I was never a big fan of the original “Lord of the Rings” series. Nonetheless, “The Hobbit” was one of the best movies I’ve seen this year. While there were a lot of references to the original trilogy, you did not need previous knowledge, nor does it particularly enhance the experience of the movie.
The movie begins with the main character, Bilbo Baggins, writing a letter to his nephew, telling him of an adventure that he had never brought up. Despite the whole movie being set up like a flashback, it never takes away the tension of the movie. When he risks his life, it feels like something on the line even though you have already seen a much older Bilbo calmly writing a letter about an hour earlier.
There were a few issues. Many people were aggravated by its long running time and its inconsistencies with the novel it’s based on. I found that the time is justified and it kept my interest to the very end and after consulting some fans, it sounds like many of the added scenes were only there to add more action to the film. The only real complaint I have is that it goes out of its way to try and make the movie funny. I have no problem with a one-liner thrown in every once in the while, but when the movie actually becomes worse because someone decides to throw in another joke instead of actual content there is a problem.
Overall I think the movie was great and will definitely be watching the rest of the trilogy.