You need 3 movies to tell a short story?

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2012)

I took my son to see this as a Christmas treat for him. And discovered three things about the Hobbit I did not know before:
1) As expected, it was better than any of the LoTR films. This is partly because the technology has been developed in the last few years, partly because Jackson and his crew have done this before, and partly because, let's face it, the Hobbit was a better story to start with. At least when it comes to a fun, children-oriented fairytale.
2) 3D is not for people who already have 4 eyes, such as myself. It's OK if you wear contact lenses I guess, but it's impossible to fit the 3D glasses over or under your normal glasses and get a proper focus. The movie is long and I eventually got a headache and did not enjoy it as much as I would have. It was my second attempt at 3D, and I think it will be my last in the foreseeable future. So, if you wear glasses, go for the 2D version, which I am sure will be just as fun.
3) But the most amazing thing I discovered around 2 hours into the movie, when the heroes did not seem to be getting anywhere near their final objective, is that this is only 1/3 of the Hobbit story. It's going to be another trilogy! I'm sorry, but I cannot go once a year for 3 years in the hope of eventually watching the movie by 2015. Oh come on now! I could understand it when it comes to LoTR, which after all was a 1000-page book they had to bind in 3 tomes (which is why it has been mistaken for a trilogy). But the Hobbit is a much shorter, straightforward story. I'm sure they could have told it in 3-4 hours without chopping out any major parts. In fact, I'm pretty sure they added extra subplots to fill up the time.
But in any case, all in all I'll have to give this movie a 10, despite my own objections to the length and format. For what it is, it was brilliantly done, taking the viewer once more on a magnificent journey to Middle Earth. And, unlike the LotR movies (especially the last one), this one is family-friendly and can be easily watched by non-fans and children of all ages.