Peter Jackson

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug isn’t necessarily better or worse than its predecessor, but more like an inverse of all of An Unexpected Journey ’s positives and negatives. Instead of an opening hour that sets things up in excruciating detail and a final two hours of exciting story, Smaug has a pretty entertaining, fast paced and swiftly moving opening 100 minutes before giving into repetitive indulgence that exists for no reason except to drag the story out over three movies.

This Week in DVD: 3/26/13

Did you miss almost all of our theatrical coverage around the holidays? Well this week we look at some of the biggest late 2012 releases including The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Lincoln , Les Miserables , This is 40 , and Zero Dark Thirty . Also, looks at Killing Them Softly and the Canadian made sci-fi romance Mars et Avril .

West of Memphis Review

While a great introduction to the plight of the West Memphis Three and the miscarriage of justice the surrounded their murder trial, West of Memphis doesn't do much that the Paradise Lost films didn't already cover (and better), and it's kind of self serving how producer Peter Jackson portrays himself. But thankfully it's an overall decent documentary and introduction to the story.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Review

While dividing Tolkien's most childish and thinnest material into three films seems like a strange decision, Peter Jackson makes it mostly work with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , which still manages to be a lot of fun. That new high-frame rate 3D? Not so much.

Interview: Richard Armitage

We talk to the lucky actor to get the high profile role of Thorin Oakenshield in Peter Jackson's kick off to The Hobbit trilogy, British actor Richard Armitage about working with Jackson, being on set in Middle Earth while being a huge Tolkien fan, and Andy Serkis asking the actor to go the extra mile for gritty realism.

The Adventures of Tintin Review

It is rare that a film is released in Europe before North America, unless it is a European production. And while The Adventures of Tintin is technically not European, its roots are, and so its release here in the United Kingdom last week was appropriate.

District 9 Review

2009 has been an incredible year for science fiction films. Duncan Jones’ impressive Moon and James Cameron’s super-hyped Avatar can consider themselves in extremely good company with District 9 . Director Neill Blomkamp has a very bright future ahead of him. Based on Blomkamp’s short film Alive in Joburg , District 9 is quite simply […]