I wasn't the biggest fan of The Lord of the rings films, but I thought I'd give this a try because of all the hype here in NZ and this was a great decision. Brilliant film, wonderful visuals, great acting, great directing, superb action and breathtaking drama. This was the surprise hit of the year for me and I can't wait for part 2 this December.

Having looked forward to the Hobbits release kin May I found the first viewing disappointing. The reaction was similar to the reading of the books. I read the three volumes of The Ring before I read the Hobbit, finding the latter pale and not as well developped as the sequels. . As usual most of the computer graphics were brilliant, but their effect was blunted by the rescues by Gandalf, which were clumsily handled. I found the antics of the Dwarves in Bilbo's house, annoying.
Patchy, but I got to the end with the aid of a coffee break half way through. Don't know yet if I'll bother with part 2.

The Hobbit is the actual precursor story to the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. I have read the books in historical order. I found this movie surprising and following the introduction, it is a pure Tolkien thriller worthy to be added to the trilogy. My highlight is around Bilbo Baggins finding the Ring and its wonder, then his escape and jump over his fears after the riddle, "what has it got in its pocketses, hah- See this movie and read the books and ENJOY, I love it a lot.