The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

"In pure movie terms, however, it's also a bit of a slog (...) There are elements in this new film that are as spectacular as much of the Rings trilogy was, but there is much that is flat-footed and tedious as well, especially in the early going." 

"The movie lacks majesty. Grand in parts, the movie is too often grandiose or grandiloquent; and the running time is indefensible." 

"The Hobbit alternately rewards and abuses auds' appetite for all things Middle-earth. (...) The primary advance here is technical (...) an innovation that improves motion at the expense of visual elegance. 

"Serkis helps turn The Hobbit into everything you wished for—a fantasy with the power to haunt your dreams. Too bad it takes the movie so damn long to get there (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of four)"


 

"Subtitled “An Unexpected Journey,” though that does little justice to the result. Had Jackson been more accurate, he would have called it 'Not Quite There Yet,' or 'Still Some Way to Go' (...) it leaves us more astounded than moved"

 

"Piles on enough eye candy and action sequences to please fans, plus more humor than the three 'Rings' films - even if it only occasionally achieves the trio's grandeur (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of four)"