Glenn Kenny points out “Point is, 48 fps, and particularly 48 fps in 3-D, is reputed to deliver an image of such stellar clarity that the viewer is apt to feel as if he or she can step into the action.” (http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-critic-reviews/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey/) … and is spot on with that assessment might I add.

The downfall is that there are times that this movie really falls short.  Oh no, not in the story telling, that is great and of course not exactly book driven.  But wonderful entertainment.  The downfall is that the clarity left me grasping for how to aptly describe what I had just seen.  Perhaps it was the fact I went to the 12:15am showing.  Perhaps it was that I had little sleep before going.  Perhaps it left a feeling of watching a PBS or History channel special? 

Though my last statement above seemed like the best I could come to explaining what I’d just seen.  But then I heard the phrase “it had a green screen feel, like you could see all the props at times” … and I knew I’d found a way to better describe it.

Perhaps with such clarity on screen the film did itself in.  There are times when scenes are panned and you can actually tell you are looking at plastic trees, or others that it appears the characters are standing before a green screen back drop.

That said, I did still enjoy the movie.  I was just a bit disappointed in feeling that it had not lived up to the splendor of the first three movies on screen.  Hey, with new tech though it takes a little time to work out the kinks!  Perhaps one of the next two installments will get rid of that “green screen” feel and wow us once again.