The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Director: Peter Jackson
Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug.
Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.
The second installment of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy arrives in theaters this weekend and it is a solid improvement over its predecessor. Some still question Jackson on splitting the much smaller novel into three lengthy film adaptations, but at this point we should just accept that it's happening and go along for the ride.
The Desolation of Smaug picks up right where An Unexpected Journey left us. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the band of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) continue on their quest to reclaim the dwarves' homeland from the fierce dragon known as Smaug (voiced by the stellar Benedict Cumberbatch). Gandalf (Ian McKellan) parts from the group to investigate a growing darkness only to discover that his worst fears are being realized. Meanwhile, the dwarves and Bilbo run into woodland elves with Legolas (Orlando Bloom) as their fierce warrior along with the strong and beautiful Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) who grows fond of Kili the dwarf. All of this leads up to Bilbo having to sneak his way into the Lonely Mountain and steal back the Arkenstone from the ruthless dragon Smaug.
The film definitely suffers from being an incomplete story being stuck in between the introduction and conclusion. The final frames leave the audience on perhaps the biggest cliffhanger of the year, even worse than Catching Fire's cliffhanger. Nevertheless, The Desolation of Smaug sets the pace more quickly than the lengthy introduction in An Unexpected Journey. There are moments that drag on and seem somewhat unnecessary; however, this second installment has far more thrilling action sequences with some slick choreography. The crowd will all but cheer when Legolas comes sweeping into action weilding that famous bow of his. His sidekick (and potential love interest), Tauriel, can also slay orcs with the best of them. The two best sequences are the barrel ride escape (destined to become a theme park ride) and Bilbo's encounter with Smaug. Smaug, like Gollum, is a visual marvel and voiced to perfection by Benedict Cumberbatch. These two sequences are more than worth the price of admission.
So far, The Hobbit trilogy has yet to match the brilliance of the Oscar winning Lord of the Rings trilogy. It lacks the emotional weight and interesting characters found in LOTR, but director Peter Jackson is right at home in Middle-Earth and this latest installment has some rousing adventure that is sure fun to watch. Looking forward to the concluding chapter in next year's There and Back Again.
RATING: B+
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