A Genuinely Entertaining Re-Entry to Middle-Earth

Rating: 8/10 (11 October 2014)

Although I wasn't so die hard about seeing The Hobbit film that I went to the midnight showing, I definitely saw it the next morning (for the discounted pre-noon price!). If box office earnings are any indication, it set a new December record for opening weekend at $84.8 million in North America.
TOP 5 REASONS TO SEE "THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY"
1) To Understand How the Events of "The Hobbit" Affect "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy:
-Did you ever wonder how Bilbo obtains the One Ring? Or how Gollum knows that it is Bilbo Baggins of the Shire that has the Ring? Or how and where Sauron hides between the time of his 'death' at the hand of Isildur (see flashback scene at the beginning of "The Fellowship of the Ring") and his resurgence as a lidless, flaming eye atop the black tower? Or how Bilbo gets the sword (a.k.a. "Sting") that he passes on to Frodo in LOTR? So many questions to which you will find answers in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."
2) To Reenter Middle-earth with a Whole New Story
-Although we are still talking about Middle-earth, a hobbit named Baggins and the One Ring, there is a completely different storyline. Thorin and his company of dwarfs are on a quest to reclaim their homeland, the dwarven kingdom of Erebor, from a foul dragon named Smaug. Gandalf convinces Bilbo, a homely little hobbit, to come along as the company's "burglar." The rest of the story revolves around their adventures on the way to the Lonely Mountain as well as the appearance of a rising dark power in Dol Guldur. The One Ring makes its appearance, but its role in this story is much less significant than in LOTR. As a result, we get to see Middle- earth from a much different perspective. For example, we get to learn a lot more about the dwarfs and their history (although it understandably does not necessarily line up with Tolkien's written work all the time).
3) To Enjoy a Fantastic Soundtrack
-Howard Shore, composer for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy's score, doesn't disappoint. I, for one, love the music from LOTR. I feel like it perfectly complements the story and amplifies the emotions of each scene. To be honest, I was a bit worried that he wouldn't be able to create a new, unique and equally captivating score for The Hobbit - fortunately, I was dead wrong. I loved the film score and found myself humming the main theme for the next few days after seeing the movie.
4) To See Some Familiar Characters
-Not everyone in this film is brand new. Gandalf, Bilbo, Elrond, Galadriel and Saruman all play important roles in this film. Not to mention a brief appearance by Frodo in the first few minutes of the movie. Since Thorin and company will eventually pass through Mirkwood Forest, where the Wood Elves reside, it is likely that they will run into Legolas in the next few films as well.
5) To Be Genuinely Entertained
-Do you like action? There is plenty of sword swinging, arrow shooting, mountain climbing, orc killing action to satisfy anyone - although it's done very tactfully, with little to no gore. Do you like comedy? The dwarfs' interactions are often hysterical and Martin Freeman's portrayal of Bilbo is quite entertaining. Do you like romance? Well, there really isn't any to speak of, since the only woman in the film is Galadriel and she's already married - sorry ladies. Do you like great storytelling? Then prepare yourself for a fantastic tale of adventure, friendship, honor and heroism.
Overall, I am very pleased with the way they pulled it off. Although there is a good chunk of time dedicated to back story and introductions, which is to be expected with any epic trilogy, I was impressed with how Peter Jackson was able to interweave slower dialogue with exciting action scenes in order to maintain audience engagement.
What are your thoughts on the movie? Have any of you seen it at 40 frames per second? Please let me know what you think. Thanks!