Why did The Hobbit's 48fps frame rate divide audiences so dramatically?

The answer

When Peter Jackson released The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 14, 2012, he shot and projected it at 48 frames per second - double the standard 24fps that cinema had used since the late 1920s. Jackson believed the higher frame rate would reduce motion blur and create a more immersive 3D experience. Instead, many viewers described it as looking like a soap opera or a BBC television drama, a phenomenon known as the 'soap opera effect.' The ultra-smooth motion made expensive sets and prosthetics look artificial. Scientists explain this as a learned association: our brains connect 24fps with 'cinematic' and higher frame rates with 'video.' Despite the backlash, the film still grossed $1.017 billion worldwide.