Best one yet.

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2012)

For Lord of the Rings, the transition from the book to the film, left one with mixed feelings at times, partly because much of the content was snipped, and didn't make it, even in the extended edition, partly because much of what some of us considered an integral part of the original story was altered. Even so, Lord of the Rings brought Fantasy back to the fore, and became a truly groundbreaking and phenomenal trilogy of movies.
With The Hobbit, we have a different phenomenon. Everything that was in the book(s) is in the film... and then some!
It is one thing to accurately render a story with respect to the author, but what happens here is a rendition that remains true to character but also adds value.
The trailer, and the already high expectations had me entering the theater expecting very good entertainment for a little more than two and a half hours. What I received instead was a treat to modern storytelling of the most deep-rooted character.
The thorough (and very scenic) narration of the dwarfs and their past, the building of the characters, even the narration of events transpiring in the story background, is all done masterfully and beyond any expectations I already had.
I won't go into further detail, but will only say that this is a monumental film for the fantasy genre, taking everything to a whole new level. The hobbit is a must see for genre and book fans alike.