The professional critics must have been drunk.

Rating: 9/10 (16 December 2012)

After reading some of the reviews posted by professional critics, my expectations about the standards of this movie were somewhat lowered. Nonetheless, I thought of giving it a shot because I am a big fan of the LOTR series.
To put my experience in a nutshell, it was nothing short of 'AWESOME!' To name a few aspects that caught my senses, the landscapes were magical, the fighting scenes were intense, acting was brilliant and the music, as always, was of the finest caliber.
When comparing the Hobbit with the LOTR trilogy, I do feel that this movie may have been slightly below the extreme standards that were preset. However, I believe the contrast in the character of the two books is the reason behind this phenomenon. However, this was in NO WAY a disappointment.
My recommendation is, read as few reviews as possible and go to the theater with an open mind!
Treat yourself to a three hour journey of fantastic movie making!