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'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey': What Worked & What Didn't

By The Playlist Staff
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December 17, 2012 12:15 PM
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17 Comments

Features

For a long time, it seemed as though "The Hobbit" would never get made. Despite the multi-billion dollar success of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films, the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's earlier novel were tangled up, and Jackson didn't even seem to be sure he wanted to go back to Middle Earth. Even once the film got underway, MGM's bankruptcy delayed the film for years, losing original director Guillermo Del Toro in the process.

By Rodrigo Perez
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December 4, 2012 12:00 AM
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9 Comments

Reviews

At almost three hours, Peter Jackson’s fourth foray into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is initially worrisome and typically self-indulgent. An extremely jarring 48 fps look -- which looks like an odd "Masterpiece Theater" in HD -- is unsettling, and the opening is slow-going and tepidly genteel, taking its time with two prologues, one that includes an aged Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) and Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). And while “The Lord Of The Rings” films always sported a jovial and light-hearted tone, 'The Hobbit' (set some 60 years before the events of ‘LOTR’) ratchets up the goofiness to a near unfortunate level (yes, the source material is more of a kids' book, but even this is a little much).

By Oliver Lyttelton
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September 9, 2012 11:04 AM
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6 Comments

News

We imagine one of the buzz words in movie marketing departments these days, along with 'Pinterest' and 'viral games' is 'app.' Barely any major movie hits theaters without some kind of iOS-related promotional tie-in, often in the form of a game, or something similar. Some are genuinely nifty (the Hans Zimmer one for "Inception" was pretty great), most are a bit half-hearted, but few are particularly revelatory about the movie themselves.

By Edward Davis
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August 5, 2012 8:30 AM
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3 Comments

News

"I cannot guarantee his safety, nor will I be responsible for his fate," Richard Armitage's Thorin Oakenshield says to Ian McKellen's Gandalf The Grey about Martin Freeman's diminutive Bilbo Baggins in the latest trailer for Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Hey, I have a great idea, let's bring a small hobbit on a perilous journey that he may not survive!

By Charlie Schmidlin
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July 12, 2012 5:41 PM
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0 Comments

News

Two teen-centered films from New Line and FilmNation have been quietly picking up steam as of late, and while neither production packs tremendous star power under its respective wings, our latest casting report shows they've decided to pull in some fine character actors and fresh talent instead.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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July 18, 2011 1:36 AM
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2 Comments

2011's major innovation in movie marketing has been the drip-feed: the regular reveal of first looks or casting announcement on high-profile projects. Of course, that's always been a technique, but it seems to have reached extremes in recent months, with "X-Men: First Class" releasing so many stills that you could recreate the movie as a flip-book, and press releases breathlessly announcing EVERY SINGLE PERSON who would appear in "The Hunger Games."

By Oliver Lyttelton
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November 29, 2010 3:20 AM
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19 Comments

After something of a roller coaster year, with an endlessly sliding start date, the bailing of director Guillermo Del Toro, and nearly losing preferred lead Martin Freeman, "The Hobbit" is finally gearing up to shoot in the new year, with Freeman joined by new cast members like Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt and Aidan Turner, as well, possibly, as the rumored likes of David Tennant, Michael Fassbender and Saoirse Ronan.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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October 27, 2010 9:20 AM
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5 Comments

Director Says Heartthrob Actor Could Rival Legolas Or AragonWhen the first round of casting for "The Hobbit" was announced last week most of the names were unknown (but check out our handy guide to figure out just who these folks are) but for those of us familiar with Richard Armitage, he seemed to be a strange fit. Best known perhaps for his role on the Brit spy series "Spooks" ("MI: 5" in the United States), the decision to have him play the crabby old dwarf Thorin Oakenshield seemed slightly odd. We weren't quite sure what to make of Armitage being tasked to play a four-foot codger, but of course, Peter Jackson knows exactly what's he doing.

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'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey': What Worked & What Didn't

Review: ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’ Rallies From A Goofy Opening To Become Another Thrilling, If Familiar, Action-Adventure Epic

20 New Images From The 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' Including First Look At Lee Pace As Legolas' Dad

A Slightly Revised 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Trailer Focuses On The 13 Dwarves

New Line Tornado Project Pulls In 'The Hobbit' Star Richard Armitage, Teen Sex Comedy 'Premature' Adds Craig Roberts & Alan Tudyk

This Has To Be It, Right? Richard Armitage Is Thorin Oakenshield In Final 'The Hobbit' Dwarf Reveal

News From The Shire: Peter Jackson To Shoot 'The Hobbit' On 3D RED Cameras, Ian McKellen Confirmed

Peter Jackson Talks Casting Richard Armitage As New Heroic Figure In 'The Hobbit'

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