The Playlist

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

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).

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Watch: Smaug Flies In New 'The Hobbit' TV Spot Plus IMAX Posters & More

By Charlie Schmidlin
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December 3, 2012 10:02 AM
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0 Comments

News

While critics' reactions to Peter Jackson's long-awaited “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” should start dropping today (the first quasi-review has tilted toward the positive), it's up to the film's marketing team to continue the slow intriguing reveal, and that means showing off one of the J.R.R. Tolkien book's signature creatures.

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First Quasi-Review Of 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Warns Of Jar Jar Binks-Esque Character

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 29, 2012 2:43 PM
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2 Comments

News

There is probably no film more heavily embargoed this fall than Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." Even though it premiered on Tuesday in New Zealand, reviews have been under lock and key, but the New York Daily News has decided to risk the wrath of Sauron and posted the first quasi-review/opinion piece about the film. And actually, it's quite positive, though one particular sentence caught our eye.

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Watch: First Clip & New Pics From 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 27, 2012 2:52 PM
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2 Comments

News

Tonight is the night that, all the way around the world in New Zealand, things will be getting underway for the world premiere of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." It has been a long road for the film, originally slated to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro who moved on as the project stalled, before finally getting revived as MGM pulled themselves out of bankruptcy. It was supposed to be two films, turned to three, and just like that a new trilogy is kicking off and will start the LOTR fervor around the world all over again.

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International Posters For 'Les Misérables' & 'The Hobbit' Promise Beauty & Wonder

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 26, 2012 12:18 PM
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2 Comments

News

With Thanksgiving now in the rearview, Hollywood is back in the swing of the Oscar race, and two movies you'll be hearing about a lot this week are "Les Misérables" and "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey." And some nice new one sheets are here as the movies gear up to hit theaters in the coming weeks.

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Watch: New 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Video Blog & Air New Zealand's Hobbit Plane

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 24, 2012 12:34 PM
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0 Comments

News

It's hard to believe, given the ups and down the film has faced, but the world premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is four days away. In just 96 hours the word on Peter Jackson's return to Middle Earth will be heard around the world, but there is still work to be done.

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Watch: 7 Minute Chronological Trailer For 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 20, 2012 4:17 PM
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0 Comments

News

So "The Hobbit" is heading into the holiday weekend with a bit of dark cloud over it, as they the studio faces a lawsuit from the Tokien estate, while the filmmakers battle charges of improper animal care on the set. But here's a little something to remind the nerd in all of us that a big, epic treat is right around the corner, that will take quickly put the legal papers and accusations behind it.

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Paramount To Debut Nine Minutes Of 'Star Trek Into Darkness' In IMAX 3D Before 'The Hobbit' From December 14th

By Oliver Lyttelton
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November 14, 2012 7:40 PM
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8 Comments

News

Looks like J.J. Abrams is borrowing a trick from the Christopher Nolan playbook. So far, all that's been seen officially from next summer's "Star Trek Into Darkness," one of the more anticipated blockbusters of 2013 after Abrams' surprisingly strong first film, is a snippet lasting only a few frames jokingly unveiled by the director (and subsequently breathlessly reported on by most of the movie blogosphere). With the release of the sci-fi sequel creeping up, the notoriously secretive Abrams can't keep things under wraps forever, and it looks like Abrams will be unveiling a glimpse of the film in the biggest possible way this Christmas.

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Listen To The Full 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey' Score Plus Neil Finn's "Song Of The Lonely Mountain"

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 13, 2012 4:49 PM
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News

While Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" will likely crush your eyeballs in whatever format it's served up in, he's hoping engage your ear drums too. Once again reteaming with Howard Shore, the composer has cooked up another grand score for the latest adventures in Middle Earth, and you can listen to it right now.

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3 TV Spots, A Featurette, Brand New Posters & More From 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

By Cain Rodriguez
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November 8, 2012 9:03 AM
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0 Comments

News

We're a little over a month away from the release of the first installment of “The Hobbit” trilogy, so you know what that means: more ads! That’s right, not content with already having one of the year’s largest releases -- “The Dark Knight Rises” -- Warner Bros. is making sure everyone knows about Peter Jackson’s return to Middle Earth with more TV spots, posters and a brand new featurette.

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