The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for the first of his three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel. Sixty years before "The Lord of the Rings," Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is recruited by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to join a band of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on a quest to reclaim their kingdom, leading the young hobbit to the acquisition of a "precious" magical relic. With Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. 169 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French; video blogs. Two-disc set.