The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition

At times wondrous and somewhat exhilarating, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' is an expedition that labors and plods through a wealth of exposition with very little progress or feeling of accomplishment, let alone satisfaction. Like bread crumbs leading audiences to their possible doom, bits of information are laid out before us and are intended to play more significant roles in later installments.

Granted, a whole lot of swashbuckling action and heroic sword-fighting takes place along the way, but it's all for naught the moment we discover we're only a third into the overall adventure. And can you imagine; it only took 170 minutes to even get that far. Never mind, we're teased with the idea of cutting the journey shorter if only a certain smart-alecky gray wizard (Ian McKellen) would call on his extraordinarily-large feathered friends to aid a merry company of dwarves. To be fair, that climactic scene with the eagles is directly taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's novel, so the question of why everyone doesn't simply hitch a ride to their destination originates there.

With the same CG spectacle and visual eye candy as seen in 'The Lords of the Rings' trilogy, director Peter Jackson returns to Middle-earth with the bloated idea of stretching a tale which Tolkien told in a single book into a three-part trilogy. A two-film series would have been more than sufficient and plenty fair, even at nearly three-hours each. Instead, Jackson designs a script, along with co-writers Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Guillermo del Toro, the latter of which was originally signed to direct, which expands that fantasy children's book by incorporating material from the original trilogy. The most obvious addition is Radagast the Brown (played to great comical effect by Sylvester McCoy), a character barely mentioned in the books but expanded in such a way as to play a major part in the plot.

The filmmakers also co-mingle a few very minor but equally nonsensical scenes with their attempt at being a faithful adaptation. At the risk of sounding like a total nerd, it was awe-inspiring to hear a quieter, more haunting version of Neil Finn's rendition of "Song of the Lonely Mountain," but was it really necessary to see the dwarves sing and do the dishes just prior to that? Looking ahead and reading the titles of the next two installments, Tolkien fans can easily see how the book will be divided into two more parts: the next ending with the demise of Smaug, the fire-breathing dragon which seized the dwarves' mountain, and the final chapter showing the Battle of Five Armies. On some level, it seems reasonable to imagine The Hobbit as a trilogy, but it also feels somewhat overstuffed and slow-paced because of the added details.

Nevertheless, in spite of what I see as minor drawbacks — much of which comes from my nerdy familiarity with the original book series, and as common sense would dictate, it's not fair to judge or compare the adaptation by the quality of its source — I found myself mildly entertained by Jackson's efforts. And honestly, I don't think I mind all that much some of the changes made in the plot and narrative.

In fact, I rather like Radagast, bird-poop and all, even if his appearance really only serves to fill time. Jackson has the character play a key role that eventually connects this film series as a prequel to his previous trilogy. I also like that the filmmakers move hints of Sauron's slow return much earlier in time with Radagast discovering the Morgul-blade. It leads to an interesting discussion between Gandalf (McKellen), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee).

In the middle of all this, Martin Freeman turns in a wonderful performance as the younger version of Ian Holm's Bilbo Baggins. Largely hesitant, timid, and anxiety-ridden, Freeman allows glimmers of a character with a great deal of potential for courage and plenty of room for growth, a likeable, witty hobbit who thinks quickly on his oversized, hairy feet.

Richard Armitage, better known for his television roles and as Heinz Kruger in Marvel's 'Captain America' film, joins the mythological adventure as the leader of the company of dwarves, Thorin Oakenshield. With a large chip on his shoulder and the sort of pride that can become a liability, Armitage is splendid in the role, allowing the character a perfect balance of hard-headed foolishness and the daring bravery that makes him admirable. And finally, Andy Serkis reprises his role as the memorable and often astoundingly realistic Gollum while also serving as second-unit director for many of the action sequences.

On the "Extended Edition"

In the film's extended form, the 13 additional minutes cut into the narrative make very little difference to its overall enjoyment; they neither make it worse nor better. Some of the new scenes are so negligible, they can be easily overlooked; however, a few of the changes are apparent enough to spice things up, most notably a song and dance performed by the Great Goblin. The editing to incorporate this sequence into the film is a bit awkward and uneven, but it adds a tad of flavor. The most surprising and equally best scene is Bilbo and Thorin accidentally overhearing a private conversation between Gandalf and Elrond that actually adds the characterization of Thorin. But other than that, the rest are of little consequence to the overall film.

For all its minor, and arguably forgivable, imperfections, 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' remains an entertaining fantasy adventure. It's no 'Lord of the Rings,' but it's a decent start in the right direction.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

Warner Bros. Home Video brings 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition' to Blu-ray as a three-disc package with an UltraViolet Digital Copy code. Housed inside a black, eco-elite keepcase with a middle panel that holds two discs on either side, all three discs are Region Free, BD50s, and the whole thing comes with a sturdy, attractive slipcover lightly textured to simulate leather. This special edition of the film adds 13 additional minutes of dialogue and a pair of new songs to the theatrical runtime of 169 minutes, making this version a whopping 182 minutes. Viewers are taken straight to an animated main menu screen that tours the inside of Bilbo's house while music and audio clips from the film play in the background.