In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, whose comfortable and quiet existence is suddenly upended by the arrival of the wizard Gandalf the Grey and a boisterous company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug, Bilbo must journey through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, where he will encounter a creature that will change his life—and Middle-earth—forever: Gollum.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States New Zealand |
Premiere date |
December 14, 2012 |
Running time |
169 minutes |
Genre |
Fantasy Adventure Action |
Budget |
$180,000,000 |
Box Office |
$1,017,003,568 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Peter Jackson |
Produced by |
Carolynne Cunningham Zane Weiner Fran Walsh Peter Jackson |
Written by |
Fran Walsh Philippa Boyens Peter Jackson Guillermo del Toro |
Music by |
Howard Shore |
Cinematography |
Andrew Lesnie |
Edited by |
Jabez Olssen |
Production Co. |
New Line Cinema Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) WingNut Films |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #01 in The Hobbit Collection
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The Plot
The Fall of Erebor and the Long-Expected Party
Approaching his 111th birthday, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins begins to chronicle the full story of his adventures from sixty years prior, intending to leave the record for his nephew, Frodo. He recounts the history of the Dwarf kingdom under the Lonely Mountain, where King Thrór brought about an era of immense prosperity. However, this wealth attracted the attention of the great dragon Smaug. Descending upon the mountain in a storm of fire, Smaug destroyed the nearby human town of Dale and drove the Dwarves out of their ancestral home, claiming their vast hoard of gold for himself. Amidst the chaos of the exodus, Thrór’s grandson, Thorin Oakenshield, spotted King Thranduil and his army of Wood-elves watching from a nearby hillside. Thorin was left heartbroken and furious when Thranduil, unwilling to risk his own kin against the dragon's wrath, turned his forces away, sparking Thorin's everlasting hatred for Elves.
In the Shire, fifty years prior to the framing story, a younger, settled 50-year-old Bilbo is tricked by the wizard Gandalf the Grey into hosting a chaotic dinner party. Thirteen dwarves invade Bag End: Balin, Dwalin, FÃli, KÃli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur, led by the legendary Thorin Oakenshield. Gandalf reveals his purpose: to recruit Bilbo as a "burglar" to help them retake the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo initially refuses the dangerous contract, overwhelmed by the prospect of dragon-fire and death. However, waking up to a quiet, empty house the next morning, he has a sudden change of heart. Seizing the contract, he races out of Hobbiton to join the company on their pony trek, officially beginning his adventure.
Trolls, Blades, and the Brown Wizard
As the company travels deeper into the wild, they are captured one night by three mountain trolls—Tom, Bert, and William—who debate how to cook them. Bilbo, attempting to prove his worth as a burglar, tries to stall the trolls by suggesting complex cooking methods and arguing that the dwarves are diseased, buying time until dawn. Gandalf arrives just as the sun rises, splitting a boulder to expose the trolls to sunlight, which instantly turns them to stone. In the trolls' cave, the company discovers a hoard of treasure and ancient Elven blades. Thorin claims Orcrist (the Goblin-cleaver), Gandalf takes Glamdring (the Foe-hammer), and the wizard finds a small Elven shortsword which glows blue when Orcs are near, gifting it to Bilbo.
Their journey is interrupted by the arrival of Radagast the Brown, an eccentric wizard who commands a sled pulled by Rhosgobel rabbits. He speaks fearfully of a dark presence he encountered at the old fortress of Dol Guldur: a Necromancer who is corrupting the greenwood with dark magic. Suddenly, the group is hunted by Orcs mounted on Wargs. Radagast acts as a decoy, leading the Wargs on a chase while Gandalf guides the dwarves through a hidden stone passage. This path leads them safely into the hidden valley of Rivendell, much to Thorin's displeasure.
The White Council and the Moon Letters
In Rivendell, Lord Elrond offers the travelers hospitality and assists them by reading the moon letters on Thrór's map—ancient runes visible only by the light of the same moon under which they were written. Elrond reveals that a secret door into the Lonely Mountain will be visible only on Durin's Day. While the dwarves rest, Gandalf meets with the White Council: Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the White. Gandalf presents a Morgul blade that Radagast recovered from Dol Guldur, arguing that the Necromancer is not a human sorcerer but a darker power linked to the Witch-king of Angmar. Saruman remains skeptical, dismissing the threat and expressing concern over the dwarves' quest to awaken a dragon.
Sensing Saruman's intent to stop the mission, Gandalf secretly signals the dwarves to leave Rivendell without him. By the time Saruman requests that the quest be halted, the dwarves are already gone. Galadriel, understanding Gandalf's intuition, encourages him, and the wizard departs to follow his friends.
Thunder Battle and the Goblin Town
The company crosses into the treacherous Misty Mountains, where they find themselves caught in a colossal thunder-battle between stone giants. Seeking refuge from the storm and the crushing rocks, they enter a cave, only to be trapped when the floor opens up, dumping them into a goblin tunnel network. They are captured by a horde of goblins and brought before the grotesque Great Goblin. Bilbo, having slipped away unnoticed during the capture, falls into a deep cavern. There, he encounters Gollum, a wretched creature who accidentally drops a golden ring while killing a stray goblin.
Bilbo pockets the ring and is soon confronted by Gollum. To stall for time and find a way out, Bilbo agrees to a game of riddles: if Bilbo wins, Gollum must show him the exit; if he loses, Gollum will eat him. After a tense exchange, Bilbo wins by asking, "What have I got in my pocket?" Gollum, unable to guess, realizes his "Precious" is missing and deduces Bilbo has it. Enraged, Gollum attacks. Bilbo discovers the ring grants invisibility when worn. Though he has a clear opening to kill Gollum with his sword, he takes pity on the miserable creature and spares him, leaping over Gollum to escape. Gollum screams curses at the "thief" Baggins as Bilbo flees.
Out of the Frying Pan
Meanwhile, the Great Goblin inspects the dwarves' weapons and recognizes Thorin, revealing that Azog the Defiler—the pale Orc war-chief who beheaded King Thrór in Moria—has placed a bounty on Thorin’s head. Just as the Goblins prepare to torture them, Gandalf arrives in a burst of magic, slaying the Great Goblin and leading the dwarves on a frantic escape through the mountain tunnels. The company bursts out of the mountain side, where Bilbo rejoins them. He keeps the ring a secret, claiming he used his wits to escape.
Their relief is short-lived as Azog and his hunter orcs ambush them. Trapped on the edge of a cliff, the company climbs into pine trees to escape the Wargs. Azog orders the trees burned. As the flames rise and the tree roots give way, Thorin, seeing his nemesis, draws his sword and charges Azog. The Orc chief easily overpowers Thorin, and the Warg knocks him unconscious. Before Azog can behead the dwarf king, Bilbo summons his courage, rushing forward to defend Thorin's fallen body. He kills an orc and stands his ground against the monsters.
The Eagles and the Lonely Mountain
Just as the company is about to be overrun, a flock of Great Eagles, summoned by Gandalf via a moth, descends upon the battlefield. They snatch the dwarves, Bilbo, and the wizard from the burning trees and cast the Wargs over the cliffs. The Eagles fly the company to safety, depositing them on the Carrock, a large rock formation far from the threat. Gandalf revives the unconscious Thorin.
Upon waking and realizing Bilbo saved his life, Thorin renounces his previous disdain for the halfling, embracing him and acknowledging his bravery. The company looks out toward the horizon, where the Lonely Mountain stands tall in the distance, their ultimate destination finally in sight. Meanwhile, inside the mountain, the sound of a thrush knocking a snail against a stone echoes through the vast halls, reaching the gold hoard. Beneath the coins, the eye of Smaug snaps open.
