'The Hobbit': Mixed reviews for high-speed format, expanded story

In the wake of the stellar success of Peter Jackson's adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which grossed more than $2.9 billion worldwide and won a slew of awards, it's no shock that the New Zealand filmmaker would eventually turn to Tolkien's other beloved fantasy tale set in the familiar realm of Middle-earth, "The Hobbit."

By Oliver Gettell

December 6, 2012