The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Dir: Peter Jackson
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, and Richard Armitage
The saga continues in Peter Jackson’s extended version of
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth introductory “The Hobbit”. The first film, “The
Unexpected Journey”, offered a slow moving presentation that seemed merely to
re-acquaint viewers with the characters especially a younger Bilbo Baggins and
the adventures he discussed in “The Lord of the Rings” films. “The Desolation
of Smaug” quickly forwards into an exciting and swiftly moving story that leads
to the stunning rendering of the fire-breathing dragon Smaug.
Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continues his journey with
the ragtag group of dwarfs who recruited him to reclaim their kingdom and fortune,
which was stolen by slumbering dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Bilbo,
along with the dwarfs and Gandalf the Grey, trudge towards the lost dwarf
kingdom while encountering resistance at every opportunity. Orcs are in hot
pursuit of the group, spiders in a deadly forest are stalking, elves in a
fortress domain are threatening, and Smaug is waiting for the battle he knows
is coming. All these hurdles, including the secret ring in Bilbo’s pocket and
the presence of an evil nemesis of the future, make for another perilous
adventure for the alliance.
Peter Jackson is the master of the Tolkien universe. The
transition into this new tale is initially smooth and immediately draws the
viewer into the bulk of the action packed story. Jackson, working with only a
few chapters in the already short novel for this film, takes some liberties in
bulking up the material by exploring further the characters and elongating,
sometimes exhaustively, the action set pieces. Take for instance a river escape
from the elven kingdom by way of barrels, all while being pursued through the
rocky terrain by orcs and elves. The action at times feels a bit overdone
though some of the setups, like this one, are particularly fun and inventive. Jackson
also adds a character not seen in the book, a tough fighting female elf named
Tauriel (Evangeline Lily). Though she is a welcome addition to the all male
cast her role is utilized in part as a clichéd romantic vehicle.
The cast again is good. Martin Freeman especially handles
the changing ego of Bilbo who is growing more confident and secretive with
every step on the way to the Lonely Mountain. Richard Armitage is given more to
work with as Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the voyage. Thorin portrays a
figure of leadership though his foundation is somewhat insecure. The computer
composition of the daunting Smaug is fantastic, as is Cumberbatch’s equally
intimidating voice. Jackson introduces the beast with a boisterous monologue,
easily one of the highlights of the film.
Jackson handles “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” with
far more precision than the first installment. It’s difficult to find an ending
point since the story is based off one book. While some viewers may be annoyed
with the choice in ending this film on a cliffhanger, it’s a good position for
the third installment to conclude. Though this film is livelier than the first,
there are a few moments when the action seems to marginalize the characters.
However, the story isn’t over and Jackson still has another movie to round out
his saga.
Monte’s Rating
3.50 out of 5.00
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