Jackson is back in full form like he was never gone. If you love LOTR you will love The Hobbit

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2012)

I remember seeing the first three Lord of The Rings films in the theatre and honestly finding them sort of boring and uninteresting. Maybe they just weren't my genre or I wasn't in the mood. Since I have rewatched them on video I have come to really appreciate and enjoy them. So I was looking forward to seeing Peter Jackson come back again. First of all I don't believe for a second that anyone could have made this happen in the same way other than Peter Jackson. I fear for the sequels if he doesn't helm them. No one knows middle earth like Peter Jackson. The film feels exactly like the original trilogy like you haven't been gone for a second. For that reason alone Jackson deserves accolades for giving his fans exactly what they expect. The cinematography and special effects are gorgeous, absolutely stunning. The CGI (which I am particularly critical of) is the very best of the best. There was only one scene out of dozens and dozens that I thought looked hokey. Whether or not the film needs to be three hours is much discussed and to a whole lot of pointless chatter because we all know Jackson does what Jackson wants. However, I did feel it dragged a lot and some of the more action packed scenes felt forced into the story.
Martin Freeman is nothing short of brilliant as Bilbo Baggins. He gives a first class performance as the original adventuring Hobbit. He is so completely believable as the younger version of Ian Holm's older Bilbo. When I heard Ian Mckellen was returning to the Hobbit, I assumed it would be as a cameo or supporting character more along the lines of the original trilogy. Instead Mckellen returns as a major player, a main character. He is terrific and commands screen presence. He was born to play this role and proves it yet again. Richard Armitage is an excellent swashbuckling hero. He fills the void left by Viggo Mortensen very good though doesn't have quite the same charisma on screen. The rest of the dwarf adventurers are all great and you're certain to find your favorite but the problem is that it is such a huge group that no one dwarf gets the opportunity to stand out. They all sort of blend together and you often lose track of who is who. The various villains are all excellent, both the special effects that create them and the various voices behind them.
You wouldn't expect anything more from Peter Jackson than a sprawling ambitious epic and that is what he has done. Does it show a touch of ego? Absolutely. But for a man who created a billion dollar empire worth of movies and then comes back to do it all over again with the same recipe and the same feel and create legions of fans all over again. It certainly establishes itself firmly as the first part of a trilogy and unlike Fellowship of the Ring it actually felt like there was more closure at the ending but also a huge opening leaving you wanting to come back for more. The first half of the film left me wondering how much I was actually enjoying this, and the second half of the film (which I really think was superior) made me glad I was seeing this. Was it brilliant? Honestly, I don't know if I would say brilliant...I mean he has done this exact same thing before. But it was well done, entertaining and a worthy entry into the Lord of The Rings universe. Tolkien would still bow to Jackson. 8.5/10