48fps combined with a 'no reveal' = a strange director's choice.

I saw the Hobbit on Monday at an IMAX screen 48fps 3D.

I went in wondering what I would make of this new technology. At first it was, no big deal what's everyone worrying about, and then it was very quickly - that looks wrong - now I see it.

By the end of the film I was in the world and it looked fantastic - best CGI ever - Gollum as real as Bilbo, fighting scenes in the dark at least were visible and clear, unlike most other movies.

But that beginning few minutes in Dale and Erebor. What in the end doesn't work, in my humble opinion Peter Jackson, is you show us a new technology which looks TV like on the big screen, and then because you don't want to reveal Smaug in movie 1, you resort to amateurish low budget TV tricks often seen in Sci-Fi. For example,  moving trees for Smaug flying over, people staring at the sky looking at nothing we can see; all as a way of conjuring a dragon attack. The combination makes the 48fps, even more noticeably TV like. And the combination doesn't work.

On a different note, PG-13 or 12A (UK) was disappointing, when I had read the Hobbit to my 8 and 6 year old in preparation for the movie. I wanted them to be blown away, like I was with Star Wars at a similar age. However, having been recently burnt as a bad parent (twice) showing Brave to my then 5 year old (everything else more appropriate on at the time, I couldn't stand), who then when I showed it to him again in a second cinema trip, thinking he would be better the second time, only to have him ask to leave the cinema. Anticipation of the scary bits made it worse for him. I decided no Hobbit for the kids if it was a 12A. They were disappointed and said if they couldn't see it, Daddy couldn't either. A £5 bribe each if it was a 12A, silenced that disaster! I paid up on Monday.

Final Hobbit verdict - when can I see it again? A three times cinema movie I am sure. And when I do go again it will be IMAX 48fps 3D, it's how Peter Jackson wants it to be scene, and who am I to disagree. Though I worry he has surrounded himself with yes men and women - Lucas like...