A long and scenic journey back to Middle Earth more innocent and less threatening than LOTR enjoyable but not as epic.
Ian Holm recounts his early days to Frodo (Elijah Wood) including the taking of Erebor by Smaug. Everything flashbacks to his first meeting with Gandalf, Bilbo now played by Martin Freeman.
The first part of the trilogy begins with the journey to Erebor where the party of wizard, dwarves and hobbit go to Rivendell and the Misty Mountains.
Many details the book just mentions, the film expands - Dol Guldur and the Necromancer, the White Council where Saruman poo-pooing Gandalf's suspicion about the dragon Smaug and the Necromancer. Radagast the Brown another wizard whose only mentioned in the books is seen with a sled pulled by large rabbits. We do get to see Bilbo's trolls and how they turn to stone.
Sauron as the Necromancer has no form and isn't a threat when Bilbo puts on the ring there's no Eye and the twilight where he enters is fainter than what Frodo encounters in LOTR.
Of the many battles in the film, the origin of Thorin's nickname, "Oakenshield" at the Battle of Azanulbizar, where they show Thorin's father attempt to reclaim Moria from the orcs is fantastic!
Peter Jackson expands "The Hobbit" with more details than the book, the film is a visual joy to watch. For Tolkien fans it's good to be back in Middle Earth!
We get two more films for "The Hobbit"
When will we get to see "The Silmarillion" in the future?
