A Must See for Lovers of the Genre!

Rating: 7/10 (9 January 2013)

I'll begin by saying this -- I love this genre, but I'm not a "fanboy." So this review is not completely unbiased, but I'll do my best. My main issue is how much I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003). This review will be based only on my viewing of this movie. First off, everything is beautiful...the acting, the scenery (both real and fake), the cinematography, you name it...amazing! Now the bad...the pacing is awful. It gets very slow and monotonous at times (perhaps the book did too, I don't know). Some of the character interactions appear stiff and forced...even hurried at times. But in all the experience is well worth the price of admission. However, if you are not a fan of Tolkein's books or the first three movies, I would not advise this movie. Unlike the first movie back in 2001, you'll be lost and bored if you go into this movie unprepared.