Jackson's Hobbit Occasionally Drags its Feet, But Remains Adventurously Entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (29 April 2013)

Much lighter in tone than the preceding Lord of the Rings trilogy, this is more in line with a jaunty fairy tale than a fantasy epic. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - that's how the source material reads and there's plenty of room in the genre - but it seems to be internally conflicted about that. It's constantly stretching and reaching for more serious, grandiose moments which seem out of place and extraneous. For the most part, though, it strikes the right chords and delivers a jolly, magical adventure that's plenty of fun to tag along with... even if it does grow long-winded in spots. As an audio-visual showcase, though, it never stumbles. From sweeping landscape to stunning vista, breathtaking architectural relics to disgusting subterranean creatures, it runs a vast gamut and never ceases to amaze. For that reason alone, it's worth a long glimpse. The plot does seem overstuffed and more than a little long, but it still feels like there was enough material here to justify three films, which was a concern going in. Adds nice depth to the original three films, although it wisely doesn't try to compete with them.