Luckily for me, i had just finished reading the Hobbit before seeing this movie. It made the movie THAT much better. I highly suggest reading the Hobbit (one of my all-time favorite books) before seeing this movie. You'll understand why after you read it and watch Lord of the Rings. This movie had me on the edge of my seat. The cinematography was absolutely amazing, and it should be in the top 20 for that alone! But in my opinion, i don't believe that it should be any higher than number 10. I have to say, my mouth was pretty much hanging open the whole time. Ian Mckellen was a great Gandalf. And also, this movie had that legendary trilogy feel to it, much like Star Wars. But this film was sorrily plagued with a case of hype-itis. If it had gone without so much hype, i'm sure more people would have liked this movie. I give this film a 9. I would have given it a 10, but I felt a lack of flow. i think I need to watch it again. All in all though, it is a truly captivating film!