It is really challenging to consider a critical assessment of The Hobbit. The much-beloved Tolkien novel has to live in many shadows, from the achievements of Peter Jackson’s previous treks into Middle-Earth, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, to the classic Rankin-Bass animated version, to the very novel itself. It’s almost impossible to judge Jackson’s return to Middle Earth without considering... 

It’s been a long, challenging road for The Hobbit. It’s endured lawsuits, studio bankruptcy, and even a change in directors. At times, it didn’t even look like the prequel to the popular Lord of the Rings movies was ever going to be made. On one hand, there were people who were happy with that outlook, feeling like the existing trilogy was so perfect that it was best to leave well enough alone.... 

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them... 

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them... 

We skipped a lot of the new releases this week, which was probably a good move since they tended to average around 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. Instead Jeff and Rafe finally got the chance to see the long-awaited Moon. Check out our review of that and 9 inside, as well as our look at the early films of Matt Damon and editorials/rants on how cynical our society has gotten and the role of women in movies.... 

I’m a big fan of post-apocalyptic stories. Put all of humanity in jeopardy, usually by their own doing, and some great stories can be told. 9 carries on that tradition with a story that removes humanity from the equation altogether, simply killing them off as victims of their own devices. Now, the machines rule the world, and only a handful of humanoid puppet-like rag doll creations – machines...