The Hobbit is an exciting and adventurous prequel to the Lord of the Rings film series.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is a 2012 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson. It is the first of a three-part film adaptation of the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, to be followed by “The Desolation of Smaug” and “There and Back Again,” due for theatrical release in 2013 and 2014, respectively. The three films together will act as prequels to Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

“It was a whole lot better than I had anticipated. The ending really leaves me wanting to see the upcoming sequels,” said Grade 9 student Jed.

The story is set in Middle Earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, and portions of the film are adapted from the appendices to Tolkien’s The Return of the King novel.

“An Unexpected Journey” tells of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who is convinced by the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to accompany 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on a quest across Middle Earth to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. The film premiered in New Zealand on 28 November 2012 and was released internationally from 12 December 2012.

Farah from Grade 9 says “It was incredibly amazing, especially in 3D!”

With over $886 million at the box office so far, it is the fourth highest-grossing film of 2012, and the 28th highest-grossing film of all time.