With great standards comes great responsibility.

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2012)

The Hobbit is a superb film compared to the vast majority of other films ever made. The story is great and very accurate to the book (compared to the LOTR trilogy) and will most likely create a brand new generation of Tolkien fans just as the Peter Jackson trilogy from a decade ago. As big of a Tolkien fan I may be myself I still can't get myself convinced that this film deserves a flawless 10/10 or even a 9/10. There are reasons why this is a great movie but not a perfect one:
To anyone going to see the film in 48 FPS in 3D you will notice, even in the very first scenes, that the quality and sharpness of the image possibly makes it look too realistic. I can only describe it as looking like a documentary. One might at first thought believe this to be great without understanding what it actually does for the film. I can only describe this from my own personal viewpoint, but I believe it took away the magic fantasy atmosphere. During the special effects-heavy scenes with a lot of CGI it made the animated creatures and such look just as if they were present in the theater with you. The exterior scenes are beautiful as beautiful can be, but the interior scenes such as the ones from Bag End look like man-made scenes filled with props at a theatrical play where the actors have top notch make-up and wigs, but you still notice that it's just that: make-up and wigs. Sometimes the film has a bit too many jokes in an attempt to constantly amuse the viewer and the same goes with overly unrealistic action filled scenes (dwarfs standing on a falling wooden bridge continued by them using it as a skateboard-like object, dwarfs juggling the dishes, rabbit-driven sled which goes 300 mph leaving no tracks, etc.)
There ends all of the negativity towards the film.
The acting is great and the friendship between the dwarven pack (+ wizard and hobbit) is very warm and "realistic". If you have seen and liked the LOTR trilogy you will instantly feel warm at heart as both the old Bilbo and Frodo are in the first scenes.
Some of the landscape views are the most stunning and beautiful I have ever seen, just because of the 48 FPS 3D. Rivendell looks just as beautiful as it always did and the elven feel is not gone from the heavily dwarven film.
Spoilers:
The greatest scenes are short but really add that feel needed to bring anyone into the Tolkien world at max.
The butterfly that Gandalf spots which leads to the eagles coming (just as in LOTR) was the best 3D piece of the whole film. It flies in front of your eyes without flaws.
The best scene is when Bilbo meets Gollum by the lake inside of the mountain. The chemistry between the two is some of the best there could be and the acting itself is magical on both actors' parts. If there is anytime during the film when you don't understand that you are actually watching a film, this is it.