A good film that suffers from a slow start

Rating: 7/10 (11 March 2013)

Xarnis's review: It seems I'm in the minority here, but I like this movie. I don't know of its because i've read The Hobbit, the trilogy, and the Silmarillion, or what. And while it's definitely not as good as the original trilogy, it does a fair job of setting up the next few Installments. Unfortunately, at some points, it does feel bloated and uninspired.
The performances are pretty good all around, but the standout is Martin Freeman. With this and Sherlock on BBC (where he plays Watson), Freeman has proved himself as a great actor with some good comedic timing. The effects are spectacular, and the battles are well-choreographed. The score is basically the same as the original trilogy, but it's still enjoyable. The effects, and the performances make you feel like you're back in Middle-Earth again.
One highlight scene happens between Martin Freeman's Bilbo and Andy Serkis' Gollum. I'm not going to spoil it, but it's great and makes you sad that Gollum won't appear in any of the later movies.
Unfortunately, the film has quite a few faults that cannot be dismissed. It's length could've easily been cut down to 2 hours, and the early portions of the film (especially a scene featuring actors from the previous trilogy) are fairly boring. The Dwarfs introductions were especially painful, but said dwarfs (the first five or so) have important roles to play later in the story. The ending is questionable as well, as is much unneeded content.
Overall, I found The Hobbit enjoyable. Maybe I'm giving too much credit because I'm a fan of the books, and can appreciate some of the extra content. I still liked the film on second watch, and I hope the next installments will make up for this one's faults.