About The Movie:
Part two of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth prequel trilogy, The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, picks up right after the events of An
Unexpected Journey as Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf the Grey (Ian
McKellen), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), and his company of dwarves
continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain. Pursued by a horde of Orcs
commanded by the ruthless Azog, Bilbo and his friends have no choice but to
brave the dangers of Mirkwood – a dense and dangerous forest where even the most
valiant and skilled warriors can become lost to darkness.
What Is Good/Bad About The Movie:
Like The Lord of the Rings movies that preceded it, the sheer scale
ofThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a joy to behold. Once more the natural
beauty of New Zealand is awe-inspiring, and the CGI-created worlds and beasts
are captivating. Plus, the action sequences are tons of fun, full of
imaginative stunts, character-based humor, and plenty of thrills. It's an
absolute delight to see an arrogant, dwarf-hating Legolas (Orlando Bloom) use
the grumbling little men as little more than stepping stools as he leaps onto
their heads to fire an arrow at marauding orcs. And the spider scene--whose
Rankin and Bass version still haunts me--is perfectly chilling and enthralling
in live-action, punctuated by creepy sound design and a terrific blending of
practical and visual effects.
Smaug was teased at the end of An Unexpected Journey and,
thankfully, the final onscreen version is worth the wait. The combined efforts
of Weta Digital and actor Benedict Cumberbatch (who voiced Smaug as well as
provided motion capture for the dragon’s facial animations) result in one of
the most believable fantasy creatures ever put to film. The sheer scale and
detail of the dragon, set against a labyrinth of gold coins, jewels, and other
dwarf treasures, is a treat for the eyes – one that is made even better by
Cumberbatch’s snarly and coy voice acting. Anyone who might have been concerned
that the Smaug/Bilbo meeting would be glossed over in favor of blockbuster
action set pieces, will be relieved to hear that Jackson dedicates a decent
amount of time to their interplay – which might even, for some, rival Gollum’s
“Riddles in the Dark” sequence as one of the best scenes in this Hobbit film
trilogy.
Overall Grade: A+
Part two of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth prequel trilogy, The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, picks up right after the events of An
Unexpected Journey as Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf the Grey (Ian
McKellen), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), and his company of dwarves
continue their journey to the Lonely Mountain. Pursued by a horde of Orcs
commanded by the ruthless Azog, Bilbo and his friends have no choice but to
brave the dangers of Mirkwood – a dense and dangerous forest where even the most
valiant and skilled warriors can become lost to darkness.
However, just as the company is about to enter the twisted tree
line, Gandalf is called away on an important mission of his own (to investigate
the growing Necromancer threat at Dol Guldur), leaving the hobbit and dwarves
to continue on without assistance from the wizard. Undeterred, Thorin leads his
companions onto the forest trail, refocusing on the mission at hand: reach the
Lonely Mountain and recover the Arkenstone from Smaug, the cunning and deadly
dragon that drove the dwarves from their home and fortunes in Erebor 150 years
ago.
Like The Lord of the Rings movies that preceded it, the sheer scale
ofThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a joy to behold. Once more the natural
beauty of New Zealand is awe-inspiring, and the CGI-created worlds and beasts
are captivating. Plus, the action sequences are tons of fun, full of
imaginative stunts, character-based humor, and plenty of thrills. It's an
absolute delight to see an arrogant, dwarf-hating Legolas (Orlando Bloom) use
the grumbling little men as little more than stepping stools as he leaps onto
their heads to fire an arrow at marauding orcs. And the spider scene--whose
Rankin and Bass version still haunts me--is perfectly chilling and enthralling
in live-action, punctuated by creepy sound design and a terrific blending of
practical and visual effects.
Smaug was teased at the end of An Unexpected Journey and,
thankfully, the final onscreen version is worth the wait. The combined efforts
of Weta Digital and actor Benedict Cumberbatch (who voiced Smaug as well as
provided motion capture for the dragon’s facial animations) result in one of
the most believable fantasy creatures ever put to film. The sheer scale and
detail of the dragon, set against a labyrinth of gold coins, jewels, and other
dwarf treasures, is a treat for the eyes – one that is made even better by
Cumberbatch’s snarly and coy voice acting. Anyone who might have been concerned
that the Smaug/Bilbo meeting would be glossed over in favor of blockbuster
action set pieces, will be relieved to hear that Jackson dedicates a decent
amount of time to their interplay – which might even, for some, rival Gollum’s
“Riddles in the Dark” sequence as one of the best scenes in this Hobbit film
trilogy.
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