Definitely one of the best prequels ever made as well as a cinematic adaptation of a novel

Rating: 9/10 (4 September 2019)

(This is a review of the Extended Edition of the movie)
I grew up as a kid reading J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit, watching the animated films on Videotape, and going to the theaters to watch the Peter Jackson live-action trilogy. Naturally, Peter Jackson's trilogy adaptation of Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite film series to watch and I had no doubt he would do an adaptation of The Hobbit sooner or later. There was a bit of a wait for The Hobbit Trilogy, but it was worth it. I saw all three in theaters and loved them, and much like Lord of the Rings, I made sure to get the Extended Edition of each film.
This film is a worthy prequel to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Since it had the same director, writers and all the other crew members, I was pretty sure it would do well. Plus, one of my favorite fantasy directors helped write the script: Guillermo del Toro. How cool was that?
For those who have not read the original books by Tolkein or haven't seen any of the previous films (animated or live-action), the narrative is pretty easy to follow and doesn't rely on The Lord of the Rings trilogy too much. There are references to the Lord of the Rings, though, abounding in this film alone. If you have watched the Hobbit trilogy first before watching LOTR, you may have to go back and re-watch the Hobbit again, as there are plenty of great references and Easter Eggs to find.
The acting and casting, as usual, is brilliant. Martin Freeman is perfectly cast as a young Bilbo Baggins. I had only seen him, I believe, in Hitchhiker's Guide (another great adaptation of a great novel) and maybe one season of Sherlock before watching him nail it as Bilbo. Bilbo's story-arc in this movie is an excellent example of a reluctant hero going from a regular average person to a brave and courageous individual.
The returning characters from the LOTR trilogy are numerous. The best is, of course, Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey Wizard. Despite his famous claim in Fellowship as being 'barely involved in the business with the Dragon', Gandalf is much more of a center-stage character in this story. Christopher Lee brings his usual gravitas and darkness to Saruman the White, while Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving reprise their iconic roles of Galadriel and Elrond with a few surprises to their characters' (especially Galadriel!) story-arcs that help flesh them out. Also, Elijah Wood makes a nice cameo at the beginning, returning as Frodo (I had been wondering what he had been up to after LOTR and Sin City).
For new characters, this film is amazing. A big surprise to me (and most Tolkein fans, I have noticed) is the inclusion of Radagast the Brown Wizard. He is played superbly, lovably, and hilariously by Sylvester McCoy. His character is both a wacky crazy man and at times has a few great serious scenes, especially with his Rhosgobel Rabbits outrunning a bunch of Gundabad Wargs!
But the truly best new characters are the Company of Thorin a.k.a. the Dwarves. I love how diverse they are in comparison to the Dwarves from the Animated Movie.
Richard Armitage does a wonderful job as Thorin Oakenshield, playing him as a tough-as-nails warrior but who is also compassionate and loyal to his people. Ian Stott is my personal favorite as Balin, with Graham McTavish coming in second as his bada$$ older brother Dwalin (who looks like a character who could tear Khal Drogo and the Night King apart with his bare hands...okay, maybe at least Khal Drogo and Euron Greyjoy.). Bofur is my third favorite, followed by Kili, Bombur, and Oin.
The villains are awesome, also. I love the new look of the Orcs, especially Azog (played by Manu Bennett, aka Slade from Arrow!). I also think the subtle reveals of Smaug and "the Necromancer" in the film are nice touches.
Howard Shore's score is, as usual, perfection. I love his use of choruses and also using songs from the book. If you get the Extended Edition, you'll more than likely love the 'Goblin-Town' song.
All-in-all, it's a great film