The Blu-ray edition of The Hobbit wows, dazzles and thoroughly impresses with a stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer true to Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's every intention. Lush, lovely Shire greens, summer-kissed browns and oranges, moonlit blues pierced by blazing flame, relatively lifelike fleshtones and cavernous blacks grant the image soul and spirit, while impeccable contrast leveling and exceedingly natural shadow delineation give it depth and strength. The filmmakers' at-times stylized color grading is presented without apparent flaw, and detail is nothing short of extraordinary. Edge definition is crisp and clean, without any significant ringing or aliasing. Fine textures are refined and exceptionally well-resolved. And there isn't a shot or scene marked by anything less than the utmost care. Better still, macroblocking, banding and other issues are absent, and only the slightest hint of noise and negligible crush will give eagle-eyed videophiles pause. An Unexpected Journey delivers the first of what promises to be a trio of top tier transfers and doesn't disappoint in the least.

The long and short of it? Even when The Hobbit can't quite carry the Ring, it can carry you.

"only a few questionable tweaks or misguided deviations."