Movie critics are totally wrong on this one. They are all just taking advantage of the opportunity to title their critique something like "An Unexpected (Flop, Failure, Etc...)" in order to shock people into reading their crapola. I'm a Tolkien fan and I'm not interested in a 1.5 hour "Hollywood" experience. Each one of Tolkien's books should have been turned into three 3-hour movies with the appendices woven in (just like this one!). It is exactly the kind of detail and complexity a true fan wants. More names, places, and tales. The appendices also allow the movie to retain a darker and more dangerous feel. Less like the children's book that it has been called and more like the trilogy which we like. Go see it! If you live in Colorado or Washington then make sure you take advantage of the new laws before you enter the theatre.
Pros well paced, great story, great actors, it has two more parts!