An Unexpected Trailer: Watch 8 minutes from ‘The Hobbit’

People often complain that modern movie trailers give away far too much information about the films that they are intended to promote. In most cases, those complaints are quite valid, but in the case of the upcoming fantasy adventure "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" — a film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's cherished 75-year-old children's book and a story heavily engrained in popular culture — one might argue that there is really no such thing as a spoiler.

Warner Bros. studios must be thinking the same thing. The excess of trailers, clips, and commercials for the film leave little to the audience's imagination. Between WB's marketing materials and director Peter Jackson's engrossing production diaries, there's not a whole lot — save for potential character cameos — that even casual "Lord of the Rings" fans don't know about the story of "The Hobbit." If, however, you're unfamiliar with Middle-earth and want to go into "The Hobbit" fresh, turn back now. There be spoilers here.

See also: 'The Hobbit' production condemned by animal rights groups

Given the public's familiarity with the Tolkien fantasy property and the abundance of material to work with, YouTube user joatmonjb probably didn't feel too bad about editing together all of the existing trailers and clips for "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" into a nearly 8-minute-long super trailer that roughly follows the chronology of the original book.

See also: Watch Andy Serkis read 'The Hobbit' in character as Gollum

From Bilbo's humble beginnings Hobbiton, to his epic journey across the Misty Mountains and fateful confrontation with Gollum, the fan-made trailer gives viewers a good sense of what to expect from Jackson's first "Hobbit" film.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" takes audiences back to Middle-earth on Dec. 14, 2012, followed by "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in December 2013 and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" in July 2014.