Customer Ratings & Reviews

Loved the trilogy. Was dismayed to hear that slight children's delight, The Hobbit, was being extended into 3 installments. Rightfully so. Despite a great job of casting, the add-ins were interminable in the theater - especially in Part 2... I spent most of the time worrying about what abomination was going to happen next. Worst parts were suffering through every scene with the She-Elf (and sadly, Legolas) - particularly the cuts back and forth establishing a romance with the injured Kili while the rest of the crew were running from Smaug. Did anyone care? I think we wanted to see the confrontation with the dragon. Talk about killing the momentum. It all reads as a cheap shot to build sympathy for a big tear jerker moment when the inevitable occurs in the third installment... Which I have no idea how Jackson will manage to stretch into a feature -other than through an extended animated battle scene... Which brings us to the cartooned-out Orcs. Remember theUruk-hai in the trilogy.? Yeah. No comparison. Bet the new battles won't measure up either. Anyhow - at least when you own the DVD you can skip over the filler and make a decent film of it and enjoy Freeman's and Cumberbatch's pitch-perfect interpretations. Hence the 4-stars. But Jackson? What a shame. (OK, What was with that scheme to gild the dragon?Looked cool, but hokey as heck. And can you believe there's actually an extended version?) Only recommended if you promise to make your own cuts. Liberally.

If you're a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary works than you definitely should see this film. While it is a huge technical improvement over the first Hobbit film, the screenplay I still found slightly lacking. It doesn't come as a surprise however since the Hobbit was only 1 book and I feel parts of the story has been sacrificed and stretched in order to flesh out some of the more pivotal scenes from the book. The major "awe" moments came from the wild "barrel escape" scene or the ending encounter with the dragon Smaug. In my opinion this was some of the best CGI work I've ever seen created. The addition of the film being recorded in Master HD Audio is a nice bonus as well. Overall, this was another solid entry into the Tolkien universe but I do feel this could've been wrapped up in 2 films instead of a yet unreleased 3rd film arriving later this year.

I learned my lesson on the Lord of the Ring Trilogy; wait for the extended editions. They made out just fine with my purchase of the Lord of the Rings DVD, then the Extended DVD's, and then of course the Extended Blu-Rays. The Hobbit trilogy has taken some patience as I waited on the extended Blu-Ray editions but well worth the wait. The movie did not let me down, effects, story, sound, etc. Another great installment! The Best Buy exclusive Key of Thorin Oakenshied was not a selling point for me but they only had this version of the Blu-Ray left. I have to admit the Key of Thorin is actually well made and authentic looking. My son thinks it is pretty cool!

So, Im a Lord of the Rings fan, I watched all three movies in the theatre and then watched the extended versions again in the theatre on the SAME day, thats right we started at 3 PM and left at 3 in the morning. EPIC. The Hobbit was a bit of a let down at first, due to the adult theme of the Lord of the Rings compared to the almost cartoonish dwarves, but considering that Tolkiens original Hobbit was in fact a childs story which he later changed and adapted to fit into being the prequel to the Lord of the Rings, it is not a far stretch. I feel that even though the best scenes, i.e. the battle scenes, are mostly made up, they help to bring the mood of the Hobbit closer to that of the Lord of the Rings. One suggestion to Jackson, leave the love story to the chick flicks and use that time and effort to add more from the books into the movie.

The only logistical complaint that can be made about this title is that in this adaptation of a classic Tolkien book we see divergence to story plots that were not yet developed in any of his works; though this does tie over to the original trilogy the Lord of the rings. The purest might rant and rave in regards to liberties taken in a film adaptation of a classic novel, what we really see here is a retelling of a classic work to a generation doesn't necessarily want to read such lengthy and heavy works. I say kudos. In so far as the format of the media I will say this, I found myself fidgeting with my TV wonder why the sound would not work at the title menu only to find out it is a silent title menu, also the extra features seem to be lacking for something that requires three discs total

As with all movies related to this franchise, it is an entire package. With its light-hearted plot and cast o f characters, those lovable hobbits keep you laughing while the action keeps you interested in the saga. Ian returns as the grey wizard and delivers yet again. Though I thought the film a little long, as I understand it, that it was the only way to make it over the three movies of the sequel. Regardless of how you feel about this genre, the movie is worthy of praise for its cinematography, acting and all other elements that make this the longest movie that is truly fun to watch. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in literature and specially Tolkien (though to many, this sequel deviates from the original hard copy from the author)! I am ready for its last installment!

The quality of the film is excellent. So what it comes down to is wether or not you think Peter Jackson is straying too far awy from Tolkein's original story. He is. Lots of changes and characters and events that were not in the original books. But to make a viable movie in today's market that is somewhat to be expected. He keeps to the core of the story while fleshing out minor characters and events that you will either like or not - but will come down to your personal taste in respect to the liberties taken. For the most part, I like the changes but would have still seen a lot of the story remain true to Tolkein's version. What are you gonna do. Me, I will watch and enjoy the films but still read the original books that I grew up on and love!

Not only a great movie, but visually and aurally pleasing. Sounds great on my home theater, the thundering waters and roar of the dragon. Visually, the Blu-Ray is a great mix of deep blacks and color. Especially in Smaug's lair! My only complaint about the Hobbit movies is Peter Jackson hasn't gone into great character development as he did with the Lord of the Rings movies. He spends too much time with fighting scenes. The barrel ride out of Mirkwood forest is a snooze fest, plot wise. But, fun to watch for the reasons I gave above....once. Now I skip past that part. I know you can do a lot of cool stuff with CG, Mr. Jackson. Wooo. I still recommend it though. And Best Buy has it $2 cheaper than other places in town.

If you have a hobbit habit like I do, part 2 of the Hobbit is a great addition to your DVD collection. I am always appreciative of the extra information added to the DVD showing where the film was made, interviews, the process of getting makeup put on...and it is nice to see the actors without makeup just in case you might bump into one of them in real life on the street. I read the books as a kid, and will probably go back to read them again now with new visions in my head as I read. The Ultraviolet digital copy is good to have as a back up...as long as you have decent internet speed...but you can watch the movie again from anywhere as long as you remember your login information with Flixter.

This is a great edition to the Hobbit / Lord of the Rings Trilogy, this is the 2nd part of the Hobbit trilogy. The bluray version is amazing very well done with the picture and sound you can expect if you are lucky to have surround sound in your house and a 60inch TV! Even though I purchased this version there will definitely be an extended version of the film and when the 3rd and final Hobbit film is released there will be an epic and very expensive box set for all of these Hobbit and LOTR movies. So you may want to wait a bit to get, but if your like me this will be an impulse buy and you will be happy with this purchase. Then you can later go ahead and purchase that box set later LoL! Enjoy.....

There are a few negligible instances of banding and artifacting, but nothing that takes a serious toll, and nothing that will be noticed by anyone who isn't scanning the shadows, smoke and fog looking for something to overreact to. (A half-dozen unsightly, lower definition GoPro Camera shots pepper the barrel escape sequence, and irritate me every time I watch the film. But each one only appears for a split second and, again, should be laid at Jackson and Lesnie's doorstep, not Warner's.) All told, The Desolation of Smaug is gorgeous. Peter Jackson's fans and fans of the Hobbit, lord of the Rings, will love this 2nd epic installment of the fantastic novel by JRR Tolkien, I did!!!

Once again, it's lovely being immersed in Peter Jackson's lush evocation of Tolkien's Middle Earth, but he's too enamored of his own talent at this point. A friend groused, after having seen it during its initial release, that he'd just endured "Two hours of Not-The-Hobbit." When I reminded him that the film was two hours, forty minutes long, he said: "EXACTLY! I just spent two hours watching Not-The-Hobbit." And he was correct. Mitigating factors include Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Smaug. Still unsure *why* (aside from crass financial concerns) this short novel needed to be stretched into three films. But at this point, I guess I'm all in.

The Blu-Ray/3D version works great on our 60’ 3D tv. Looks beautiful. Loved the movie. But being a Tolkien geek (like so many others) I was disappointed with the excessive number of liberties taken, and all of the additional material. I understand completely that the source material in and of itself may have been difficult to translate into an engaging and crowd pleasing film without taking liberties and adding some material. But I think the film-makers took this to an extreme. I would have preferred two films with less added materiel over three films with so many liberties taken. However, overall I really enjoyed this movie and look forward to the final installment.

After seeing the extended cuts of Lord of the Rings, I was very curious to see if Peter Jackson and company would be making a similar production from his Hobbit trilogy. A lot of people have expressed negativity towards Jackson's turning a book which could be told either in one looong movie or in two movies into a trilogy, but after seeing why he did, I am very happy. He took notes from Tolkien and applied the scenes that were not published in the original versions of the book, and placed them into the movie. It was a fantastic idea, and I am very happy for it! Anyone who loves Professor Tolkien's books should check out the extended version of the movies!

The movie is very different from the book, but the story is not lost. I was a huge Tolkien fan, even before the first trilogy, and I can appreciate Peter Jackson's vision for this story. This extended version Blu-Ray helps fill in some nagging questions I had about the film when I first saw it in the theater. The extras do not distract like some other movies and actually help the story. Picture quality is awesome and love how this large, high definition movie fits all on one disc. I bought this at the store one day after work. Best Buy's store experience has changed a lot these past couple of years, but the staff was more than helpful and friendly.

To be honest, I'm not much of a Lord of the Rings fan, but these movies were very well done and after watching the first Hobbit over the holidays with family, I was intrigued. Great visual effects and a tremendous story to draw inspiration from, this movie is rich and adds to the LOTR lore. Most movies don't really do there novel counterparts much justice but so far, the movies have done a great job in incorporating the essential components of Tolkien's saga. My only negative comment would be the introduction of a new character and love triangle that wasn't a part of the original story. But other than that, this is a solid movie even for non-fans.

The base movie of The Desolation of Smaug is fantastic—this edition takes it further, with added minutes to the timer. Small blights of humor are tossed here and there by the producers with an unsuspecting cameo appearance by Stephen Colbert later on in the movie—and, while I am a fanatic at large, such little things as that can make the movie a tad more enjoyable. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are put together once more as Smaug and Bilbo, respectively, as they played together in BBC series Sherlock. The irony is, I find, the fact that it was by complete coincidence that Cumberbatch would be cast in place of another actor for Smaug. 5/5

I love all Hobbit movies and I got this one on sale. Can't beat the price.

I saw this several times in HFR IMAX 3D and had fun every time watching this movie. This blu ray definitely recaptures that spirit as good as it can. While most will complain about how loooong they're making this book into film form, I'll say "the more Middle Earth enjoyment the better." It doesn't always work but when it does I'm really pleased. And this will keep people occupied until the extended edition will be out. Oh, and like when going to see this on the big screen, Smaug himself is worth the price of this movie. I should add naysayers of 3D should give this movie a chance with the format. I really dig 3D done right and boy does this deliver.

3D makes the movie better. Not as great as the other movies in the series.