Entertaining...but definitely beginning to trade substance for spectacle...

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2013)

I will say upfront that I enjoyed this film. As a definite fan of the LOTR series, it was nice to see many of the characters again in a different adventure. The continuity they achieved in the appearance of the characters was surprising...particularly considering twelve years had elapsed between the productions. That is a long time, and it was fortunate that none of the essential characters had gained weight or changed in other ways that would have destroyed the illusion of continuity, particularly considering that "The Hobbit" was supposed to have taken place 60 years before the first installment of the LOTR trilogy.
This is the basis of my concern about "The Hobbit" and the direction the trilogy appears to be taking. The Hobbit trilogy is based on one Tolkien book, that in its entirety is considerably shorter and a more simple story than the shortest of the three books of the LOTR trilogy. I fear this was nothing more than a blatant attempt to wring the most profit possible from The Hobbit franchise. No matter how poor The Hobbit trilogy may or may not turn out to be, it is virtually guaranteed to be a money maker simply by riding the coat tails of the popularity of LOTR.
While I enjoyed The Hobbit, it did confirm many of the suspicions I explained above. What made the LOTR trilogy such a great series was primarily complex and compelling story, and sympathetic character development. Yes, the spectacular visuals were compelling as well, but they complemented the story without dominating it. Contrary to many viewers, I felt "Fellowship of the Ring" was the best of the LOTR series. The other two films, while strong in their own right, gradually began to trade story and character for eye popping visuals.
The Hobbit takes this trend further still. Some story elements were added that never appeared in the book, which I'm sure was practically essential to pull a film trilogy out of such a short and simple novel. But The Hobbit was also right on the bubble of being a film that was spectacle and little more. Film makers the world over still have apparently failed to learn that spectacular CGI will not carry an audience's interest in a 2+ hours movie. The Hobbit was very close to falling into that trap....but not quite there.
So in summary, I enjoyed The Hobbit but potential viewers (particularly fans of LOTR) should be aware it is a film that is long on spectacle and short on substance when compared to the prior trilogy. And I for one am more than a bit concerned that the next two Hobbit films might slip further down that slope and become little more than bloated CGI extravaganzas....
Time will tell I guess.