It's not entirely faithful: it's doing its best to match the LOTR trilogy's epic sweep and give overall consistency of tone, so that certain things are rather epic'd up, so to speak. But within those constraints it does bring out the playfulness of the original Hobbit, which on further reflection makes a slightly uneven mood throughout the film - it is the quiet-countryman-hobbit on the edges of a much vaster history than the original book really attempts to show.
Also, Jackson likes his gleefully overblown fight-scenes. Which I do too.
no subject
Also, Jackson likes his gleefully overblown fight-scenes. Which I do too.