Blu-ray Review: Lavish Extended Edition of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’

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CHICAGO – I had notable problems with “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” when it premiered in theaters but they were softened a bit when I saw it on Blu-ray and not in 3D nor 48 frames per second, two effects that I believe actually hurt the world designed by Peter Jackson in these films in that they make it look less artistic and faker than the standard HD image. Now I’m here to flop back again to the disappointed side with the extended edition of the film, one that runs WAY too long for a flick that was already too short.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

I actually think there could be a great version of “An Unexpected Journey” that’s abridged — cut down all of the prologue, most of the first act, etc. — but that’s never going to happen. I will say that those who can’t get enough of this film will be overjoyed by the latest release from Warner Bros. Not only is the HD transfer one of the best of the year but the film is accompanied by hours and hours of special features spread out over two discs. It’s a marvelous release for a film that I still can’t fully recommend.

What do the special features on the extended edition of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” encompass? How about everything? The first disc is called “A Long-Expected Journey: The Chronicles of The Hobbit — Part 1” and covers the build-up to the film over multiple hours. The second disc is called “Return to Middle-Earth” and includes more material on the actual production. Both discs feature an incredibly depth of material as Jackson has long been someone who documents almost everything he does on and off-set related to a production. He’s a gift for Blu-ray fans who love to get DEEP into how movies like this are made. One can presume he’s shooting something related to “The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug” right now.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Extended Edition) was released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 5, 2013
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

Synopsis:
Join the director of The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy in the world’s greatest adventure 3-disc Blu-ray Extended Edition includes never-before-seen film footage, hours of bonus content with in-depth looks at the production and a commentary by the filmmakers.

Special Features:
o Filmmakers’ Commentary
o The Appendices, Part 7: “A Long-Expected Journey”
o The Appendices, Part 8: “Return to Middle-Earth”

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com [email protected]