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A scene from the Hobbit trailer. - Source: Supplied -
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The world's media have seized on similarities between Sir Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy and his second trailer for the first Hobbit film.
With only two months to go until the world premiere, the new trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey gives fans an even more in-depth look at the director's latest J.R.R Tolkien adaptation.
The second trailer shows Bilbo Baggins being rather reluctantly drawn into an epic adventure by Gandalf and dwarves, who call on him to be the 14th member of their group, which is determined to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which has been conquered by the dragon Smaug.
Baggins runs from Hobbiton, saying "I'm going on an adventure".
Total Film compares the trailers for both trilogies' opening films, saying they share many of the same features and ponders "if [joint screenwriter and former director] Guillermo del Toro's take would have been as identikit".
It complains: "We're starting to think that people who complained that The Hobbit trailer is boring compared to the originals might not have a staff to stand on - they're the same!"
But the Guardian's Ben Child says that to be a success, the new films will have to "present a story that feels set in the same universe as The Lord of the Rings but which also maintains the earlier book's cheerier sensibilities".
The trailer "certainly offers hope", Child says, retaining the "epic panoramic feel of Lord of the Rings".
Predicting that fans will be "caught up in the magic" once again, he warns that the "small minority" of viewers who disliked the Lord of the Rings trilogy will probably find the Hobbit films just as "ridiculous".
Entertainment Weekly's Darren Franich points out the addition of giant rabbits, speculating that Del Toro may have been responsible for adding them to the tale.
Fan site theonering.net said the release of the second official trailer led to "a world of fans exploding in joy". The site offers a frame by frame analysis - the first praising a shot of New Zealand aka Middle Earth as "simply breathtaking".
Time Entertainment says "Jackson's vision for the beauty of Middle Earth is stunning".
The trailer has a "distinct action-movie vibe", says Time's Tim Newcomb, noting there is more to come.
"After all, The Hobbit trilogy is the prequel to another trilogy that just happened to go out with a Best Picture Oscar," he writes.
MTV says the new trailer takes "a more comical and story-heavy approach" than the previous one and cuts to the chase more quickly.
Writing for the LA Times , Steven Zeitchik agrees there's a "slightly less self-serious tone" to the second trailer.
Rolling Stone says the new trailer is "charming".
Jackson posted the trailer on his Facebook page and by Friday morning had received more than 40,000 'likes'.
Sinavudh Lim commented: "Big thank you, Peter for having successfully completed the masterpieces of Tolkein and make [sic] us dream."
New images of the film were also released this week. Included in the pictures, in full costume and makeup, are lead actor Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and the 13 dwarfs who visit Bilbo to convince him to go to the Lonely Mountain to recover treasure guarded by a dragon.
They include Kiwi actors Dean O'Gorman as Fili, Mark Hadlow as Dori, William Kircher as Bifur, Peter Hambleton as Gloin, and Jed Brophy as Nori.
The first installment of The Hobbit trilogy will hit screens in December.
For all the latest news, videos and pictures check out our Hobbit page .