Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey brings the director back to Middle Earth for a prequel that expands greatly on the source novel and then truncates it to the first in a series of three planned films.
Studio: Warner Brothers
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Portuguese
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 2 Hr. 49 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, UltraViolet
Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 03/19/2013
MSRP: $35.99
The Production Rating: 4/5
Video Rating: 4.5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 5/5
Special Features Rating: 3/5
- Video Blog #1 - Start of Production April 14, 2011 (10:32) reviews the pre-production activities and the first few days of principal photography. Subjects touched on include conceptual art, creature, prop, and set construction, wardrobe, and stunt training. It concludes with footage of the first day of shooting including a Powhiri Welcoming ceremony.
- Video Blog #2 - Location Scouting July 9, 2011 (10:20) begins with footage of the last day of Main Unit and 2nd Unit shooting on “Block One” of the film’s production. It begins with a sit down discussion/introduction between Jackson and Andy Serkis. They discuss how and why the shooting of the film was broken into three blocks. Several cast and crew members discuss what they will be doing during their break. About half way in, it transitions to footage of Peter Jackson and his crew’s location scouting in the South Island of New Zealand.
- Video Blog #3 - Shooting Block One July 21, 2011 (13:19) starts with a silly (in a good way) introduction from Jackson walking around Pinewood Studios in England and transitions into a collection of reminiscences from cast and crew about their experiences filming “Block One” of the film’s production. Includes the Gollum’s cave sequence, the Bag End sequences, the Trollshaw sequence, and the Rivendell sequence. Much of the running time is dedicated to discussions of the complexities associated with realizing the thirteen unique dwarf characters. The footage from the Bag End sequence includes a day where John Rhys-Davies (“Gimli” from The Lord of the Rings films) visited the set to discuss the finer points of Dwarf acting. It ends with an amusing cameo.
- Video Blog #4 - Filming in 3D November 4, 2011 (10:46) covers the technical and aesthetic challenges of shooting in 3D and at 48 frames per second. It includes discussion of the 48 Red Epic camera and seventeen purpose-built 3D camera rigs. The technical impact on production design, costumes, hair, and makeup are also discussed. Viewers even learn the names given to each of the 3D camera rigs used in the film, which are even harder to keep track of than the thirteen dwarves in the film.
- Video Blog #5 - Locations Part 1 December 24, 2011 (12:04) discusses the logistics of location shooting, which constituted the films’ second production “block”. The locations visited is Matamata, the home of Hobbiton. Much discussion occurs concerning the set construction of Hobbiton including differences between the Polystyrene version from The Lord of the Rings films to the more permanent version built for The Hobbit films.
- Video Blog #6 - Locations Part 2 March 2, 2012 (12:28) picks up where the previous video blog left off with the production moving to Piopio, Ohakune, Straith Taieri, Queenstown, Paradise, Twizel, and Nelson. It includes some interesting discussion of the helicopter-mounted “space-cam” used for 3D aerial shots.
- Video Blog #7 - Stone St. Studios Tour June 6, 2012 (13:59) consists of a Peter Jackson-guided tour of the Studio which was founded concurrent with the production of the Lord of the Rings films and has been expanded greatly since then. It includes visits to various studio buildings and locations housing various departments. Viewers are treated to glimpses of actors in trailers, assistant director trailers, Stunts,Hair and Make-up, various sound stages, Art Department, Technology Department, Backlot, Weta Workshop, and Scale Doubles. It ends with another surprise cameo and a very funny gag sequence based on it.
- Video Blog #8 - Wrap of Principal Photography July 24, 2012 (14:42) begins with a visit to Comic-Con by Jackson, Boyens, and various cast members. It then jumps to a video shown at Comic-Con hosted by Jackson that was produced over the last five days of shooting followed by cast and crew members reflecting on their experience during the lengthy shoot and the scale of the production.
- Video Blog #9 - Post-Production Overview November 24, 2012 (14:08) covers the lengthy post-production process for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Departments visited include Editorial, Pre-visualization, Visual Effects (Weta Digital Motion Capture and CGI animation), Digital Intermediate Color Timing and Grading, Sound, and the recording of the score at Abbey Road Studio 1 in London . The visual effects piece includes extensive discussion of the underground Goblin sequence.
- Video Blog #10 - Wellington World Premiere December 14, 2012 (14:42) covers the last few days leading up to the film’s gala premiere at the Embassy Theater in Wellington, New Zealand. It also covers the work to build giant decorative props to celebrate the film all around Wellington. It culminates with the film’s gala premiere including the arrival of the cast and crew, a musical performance by Neil Finn, a ceremony to kick things off emceed by Jackson, and a recorded message from Ian McKellen.
- Trailer 1 (2:34)
- Trailer 3 - Dwarves (2:34)
- Trailer 3 - Letter Opener (2:50)
- Trailer 3 - Bilbo Contract (2:48)
- Trailer 3 - Gandalf Wagers (2:45)
- Trailer 3 - Gollum Paths (2:44)
- The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-Earth (:57)
- Guardians of Middle Earth (:34)
- Lego The Lord of the Rings (:34)
Overall Rating: 4/5
Reviewed By: Ken_McAlinden
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