Three Times The Hobbit?

[Inziladun]

The reviews are starting for the first installment. That one seems in line with a lot of what has been said here. Discount the author's obvious unfamiliarity with the source material (such as when he refers to the "troll-infested forest of Mirkwood" ). Here's a snippet:

With few exceptions, these insights bog down a tale already overtaxed by a surfeit of characters. The film introduces Radagast (Sylvester McCoy), a comical brown wizard with an ordure-streaked beard, and an unsatisfying subplot involving a Necromancer that's clearly an early form of Sauron, out of place in this story. It also makes room for cumbersome reunions -- or "preunions," perhaps -- with Galadriel, Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) in the elf city of Rivendell, hinting at the greater roles they will play in "The Lord of the Rings."

PJ was so intent on making the "bridge" between TH and his previous trilogy so obvious it looks like a troll in the living room, he just had to throw in a glut of characters that have no business making personal appearances in this story. Tolkien didn't think a ton of exposition about the side matters of the White Council was necessary in The Hobbit, but leave it to Big Hollywood to always consider they know best.