Epic, beautiful, amazing - Don't believe the critics, see it for yourself

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2012)

Being an avid Tolkien nut, I was almost brought to tears by the beauty of this movie. Jackson did a fantastic job again. To be honest, when the movie started, I thought to myself - something is wrong here, this feels weak. Boy was I wrong. As the movie progressed, it got more and more intense. I was bothered by a few changes that Jackson made including not having Gandalf confuse the trolls, and the addition of some scenes including the pale orc, the council at Rivendell, and the a few others that avid readers will see right away. The good news is is that the additions really weren't fabricated as they appear in the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
A lot of critics are comparing this movie to LOTR erroneously. First of all, LOTR is 10 hours worth of movie encompassing 3 different (although linked) books. This is the first part of one book. Of course it feels segmented and unfinished to those who are comparing it to a completed epic. When all three films are released, it will be apparent how awesome, encompassing, and satisfying this movie will be - I promise
Acting, directing, visuals, and story were wonderful and I will probably see it at least two more times in theaters.