Three point of view review.

Rating: 4/10 (3 January 2017)

The year is 2012. The month is December. The movie? The Hobbit! Of course there is no other movie to discuss than the long anticipated prequel to "Lord of the Rings" and there is a lot of talk about the movie so let's get started!
Jack "The Film Lover" says... I loved the movie I am a fan-boy of middle earth true. And yes it is also true that I have not read the books because I don't enjoy reading so this will not be a comparison of the book to film translation but that's not why you came here anyway so it's OK.
The first trailer was so good that it gave me chills! When the dwarfs start singing I was in! I saw the movie and I left with a feeling of satisfaction. It's rare to have that feeling knowing there will be two more sequels but they did a great job on that. I know there is more to see and I am OK with that. It was interesting to see all the old faces again. Also, there is much talk about the Galadriel & Gandalf relationship in that seemed like it could be a prequel of its own but we won't. We will let time and the rest of the movies reveal that on their own.
Huge props to Martin Freeman who just sinks into the role of Bilbo Baggins and Ian McKellen who just sits comfortably back into the robes of Gandalf the Grey. You can't forget to mention the nightmares you get when you think about anyone else other than Peter Jackson directing this movie.
Jack "The Filmmaker" says The Hobbit: An Unexpected PROBLEM. Did anyone else cringe a little when they saw full CGI characters? I mean you are used to Gollum who by the way looks great and more wicked than before, he is an untamed creature in this movie and it is quite scary.
There was a problem with the Great Goblin and the trolls as well as Azog the white orc and yes even the goblins too. There was plenty of CGI done in the LOTR movies but this was somehow different. Was it perhaps the frame rate they used? Maybe they tried a different technique? For some reason these characters suffered and it was a bit unsettling for me to watch.
The music was great. The filming was awesome. The acting was top notch; however I also have a bit of a problem with the dwarf's beards and hair. Always perfectly quaffed and still, clean and braided and always hair sprayed in the right place was just another little thing that bothered me a bit.
Jack "The Parent" says My four year old daughter loved the movie. She was scared a bit when Gollum showed up. I'm telling you he was crazy! She usually likes fantasy movies of this kind anyway but mostly I would not recommend it for anyone younger than ten because it is a bit long and a bit dark in a lot of areas. It's a good movie for the older kids to watch to see the importance of teamwork and companionship and honor and to finish what you start and not to quit. Plus they will see and learn an awesome way to wash the dishes.