps was very off putting for a while causes it seemed all sped up. The 3D was also utterly pointless which is usually the case but there are exceptions to the rule. I don’t have the capabilities to watch Blu-ray 3D so I just rewatched in good old 2D and it worked better the 2nd time. The problems that I had with the 48fpa and 3D were completely gone so I would suggest it be watched in 2D despite what the filmmakers tell you.

The changes to the extended edition are nice even though it begs the question why were they cut in the first place. The extended edition is only 13 minutes longer and the new scenes are all rather short. There is a great scene early on which is flashback showing how Bilbo Baggins met Gandalf. The only unwelcome addition is another Dwarf song cause there is simply too many songs, it’s almost a quasi musical.

Much debate has been put on the length of the first instalment of The Hobbit in its theatrical form. Peter Jackson’s middle-earth films are much more like mini-series than films in a way so all the added stuff in film connects everything. It would have been just an easy to make a leaner meaner version of The Hobbit because the source novel is considerably shorter than The Lord of the Rings. Guillermo Del Toro’s plan was to go down the shorter route and it will remain one of the great what ifs in film.

Overall the extended edition is better even though I wish they cut all the songs out. The Hobbit is both funny and epic in equal measure and rarely seems dull. Peter Jackson perfectly casts Martin Freeman as the younger Bilbo Baggins. I’m very excited to see the sequel The Desolation of Smaug and I’m intrigued but trepidatious with the “Appendix” film coming out afterwards.