Dark Raven

Yuck! First of all, the high frame rate (my first time seeing it) is truly horrible. Felt like I was watching a cheap TV period drama from 20 years ago. Is this progression or regression? I felt like I could almost see where the set ended at times. Everyone I saw it with felt the same. They found is distracting and cheap / behind the scenes feeling to it. Jackson, please stop with this. Film is dream, making it more life like loses that veil of illusion.

The over reliance on CGI didn't help matters. Gone are the real locations used in LOTR and instead it's mostly studio sets with greenscreen backing. This is lazy and it looks fake and without grit. The odd shot that was definitely outdoors felt alive and truly epic.

All this would be a little more tolerable if the script was engaging but it's boring. The stakes are not high and I couldn't give a toss whether they get to the mountain or not. Should have been one film not three. Either way I won't be watching part 3 next year.

Poorly structured and devoid of tension - This was a huge disappointment. I enjoyed about 20 mins of inventive set pieces near the end but I was surprised I was still awake by the time I got there.

I love the LOTR trilogy. The Fellowship was my favorite. It made me laugh and cry and smile with excitement among other things when i saw it.

The Hobbit however, made me; Fidget with irritation in my seat. Yawn. Feel nothing at the lack of tension. Sneer at the over reliance of CGI. Wonder when the story would start. Wonder why I should care. Wonder why they need 3 movies to tell this story. Wonder isn't it obvious...?