You may not like it, but i did.

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2013)

I loved this movie, plain and simple. The casting was great, the acting was great, the CGI was great, the whole movie was just all around great. I have to say, I had nothing against the first one. Sure it barely stuck to the book at all, and I'm going to guess that this one didn't either, however I only read half of the book so I don't really know. I've been a LOTR fan since I was like 7, and I'm liking the hobbit just as much. The combat scenes with Legolas were great even with a little throwback to his shield-boarding skills from The Two Towers (this time on an Orc). Tauriel was great and Benedict Cumberbatch was just about as dragon-y as he could get. One thing that I really have to admit is that the ending sucked, I mean come on "I am fire, I am... Death" then it cuts to three distraught faces and Bilbo saying "What have we done?" that ending was so horribly abrupt that I wasn't even sure that the movie was over or if it was just and extra long cut out. Also, the scenes with Gandalf in Dol Guldrur were incredibly drawn out despite the fact that they were never even shown in the books up to where I read. I have nothing against the awesome combat scenes that everyone else reviewing this movie seems to loath for no legitimate reason. Furthermore the extreme prejudice that book lovers seem to be walking into this movie with is sadly misplaced. you should know that the movie is never exactly like the book, and most of the time, its miles away. The story is serious, humorous, sad, happy, and intense all at the same time. Smaug is now my second favorite character (right behind Legolas) in the entire saga including the originals. I definitely think that that anyone, even those who want it to be just like the book, should see this as long as they remember, THIS IS NOT TOLKIEN'S MASTERPIECE ANYMORE! It is now Peter Jackson's recreation of the beloved story.