The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

The first time, I read Tolkien's The Hobbit was in college. While I adored the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I didn't care much for The Hobbit. It was a children's story, written for Tolkien's son, Christopher, and not suited to my sophisticated taste. I feel the same way about the latest Tolkien saga from Peter Jackson. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is entertaining enough to kill an afternoon, but lacks the epic punch of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Hard to believe a short novel is being dragged out to a two or three part film.

We saw the film in the super high-definition 3D format. The scenery was breath-taking. (Note to self: add a trip to New Zealand on the bucket list.) I only had one bout of vertigo due to an aerial camera shot which panned too quickly for me. The super high-def 3D is so real, you almost feel you were part of the action. The acting is superb. The special effects are stunning. The detail of the CGI, hair, feathers, and eyes are so life-like. The score has familiar themes and the dwarf song, The Misty Mountain, is hauntingly beautiful. But..The film tries too hard to compete with LOTR and falls flat. 

Have you seen The Hobbit?