I might be a bit late commenting on this, but I thought "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was lacking one critical aspect of any successful film-- a proper plotline. Sure, it was exciting and an overall enjoyable movie to watch, but the story finished unresolved and lacked variety in the problematic situations its characters encountered. Once the next two sequels are released and this movie can be viewed as part of a completed trilogy, I think I can then offer it more praise. It's unfortunate that Hollywood insists on creating unnecessary sequels and breaking up single stories into multiple parts rather than being content on creating one fantastic film, which is rarely done anymore with big titles such as "The Hobbit." It all reflects a concern for money rather than quality films.