Hobbit, The: The Desolation of Smaug (Special Edition) (DVD)

I'll breakdown this in few parts: What this blu ray package has, the hullabaloo about extended editions and finally about the movie itself: Hope this helps answer any queries you might have about "Hobbit". 1. THE BLU RAY PACKAGE: Total 5 discs The 3D Blu ray (movie in 3D is split across 2 discs) Regular Blu ray (2D): 1 disc Special features: 1 blu ray disc (Peter Jackson takes you to set (HD; 41 min), Production videos (HD), a brief overview of New-Zealand as middle earth, Trailers and Previews (about 12 min), Music video of song "I see fire", and other stuff. Movie on DVD (1 disc) 2. THEATRICAL vs EXTENDED: As with Lord of the Rings, each "Hobbit" will also come in extended editions (where the movie will contain additional footage, AND there will be a heap of extra features. The release dates of those are (previously released and forthcoming): Hobbit 1 (An Unexpected Journey) Theatrical: April 2013 Hobbit 1 (An Unexpected Journey) Extended: November 2013 Hobbit 2 (Desolation of Smaug) Theatrical: April 2014 (THIS IS THE RECENT RELEASE FOR WHICH I AM WRITING THE REVIEW) Hobbit 2 (Desolation of Smaug) Extended: November 2014 Hobbit 3: To be Announced. Most likely the theatrical blu ray will be released in April 2015! Not sure about extended release. Should I buy this or wait till November 2014? Well, if you love the movie and like to see more of it, and more importantly, if you love to see hours of behind the scenes, production details, etc, then wait till November 2014. If you are happy with this regular version of the movie and don't want too many behind the scenes, then go for this. 3. THE MOVIE First thing first. The movie DOES NOT follow the book page-by-page. Jackson have made some radical changes in the story, and these differences are more prominent in Hobbit 2 (Desolation of the Smaug) than in Hobbit 1. I am sure you have got an fair idea of these, however, I read many reviews and the more it is criticized, the more confusing it can get to the reader. Here I have tried to summarize those differences. Hope this helps: 1. ORCS: This is the single biggest addition to the story, which alters from the book. Orcs don't exist in book, and hence, wherever they are in the movie, it is an addition/change. This itself will count a big change. 2. MIRKWOOD: This part has been cut short, whereas in the book it's more elaborate. 3. LEGOLAS & TAURIEL: They don't exist in book, so does everything they do in the movie. 4. DWARVES ENTRY INTO LAKE-TOWN: I won't spoil the details, but Bard doesn't play a role in this (as depicted in film). 5. DWARVES ENTRY INTO THE MOUNTAIN: Durin's day, Appearance of the door, etc is changed. 6. SMAUG'S FINAL ACTION SCENE: Doesn't exist in book. 7. NECROMANCER & RADAGAST: Have only a mention in book. (Re: Necromancer, the book DOES say in the end that Gandalf drove Necromancer away as an explanation of his absence. So, I feel this is not truly an addition. Simply an expansion) There. That would be all of it. I am pretty sure fans of the book have much more to say (and there are many who have already assessed this well), but in my opinion, the above summary contains all those details (as sub-topics). Nevertheless, the books vs. movie disparities end here. BOOK vs. MOVIE Summary: Hobbit 2 takes multiple liberties from the actual story. However, all those changes do one thing in common: ADD ACTION. How this affects you? Well, If you already know the book, and you like the on-screen Hobbit to be same as book's, you might be disappointed. However, if you watch the movie with a blank slate, then it is a THRILL RIDE. I for one watched the movie without getting into the book and I loved it. I didn't think anything was out of place. The story has a very consistent flow and it is fun to watch. The book is a very simple, brilliantly written classic story, whereas the movie "Hobbit" is far grandeur. It's huge, and encompasses many things beyond what is in the book. Prequel of LOTR? Finally, as I assess, I feel Peter Jackson has presented "Hobbit" not just as a book adaptation, but it is more focused as a "prequel of LOTR". There are few reasons to conclude this way: a) The RING: In the book, The Ring is merely a simple magical ring that makes folks invisible. However, the movie puts serious emphasis on it. The ring has been in focus, and there are scenes where it has a treacherous effect on Bilbo. b) Galadriel, Saruman: There is a scene (Hobbit 1) where these sit together and discuss about Sauron being vanquished, etc. The book has no reference to Sauron (LOTR was written after Hobbit's success). c) Orcs, Necromancer: They exist in movie as servants to the "Necromancer" (Depicted as Sauron, without his full strength). This probably is an attempt to show that Sauron (before LOTR happened), was trying to make a comeback. Orcs exist as Sauron's army. It all fits. So, Hobbit, can be viewed as a trilogy on its own, but it could be best viewed as a marathon (Hobbit 1, 2, 3 followed by LOTR trilogy). However, this will hold true only after the final Hobbit movie is released. I like to stay in the Middle earth created by Jackson, and I love the way he arranges the action scene (LOTR, King Kong, etc.). Some deem the action in "Hobbit 2" as video-gamish. For me, even if some sequences defy few basic rules of physics, it is thrilling to see them on-screen (The Barrel escape, Smaug's final act). Hence, I wholeheartedly recommend this. If for nothing else, at least for the magnificent "Smaug", one hell-of-a-kind, stupendous dragon ever made on sceen! In short, if you like both book and film, then you have two versions of the same story to enjoy. Want simple and unadulterated fun? Read BOOK. Want spectacular visuals, thrilling action scenes and additional bonus material? Go for the MOVIE. I personally enjoy both rather than spending time in comparing them. Thanks for reading!

The first Hobbit movie was on the edge of medium good. It just did not hit the mark. Do NOT Judge this movie at all based on the first Hobbit film. It looked and sounded terrific in my home theater. Every bit as intense and exciting as in the movies. Plus you get it in DVD, plus you get a ultra HD digital copy,plus a special features disc. Well worth every penny. Our pack of dwarfs are heading for the mountain. They have a sleep over with a skin changer. One minute is a bear, the next a man. He hates dwarfs, and short people in general. He plays host for the evening, and in the morning pours the milk for their cereal. He then tells them he hates them, but not as much as he hates Orcs. So he gives them ponies, and rations and sends them on there way to the happiest place in the world, The Woods. What does a wizard, a hobbit, and six pack of Dwarfs have in common? They are about to enter the Woodland Elves territory. Gandolph decides to leave the small people to hit the trail by themselves, as he has Bigger Issues to deal with. Bilbo finds his courage and they follow the yellow brick road deep into spooky territory. They feel inebriated after a long while of just staying on the path. They find a Dwarf-en wallet, and realized one of there group has dropped it. They are helplessly lost. Bilbo climbes a tree, and sees the mountain ahead. He kinda falls down and finds the entire group has been wrapped, and ready to serve or an Arachnid TV Dinner. Bilbo goes invisible and starts to kill, and free his friends. Then is a non stop action sequence that goes on between Dwarfs, Elves, and spiders. They call in the exterminators, and Legolis now realizes Thorin holds an Elvish blade. They are called thieves and Imprisoned. EPIC Barrel Ride ends and they meet a bargeman. bribe bargeman to take them to the city across the lake. Dwarf's attacked by sushi, and hide in a toilet. They arise one by one and are given meager weapons to fight on with. They wait till night fall, and decide to rob the armory. Butterfingers slips down the steps, and wakes up the town. They are gathered and brought to meet the mayor. Thorin promises Hope & change, and riches. The town embraces them, arms them with weapons forged in steel, and sends them to the mountain. They climb a mountain which gives rock climbing a whole new meaning. They get to the top, wait for day's last light. Nothing lights up. Thorin acts like a sissy gives up, leaving Bilbo to figure things out. Bilbo does indeed. He calls them back, and they enter. Read hieroglyphics, and send Bilbo into the treasure room telling him to find 1 white jewel. Beware of dragon, and good luck. Bilbo enters the treasure room and finds a country landscaped with gold. No problem one small jewel in all this mess. He digs, and sleds, and knocks some gold till he wakes up smaug. Story time, but Smaug does not feel sleepy. Accusations fly, and Bilbo runs away. and, and, and to make a long story short. I highly recommend this movie to anyone. No Review, let alone this one does this movie Justice. It really is marvelously acted, and directed. Stunning sound & special effects..

Update March 2015: Amazon won't let me rate the DOS Extended edition w. collector barrel rider figure separately, so I am editing this review to say I am so happy with the quality of the sculpt of the barrel rider figure included with the Amazon Exclusive that I ordered a second one. IMO it's that good, and I noticed that the few sets available by WETA itself are now gone. Gary Hunt of WETA sculpted this work, and WETA has just released an outstanding sculpt of Faramir by this artist - e.g., at this scale, and for this barrel rider figure, the likeness of Thorin, Bilbo, and Kili is stellar, with unbelievable detail and nice paint job - the wrinkles of wet cloth, the expressions - even the tiny little noses and clothing are screen accurate. There's even water in the barrels. Plus there is kind of a vitality and energy about this little piece - I can only completely agree with YouTube reviewer Mark Rivera on the great quality of this collector piece. At this price point it's an amazing piece of work. I wasn't expecting much as these kind of figures are often blobby and poorly painted, with horrible expressions and so on - like cheap figure toys - but I just love this - pictures don't do it justice. Hate to say it, but I think this little Thorin looks more like Thorin, in its way, than the "real" WETA Thorin figure (different sculptors, so that's probably why). Figure seems to be of highly detailed resin - even the water looks real. There's enough details about the DOS EE scenes that I won't say much, but the EE is WELL WORTH THE PRICE. Just seeing the dwarves LOL scuffle at Laketown was a delight, never mind more Beorn, more Mirkwood! IMO for the DOS EE, the Amazon barrel collector set is the way to go, if you like memorabilia. 10 stars + for the Amazon exclusive barrel rider set! ORIGINAL review: The Hobbit movies vaulted themselves into being my favorite movies of all time - personally love what PJ did, the richness of the costumes, sets, locations, the fleshing out of the original story. Most of all the strength of the performances by a stellar cast of actors, IMO lead by the fierce haunting performance by Richard Armitage as Thorin, and Martin Freeman's stellar Bilbo. So I couldn't wait to get my hands on the DOS BluRay. As far as the BluRay, which is the only thing I've watched in this set so far along with the Special Features, on my Samsung TV couldn't be more delighted with the image quality - IMO the crispness, the nuances of color - of course I enjoyed the film in an IMAX theater (more than once) but it's also been wonderful to see so much detail, up close and personal. My only quibble is I wish like the European disks there would be movie scenes or artwork on the disks themselves - it just adds to the pleasure even if it "doesn't really matter since the disk is in a player". I can only assume the 3D version is equally good, when I have a system to watch it. So for me hands down the BR and the movie gets a 10. Where the collector set falls off, unfortunately, for me, is the *bleep* bookends. Don't get me wrong, as a dwarf/Thorin fan, I REALLY wanted these bookends. A little piece of Erebor for a book lover!. As a collectible, they don't suck, the design of the stone dwarf guards is accurate, and they are some sort of heavy resin plastic. But I ordered 2 different sets, thanks to Amazon's wonderful return policy ended up with three of this "limited edition" and every single one of them had a flaw of some kind. It's not Amazon's fault, as one of the sets was from another company. These are sloppy production flaws, everything from blobby features from someone pulling a statue from a mold too fast, to the axes - which evidently are not part of the casting - just snapping off. One of the statues had a cheek guard snapped off. And I don't think this is the shipping, as the bookends are strapped in and encased in heavy, ecologically incorrect form-fitting plastic plus the whole thing was shipped padded. I think it's Noble co. trying to get away with a "good enough" job (I've bought their stuff before) using an indifferent Made in China! *sigh* manufacturer/packer. The painting/color of the figures is OK, I could see someone repainting for appeal tho - kind of an army khaki or something like that. So much for the hype over a limited edition collectible - minus one, as of course one of my 3 sets is heading back to Amazon, who I hope returns to Noble. Well, OK, when I think about it, guess it's about $25 per figure, which is kind of reasonable. I guess. But this isn't one of the Hobbit pens or keychains (which are fine) or letter openers, I was hoping they'd be really nice. And the bookend details ARE very clean and sharp - as long as more care was used, which it wasn't. Overall unless you are a Hobbit movie junkie like me, I'd say just get the BluRay and save dollars and buy a pricey collectible from the "ultimate source" WETA, who did the costumes and sets for the movies themselves. Or wait for a big sale on this bookend edition. As for Noble company, well, re Hobbit collectibles they seem to do a "good enough" job - for instance I have an Erebor key paperweight, but they used the same mold front and back, so you get mirror reverse runes on one side. And the diamond end of the key is just glued in, e.g. the whole thing wasn't cast, just put together for a "good enough" job. Unless you look hard. But what goes around - I was thinking of buying Thorin's sword "Deathless" which at the moment only Noble makes a replica of. And my bookend experience has decided me in NOT buying any expensive collectible from Noble like a sword replica (as opposed to the wonderful job United Cutlery did with the Orcrist replica). As it is, I'm going to handle my bookends carefully, including regluing the axe that had fallen off in the box. Which it wouldn't have if the manufacturing had been better - a shame.

Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of both Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth films and Prof. Tolkien's source material. The theatrical release of the first Hobbit film was very satisfying for me as I could see what Jackson was up to: the story of the dwarves, the hobbit, and a dragon dominating a stolen hoard of riches was the frame on which the larger tale of the return of Sauron was attached. I think Jackson was as interested in the material he was pulling from the LOTR appendices as he was in the text of The Hobbit. I'll offer no disagreement to folks who found the first film pokey and the Extended Edition (EE) pokier and largely a disappointment, when compared to how the original trilogy was enhanced and improved in their EE forms. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was a more enjoyable theatrical experience than the first film in the trilogy and I have very high hopes for the third film. 'Smaug: EE' is a return to what we came to expect from the first trilogy's extended editions. While there are,a gain, several scenes that have small extensions on them, there are also brand new scenes that add to the narrative--Beorn gives Gandalf intelligence on the Ringwraiths; the company is introduced to the dwarf-hating Beorn in a comic scene--and there are additions to the Mirkwood journey that alter what we saw theatrically. For me, the biggest change was the addition of Thorin's father, Thrain, in two sequences. He is an important addition to a sequence late in the film where Gandalf confronts the entity that is the proto-Sauron. His presence adds depth and emotion as Thrain, anticipating his end, asks Gandalf to give a message to Thorin that transcends fantasy and very much belongs to the world of fathers and sons. The BD package includes nearly 10 hours of extras and a full-length commentary track by Peter Jackson and co-writer, Philippa Boyens. They are regulars on all the EE commentary tracks and are among the best in the business. They provide solid background on the production, interesting and funny anecdotes. Most of all, I got the sense that they were trying to explain--with regret--the comparatively paltry EE of An Unexpected Journey. The bottom line is that The Hobbit was planned as a pair of films until very late in the game. It was only a few months prior to production when the decision was made to create a second trilogy. This meant that several sequences that would have been candidates for inclusion in both the theatrical AND EE cuts of Hobbit 1 were held back to be included in Hobbit 2. This left mere scraps for the EE of the first film. Jackson and Boyens repeatedly refer to 'Smaug' as the third film in the trilogy, at least from the point of creation. The fact that it had such limited pre-production time and is so good is a tribute to Jackson and his team. The appendices, Parts 9 & 10 in the continuity of the EEs, are chock full of goodies. If you have been a fan of past EEs, you will not be disappointed with this package. Once again, I came away wishing I could have been invited to New Zealand to be a part of of Jackson's company. It looks like hard work and SO MUCH FUN! Most of the segments of the Appendices run 20-30 minutes and can be devoured in small chunks, but I promise you will find yourself saying, "Just one more," time and again. It's compulsively interesting stuff. Lastly, the 'Special Edition' EEs come with a collectible. 'Smaug EE' includes a maquette of Thorin, Bilbo, and Kili (I think) from the barrel-riding sequence. It's a nice piece, with a detailed, full-color, paint job. This is an Amazon exclusive. Somewhere out in the world is another special edition that includes bookends of the giant statues of the dwarf guadians at the entrance of Erebor. I wish Amazon had obtained the rights to that set, too. It would make a nice complimentary set to the bookends that came with the 'Fellowship EE.' The set with the Erebor bookends seems to be rare. I haven't found any vendor that is stocking it. That said, Amazon's offering is a great deal at about $80. Truthfully, I'd like to have both. If you find the set with the collectible to be too pricey, the 5-disc BD set is avialable on its own and isa bargain, compared to what the original EE trilogy sold for some 10 years ago. Go get it and clear a weekend. Enjoy!

First, I must admit that I went to the theatre to see this film first. I am a committed fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" books, including "The Hobbit", as well as Peter Jackson's film renditions. Granted, the film does not exactly match the content of the books... but then, films never do! Aside from the enormous amount of detail in each book that would be nearly impossible to include in a film, the fact is - people have come to expect "creative license" by film makers. They wouldn't know how to behave if any film maker kept true to the written word. (I suspect there would be even more complaining about how "lousy" the film is, if any film actually adhered to the written word of the novel it represents.) All that aside, this was a great film! I mean, depicting a living, breathing, big as a mountain dragon in film, and giving him a personality - that is a FEAT! And Smaug has personality! TONS of personality! Gandalf is, of course, always fun to watch, and I was surprised by the presentation of Thorin Oakenshield as he fundamentally IS in the book! Thorin Oakenshield did, indeed, become obsessed over the gold in his grandfather's vaults, and the Arkenstone had one HECK of a magical effect on his mind. It drove him mad - but that detail is not as glaringly obvious in the book, as it is on screen. I thought that was particularly well done. Yes, yes, I know, Jackson exercised poetic license, projecting a female high elf into the story... a love interest for Legolas Greenleaf, and a serious concern for his father. While that was NOT in the book, I thought it made great cinema, and a believable twist to the story. In truth of fact, Legolas never married - he palled up with Gimli, Gloan's son, and lived his life in Middle Earth to the end as a lonely elf - I think he loved the High King more than life itself. He sailed oversea to the Undying Lands with Gimli at the end of the age, which was deeply sad (for me) - but who can truly be sad forever is the Undying Lands! That's Heaven - surely he would have found many friends there (and perhaps even love at last). I thought Bilbo was fabulous... very believable, definitely wonderfully portrayed, and the entire film was fabulous. Elrond's "Last Homely House" in Rivendell was so wonderful, I wanted to move right in. Great movie! Loved it totally. (Another great twist was the flirtation between the Tauriel (the High Elf maiden bowman) and Ki'li the young Dwarf. Whodathunkit on THAT one! Several surprises and twists in the story of The Hobbit, giving it a fresh breath of air, I think - made it a most entertaining film! I loved it!

I love all three of these movies! Definitely worth watching and buying!

The second installment of Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogy improves upon the first lovely film in the sense that the action flows more convincingly and fans are treated to new vistas and never-before-visited destinations, all of which amount to a feast for the eyes and senses. I'll list the five best things about TDOS and then the two worst, in my opinion: 1. Martin Freeman's essay of the Bilbo character, full of superb idiosyncrasies and deft little comic flourishes, remains the rich, rewarding center of this epic treatment and keeps a lot of aspects of the film from possibly spinning off into superfluousness. 2. Benedict Cumberbatch's motion-capture interpretation of Smaug is nothing short of awe-inspiring. You believe this massive CGI dragon is REALLY that vain and REALLY living under that Lonely Mountain. Kudos to Cumberbatch and the effects team. 3. The action sequences featuring Legolas (a bit paunchier, but, hey), Tauriel, the barrel-run and the battles in LakeTown make for riveting cinema and are superbly paced. Speaking of pace ... 4. Lee Pace offers us a mesmerizing Thranduil, King of the Woodland Elves -- a haughty and ominous portrayal that makes me eager to see what he does with the character in the 3rd film. 5. Finally we get to imagine what it might be like for Gandalf to meet the resurgent Sauron head-on and their Light vs. Shadow duel (as well as the whole journey into Dol Goldur) was a very compelling use on the writers' parts of various non-Hobbit Tolkien canonical material to flesh this film out. Sweet. I look forward to seeing Galadriel coming to Gandalf's rescue ... which was foreshadowed in the first film. How will she (backed by the White Council) measure-up against the Necromancer? Hmmm... The Two Most Unconvincing Things About TDOS: 1. What the first film lacked (at times) in forward momentum, it made up for with fabulously bucolic emotion. This film has little of that and, as a result, it lacks the trademark "heart" I've come to expect from Jackson, who has always been able to deftly blend his swashbuckling action with pathos. 2. I thought the whole LakeTown sequence and introduction of characters was tedious to the point of me getting up to fix myself a sandwich and not bothering to pause the Blu-Ray disc. Bard's family-life and the plot-point with Tauriel saving Kili with Athelas and the rest of the town, frankly, did not have a lot of spark (save for Legolas's action sequence). But I guess this was a necessary evil, the introduction of so MUCH LakeTown. Anyhow, my quibbles are minor indeed. This is a worthy and resplendent epic by Peter Jackson and friends. It is not as "classic" as the LOTR films, in my opinion, then again it is difficult to compare them, given the differing demands of the source material. This is a must-own for filmgoers. You and your kids and your kids' kids will treasure it always.

A nice finish to my collection love it

Excellente version longue qui permet de replonger en terre du milieu

Sin meterme en temas de subtítulos, sonido y similares, cosas que ya han aclarado perfectamente otros usuarios, simplemente decir que ésta edición en 3D de la segunda parte de la trilogía del Hobbit, trae 4 discos divididos de esta manera: 2 para la película en 3D, uno para la película en 2D y otro de extras. Todo ello en blu-ray. La adquirí gracias a un descuento y yo estoy muy satisfecho, pues se quedó en unos 20 euros. Imagen de 10, sonido competente, extras interesantes aunque un poco cortos, una carátula personalizada en el personaje de Thorin que evita temas polémicos de carátulas dobles y un 3D bastante atractivo, tanto en lo que se refiere a profundidad, cómo en lo que se refiere a objetos o bichos que saltan a la cara. En lo que respecta a trama, argumento, y el tema de dividir un libro mínimo en tres partes, pues no entro, porque personalmente a mi me está gustando esta versión (que no adaptación fiel) del Hobbit que está realizando Peter Jackson. Pura película de aventuras, con sus problemas de ritmo y duración, pero que solo por ese esfuerzo de llevarnos a la Tierra Media ya merece la pena darle una oportunidad. Y aunque no lo digo muy a menudo, un 10 para Amazon, en todos los sentidos.

Ho ricevuto oggi stesso il cofanetto. La confezione è semplicemente "ricca" sotto ogni punto di vista. All'interno i bluray sono ben cinque, la versione 3D è divisa tra due dischi, purtroppo occorre cambiare disco per vedere la seconda parte del film. Per ora ho semplicemente valutato la qualità del prodotto 3D. Il video 3D è eccellente. Effetto 3D molto marcato e ben realizzato, dettagli, apertura delle luce, colori e rumore video sulle ombre sono da considerarsi più che ottimi. Video davvero di livello elevato (finalmente!) Purtroppo la qualità audio è molto meno apprezzabile. L'equalizzazione esalta i medi e rende tutta la gamma media (non solo le voce) praticamente quasi fastidiosa. Occorre darci dentro d'equalizzazione per "addomesticarlo". In compenso la dinamica è molto elevata, i sub entrano in funzione spesso supportando "poderosamente" l'immagine sonora. Valuterò in seguito la qualità della versione 2D, confrontandola con la versione 2D 1080p e con quella 4K (possiedo la trilogia 4K). Test effettuato con proiettore D-Ila JVC DLA-NZ8, schermo di 2,7 metri di base, amplificazione Krell Classe A, preampli-processore EAD Theatermaster 8800pro, finale per i sub (due da 18') Crown 1300W a ponte.

la segunda parte sigue aun menos el libro que la primera pero me gusta de todos modos. También esta en Castellano!!! Super precio en esta edicion alemana. Thorin Oakenshield, el rey de los enanos es mi favorito, han elegido el actor perfecto para el papel.

Very good item. Very good value.