Complicated

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2012)

It's complicated. I think all of the casting choices were spot-on amazing, especially young Bilbo and Thorin (I intend to follow the actor's career for so long as he has one). I think the cheap laughs and bogus cameos were indeed cheap and bogus.
The Hobbit could have been made as a rollicking epic of a four hour film. It's a small book. I promise, it really is! Instead it's slooooowed down to a three part monstrosity of epic slowness!! Also...I think the exploration of various character motivations went badly awry here. Not just that they differed from the book, but that they differed badly. No one was looking to defeat a dragon; the dwarfs only wanted to pilfer from the hoard, hence why they're hiring a burglar, not a dragon-slayer. Thorin never apologized to Bilbo until the End. BUT that scene was pretty damn amazing to watch nonetheless. Bilbo exhibited far less martial prowess in the books, which wouldn't be such a sticking point, except...it's why he returned home the way he did - still a good person. He didn't kill a lot, if really any. Basically, these individual examples don't matter, except that they demonstrate an ongoing and unfortunate misinterpretation of the text, especially regarding why characters do things.
The need to give a face/name (white orc) to the otherwise faceless menace known as orcs or goblins is less troubling. The need to include the other wizard...sadly stupid. The fact that the Eagles didn't talk...probably for the best.
Overall, I will always be elated to see anything Tolkien in the mainstream cultural arena. I just wish it were better.