Getting out of the cinema and facing our real world has never been harder for me. This alone tells how great an escape The Hobbit was. Being a LOTR fan and also licensed in Tolkien + mythology studies, I can tell I had an experience that was far beyond the expectations (which were already huge).

Firstly, the characters have much more depth than in the book, each dwarf has his distinctive look, and I appreciate how some of them are younger, more reckless etc. Had all dwarves been the same, the movie would have failed... but PJ did the absolute best. The most remarkable character was, without a doubt, Thorin. I find his portrayal ideal: brooding, doubtful yet daring, extremely courageous, loaded with a heavy burden from his past etc. Never have I sympathized with a character so much.

Action-wise, the movie was packed with delightful moments - some were predictable though, but others managed to create real tension. With the second watch I was even delighted with the (very few) parts that were somewhat boring when seeing the movie for the first time. Truly, The Hobbit has to be seen at least a couple of times in order to see what it is about! And it does ask for some research. There is an ENORMOUS amount of detail, I just couldn't believe how much I missed at first, in spite of paying great attention. No gesture, no word is placed there in vain - it all has a very clear purpose.

The prologue was excellent and revealed all that was necessary, the dwarf party was lovely, Thorin's song was pure magic, and the final confrontation was breathtaking, showing him as a more than fabulous leader figure. To me, The Hobbit is not about the quest but about the characters... Thorin's struggle to do what he has to... This character is so great that PJ should feel urged to change the ending of the movie, but sadly I don't think he will. All in all, thumbs up for a movie that enraptured me and took me into a Middle Earth that I'd never wish to leave!

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