The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Jackson delivers a robustly entertaining epic that recaptures the spectacle of the Lord of the Rings films. The critic singles out the mythic grandeur of the battle scenes and visual astonishments for praise.

The adaptation embellishes the story effectively as a prequel while centering on Bilbo's personal arc of committing to adventure and helping the dwarves reclaim their home. Martin Freeman's performance as Bilbo is singled out as flawless and emotionally anchoring amid the jauntiest Middle-earth entry yet.

Peter Jackson juggles homely and epic tones effectively in this expansive first part of the trilogy. The critic singles out the humorous, theatrical quality and the standout Gollum scene for praise.

The 48fps format gives the film an unpleasant televisual quality that flattens Middle-earth's grandeur, but the long opening in the Shire builds to an emotional realization about leaving one's comfort zone, and the set pieces deliver with ravishing sweep.

The film recaptures some of the Rings movies' breadth, detail, and beauty but feels muddled and overextended, with too many stories mashed together and an erratic tone that makes it feel more like a Harry Potter installment.

The expansion into a trilogy slows the dash of the original and the moral shape has yet to emerge, though much is still to relish in the performances and thrills. On balance, honor has been done to Tolkien, especially in the riddle game between Bilbo and Gollum.

Peter Jackson brings brio and fun to the Tolkien tale with Martin Freeman ideal as Bilbo, but the HFR technology and sheer length may test non-believers. The film offers energy and purpose yet leaves the sense that the traditional filmic look of Lord of the Rings was preferable.

Jackson pushes the boundaries with technology and detail but the result feels overlong and overexposed. The critic singles out the Gollum confrontation as a highlight while noting the film's mixed success overall.

The film stretches Tolkien's slim novel into an overlong epic with limited plot development in this first installment. The critic praises the Bilbo-Gollum riddle scene for its balance of menace and humor but faults the 48fps visuals for looking kitsch and alienating in places.

The film is grand in scale but suffers from sluggish pacing and tonal issues in its first half. The critic singles out the Gollum sequence and later darker scenes for finally delivering peril and purpose.

Jackson pads the story excessively into a nearly three-hour film that feels stretched, though children will enjoy the spectacle of dragons, dwarves and wizards. The Gollum riddle scene stands out as the highlight, brilliantly played by Andy Serkis.

The film is solid and acceptable instead of soaring and exceptional, hampered by choices including the push for 48-frames-per-second technology. Newcomers Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage are excellent, with Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis indispensable.

The distracting 48fps format makes the film look like cheap video or summer-stock theater and the story shows signs of bloat from stretching one book into three films. The Gollum riddle scene stands out as a highlight.

The critic finds the film an awkward first step into higher frame rates, with excessive length and exposition diluting the story and characters. The HFR format is singled out as alienating and overly realistic in a way that destroys immersion.

The film is a purist's delight in its studious fidelity to the source but a bit of a slog in pure movie terms, with too much exposition and lack of forward movement. Martin Freeman grows into the role of Bilbo as the character begins to come into his own.

The film expands Tolkien's book into an overscale and plodding spectacle that feels arbitrary and mercenary as the first of a trilogy. The meeting between Bilbo and Gollum stands out as the one fully enchanted piece.

It delivers more of what made the earlier trilogy compelling but does not offer nearly enough novelty to justify the three-film treatment, with the first installment overlong and slow to start. It is more comical and child-friendly than the Rings films but runs just as long and violent.

The critic says the film initially seems self-indulgent but rallies into a thrilling, familiar action-adventure epic that is grand and enjoyable. The last two acts are highlighted as a non-stop rollercoaster of excitement comparable to the previous trilogy.

The critic calls it a lightweight but big-hearted and detailed adventure elevated by Freeman's soulful Bilbo performance and genuine joy in the filmmaking. The 48fps format and some overlong exposition are singled out as mis-steps.

The critic finds the film slightly repetitive and bloated but with intact magic and strong performances from Freeman, McKellen, and Armitage; however, the HFR 3D technology ruins the visuals, making it look unnatural.

The review praises the film's capture of the book's lighter spirit, strong performances especially from Freeman and McKellen, and sense of wonder, while noting some pacing issues from stretching the story. It singles out the HFR presentation as a major flaw that makes the film look fake and like a soap opera.

The critic calls it rousing yet repetitive, a huge beautiful piece of entertainment with adrenaline-pumping highs that works overall but feels bloated and uneven due to its length and expansion of the source material. The HFR format is noted as promising but not fully realized yet.

The critic finds it hugely enjoyable and visually stunning, lighter in tone than the Lord of the Rings films, but notes it is not as stirring overall and suffers from a disjointed tone due to being stretched across multiple films. Martin Freeman's Bilbo and the visual splendor of Middle-earth are singled out positively.

The film is an expected and bloated retread of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, with less distinctive characters and more sword-swinging battles that fail to engage non-fans. The hyper-realistic 48fps format is singled out as jarring and making scenes look fake, while the CGI monsters lack wit or memorability.

The critic complains that the pacing is agonisingly ponderous and the film is stretched far too thin across nearly three hours with too many unnecessary elements, failing to hold attention. Some strong moments like the riddles scene and solid 3D effects are noted, but overall it is deemed disappointing.