“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is going to hit on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on March 19. I guess nearly all of you know how the story ends, but it won’t become less interesting if you find another path to enjoy it rather than see it as a supposed rival of any of “The Lord of the Rings” films. In my eyes, it’s a gorgeous and enthralling return to Middle-Earth.

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Cate Blanchett

Director: Peter Jackson

Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) believes Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) – the Hobbit – is the one who can help the dwarves to reclaim their kingdom and stockpiles of gold from a vile dragon named Smaug. Gandalf and 13 dwarves are headed to Bilbo’s house. However, Bilbo thinks all of this is absurd, and there’s no way he will leave his comfortable home to take adventure. The homeless dwarves are disappointed and leave when Bilbo is asleep at night. He awakes to an empty house the next morning, initially relieved and then, all at once, saddened by the silence. Suddenly, he grabs some pieces of belongings then rushes out of his house to catch up with Gandalf and the dwarves to join in them on an unexpected journey. The journey takes him to the troll and orc-ridden wild, the Elven city of Rivendell, the depths of the Misty Mountains and beyond.

The Blu-ray edition of “The Hobbit” wows with a stunning 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer. As impressive as Warner’s video transfer may be, the bellowing beast of a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track leaves the most lasting mark.

Debate will continue as whether it’s a faithful adaptation or goes one step too far. But shouldn’t we be happy to return to Jackson’s Middle-Earth and stay there as long as he allows? If you grab a Blu-ray 3D, or a Blu-ray, or a DVD of this film, just enjoy it, and enjoy more with the help of DVDFab for backup or video conversion. Have fun!