Just saw the movie recently at an imax theater, just in time I guess as the DVD's are hitting the shelves in March. Seems I'm in the minority here as I really enjoy 3D. Admittedly the imax experience was less satisfactory to me then the Real3D movies I'm more accustomed to, haven't had a chance to compare the various versions and at this late point it probably won't happen.
I have a wonderful home entertainment center and it takes a BIG screen movie to lure me into a movie theater (think 3D). So Hollywood understands the need to pry people away from their 60" flat screens and surround sound systems in the comfort and convenience of their own home. That being said, I too thought the blurred pans and distorted peripheral views to be annoying (at least at the imax 3D in San Francisco). Also, as a lifelong Tolkien fan, the Jackson rape and pillage of the original concepts of Middle Earth are at the least disheartening. But, I still enjoy the movies. A willing suspension of disbelief and ability to put aside the memories of the beautiful arcane lore these movies are based on is a necessary prerequisite to viewing (IMO). Sadly it is not true to the book, but what is? Nor would a production aimed at the 'true believers' achieve the monetary and popular success that it has achieved. Christopher Tolkien, the guardian of the Tolkien Lore had this to say recently (his first public comments on the movies):
"Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed into the absurdity of our time," Christopher Tolkien observes sadly. "The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has overwhelmed me. The commercialization has reduced the aesthetic and philosophical impact of the creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: to turn my head away."
That's from an interview in Le Monde late last year (translated here for the non-french speaking folks):
http://worldcrunch.com/culture-society/my-father-039-s-quot-eviscerated-quot-work-son-of-hobbit-scribe-j.r.r.-tolkien-finally-speaks-out/hobbit-silmarillion-lord-of-rings/c3s10299/#.USK1LKV4L2bYet. Yet, the movies and what Weta continues to create with digital technology is breathtaking. Put aside Peter Jackson's flamboyant exaggerations and script hacking; I really loved the great overblown scenes, the sheer over-the-top flight of the eagles, the great Maxfield Parrish like backdrops in Rivendel, the Rock Monsters in their cataclysmic duel, the Trolls (wow, the Trolls!). This is why I go to the big screen! And even more: wouldn't you love to have access to some of Weta's treasure chest (talk about Dragon's Gold!). I mean, take 'Lumberjack', the inhouse proprietary tree growing toolset that can configure it's 'growth' around the available light in the environment, 'Synapse' the solver software that made those wonderful waterfalls (co-developed by the Exotic Matter guys of Naiad fame), the eagle's feathers from Weta's 'Plummage' tools, and on and on. Sitting close-up to a huge demonstration of the most cutting edging 3D tools is a true thrill.
So in a few weeks I'll have a high res version on my blu-ray and then really look at the detail and gather my final thoughts on the movie itself, but for now I'm already starting to anticipate Part II!