I’m a huge fan of Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy. I think I’ll be dragged to the new Hobbit film kicking and screaming by my boys, but I expect to hate it as a cynical exercise in money-printing. Fr. Dwight Longenecker’s review confirms what I suspected. Excerpt:

In trying to spin the story out for three mega movies the writers have clearly tried to not only flesh out the story, but to give it more emotional and personal punch. They failed. I didn’t care two hoots for Thorin Oakenshield who was supposed to be a noble heir who wished to reclaim his kingdom (is that copying the Aragorn thing?) but came across as a petty, grump on a revenge binge who lacked the dignity, power and skill to do much of anything. I didn’t care about Bilbo either. I had no idea why he was on the quest to start with. He didn’t seem much interested and Martin Freeman didn’t do much more than stand about looking alternately bewildered and a frightened. Were they on a quest to re-claim their dwarvish kingdom? It looked to me like they only wanted to get their hands on the treasure, and I wonder if that is also the main aim of the movie makers…It’s not much of a noble quest if revenge and greed are the driving forces.

You seen it yet? Your thoughts?