The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Family FavoritePG-13

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

From the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends.

2012 • 169 min • Adventure · Fantasy · Action

Synopsis

Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit enjoying his quiet life, is swept into an epic quest by Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves who seek to reclaim their mountain home from Smaug, the dragon.

Our family guide

Best from age 10
93
Movie Knight Score
19868 reviews
  • 100 Reviewers · 7 · 72%
  • 74 Audience · 19861 · 28%

Bilbo Baggins, a peace-loving hobbit, finds his quiet life upended when Gandalf the Grey and a company of thirteen dwarves recruit him for a perilous quest. Their journey takes them through dangerous lands filled with goblins, trolls, and other creatures, all to reclaim the dwarves' mountain home from a fearsome dragon.

Violence & peril
6/10
Language
1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking
3/10
Romance & sensuality
0/10
Scary moments
7/10

Heads up

  • Frequent fantasy violence with swords, arrows, and magical attacks
  • Characters, including children, are threatened by large creatures
  • Some characters smoke pipes and drink ale

What it models well

  • Courage in the face of fear
  • Loyalty to friends and a cause
  • Finding purpose in unexpected places
  • Overcoming greed

Talk about it after

  • What makes an "unexpected" hero?
  • The importance of friendship and teamwork
  • How small acts of kindness can change outcomes

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

Where to watch

Stream

  • HBO Max Amazon Channel
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  • HBO Max

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Top billed cast

Director: Peter Jackson • Crew: Guillermo del Toro, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson

Trailers & clips

4K Trailer

Production Video #10

TV Spot 13

TV Spot 12

TV Spot 11

TV Spot 10

TV Spot 9

TV Spot 8

Reviewer notes

Recommended

81/100 The first film in the LOTR timeline, a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, is enlisted as a burglar to help a troop of dwarves retake their mountain home, Erebor, from the dragon, Smaug. Exquisitely well casted, awesome photography, delightful characters and wonderful, exciting and humorous adventures dealing with trolls, orcs, wargs, goblins, stone giants, Gollum and Azog the Defiler.…

Recommended

It's one thing saying this isn't "Lord of the Rings" but it's quite another trying to watch without constantly comparing them. The same style of production with wonderful visual effects, Howard Shore's superb score and for much of the time it features many of the same actors from the earlier Peter Jackson trilogy. Similarly, it takes an age to get going.…

Recommended

There is no doubt that Peter Jackson does a great job bring Tolkien’s fantasies to life, much better, I imagine, than anyone must have assumed when they heard about the Lord of the Rings series way back when. I must confess that I don’t like them as much as I enjoyed reading the books. I am sure there are complex reasons applicable to me.…

Recommended

Of course off the level of its <em>'The Lord of the Rings'</em> predecessors, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed <em>'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'</em>. It has good lure to it, the plot is more than interesting, it features pleasant callbacks and - like LOTR - looks exquisite. As for the casting, I like 'em.…

Recommended

Over a decade after a little-known director from New Zealand managed to con New Line Cinema into giving him $300 million to make a trilogy based on JRR Tolkien's seminal fantasy (and long considered unfilmable) work The Lord of the Rings, the cinematic landscape for fantasy has changed drastically.…

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

An other great master peace has been added the the Lord of The Rings collection. This movie was an excellent example of how great actors, an amazing story and a beautiful world can be produced in such an excellent way. Peter Jackson has out done his self by creating this great film.…

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers

Peter Jackson creates the same world that he already shown us in the LOTR, but that's not the only thing he repeats. He also repeats ripping Tolkiens book into a sucession of endless races and actions scenes with orcs falling everywhere and several "inventions" that mess the beautiful story created by the English author.…

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Gallery

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Details

TMDB audience
7.4/10 (19,861)
Age rating
PG-13
Status
Released
Budget
$250,000,000
Box office
$1,021,103,568
Franchise
The Hobbit Collection
Official site
www.thehobbit.com

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