The Hobbit (2012)

It’s been almost a decade since Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy came to a close. Now, the special effects devotee has brought the first episode of The Hobbit to the big screen. Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s children’s fantasy novel by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson and Guillermo del Toro — who was initially signed on as director but resigned due to scheduling delays — the story, ruthlessly dragged out to fill three protracted episodes, takes a back seat to experimentation with visual effects, including 3D and the controversial decision to film at a rate that doubles the usual 24 frames-per-second film speed. Read the rest of the review on About.com.