THE HOBBIT TRILOGY(Limited Edition with Bilbo's Journal) [Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D Blu-ray 

It was bound to disappoint. With expectations at an enormous high, a 48fps experiment in tow, and fandom, both literary and cinematic, frothing at the mouth, poised to strike the moment the first film in The Hobbit trilogy showed the slightest sign of weakness, it was bound to disappoint. And yet it shouldn't have. Criticism continues to run the gamut. Too long! Too slow! Too expansive! Like butter scraped over too much bread! Was anyone really that surprised to see Jackson and company indulge a little? Did the decision to stretch two films into three fail to clue anyone into the fact that An Unexpected Journey would be more akin to a Lord of the Rings extended version than a lean, mean theatrical cut? For that matter, are the same people who swear by The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions actually upset with the end result? By some strange, blinding magic: yes, yes and yes.

Fortunately, it was only bound to disappoint some fans. There are those among us who chose a different path. Those who were familiar with the quaint, charming tale of "The Hobbit," enough so to avoid setting Rings-slaying expectations. Who didn't squander our first viewing of An Unexpected Journey by leaping headlong into an entirely new (and arguably distracting) way of watching a film. Who were overjoyed to immerse ourselves in Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth once again, for whatever length of time he saw fit. No, The Hobbit isn't perfect. It isn't a sacred adaptation of Tolkien's text, or even one that rivals any of The Lord of the Rings films. It's a gorgeous, gripping, at-times enthralling return to Middle-Earth, though, with far more to offer the Peter Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien folds than many are willing or perhaps able to admit.

"Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not?"

 The humble, altogether simple story of "The Hobbit" becomes the grand, still relatively simple story of The Hobbit, with a smart series of additions, refinements and expansions and only a few questionable tweaks or misguided deviations. Told in flashback (with several flashbacks within that flashback), we meet a younger, less impulsive Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), the once and future ring-bearer played in his old age by Ian Holm. Coaxed by Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) into joining thirteen dwarves on a quest to reclaim their kingdom and stockpiles of gold from a vile dragon named Smaug, Bilbo reluctantly embarks on an adventure that takes him from the safety of Hobbiton to the troll and orc-ridden wild, the Elven city of Rivendell, the depths of the Misty Mountains and beyond. Drawing from the original book, Tolkien's Appendices and co-writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro's ever-evolving screenplay, Jackson's Unexpected Journey presents Bilbo as an adventurer-in-the-making in a coming-of-late-age tale, dwarf prince-turned-king Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) as a fallen hero, the unruly dwarves as nomads longing for a rightful place to lay their heads (rather than mere treasure), their quest a more honorable journey, and Gandalf's frequent absences a means to a far greater end: a response to the rise of a sinister Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the stronghold of Dul Guldur.

Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Lord of Rivendell, and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) of Lothlorien return, as does Saruman the White (Christopher Lee), who isn't so willing to accept the news Gandalf and fellow wizard Radagast the Brown (Sylvester McCoy) have to share. Meanwhile, the dwarves -- among them Dwalin (Graham McTavish), Balin (Ken Stott), Bofur (James Nesbitt), Kili (Aidan Turner) and Fili (Dean O'Gorman), who receive the most screentime -- are being tracked by an old foe: Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett), a vindictive orc chieftan who killed Thorin's grandfather before losing an arm in a battle with the dwarf king himself. But other enemies await Thorin, Bilbo and the dwarven company before the first film draws to a close. Rock giants, a trio of lumbering cave trolls, a horde of goblins, their king the Great Goblin (Barry Humphries) and, in a dank cave beneath the goblin halls, a riddle-obsessed creature named Gollum (Andy Serkis), corrupted by a seemingly harmless magic ring that grants its wearer invisibility.

As with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens focus first and foremost on character and story, placing the utmost value on casting, performances and the ensuing adaptation above all else. Freeman isn't an A-lister (or rather wasn't before The Hobbit) but his turn as Bilbo establishes him as the film's greatest casting coup. With Freeman, Bilbo is a fully realized anchor point and unmistakably human for a hobbit. The scene in which he awakes to an empty house -- initially relieved and then, all at once, saddened by the silence -- is one of the best acted beats in Jackson's thus far four-film Middle-Earth saga, and makes everything that follows more convincing and compelling than it would otherwise be. It's these moments, these small amendments not present in the original novel but used to terrific effect in the film, that highlight the balance between performance power and adaptative craft the filmmakers make a habit of employing again and again and again. And it's these moments that carry An Unexpected Journey through less satisfying scenes that rely a bit too heavily on CG and heightened action (the escape from Goblin Town and the Rock Giant run come to mind).

The rest of the ensemble is too talented for one film. (Thank God there'll be three.) McKellen is Gandalf the Grey, and makes a number of interesting choices, from his perfectly rounded affection for Bilbo to his slight irritation at the hobbit's hesitance to strike out with the dwarves. McKellen is also responsible for yet another subtly emotional series exchange, this time with Blanchett, in a tender, easily overlooked moment of intimacy that never fails to send chills racing up my arms, even after this, my fifth viewing. Armitage is excellent too, even though Thorin's disdain for Bilbo is given the spotlight one time too many. With an iron gaze and a coalfire in his chest, he helps Jackson accomplish a dramatic trifecta: infusing the film with an undercurrent of tragedy, giving Bilbo a reason to sacrifice his all for the dwarves and providing the first film with a captivating conflict all its own. The rest of the dwarvish actors, particularly McTavish and Nesbitt, fill out the company nicely and, more importantly, serve Thorin and Bilbo's arcs selflessly. And Serkis? Freeman and Serkis' Riddles in the Dark sequence is engrossing, not just as a through-thread to Lord of the Rings but as a brilliantly staged and shot rendition of one of the book's most iconic encounters. All told, the cast is a true ensemble in every sense of the word. Jackson may not have filled the ranks with more familiar Hollywood faces, but what he nets in return is on-screen comradery, obvious even between Journey's mortal enemies.

If The Hobbit stumbles on its Unexpected Journey, it's not in expanding the tale or the characters, it's in expanding the action and, to a lesser degree, embellishing the visual effects. Tolkien opposed his books being turned into action-oriented spectacles and the last act of The Hobbit, more so even than The Return of the King (which all but required such spectacle), is puffed up and a tad bloated, with whirling swords, a chase scene that goes on a full minute too long, a mountain-pass giant fight that borders on ludicrous (not the fight but the fact that the dwarves end up standing on one of the giants' legs) and a burning treetop showdown that's intense but pure screenwriters' prerogative. None of it kills the film, but it does knock it down a notch, at least in terms of storytelling. Visually, it's immaculate, packed with cutting-edge WETA effects, incredible motion captured creatures and, of course, Gollum, who couldn't look more real. Thankfully, Jackson doesn't turn to computers for every challenge. Middle-Earth is still New Zealand and the practical effects team's masterfully forged props, sets and production design in all their natural and hand-crafted glory; enhanced with CG as needed, sure, but rarely created wholesale in a computer. More to the point, everyone on the production team -- from the costume designers to the armor makers to the weapon masters to the prosthetics masters -- is an integral player in the ensemble, as much as the actors. Like The Lord of the Rings films, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a melting pot of gracious, self-sacrificing talent both in front and behind the camera.

The long and short of it? Even when The Hobbit can't quite carry the Ring, it can carry you.

The Blu-ray edition of The Hobbit wows, dazzles and thoroughly impresses with two stunning 1080p video transfers: an MVC-encoded 3D experience and an AVC-encoded 2D presentation, each true to Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's every intention. But let's focus on the 3D experience, which shares all of the previously reviewed 2D version's strengths and... well, strengths. Allow me to begin with a small word of warning, though. Jackson is a proponent of world-expanding 3D; the sort of 3D that draws its audience into the image rather than assaulting viewers with overabundant gimmicks and screen-puncturing distractions. In the Blu-ray.com forum, the approach has been labeled "conservative 3D," and for the most part, this is conservative 3D. Depth and dimensionality are outstanding, with vast landscapes, convincingly distant horizons, rocks that jut out of the ground, trolls that loom high overhead, wargs whose muzzles inch closer and closer, goblins that push our heroes forward toward a most unsightly, all too three-dimensional Goblin King, and twisted riverfolk who seem to peer out of their cave and into your home theater. The occasional sword, fluttering bird, swinging ax or tumorous sacks of flesh protrude nicely (or not so nicely, depending on the visual), but again, this is by and large a conservative 3D experience.

Not that the impact is lessened in any way. I much prefer inward 3D to outward 3D, whatever the two might be labeled. Inward 3D is more immersive and enveloping, and I find myself less conscious of the particulars of the 3D imagery and more taken by it. This more cinematic 3D translates beautifully to Blu-ray too, without sacrificing the integrity of the native 3D photography or subsequent encode. Moreover, the lush, lovely Shire greens, summer-kissed browns and oranges, moonlit blues pierced by blazing flame, relatively lifelike fleshtones and cavernous blacks that grant its 2D counterpart soul and spirit are intact and unhindered. Impeccable contrast leveling and exceedingly natural shadow delineation certainly help, and the filmmakers' at-times stylized color grading is presented without apparent flaw. Detail is nothing short of extraordinary too. Edge definition is crisp and clean, without any notable ringing, and fine textures are refined and exceptionally rewarding.

3D displays that are prone to ghosting will have difficulty resolving a few shots (most noticeably in long shots of the goblin throne chamber, where tiny torch lights, eager eyes and restless minions are subject to slight crosstalk). As usual, though, any ghosting that pops up is a product of individual 3D displays and glasses, not the 3D encode itself. Moreover, significant aliasing, macroblocking, banding and other issues are absent, and only the slightest hint of noise and negligible crush will give eagle-eyed videophiles pause. Ultimately, Jackson's 3D may not raze your home theater to the ground, but it invites you along on Bilbo's journey, through winding hills, towering forests, massive caverns and beyond. Next stop: 3D Lonely Mountain.

Note: The 3D version of the film is spread generously across two BD-50 discs. The 2D version is then available on a third BD-50 disc, while the special features are housed on a fourth.

As impressive as Warner's video transfer may be, it's The Hobbit's bellowing beast of a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track that leaves the most lasting mark. The LFE channel is forceful yet discerning, producing deep, resonant thooms and weighty low-end support. (Albeit not ideal support, as some filtering has been reported and confirmed. For my part, it isn't a bother. Others will no doubt disagree.) All the while, the rear speakers bristle with engaging, wonderfully effective activity seasoned with convincing directional effects and transparent cross-channel pans. The resulting soundfield is wholly immersive too, dropping the listener into the heart of Erebor, the cozy hobbit holes of Hobbiton, the vast expanse of the wild, the midst of a thunderous rock giant battle, the chaos of an underground Goblin city and the center of a cave where a certain magic ring slips from its master's pocket and bounces along the ground. Dialogue remains crystal clear and intelligible throughout (without a lost or muffled line to be found), Howard Shore's score is sweeping and full, and prioritization is flawless.

Still awaiting an official confirmation of an Extended Edition release? Look no further than either Blu-ray release of An Unexpected Journey and the two and a half hours of extras featured, the overwhelming majority of which have been available online for some time. Hardly the twenty-plus hours of original or exclusive content Peter Jackson and company are known for. That said, the special features on tap at least earn their own Blu-ray disc, not because they're so significant, mind you, but so they can be presented in HD without crowding the feature film.

Unlike the 2D release, which includes two Blu-ray discs (one for the film, one of the bonus material), the 3D version includes four Blu-ray discs: the 3D presentation of The Hobbit is spread across Discs One and Two, Disc Three houses the 2D presentation of the film, and Disc Four is devoted to the high definition extras.

The Desolation of Smaug Sneak Peek Access Code: Copies of The Hobbit come with a 12-digit access code for an exclusive online sneak peek at The Desolation of Smaug, hosted live by Peter Jackson on March 24th at 3pm EST/12pm PST.

New Zealand: Home of Middle-Earth (HD, 7 minutes): Jackson and his team tour the lush, always stunning New Zealand countryside, revealing the locations used to bring The Hobbit's Middle-Earth locales to life.

Video Blogs (HD, 127 minutes): Ten Jackson-helmed online video blogs are available, documenting (but primarily teasing) the production of the then-upcoming theatrical release of An Unexpected Journey. Two hours of content is much appreciated, don't get me wrong. But, excellent, informative and entertaining as they are, the blogs are bound by rules full-fledged production documentaries have the freedom to discard at the outset. Arriving before the film debuted, the blogs' chief goal was secrecy, making them more of an extended two-hour promo for the film than anything more extensive. Entries include:

Start of Production (April 14, 2011)

Location Scouting (July 9, 2011)

Shooting Block One (July 21, 2011)

Filming in 3D (November 4, 2011)

Locations Part I (December 24, 2011)

Locations Part II (March 2, 2012)

Stone St. Studios Tour (June 6, 2012)

Wrap of Principal Photography (July 24, 2012)

Post-Production Overview (November 24, 2012)

Wellington World Premiere (December 14, 2012)

 Trailers (HD, 16 minutes): Six full and alternate Unexpected Journey trailers.

Game Trailers (HD, 2 minutes): Kingdoms of Middle-Earth, Guardians of Middle-Earth and LEGO LOTR.

Debate will continue to rage as to whether The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a worthy precursor and rightful successor to The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Whether it's a faithful adaptation or goes one step too far. Imbues the spirit of Tolkien or tramples on his grave. Could use serious trimming or stands soundly as is. Deserves to pass $1 billion in worldwide box office returns or shows how out of touch with literary classics modern audiences have become. Some will continue to criticize, some will continue to praise. But few can deny Jackson's passion for the material, his team's mastery of their craft, the strength of the ensemble's performances or the various strides the film makes in its own unexpected journey toward becoming a full-fledged trilogy. I, for one, am more than happy to return to Jackson's Middle-Earth and stay there as long as he allows. The film's flaws are minimal in the grand scheme of things and its future installments are ripe with promise. Here's hoping the next two Hobbit films will go one step further and take their place at The Lord of the Rings' side. Thankfully, Warner's 3D Blu-ray release is an excellent one. It doesn't boast the supplemental breadth of its inevitable Extended Edition counterpart, but its stunning video transfer, lovely 3D experience and fantastic DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track more than make up for it. Some fans will no doubt wait for the Extended Edition release. I get it. Me? I'll be enjoying my copy of the theatrical cut -- in 2D and 3D -- as well as the Desolation of Smaug exclusive sneak peek, biding my time over the next few months in anticipation of what Jackson has up his sleeve next.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 3D Blu-ray

Let's get one thing out of the way from the start: as a faithful adaptation of the second act of Tolkien's beloved book, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug fails, and fails spectacularly. It not only represents filmmaker Peter Jackson's loosest Tolkien adaptation to date (far more so than An Unexpected Journey), it fundamentally alters key events, characters, themes and climactic encounters, sacrificing cherished story beats and subtleties for the sake of bigger, badder, grander movie magic and, worse, the expectations and attention spans of fickle audiences. Defenders of the Original Text will neither be pleased nor amused, and find Jackson has taken several steps too many to expand and energize the second entry in his Hobbit trilogy. The more you treasure Tolkien's work, the more your distaste for The Desolation of Smaug will grow as the film hurtles toward its action-packed endgame.

As a film, though -- particularly as the action-oriented midpoint of a much larger action-fantasy trilogy -- Jackson's second chapter works, and works quite spectacularly. Divorced from the text, which is treated more like a rough outline than a sacred tome (a la The Lord of the Rings), The Desolation of Smaug is a brisk, thrilling, well-executed adventure through the dark wilderness of Tolkien's Middle-earth. The drama of the dwarves' quest to reclaim their homeland has been heightened, even enriched, exponentially. The heart of Bilbo's tale continues to pump the saga's lifeblood, even when the brave little Hobbit is reduced to a less crucial hero in Thorin's company. Secondary heroes and villains that were once sketches on the page are fully developed and that much more intriguing. And the journey, for all its faults, is suddenly more gripping, progressing with a confidence, clarity of purpose, breakneck pace and dazzling craftsmanship that's entirely Jackson and entirely engrossing. Does Jackson make mistakes along the way? Absolutely, and plenty of 'em. Arguably more here than in An Unexpected Journey, although debate will rage as to what constitutes a mistake and what constitutes boldness. The real question is, does his ambitious imagination and at-times unchained id deliver? You bet, so long as you're willing to accept The Desolation of Smaug on its own terms rather than holding it to the flame of Tolkien's fire.

 Drawing closer and closer to their destination...

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continues his journey with Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) and a company of thirteen Dwarves on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company, led by heir to the throne Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), travels East, encountering skin-changer Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt) and a swarm of giant spiders in the treacherous, winding forests of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the Wood-elves and their king, Thranduil (Lee Pace), the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, where they meet Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all: a creature more terrifying than any other that will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself... the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Desolation races towards the Halls of Erebor without taking so much as a breath, abandoning the longer, more character-driven stretches of An Unexpected Journey in favor of increasingly joyous, almost impish outbursts of rapidfire action and grand-scale peril. Jackson hasn't left much room for a scene between Bilbo and, well, anyone other than Smaug, but there also isn't the prevailing distrust between Bilbo and Thorin that required the first film to slow down and deal with simmering conflict within the Company. And with introductions out of the way, there's little reason to do anything other than dive right into the next leg of the journey. Our little Hobbit hero has officially proven himself worthy of Thorin's respect now, and Jackson thankfully doesn't retread familiar ground or dig up old angst. Thorin, meanwhile, takes full ownership of the Company's quest (albeit at the expense of poor, Ring-addled Bilbo, who's once too often demoted to supporting player). Armitage takes ownership as well, delivering a commanding, layered performance that's strong enough to justify the prince's promotion. Here he's a more complex and haunted would-be king than the gruff, tough to please nomad that scoffed and scowled at Bilbo throughout An Unexpected Journey. Freeman still finds plenty of scenes and passing encounters to swipe, though, chief among them an early moment in Mirkwood where the budding adventurer realizes the lengths to which he's suddenly capable of going with the Ring in his possession.

Not that the remaining cast members are deprived of opportunities to shine. McKellan is as warmly wizened and lovably crusty a wizard as ever, with a number of visually striking sequences to his name that rather successfully dovetail The Hobbit into The Lord of the Rings. (The biggest problem being a rampant case of prequelitis, wherein the known outcome of Gandalf's toe-to-toe with the Necromancer deprives the showdown of intended heft. Still, better than having a wizard who disappears for no reason when he's most needed. Ahem.) The dwarves are also showcased now and again, not to mention a bit easier to distinguish, with the perfectly cast Ken Stott (Balin), Graham McTavish (Dwalin) and James Nesbitt (Bofur) making room in the spotlight for Kili (Aidan Turner) and Fili (Dean O'Gorman). Sure, John Callen (Oin), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), William Kircher (Bifur), Mark Hadlow (Dori), Jed Brophy (Nori), Adam Brown (Ori) and Bombur (Stephen Hunter) are largely comic relief and interchangeable background filler. So what? Each actor earns at least three memorable lines or gags that help set him apart from the rest of his colorful brothers in arms.

Then there's the ever-expanding Hobbit family. Orlando Bloom is effective in his return to the role as Legolas, even if everyone's favorite elf essentially enters the fray as an unlikable thug. (Personally, I dig Dark Legolas; if nothing else, Jackson is laying the groundwork for a redemptive turn-on-daddy arc bound to tie up nicely in the final installment of the trilogy.) Evangeline Lilly makes a fine Mirkwood elf, adding a touch of depth and welcome femme ferocity to the male-dominated proceedings. Her Tauriel may be wholly invented -- perhaps even wholly unnecessary, if a love triangle is all she turns out to be good for -- but, like Legolas' presence, that all depends on where There and Back Again runs with her character. Luke Evans plays a solemn but refreshingly fleshed out Bard the Bowman; racked with a smartly concocted mix of roguish nobility, generations-old guilt and quiet resolve. And both Pace and Cumberbatch rise to the occasion, crafting two very different but very formidable foes in the elf king and the titular dragon. Thranduil is on track to be one of the more nuanced villains in the trilogy, doling out fire and brimstone with an air of high-minded self-righteousness, while Smaug brings more weight to the table than the spiders, the Necromancer, Azog (Manu Bennett) and Azog's mangled son Bolg (Lawrence Makoare) put together.

Yes, a number of questionable plotting and storytelling decisions have been made. (The most unforgivable being those that revolve around Smaug and a wildly out-of-place third act skirmish in Erebor.) Yes, action most certainly trumps drama. And yes, the this but that critiquing littering this review is evidence of how hit or miss Desolation can be here and there. Here and there. It's hard to walk away from the film without some level of satisfaction; unless, again, your love of the text is such that you can't set aside thoughts of what The Hobbit could have been. (To quote a disgruntled member, "Jackson shoulda stuck with the damn book.") The liberties the filmmaker takes, though, free the film and allow it to flit about on the wind in a dazzling dance of swords, arrows, magic, flawed heroes, vile monsters, stirring music and sweeping visual effects. The more I focus in on the various pieces of The Desolation of Smaug, the more I feel the need to fly to the top of the page and lower my score. However, the more I suppress the urge to scrutinize every frayed edge or dwell on my attachment to Tolkien's original work, the easier it is to sit back, let go and embrace an invigorating ride through Jackson's Middle-earth. Perfect? No. Desolation is as problematic as Journey, albeit for completely opposite reasons. Fun? Thrilling? Eye-gouging and jaw-dropping? Yep. Enough to make the second part of Jackson's trilogy easy to digest, enjoy and, ultimately, recommend.

Similar to the palette shift that occurs when moving from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Two Towers, The Desolation of Smaug is a much darker, bleaker film than An Unexpected Journey. The same goes for Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded 2D and MVC-encoded 3D video presentations. Shadows are greedier, the cloak of night more oppressive, delineation less forgiving, and crush a bit more of a nuisance than before. Even so, the two transfers remain excellent examples of what high definition affords; each one rich in detail, lovely to behold, and utterly faithful to Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's dramatic digital color grading. Skintones are perfectly saturated (or desaturated, as is typically the case here), black levels are satisfying (albeit a touch muted in Mirkwood and Erebor), and contrast is spot on, with very little in the way of distractions. (The few that do arise trace back to the filmmakers and/or the FX.) Clarity is also remarkable in both 2D and 3D, with crisp edges free from aliasing and ringing, refined textures that capture every last subtlety of the film's production design and costumes, and a pleasing veneer of grain that doesn't hinder the image in any way.

In 3D, the experience is perhaps even more stunning, with a level of depth and dimensionality reserved only for the best of the best 3D releases. The aforementioned bleakness and darkness doesn't take a toll on the MVC-encoded 3D presentation, nor does it muddle Jackson's imagery in any way. Orc swords pierce the screen. Forests extend into the distance. Mountains spill back to the horizon. Rivers rage as barrels race to safety. Elves leap overhead. Spiders lunge at the viewer. Drawn bows point arrows beyond the bounds of the film. The streets of Laketown snake into the city. Dwarven monoliths tower above Bilbo and the Company. And Smaug looms larger and more menacingly above the fray. Then there are the veils of cobwebs, sea of trees, canopy of leaves and butterflies, crowds of onlookers, sheets of dragon scales, oceans of gold, and columns that allow one to sense the vastness of Erebor's halls. All of it is convincing and oh so immersive, with wide vistas boasting as much 3D oomph as the most intimate close-ups. Add to that a lack of significant aliasing, shimmering, ghosting or other issues associated with 3D and you easily have what's already one of the finest 3D releases of the year.

Better still, artifacting, banding and other significant enemies of the crown are held at bay; again, both in the 2D and 3D presentations of the film. (A half-dozen unsightly, lower definition GoPro Camera shots unfortunately pepper the barrel escape sequence, but each one only appears for a split second and, again, is attributable to Jackson and Lesnie, not Warner's encoding efforts.) All told, The Desolation of Smaug is gorgeous regardless of which version you choose to watch. Jackson's rabid fans will be rewarded for their allegiance.

Note: The 3D presentation of the film is spread across two BD-50 discs while the 2D presentation is housed on a single BD-50. As far as the eye can discern, there are no notable differences in quality between the two, even with the bitrate trending a bit higher in the 2-disc 3D presentation.

There was a small but vocal minority of audiophiles who expressed concern over An Unexpected Journey's lossless audio mix because its low-end output wasn't all it could be. I admittedly didn't notice anything amiss at the time of my review, and still find it difficult to discern any shortcoming when revisiting the first film's Blu-ray release. Did I encounter any such issue with Desolation of Smaug? No, although those who pore over specs and bitrates may find the same problem here. So why even bring it up? I too want the best that a studio can deliver, so bravo to those who uncover these sorts of things. It's important to know. I just wonder how much of the offending issue is actually perceptible to the human ear and how much is driven by the power of tech-spec suggestion.

But I digress. Having listened to Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track multiple times, I have yet to find a single fault. It excels in every area. Dialogue is intelligible, believably grounded in Jackson's Middle-earth, and meticulously prioritized. It doesn't have to compete with the many, many action scenes that threaten to overwhelm it at any given moment, nor does it suffer or struggle when rivers rage, dragons roar or castles crumble. Dynamics are terrific too, and the LFE channel bolsters each element that requires its aid, granting everything from Beorn's rampages to the windstorm of Smaug's leathery wings tremendous weight and presence. The rear speakers are just as prepared for any challenge Jackson presents. The skittering of Mirkwood spiders. A fluttering sea of butterflies atop a deadly forest canopy. The lapping of water in Laketown. The angry tendrils that hiss and screech at Gandalf's light shield. The shower of gold coins that rain down whenever Smaug explodes from his nest. The flames that fill the halls of Erebor when the beast attacks. Directionality is exceptionally precise, pans are wonderfully transparent, and the soundfield is as immersive as I could have hoped for. I'm more than satisfied with the results.

Peter Jackson Invites You to the Set (HD, 41 minutes): Divided into two parts -- "In the Company of The Hobbit" and "All in a Day's Work" -- Jackson's invitation doc details the cast and crew's daily routines, from pre-dawn calls to scene blocking, shooting, lunchtime, choreographing and end-of-day festivities.

Production Videos (HD, 37 minutes): Four production featurettes are included: "Introduction to Pick-Ups Shooting," "Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 1," "Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 2" and "Music Scoring." The first three visit Stone Street Studios for extra bits of filming and post-production, while the fourth visits composer Howard Shore in his composing studio and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at Wellington Town Hall.

Live Event: In the Cutting Room (HD, 38 minutes): An archival version of the March 2013 worldwide live event in which Jackson fielded fan questions and offered a tour of his production facilities.

New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth, Part 2 (HD, 7 minutes): A brief overview of the New Zealand locations and countrysides used to bring Jackson's Middle-earth to life on screen.

Trailers & Previews (HD, 12 minutes): Three Desolation of Smaug trailers are joined by three additional promos for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit LEGO videogame and The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth videogame.

Music Video (HD, 2 minutes): "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran.

The Desolation of Smaug isn't a perfect film, and certainly isn't a perfect adaptation of the middle stretch of Tolkien's book. It wanders farther off the beaten path than An Unexpected Journey, and that film loved to go skipping off through the forest now and again. Desolation is a thrilling action-adventure fantasy, though, with a whirlwind trip through Jackson's Middle-earth that's as exciting as it is energetic. Long story short, the filmmakers deliver. The cast delivers. The crew, production design, visual effects and music deliver. And the film, flawed though it may be, delivers. So too does Warner's Blu-ray release, thanks to a staggering AV presentation worth every penny. Yes, a must-have Extended Edition is inbound this fall; no doubt with hours upon hours of special features. That said, the two-plus hours of extras included here isn't too shabby. If you're anxious to add both the theatrical and extended cuts to your collection, you definitely won't regret the purchase. However, if you're more frugal with your BD dollar, you may want to wait for the Big Bad Edition due this November.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies 3D Blu-ray

I try not to think about The Hobbit movies too hard these days. Especially The Battle of the Five Armies. I've spent the last three months doing everything I can to avoid thinking about director Peter Jackson's third Hobbit and sixth Rings installment. The more I dwell on it, the more I dislike it. I stopped mulling it over when that dislike started to take on a frightening intensity, and moved on with life. Armies is fine, I suppose... in a dutifully but dully entertaining sort of way. Granted, its flaws are far more apparent than previous Hobbit entries, Jackson's love of cartoonish hijinks is at an all time high, and everything from the plotting to the pacing to the hurried finale feel less and less like a Lord of the Rings prequel as the film trudges along. But it's hard to out and out hate a movie made with the level of sheer, increasingly silly joy Jackson invests here, even as he teeters into self-parody and ramps the action up so high that the whole of The Hobbit saga nearly comes tumbling down.

When last we left dear Master Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin (Richard Armitage) and his dwarven kin had entered Erebor, only to inadvertently unleash the deadly dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) on the nearby human settlement of Laketown. Meanwhile, half a world away, Gandalf (Ian McKellan) had been captured by the Necromancer (also Cumberbatch), who was revealed to be that ancient evil, Sauron. As The Battle of the Five Armies lurches off the starting line, Jackson makes all too quick work of both storylines; pitting Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) and his last black arrow against Smaug the Magnificent in a fight atop a burning Laketown tower, and assembling Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) to Dol Guldur to rescue the Grey Wizard from the clutches of Sauron and the ghostly Nazgûl.

The problem is both subplots are resolved so hastily that the film begins its first-act run on a bad ankle, stumbling into an anticlimactic hitch from the get-go. It's clear Smaug should have been dealt with -- to completion -- by the end of the second film. Not tacked onto the opening of the third as a notably truncated ten-minute vignette. Also clear: the Sauron fight Jackson has been building towards since An Unexpected Journey was (mostly) for nothing. Wrapped up with a poorly realized light show and a shrug of the shoulders, it begs the question: why was the Necromancer presented as such a threat when his defeat would be handed to our heroes so easily? (Although perhaps more pressing a question is this: was the Sauron showdown left on the shelf until the last minute? The Weta Workshop visual effects are uncharacteristically weak, looking like the product of a throwback '80s fantasy rather than a film with a multi-million dollar budget.)

With Smaug and the Necromancer out of the way (among other developments, like Bard's semi-reluctant rise to leader of men), it's on to the protracted second act of The Battle of the Five Armies. Or rather, the remainder of what's essentially a sprawling action scene spread across an hour and a half of screentime. The spectacle feels thin. Sort of stretched. Like butter scraped over too much bread. And the final word in what was once a heated debate -- should The Hobbit have been split into three films? -- is now practically certain. No. Jackson should have stuck with a lean, mean two films, shaving the fat, ditching the filler, and sticking with the core of everything that makes J.R.R. Tolkien's original book the breezy, delightful adventure it is. Interestingly, Jackson visibly suffers the consequences of his decision, finding himself in a predicament he's never encountered on a Rings project. There's very little ground left to cover in The Battle of the Five Armies and plenty of time to cover it, making it the most bloated film in The Hobbit trilogy despite having the shortest runtime of any entry in the six-movie Rings saga.

The story doesn't unfold, it explodes. Thorin continues to spiral into madness, and the dwarves prepare for war while contemplating a mutiny of sorts. Bilbo is further relegated to the proverbial bench, with almost nothing of significance to do beyond delivering the Arkenstone to Lee Pace's Thranduil. Legolas (Orlando Bloom) finally makes his full transformation into a videogame protagonist, controlling a troll by driving a sword into its head and steering it by way of its brainy bits, running up falling rocks mid-swordfight, and performing other head-shaking feats of physics-defying godhood. Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel's (Evangeline Lilly) near-romance is milked for all its worth. Ryan Gage's Alfrid is in the mix for... erm, some reason, Wormtonguing in Bard's ear. (And he pops up. A lot.) Thranduil and Bard are eventually sidelined, without the compelling closure to their arcs The Desolation of Smaug seemed to promise. Plenty of alpha-male chest-puffing consumes Thorin, Thranduil and guest dwarf Dáin (Billy Connolly, having a blast). Azog returns. The worms from Tremors make a cameo. Some rousing but repetitive violence ensues, with a few inspired details cooked up in the always attentive production lab. (The signal towers used by the orcs and goblin hordes to coordinate field movements are an especially subtle but nice touch.) And the titular battle of the five armies shifts and evolves as expected, with largely CG legions barreling headlong into opposing CG hordes.

There are several admittedly moving character beats, the majority of which prevent the film from leaping foolishly into heap after heap of Big Dumb Fun. Freeman's scenes with Armitage and McKellan are among the film's best, Pace exudes authority and fury with unnerving focus, the Company actors seize a number of sequences and declare them their own (Turner, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott and Dean O'Gorman chief among them), and Lilly flexes her dramatic muscle, even as Tauriel remains one of Jackson's more controversial additions to the story. The rest of the cast is terrific as well, no matter how questionable some script and story choices might be, but the war is what you paid for, and the war is what Jackson delivers. The same could be said of The Return of the King I suppose, but its stakes were higher, sacrifices greater, villains more captivating, heroes more magnetic, and its battles more grounded and invigorating.

Bottom line? The Battle of the Five Armies is a decently engaging three-star amusement park ride, but be warned: the more you scrutinize, the deeper you look, and the closer you examine all the moving parts, the more dissatisfied you're likely to become. And it isn't long before that dissatisfaction breeds disappointment. Movie magic gives way to cheap tricks, character drama is often minimalized, and too much heavy lifting is left to the always excellent cast, who aren't given much to work with in Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens' grunt-heavy screenplay. Just over the course of penning this review, my trigger finger has been itching, tempting me to drop my movie score another half-point. So why so much contempt? The trajectory of The Hobbit films has been clear since the dwarves faced the Goblin King in An Unexpected Journey, as has Jackson's relative lack of real passion for Tolkien's text. With The Lord of the Rings trilogy, every effort was made to honor the books, barring several widely discussed changes the filmmakers' acknowledged countless times as necessary evils. Jackson didn't have a burning desire to make The Hobbit trilogy, though; signing on only after Guillermo del Toro bowed out. That initial reluctance seeps into The Battle of the Five Armies. It's not that Jackson isn't passionate about the film he's made. He is, and his joy oozes out of each shot, scene and delirious clash of the Tolkien titans. It's just that his passion isn't in the original story. He loved Tolkien's "Rings." He merely had a fondness for "The Hobbit," and the difference becomes fairly obvious when comparing both trilogies.

The Battle of the Five Armies is more successful when viewed solely as a conclusion of Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. As the sixth and final piece in his Rings saga, as a bridge between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, or as an action drama, there are more serious problems that undermine the things Jackson is working to accomplish. Perhaps some revelatory material has been saved for the November 2015 Extended Edition that will right character-arc wrongs and add depth to the shallowness of all the spectacle. However, if that's the case, another issue presents itself. At 144 minutes, there's room for additional material in the theatrical version of The Battle of the Five Armies. If the Extended Edition runtime parallels the theatrical runtimes of An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug, Jackson will be accused (perhaps rightfully so) of withholding scenes the film desperately needed, all to preserve extra minutes for the EE cut. Could this be the last lingering consequence of dividing The Hobbit into three filler- riddled chapters? My Spidey Sense is tingling. Until we find out for sure, though, we're left with little choice but to hope for the best and settle for the lesser of the three Hobbit theatrical releases.

The 3D Combo Pack release of The Battle of the Five Armies features a 1080p/AVC-encoded 2D video presentation and an MVC-encoded 3D experience, both of which are impressive, striking, and comparable to the Blu-ray releases of An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug. There's some minor but noticeable crush here and there, as well as a few anomalies born from Jackson's at-times aggressive digital color grading, but none of it proves all that distracting. Even the darkest scenes look great, without much to nitpick or criticize. Colors are largely bleak and wintry, with searing skies and ominous shadows framing a rather stark image, gray, blue and purple tones dominating the palette throughout the film's titular battle, and high contrast whitewashing a number of overcast scenes. Several sequences offer richer, warmer hues -- Smaug's attack in particular -- but these are the exception rather than the rule. Still, it's perfectly in step with Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's intentions and quite stunning on the whole, not to mention free from significant artifacting, banding, aliasing and other issues. Detail is terrific too, with crisp, razor-sharp edges, refined textures and revealing close-ups.

The 3D experience is perhaps even more jaw-dropping than its 2D counterpart, and without any additional aliasing or crosstalk sensitivity that might spoil the wow factor. A handful of scenes are a tad flat by comparison to those that come before and after, but it hardly matters. The bulk of the battle expands outward, along fields strewn with corpses, and far into the distance with convincing, occasionally breathtaking depth of field. A variety of shots perch high above the battlefield, reveling in the full breadth of the armies and hordes, as well as the burning cities, chaotic encampments and crumbling fortresses, while others dive into the thick of the fight, capturing the film's heroes and villains with outstanding dimensionality that brings the characters to three-dimensional life. The Battle of the Five Armies is short on 3D gimmickry too. Jackson has his fun now and again, but rarely in a way that yanks the viewer out of the immersive visual experience. All told, like the two films that precede it, the third entry in The Hobbit trilogy delivers the high definition goods.

No complaints here. Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track is another winner, bolstered by the deafening chorus of war Jackson and company wholeheartedly embrace at every turn. Dragons roar, fires rage, arrows fly, magic surges, swords clash, axes fall, iron meets steel, trolls crash through walls, towers topple, buildings collapse, Were-worms erupt from the ground, wargs snarl, dwarven shields form walls, elves leap into the fray, orcs and goblins charge to their deaths, and Thorin and his allies go toe to toe with all manner of beast, monster and villain. And every arrow shunks into place, every piece of armor shink shinks with weight, every strike carries strength. Low-end output is hearty and powerful, lending heft and presence to anything and everything that requires oomph. Rear speaker activity is engaging and absorbing, complete with precise directional effects, slick cross-channel pans, and an enveloping soundfield that's as inviting as it is immersive. Add to that dialogue that never fails or falters -- thanks to intelligible, convincingly grounded voices and flawless prioritization -- and you have a 7.1 lossless track that's armed to the teeth and ready for battle.

New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth Part 3 (HD, 6 minutes): The third and final overview of the various New Zealand locations used to bring Jackson's Middle-earth to life on screen.

Recruiting the Five Armies (HD, 12 minutes): Meet the jovial extras of The Battle of the Five Armies as they get in costume, prep for battle, chow down at lunch time, and make the lead actors look especially heroic during the climactic showdown. It's a fun behind the scenes piece, with a few hearty laughs for good measure.

Completing Middle-earth: A Six-Part Saga (HD, 10 minutes): Director Peter Jackson introduces "the last piece of the puzzle" and discusses the connective tissue that joins it within the six-film Rings epic.

Completing Middle-earth: A Seventeen-Year Journey (HD, 9 minutes): Over the course of nearly two decades, Jackson and company immersed themselves in Tolkien's Middle-earth, delivering one of the most ambitious film series ever committed to film.

The Last Goodbye: Behind the Scenes (HD, 11 minutes): Jackson, writer/co-producer Philippa Boyens and others take a look at the writing and recording of the song that graces the film's end credits: actor Billy Boyd's "The Last Goodbye."

Music Video (HD, 4 minutes): "The Last Goodbye" with Boyd.

Trailers (HD, 4 minutes): A Five Armies trailer and a Desolation of Smaug EE promo.

The Battle of the Five Armies is the weakest entry in The Hobbit trilogy, which also happens to make it the weakest film in Jackson's six-chapter Rings saga. It's not a terrible film, just rather uninspired, with a burdensome series of showdowns that provide closure but little else. Ah well. The cast is as terrific as ever, Jackson's battle scenes are reasonably exciting, and several strong character beats help pull it through to the end. Warner's 3D Blu-ray release is much better, though you'll have to wait for the Extended Edition later this year to find the special features everyone wants to see. Fortunately, its excellent video presentation, first class 3D experience and powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track will make the wait a bit easier to bear. Will the Extended Edition save The Battle of the Five Armies from Phantom Menace levels of divisiveness and dismissal? Time will tell. Until then, the outlook isn't entirely positive.