The Meat and Potatoes of the Hobbit Story

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2013)

The Hobbit is my favorite book in the world, and I am not tolerant of anything in this movie trilogy that distorts the original story. Hence, I was not extremely tolerant of part of the 1st movie. However, I believe this movie got it right.
Is it as good as any of the 3 original movies? No. But you can't expect it to be when you know: 1. Bilbo, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gloin survive 2. Bilbo keeps the ring 3. Sauron doesn't die, though he might get vanished as the necromancer 4. Smaug dies (it's implied)
And you know all of this by the first 3 movies. And with any book-turned-movie, it adds complication to create a quality film because the audience already knows the plot from the books, at least if they follow the storyline, like they should. Instead, they need increased emphasis on character development, acting, and special effects. And those are the reasons why I came back from the movie satisfied.
The magical parts of Mirkwood, the elven halls, and the halls of Erebor were visually described wonderfully, as well as the darkness and mystery of Dol Goldur, which actually wasn't in the Hobbit, but in the Silmarillion.
There was vulnerability shown in this movie: Kili getting poisoned by a morgul arrow (which I believe never happened in the book), Thorin's mental struggle, and Gandalf's choice which spelled doom in all scenarios.
And perhaps what made the first 3 so famous, is the wonder and creation of an unimaginable, magical realm, which cast a medieval look upon it's culture and landscape. The halls under the mountain convinced me fully that they were made by a Dwarf race that has perfected it's art for millenniums. The lake-town was constructed masterfully as a fallen people, surviving off the limited resources. The Elven halls of the woodland wove elegance with nature.
My thought would be a reminder that this whole story is about the development of Bilbo as both a person, and as an idea of the Hobbit in the minds of others as a valuable resource. You will find yourself rooting for him the whole length of the way, emotional invested into his sake, which shows Peter Jackson and the crew did their job.