Mike and I had a great date night last night and headed over to see The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Director: Peter Jackson

Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage

Runtime: 2 hours, 49 minutes

Plot Summary (from IMDb): Bilbo Baggins is swept into a quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome 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 Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Rating: Theater.

I love, love, love this movie. They have done an awesome job in maintaining consistency across the whole series… this is probably my favorite one I’ve seen so far. The story centers around the dwarves who are on a quest to regain control of their mountain. They’re a lively bunch that sing, dance, and love to eat. I love Ian McKellen in the role of Gandalf and Martin Freeman did a great job as young Bilbo. This is definitely a movie that you should see in the theater – it’s another long one, but it doesn’t feel like it!

Ratings Explanation:

• Theater: This means the movie is awesome. Go see this movie in the theater – well worth the $100 you’ll spend for a night out to see it on the big screen!
• On Demand: Since no one actually rents movies anymore, this category has changed to On Demand. This means it’s a great movie, but it is as good at home as it is in the theater and worth seeing a little sooner.
• TV: This means the movie is ok. Wait for it to show up on HBO and see it for free.
• Skip It: Movie sucks, don’t waste your time.