Many people forget that this is going to part of a much longer film franchise, expecting around about at least another few films coming out from it, the humor aspect which some people tend to claim poor or childish need to be reminded that in the book, it was to be known to be childish, due to the Dwarves happy go lucky nature, as well as a serious side for their people and the task they have at hand. Again perhaps the critics should take into account that this is part of one, many people we're disappointed with the ending of the first LOTR film, then found the following 2 films to be an exceptional ending to the film franchise. The only thing i can fault this film for is possibly not covering all of the detail, this is unavoidable however, before the film becomes to dragged out to those that may not know the full story… Expand

An absolutely wonderful film (though too short for me!), which I've seen three times already, and will see again tomorrow, again in the 3D 48 HFR format. The casting and acting of Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin was absolutely right, and all the Dwarves were also well cast, though of necessity their roles were not huge (similarly to in the book). Balin, played so well by Ken Stott, is my next favourite Dwarf after Thorin. I loved the way the music made references to LOTR, and Thorin's song was just lovely. The visuals, also, were absolutely brilliant: the sweeping shots of the mountain scenery; Erebor; waterfalls in moonlight at Rivendell; the eagles at the end; the Stone Giants fighting while ignoring the little beings below them. I think I like this film more, even, than FOTR (my favourite of the LOTR films), mainly because the casting and acting is generally better, and because of the incredible visuals. My thanks and warmest congratulations to PJ, and I cannot wait for the next two films.

As for the critics who left poor reviews for this film, I really don't know what their problem was. Don't like fantasy? Don't like films creatively not made by Americans perhaps? Well done, though, to Total Film and Empire, who always give fair and insightful reviews of films. I registered here specifically to comment on this film because I was so disgusted with the negative reviews of something that plainly does not deserve it. Thank goodness I generally do not read the opinions of critics before seeing a film, since I prefer to make up my own mind.… Expand

I saw this movie and i was very pleased with what peter did. I didn't go to see Lord of the Rings, i went to see the hobbit. People who expected a new lord of the rings were obviously disappointed. Looking forward for the next 2.

A book is a book, a movie is a movie. I read the book and saw the movie and i think that Peter Jackson did a great job taking the story to the screenplay, by adding a coherence with the LOTR trilogy.

I loved the Hobbit. Great casting and well written. A lot of laughs and still quite a bit of action in there for the Adults. While I've never been a 3D fan before at all, the effects in this film were EPIC. Go and See this film. See it in a cinema, and pay the extra for the 3D version. You won't be let down unless you want the film to be word perfect to the book... and that might be asking just a little too much.… Expand

I saw this in 2D and intend to see it again in HFR 3D
It was beautifully shot - naturally - and while 3 movies were probably not necessary I don't think it has detracted from the film. Adding the content from the appendices in LTR has allowed Jacko to make another trilogy and IMHO it just extends the Middle Earth Universe further.
Very good, and looking forward to Smaug in part 2

Storyline: The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is coerced into going on a fantastical adventure with Gandalf the wizard and 13 Dwarfs. In there travels they meet an assortment of creatures. This is only the first of a planned trilogy although the book 'The Hobbit' is quite short. For Ring fans, we finally get to see a Dwarf woman and we learn why Dwarfs hate Elves.

Acting: Martin Freeman did a decent job playing a younger Bilbo who all Ring fans have become so familiar with. Richard Armitage as Thorin was also worthy of mention. Andy Serkis played Gollum once more and did exceptional work. There were a few surprise cameos as well and all the supporting cast were good.

Direction: Peter Jackson has outdone himself with this one and must surely get an Oscar nod.

Production: This film is one of those examples where you can really see where all of the $180 million went. Almost every scene is filled with spectacular detail. This has to be watched 2-3 times to take it all in. There seems to be a decent enough effort to use real world action where possible which helped with authenticity.

Conclusion: The complete cinematic experience. This film should be universally accessible and covers so many topics. I can't recommend this more highly.

Score: 10/10… Expand

Peter Jackson is a master of direction. His cinematography is colorful and artistic, the effects by Weta Digital are great as always and the score has that same wonder and excitement as the LOTR films did. It was a refreshing movie to watch after seeing Red Dawn last and wanting something actually above average and if I'm to believe the movies are to be like the books then Hobbits 2 is going to be even better then the first.… Expand

It was a great movie. Not as dark and not as serious as LotR, and Martin Freeman is a brilliant and humorous Bilbo. I liked this first part, Peter Jackson's take on Thorin was good and as for Bilbo, we can see the transition from respectable country esquire to adventuring burglar. Top notch, clearly, and looking forward to the next instalment.

One of the best movies i've watched in my life as I am a huge LOTR fan. Peter Jackson made this movie in New Zealand which brings out the lovely nature and hills in the movie. It is a fun movie to watch and is an absolute masterpiece.

Before watching this movie, I had never seen any of the lord of the rings movies. I was totally new to the whole "middle earth" universe, and I loved the hell out of this movie. It's filled with great characters, amazing adventures, beautiful landscapes, and awesome action sequences. Some of the special effects are a little dodgy, but that's one of the only complaints I have. (Note that I watched this at home in 24 FPS and no 3D) Don't listen to the critics.… Expand

The movie is a masterpiece. The "new additions" makes the classic story even better! People complaining 'cause its 3 parts? Really? Who wouldnt like to have more running time from 'Lord of The Rings' saga? I'm starting to think people just don't like prequels at all, even if it as good as the originals.

This is one of the few movies I wanted to see in the theatre, but skipped it cuz I was just too busy..and now after watching it on blu ray with all the hype gone I must say, best movie I've seen all year..hype kills movies these days..every movie I've waited to watch on blu ray has allowed me to view it on its own merits instead of stacking it up against hundreds of other big budget movies we've seen in the past 20 years..same thing happened when i watched Total Recall and Lincoln Vampire Hunter..critics and fans alike all seem to hate movies that don't innovate to the point of reinventing the wheel..what about just being a well executed and fun movie… Expand

I went to this movie thinking that I would be bored half way through. I really liked the first three but I thought it would just be more of the same. But to my surprise I ended up thoroughly entertained. Peter Jackson was able to take what made the first three so awesome and greatly improve upon that formula. Not only that I thought the actors in this movie did a much better job especially the actor who played bilbo baggins. I can't wait to see the other two coming out I am more excited about their release than I was the original trilogy.… Expand

Peter Jackson has taken his liberties with Tolkien's works before, but it is hard to hate this movie, despite the little things that drive Tolkien purists crazy. I am curious to see what is going to be added for the Bluray release...

great movie, that is length wise the same as lord of the rings. focusing more on a character and his well adventures. but the overall story seems more about dwarves trying to reclaim their lost kingdom...sometimes i get confused to who is the main character, thorin or bilbo. do the characters seem overpowered..or the orcs ARE overwhelmingly stupid as they were made to be. the fight scene between the dwarf and that orc leader was hilarious fail. gandalf does nothing in the early parts so just an old guy walking around with a stick basically. there are some familiar faces in this movie from the lord of the ring movie series. the movie is a bit long, but fills up time with great visuals. it doesn't have that dark antagonist, like smeegul in the lord of the ring series, that would add some nice twists to it.… Expand

The Hobbit was an incredible film. It was beautifully done and expertly crafted. So I will adress the complaints I have been reading.
Action Sequences like Pirates of the Caribbean: Yes, this movie was chock full of action, but what do you expect from a Jackson movie. The man loves a good fight scene. However, I do no think these were like the scenes from Pirates There are a number of exciting battle sequences and they are actually scenes that will leave you on the edge of your seat, unlike the happy go lucky Pirates movies. Return to middle earth: For those that were not properly prepared for the movie, Jackson made it clear that this movie would be incorporating much of the simmarilion and other Tolkien works. He is trying to flesh out the world more than he could with the original trilogy. That being said, he wants to introduce people to the world around them and tie it together. Hence the cameo by frodo in the beginning.
My only problem was with the goblin king- far too comical. In the book he seemed quite ruthless and downright scary. Not in the movie.
But overall, two thumbs way up for a happy return to middle earth on the big screen.… Expand

Despite the critics opinions The Hobbit is the start of another excellent trilogy from the visionary director peter jackson. the problem with the critics unjust opinions is that rather then see the film as a prelude to the Lord of the Rings, they view it as an equal. this is an obvious mistake since the source material that made the hit LOTR films was so large in scale and robust compared to the Hobbit (a story meant for bedtime stories) when you look at what Jackson has created through lesser source material, you can really appreciate the Hobbit and see how excellent of a film it is. The film captures the mood of the story flawlessly leaving the story mostly in its original form, with the only big change being the extension of Azog the orcs character.... In the end The Hobbits a near flawless fantasy film and should be seen by anyone with an appreciation to the literature or the genre.… Expand

This is a must see. The critics have no idea what they are talking about. If you liked the Lord of the Rings movies, you'll love this. If you didn't see the Lord of the Rings movies, you'll still love this.

Case in point My GF has never seen the Lord of the Rings movies, hates fantasy stuff with a passion; I took her to see the hobbit, and she gives it a 10 score simply based on the story.

I found that if you decide to view the movie as a movie, of itself, and not compare it to the novel or the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, you will get a lot out of it. I did that and was able to realize that I’ve never seen a more believable fantasy world. I’m 19 but when sitting in front of the big screen I got to feel like I was ten years old again, like watching the dark crystal or sta star wars for the first time. This movie is the most beautiful movie I’ve ever seen. It has an applicable, sentimental message coupled with a classic fantasy-adventure premise, fun, new characters, familiar old ones, a beautiful original soundtrack, exiting action, and bold, impressive visuals that made me question the value of CGI. This is one of those rare films that has the power to bring you a little out of your depression, a little like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or the Goonies. It has enough movie magic to feel timeless I’m sure that after people’s biases wear down a little over the years it will be recognized for what it is; an imaginative masterpiece epic that’s never quite been captured this believably or beautifully before in cinema history. It’s so finely made, it seems to make some people uncomfortable. I absolutely loved it. It is one of those films that if it plays on a screen in the corner of a crowded public area, it still somehow absorbs your attention, and you have to at least stop and watch it for a few seconds, whenever it’s on in my home, that’s exactly what I do, I can’t help it. Critics have done it a severe injustice, I can detect no outright flaws with this film, if there are flaws, they’re so inconsequential to the films strengths they’re not worth mentioning. People who dislike this movie fly first class to Hawaii for free and complain about the expiration date on the peanut packages. There’s no shame in admitting beauty, it isn’t over-hyped, it’s fantastic and deserving of all praise. People who dislike this film are not at one with their inner child and probably hate Disneyland and don’t have kids or have altogether forgotten what it was like to be a kid, that’s how I feel about people who talk bad about this movie. Movies don’t get more magical than this, it’s perfect for kids, and the inner-child in everyone.… Expand

Take note George Lucas, this is how you start a prequel trilogy. Fat gags aside, The Hobbit is everything the Lord of the Rings was: personal, stylish and charming yet simultaneously epic. Jackson includes enough familiarity, in the form of phenomenal cast, location and soundtrack, so fans can settle right back into Middle Earth as though they never left. Yet he also brings enough fresh material to give the film a good pace and structure.… Expand

A funny, witty, and imaginative film that is a cheerful experience and fun to watch. Maybe while not on the epic scope as the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy, I found it to be incredibly entertaining as well as visually beautiful. I would watch this again and will buy it on dvd or blu ray.

58 are you kidding me. The Hobbit was almost as good as The Fellowship of the Ring. If I could I would give this a 12 and LOTR a 20. Thats how much I love Middle-Earth.

The first Hobbit movie in the franchise is not only exciting, it takes you on a thrill ride with not only some new creatures, but some old memorable character such as Gollum. At times, the story is distracted some cheesy humor, mostly caused by the dwarfs. But other than that it's a great start to the Hobbit trilogy.

Great movie, great acting and great directing the hobbit once again shows why Peter Jackson is one of the best directors around. I have to admit that I was a little sceptical about splitting the hobbit into three movies, but all I can say that if the next two follow in the footsteps of the first it will be well worth the long three year wait.

Wow! Peter jackson is a monster, the return is surprising! Fill completely of incredible special effects, with big actions, and the only soundtrack they do that the hobbit turns into the classic one forever!

The best movie on earth was called the Hobbit and I recommend everyone this movie and but it and hope you have the chance to read and watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The average hobbit review is SHOCKINGLY PICKY. Complaints of "Its too long" or "Its like Lord of the Rings" or "Its CGI overkill". This is all COMPLETE BULLCRAP. First off, these mistakes have been made in hundreds and hundreds of other movies, and no one seems to care. the hobbit 146 minutes long, and everyone hates it for that, and yet Django: Unchained was about 200 minutes long AND NOBODY CARED. You see where i'm coming from here? People are being horribly biased towards this movie, and i don't understand why. To those who say it's not very good, i say "You're not very good". This is a fantastic movie, brilliantly made, with an absolutely stunning soundtrack, The Hobbit: An unexpected journey deserves a meta score of over 9000.… Expand

I bought this version for my 3-d blu-ray player and I must say that it was impressive to watch in 3-d. The world was alive and had the familiar feelings that The Lord of the Rings had. This movie was a lot of fun to watch and if you are a fan of TLOTR series, you will not be disappointed. The movie did get a bit long, but it was to build the story and provide all of the necessary back story to make the rest of the movie flow. Very good film.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An excellent work from both PJ and his Weta which beyond my imagination. Different from LOTR in genre, the Hobbit is an Adventure but not an Epic. While they all rank the top marks in the field of Fantasy Movie!… Expand

I loved every second of it, except for a few shamelessly obvious (i.e., lacking in subtlety) bits. Like Jackson's LOTR trilogy, The Hobbit's CGI is superb (unlike 99% of films that rely on CGI) and its hair/makeup, production design, and visual effects would have been worthy Oscar winners. I also appreciate the film's thematic reverence for nature, which ironically and unfortunately is at odds with the production's real-life abysmal treatment of some of its animal actors.Oh well, nature lovers should definitely see it anyway, but let's hope the production team learned its lesson this time. Highly recommended, and looking forward to the next two installments.… Expand

The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey is a masterpiece just like lord of the rings fellowship of the ring but better. Bilbo Baggins is one of the best actors to date. way better then frodo was. Smeagle making a suprising return was amazing and at the end of this movie Bilbo now has the ring.. I can't wait to see how this goes in the next 2 installments.. This is a fantastic story.. better then the entire lord of the rings trilogy! It seems Peter Jackson is making better movies every time! this movie is a 10/10 just like the last 3.… Expand