The movie critique portion of this review was written by my colleague Tia Fabi.
Even though I have been involved in nerd-culture for most of my life, there has been one franchise I hadn’t gotten into until recently. That’s the Lord of the Rings franchise. Admittedly, I didn’t think it was going to be anything I would be interested in. But, then I started watching movies with Lee Pace and considering he plays a role throughout the Hobbit trilogy, I decided to give it a go. I’ll watch anything if an actor I like is in it. And I’m glad I did!
I actually really liked the Hobbit trilogy. It had a lot of adventure and felt like it contained more than the original Lord of the Rings trilogy – I know, that’s probably blasphemous of me to say. I just really liked the lore of the Hobbit world and that isn’t just because Lee Pace plays Thranduil in it. I enjoyed watching the dwarves trying to regain their home back from the larger than life dragon Smaug – voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Richard Armitage is a great lead as the mighty Thorin, who is a great fighter. And the fact that we see Thorin go on this mission to reclaim his ancestral home, only to be consumed by greed at the end was the twist I didn’t see coming. We had rooted for Thorin for two films and in the third, we almost hope for him to be toppled over. The final act of the third film came together really well and it was an epic battle.
Martin Freeman also plays a great protagonist as Bilbo Baggins – who isn’t as naive or innocent as Frodo. Admittedly, Bilbo does more and I liked watching him constantly battle against the power of the ring throughout the trilogy.
The elves were pretty epic in this trilogy and I liked how elitist they were – especially Thranduil. I still think one of the coolest scenes in the trilogy is when Thranduil reveals to Thorin that he knows all about Smaug’s dragon fire. There’s so much to say about this trilogy that I am probably missing, but it’s an adventure you should get into – you’ll find yourself immersed into the story and the culture of that world.
The only negative that rubbed me the wrong way about the Hobbit is the lack of diversity in the trilogy. The Lord of the Rings trilogy had the same problem and the only thing this trilogy does to rectify it is throw in a warrior elf – Evangeline Lily as Tauriel. And even with her they had to give her an unnecessary and rushed romantic story. I do hope that with Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series they do better in rectifying this.
Video Quality
The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy makes its debut on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with both the Theatrical and Extended Editions of all three films housed on their own separate BD-100 in one six-disc set. Simply put, both versions of every single one of these films are given the 5-star treatment to deliver some of the most stunning instances of 4K UHD magic that we have seen before. While they are uniformly excellent across the board, I will do my best to point out distinctive parts from each film.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey delivers a knockout 4K UHD Blu-Ray presentation in its 2.40:1 aspect ratio in 2160p. From the opening moments in The Shire, you can see what a striking upgrade this 4K restoration is for the film. The clarity and detail present here is simply phenomenal, exposing details otherwise imperceptible due to the limitations of lesser formats. Everything looks natural from the skin tones to the colors of the clothing and the landscapes. Subtle details in the production design that might blend in with the background are incredibly clear and well defined. Many elements have a greater sense of texture in this format. The cinematography from Andrew Lesnie is one of the standout aspects of the film, and it is showcased better than it ever has been here. The High Dynamic Range is where this film really shines as it allows for more distinctive colors and vivid highlights throughout the story. Any outdoor scene is greatly improved with a visual nuance that was not as apparent previously. The brighter landscapes in the film remain stable and do not suffer from banding or blooming.
The Desolation of Smaug excels in all of the same ways as its predecessor while moving away from the brighter splashes of the first film to a visually more dour setting to match the shift in tone as the journey gets more harrowing. The scenes in darkness maintain a deep, inkly black appearance that does wonders for stability of image. The visual effects in the film are surprisingly helped rather than hindered by the upgrade to 4K. Jackson’s films were never a slouch in this department, but with technology constantly evolving and getting better it is typical to worry that what once looked great may start to show flaws in comparison. Smaug absolutely wows thanks to HDR improvements that more accurately represent his eye-popping color against the background of his treasures that are more defined than ever. A great amount of depth is gained with this transfer, both in close-up and long shots. Take a look at the spiders in the forest with all of their webs that are more visceral in their clarity and depth. There are no troublesome digital nuisances detected such as excessive noise reduction, sharpening or anything else.
The Battle of the Five Armies wraps up the series with another flawless presentation to match the other films. The HDR really shows what it can do from the get-go as Smaug unleashes some visually stunning fire that alone makes this a necessary upgrade. This film is an action-packed finale that has so much going on from scene to scene, but the image remains stable without blurring or loss of detail. Jackson presented all of his films in both normal 24fps and High Frame Rate in theaters, but these discs thankfully stick to the former as to avoid the dreaded soap opera effect. Some may view this as a negative, but my brain personally can never mesh with this unnatural movement. These films were tailor-made to sport major improvements on the 4K UHD format, and they do not disappoint in this respect. Fans will be extremely pleased to view these visually stimulating films in one of the finest presentations that the format has to offer.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray set offers a major upgrade in the form of a lively Dolby Atmos presentation that handles the action incredibly well. The track offers expert level immersion into the various lands so that even the subtlest elements are represented. The Atmos presentation takes full advantage of the expanded channel allotment. During the scenes with Smaug flying around or arrows zipping through the air, you could be forgiven if you ducked thinking they were right overhead in the height channels. It is not just the obvious aspects that impress; weather sounds from rain to wind bring a fully realized world to your living room. All of the sounds are balanced well during the action sequences from the clanging of swords to the yells from the participants. The many battles and other such kinetic moments provide an incredible amount of activity in the low end. The epic showdown in the final film allows you to marvel at the sonic assault on display. This track is not just impressive because it is loud or busy, what truly impresses is the nuance that is employed in the sound design. Directionality of sound is never an issue with this film series, and dialogue is reproduced with supreme clarity. The soaring score from Howard Shore fills the room in a way that conjures up a well of emotion in your core. Having your overhead channels deliver this awe-inspiring music from above does an amazing job of transporting you to this world. The audio presentation is a wonderful experience from start to finish.
Special Features
There are no special features included on the discs of this set, but you can supposedly access some extras via the included digital copy. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment plans to release a Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition next summer filled with special features, which you can learn about here.
Final Thoughts
The Hobbit trilogy is often unfairly judged when compared to the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy, but it stands on its own as one of the best that the fantasy genre has to offer in terms of pure spectacle and entertainment. These three films take you on an incredible ride with characters that are easy in which to get invested. This new 4K UHD set offers both the Theatrical and Extended Editions of the three films with an immaculate A/V presentation that brings a greater wow-factor to the story. If you have a love for special features, you might want to hold out for the Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector’s Edition next year, but those who are eager to watch the films in the best presentation possible will not be disappointed in the slightest. Essential
The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
