A fine movie, but pop culture has seemingly moved on from middle earth.

Rating: 5/10 (3 April 2015)

About half-way through this movie I realized I didn't care; I didn't care about the quest, I didn't care about the elves, I didn't care about Middle Earth. The Lord of the Rings films are very dear to my heart, and everything, from the visuals to the editing have been vital to my understanding of film. It's fascinating then, to see the Hobbit break a lot of these rules that were established for me by LOTR.
from a stand alone point, this movie doesn't work. It begins with a climax, has little sense of direction, and has virtually no set ups and payoffs exclusive to this chapter. Along with this, I found the wonder of the original trilogy to be completely gone here. The music and visuals just don't have the impact they once had.
Despite all of this I still like the movie. It has frustrating moments, but I do realize that these moments are made out of love for the source material. Another pro, the acting by Martin Freeman is just amazing, I've been a fan of his since Hitch-hikers and it's great to see him in a movie like this.
This movie felt like a turning point, not that I have grown out of middle earth, but that I have moved on from it. I don't love what this Franchise has become, but apparently others do, and that's awesome. As long as Peter Jackson loves this franchise, then I guess I do to.