The Hobbit was indeed an Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit is easily one of the most anticipated films of this year, and for good reason: The Lord of the Rings trilogy will go down in cinematic history as both a masterpiece and a game changer.  Now Peter Jackson has returned to the storyteller's chair to tell the prelude tale of the trilogy, The Hobbit.  Does it live up to the hype, or in this case the critical panning?  I'll go over the good and the bad, and then my conclusion.

THE BAD
There are certainly pacing issues, which is expected with the amount of filler content that Mr. Jackson and his team inevitably had to create.  There are whole scenes that weren't needed and only provided nostalgic value.  The side stories were distractions rather than adding to to it.

It seems there was less detail in many of the scenes than in any of the LOTR films.  The Shire wasn't as beautiful, nor was Rivendell.

The Goblin King was disgusting to look at and really distracted me.  I found myself avoiding the screen whenever it showed him.  If the Orcs and Goblins weren't CGI, the film would've easily been rated R for the sheer amount of graphic beheadings.

THE GOOD
The soundtrack was brilliant, as always.  Many of the recognizable themes were present as well as new ones that were just as memorable and emotion-provoking.

Martin Freeman as Bilbo was the best part of the movie.  Never once did I think that he wasn't Bilbo or that he was Watson from Sherlock.  He really lived the part, and I daresay did a better job as a leading man than Elijah Wood did as Frodo.

It is beautifully shot, which I expect nothing less from Peter Jackson.  The opening prologue scene was a spectacle to see.

The language was less Shakespearean than the previous trilogy, but the content is less epic (i.e. the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance).  The banter between the dwarves is fun and appropriate for the story.  There is a scene between Cate Blanchet's character and Gandalf that was the turning point for my verdict of the film.  It really touched me and brought home what the story was about.  Peter Jackson, like all the master directors, is a master of manipulating emotions.

CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed this movie.  There were problems, most of them relating to the 'filler content' that they had to insert in order to fill up 3 films from only a 300 page novel.  Also, thanks to @RaySubers and other critics, my expectations were REALLY low, which helped me enjoy this movie even more.  It has heart and a playfulness that the other films didn't.  I would try not to compare them too much, because they are very different with different goals.  4/5 stars.  I recommend it.