Better than the first installment but still not The Hobbit that I know

Rating: 6/10 (19 December 2013)

OK, first off I agree with the sentiment of the posts on here complaining that this is not The Hobbit, at least not as most Tolkien fans know it. However, as a movie I actually thought it was rather enjoyable.
As both a Tolkien fan and a fan of the PJ LOTR movies I found this second movie far more engaging to watch than the first. Sometimes the professional critics do get it right and some of the opprobrium attached to the first movie was, I think, justified. I know many die-hard fans disagree but I, as a 40-something Dad and (like several other 40-something Dad's of my acquaintance) found the first film to be a contrived, unsubtly manipulative, unengaging and plodding video game. I particularly disliked the unnecessary departures from the book, Azog top of the list. On the other hand my two pre-teen boys loved it.
With the experience of the first movie in the back of my mind I went to the second movie with lowered expectations and decided to treat it as a simple movie experience rather than hoping for an accurate interpretation of The Hobbit. And on this level I think it works rather well and is probably why I enjoyed it so much more than the first film. It has much better pacing and takes you along on a roller coaster of a ride. Although I do think the over reliance on CGI detracts from the experience - fake really comes across as fake. As many have already said, the Orcs in LOTR are much more menacing than their CGI counter parts in The Hobbit (don't buy the line that this is because The Hobbit is aimed at a much younger audience, the film's most certainly are not).
Overall, whilst I agree with the purists that this is not The Hobbit in any shape or form, it is still a great matinée action movie to take the kids to.
With my Tolkien hat on, I think both films so far have been an opportunity missed. Whilst I think the LOTR films are pretty definitive and PJ was the right man, in the right place at the right time, I would suggest there might still be room for someone to have another go at remaking The Hobbit from scratch.