The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey(2012)- User Reviews

I'm a big LOTR fan, and in many ways The Hobbit prequel could be even better. With all that's going on, LOTR had to narrow its focus to man regaining its throne and destroying the ring. What was truncated in the LOTR series in the history of dwarfs, elves, and even wizards, we see delightfully expanded with an intriguing story in The Hobbit. You'll see the same cinematic style, surprise, and suspense that Peter Jackson is known for. You'll see new discoveries and feel nostalgic at the same time. And if it's any consolation, the movie stands alone with a storyline and allegory to boot.

As far as complaints, it's hard to find any. You might notice a smidgen of "too much of a good thing" which might seem nostalgic to some however repetitive to others. And to that end, Jackson still finds a fresh way to reinvent scenes that take place on familiar ground. I do believe that the LOTR series takes away from the Hobbit series because viewers already have 9+ hours of the original trilogy in their heads and will likely be less "wowed" by the magic, scenery, and monuments. But objectively speaking The Hobbit is just as good, if not better in many ways (as mentioned earlier). In all, it's one the better movies of the year and not to be missed.