The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

The next journey into Middle-earth has finally hit theaters. It's safe to say I was very highly anticipating The Desolation of Smaug, given my love of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as my fondness of the novel these Hobbit films are based upon. I didn't find An Unexpected Journey to be a letdown, as many did. A bit slow, yes, but I still enjoyed it. Not as great as The Lord of the Rings, granted, but I was still excited for the next installment. And now, it has arrived. Enough of the niceties, though; was this movie good or not?!

It was very good, indeed. This film is certainly a step up from the previous Hobbit movie. It delivers more action and excitement, while still providing an engrossing and intriguing story that is faithful to the book. I was pleased with the way this turned out. Very pleased.

Martin Freeman is back as Bilbo Baggins, and I thought he did a very nice job of giving an accurate portrayal of the hobbit. Of course, it wouldn't be Middle-earth without Ian McKellen. He's just as good of a Gandalf as he's always been. There is less of him in the film, though. The wizard doesn't get too much screen time, but this is because they're setting it up for the finale.

Legolas is back on screen for this one. His role wasn't too critical to the film. He did little more than fight orcs. That isn't necessarily a complaint, mind you. The fight scenes with him were very entertaining. Evangeline Lilly has joined the cast, as a she-elf named Tauriel. I was pleasantly surprised by her character. She wasn't on screen for a whole lot of time, but she was efficient. There's a bit of a love triangle between Legolas, her, and Kili, one of the dwarves. When it was first being set up, I'm pretty sure I rolled my eyes. I was expecting it to be forced in to the story. However, it was actually done very well.

There are a number of other good performances, namely from Richard Armitage and Luke Evans. The former is once again Thorin Oakenshield, and plays the character with more conviction and complexity. Evans is a newcomer to the franchise. His character, named Bard, was a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to get much out of him, but he ended up being one of my favorite characters. He isn't on anyone's side, he simply cares about himself and his people. But, he knows what's right, and is willing to do it. He keeps to his own values, and it was nice to see.

The man that really deserves praise, however, is Benedict Cumberbatch, also a newcomer to the series. He has two roles, Smaug and the Necromancer. It is Smaug that I'd like to talk about for a bit. By now, all of you have seen the great dragon in the trailers and advertisements. These do not do true justice for just how spectacular he is. I can't recall a dragon so - as Bilbo says in the film - stupendous as Smaug in cinematic history. He truly is magnificent. He steals the show in the final act. Boy, he was a memorable beast.

As I mentioned before, The Desolation of Smaug is exciting, more so than its predecessor. One could attribute this to it simply having more action sequences. But, I think that statement is fairly ignorant. Yes, the film does contain more action, but the excitement also stems from the stakes of the plot being raised, and the scope of these characters' journey being broadened. I felt engrossed in the story, and therefore, the movie was more stirring.

I have undeniably enjoyed these first two installments in The Hobbit trilogy. Alas, I have not found them to be as effective and compelling as The Lord of the Rings. The visual effects have improved, but some of the magic of Middle-earth has been lost. Not all of it. There is still plenty of pleasure to be had in this world. But, I can't help but feel even a little disappointed that this series can't be as glorious as The Lord of the Rings was.

Apart from what I just mentioned, the only other flaw I can think of is that it is slightly overlong. The movies of Middle-earth have always been long, and probably always will be. But, the splendor that they provide warrants their extended running times. There was about a 10-minute stretch in the last act of this one, however, that I thought was superfluous. Never before that point had I found any of the action pointless or excessive. This small section of the movie did leave me feeling as though it could have been left out.

Saying that the ending of The Desolation of Smaug is inconclusive would be the understatement of the year. There is absolutely no resolution to it. The film literally stops right in the middle of the battle with Smaug. That being said, I found it to be quite rousing. There was a thrill in the unknown. Well, it's not exactly unknown, seeing as though I've read the book, but there is still some mystery. It was a given that it would end incomplete, it being the middle chapter of a trilogy. However, I ultimately liked how Peter Jackson decided to conclude this portion of the story. One thing is for sure: it definitely has me looking forward to the finale, which comes out next year.

Conslusion

The Desolation of Smaug is an improvement upon its predecessor, providing more thrills and excitement, as well as a bit more urgency and fervor in its telling of the story. It's a smidgen too long, and may leave some disappointed in its lack of finality, but it is still an accurate adaption of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved novel, and a satisfying middle chapter in this prequel trilogy. 

Rating: 9/10