As I left an IMAX 3D showing of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey early Saturday evening, I
struggled at first to determine why I experienced such ambivalence about the
film. Then I hit on it: Director Peter Jackson has taken what is a
tightly-plotted, 300-page novel and turned it into the equivalent of a
multi-volume fantasy epic, with all the good and the bad that change entails.
My short review: The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey deserves the mixed ratings it has received
(65% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes as of
this writing). It was a qualified success, with some high points and some low
points. It’s good, but not as good as The
Lord of the Rings films, in my opinion. And in places it’s downright
annoying.