I saw the movie in the theater, at 48 fps and in 3D. But we were late to the screeneing and found ourselves in the second row staring straight up into Middle Earth. Mrs. P had to use her special pressure point against nausea just to get through the film. I enjoyed it; but not as much as I'd hoped.

You'll recall that I'm a Tolkien fan of the first order. But I learned from the Lord of the Rings movies to grab onto those parts of the film that represent classic scenes from the books, done faithfully, done beautifully.

I bought the DVD the other day so that I could watch it in comfort, pausing for refreshments or relief. With this second and third viewing I can say that there are a few scenes that are wonderful but mostly they turned an adventure story into an action flick.

I'll start with the best bits. The riddle game with Gollum is fantastic, I could watch it again and again, it is close enough to may own imagination to make it fun to watch. Same goes for the Trolls, Rivendell, and that explanation part about the great Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. While the party at Bagend seemed to go on and on, the sets were spot on. And, of course, Hobbiton, which is absolutely perfect. But I'm biased in that regard, having been there.

You are right about the action bits. Dwarves are hardy folk, or so the books say, and can endure great hardship. But come on! The great fall down into Gobblin Town and they don't have a scratch? They navigate their escape as though they defy physics and statistics alike.

It is a trend in action films that I've come to find annoying. I was watching the beginning of the latest version of War of the Worlds, and Tom Cruise manages to drive out of a town that was clogged with abandoned vehicles, falling buildings, flying vehicles, and all the other tropes. I don't mind a lucky or artful dodger in a protagonist; but if overdone it becomes tedious and distracting.

I didn't notice the Gandalf discontinuity but I'll watch for it. For half of the LOTR trilogy he is Gandalf the White, who is Gandalf the Grey on steroids. The scene of the White Council at Rivendell shows Gandalf the Grey as he was sixty years before...old, tired, scared, and his boss doesn't believe anything he's bringing to the table. (Gandalf doesn't yet realize that Saruman has his own agenda.) When he dies and becomes Gandalf the White, he's basically taking Saruman's job.

Continuity errors are to be expected on a shoot this big, but they do hurt a film. I kept watching to see how Bilbo got his sword back when the eagles spirited him away. If you've got the DVD, I recommend watching some of the making of the film extra features, especially concerning the location filming.