Regardless of any trivial comparison of films to films--it comes to this: it was a ballyhoo.

Not to mention the movie's reliance on special effects, repetitive bird shot (derived from BEER commercials) when the heroes travel (and they travel alot), and Peter Jackson's overexploited use of ACTION SECQUENCES that it took away the HOBBITS SOUL which is, in a way, an act of larceny to the book.