Parvateshwar: I, like many other people who have posted here and other places, loved a lot of things and hated just as many. The book is a little juvenile, especially when compared to the succeeding trilogy, and the movie did seem to capture this tone but they threw in a few things from the lore that were a lot more mature. It also didn't feel like we were meeting the characters, more-so the environment and the history with a few exceptions. This was supposed to be Bilbo's story but he didn't connect, Gandalf and Thorin were always at the centre of attention. The story is supposed to be about how Hobbits are so often overlooked but it just didn't seem like Jackson was making an effort go against that. Bilbo is just there and even though the story is told through his point of view we really don't know who he is or what he is thinking from the film.
And the Dwarfs are damned annoying, even Thorin has the character of a plank of wood and sometimes they didn't scale the environments properly which made them seem more like annoying humans. It's becoming apparent why there are going to be three movies, so we can watch Gandalf defeat the Necromancer. This really was Gandalf's big story and he came off the best out of all the characters and he was always at the forefront of the action. So long as Ian McKellen is prominently featured in the next two movies then this series will be exceptional. Peter Jackson had better pray that he stays healthy otherwise he will have to depend on one of the other characters and, aside from Andy Serkis or Barry Humphries, no other main characters stood out (and so long as he follows the story we won't be seeing (hearing) those two again).
I just saw it yesterday and I already want to see it again so that says something about the impact of the film but that doesn't necessarily make it good. It's intriguing, informative and epic in scale but it's a film that was made for sequels and it is therefore inconclusive and unsatisfying.

McDon: Though I like Sylvester McCoy's acting anyway I thought he was good in this film and hope he appears again.

Parvateshwar: The book mentioned that he helped Gandalf fight the Necromancer so we will probably be seeing him along with Christopher Lee in the next films. I'm a little worried though, this is going to be a five+ year project and some of my favourite actors in the film are over 70 (Lee is over 90!), keeping them alive and well has to be Jackon's #1 priority.

Parvateshwar: The book mentioned that he helped Gandalf fight the Necromancer so we will probably be seeing him along with Christopher Lee in the next films. I'm a little worried though, this is going to be a five+ year project and some of my favourite actors in the film are over 70 (Lee is over 90!), keeping them alive and well has to be Jackon's #1 priority.

xxxIndyxxx: As far as i understood the books Gandalf only suspected at that point that it was Sauron in Dol Guldur, but i could be wrong about that. I must say i always thought about it like this (thus even before wachting the movie).

keeveek: I heard it's watered down like hell. You should expect a movie about talking and walking...

Parvateshwar: The book mentioned that he helped Gandalf fight the Necromancer so we will probably be seeing him along with Christopher Lee in the next films. I'm a little worried though, this is going to be a five+ year project and some of my favourite actors in the film are over 70 (Lee is over 90!), keeping them alive and well has to be Jackon's #1 priority.

jefequeso: Lee is over 90????? Really?????


*looks it up*

Holy crap... you're right! Wow. He's aged remarkably well.

I'm most worried about Ian McKellen. Because I frankly couldn't see anyone else playing Gandulf, ever.

Faenrir: Once again, filming is over already x)