Peter Jackson strikes again. This spot could theoretically apply to either of The Hobbit films released so far, but as the first one, An Unexpected Journey, is a whole 8 minutes longer than The Desolation of Smaug, we'll give it to that one. Yes, An Unexpected Journey clocks in at 169 minutes, and is also clearly the more padded and overstuffed of the two, a result of Warner allowing Jackson to indulge his every whim and fancy, turning a 310 page book into over 8 hours of films. It's clear to see where the padding is, also. The opening Shire sequence of the film is roughly 45 minutes long, about double the length it needs to be, and the majority of the Rivendell scene, in which we briefly see Galadriel, Saruman and Elrond, should be left to the Extended Edition because it doesn't add enough to the plot (hence it being so vaguely mentioned in the book). Are there any excessively long films I missed? Let me know!
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
