Not quite at the same level as Lord of the Rings

Rating: 6/10 (27 December 2012)

In all honesty, I was disappointed by The Hobbit. The film didn't leave me with quite the same satisfied feeling as the Lord of the Rings did. Since then I've been thinking of the reasons for this... here are issues with The Hobbit:
I think the main problem with the film The Hobbit is that it is simply not as good a novel as the Lord of the Rings. As well as this, the children's book which Tolkein wrote is not suited to the epic, lengthy adaptation Jackson is creating. This means that, although the film is by no means boring, it seems a little too big for its boots (considering there are two sequels to come). Another issue is the fact that in The Hobbit we have less variation in character, due to the fact there are ten dwarfs, one hobbit and a wizard, instead of one dwarf, one elf, four hobbits, one man and a wizard (a much more interesting mix). In general The Hobbit features less characterisation, less of a storyline and more of a reliance on set-pieces to keep you entertained when compared to LotR. Another quibble I had with The Hobbit was that I felt the music was being reused over and over. Aside from a new theme for the dwarfs it seems little has been added and lots has been recycled from the LotR trilogy. Obviously this is good in a way, as it ties the two films together, but it also feels like a lazy way to go about things.
However, the above criticisms are all made in comparison to Lord of the Rings. Of course Jackson's epic trilogy was an extremely tough act to follow. There are many many good things about the Hobbit, such as the excellent special effects, many hilarious moments (especially with Gollum), some fantastic action and much more. It is a top-notch fantasy adventure film that should entertain all ages. Brilliant additions to the story include an expanded explanation of the Necromancer sub-plot and the introduction of 'Pale Orc Azog', a new figurehead for the ranks of orcs which perhaps lacked a main villain in Tolkein's novel. I am hopeful for the Hobbit sequels, as the story gets darker, and I predict the films will get progressively better.