"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" Review

As I said in my review of the previous installment, when I first heard of the decision to stretch The Hobbit into three films, I had mixed feelings. The first go around, I was none too impressed with the amount of bloat and unnecessary plot extensions. This time however, the overall narrative of the film is much more lucid.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug picks up immediately after the end of the last film. Having just escaped the orcs and Goblins, Bilbo and the company of dwarves continue their journey to reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor under the Lonely Mountain. They must make their way through Mirkwood, home of the wood-elves, sneak through the dreary lake town, and reclaim their birthright by taking on the stupendous dragon, Smaug. Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast uncover the true force behind the Necromancer.

Whereas the additional plot seemed unnecessary in the first movie, it is become much more apparent that Peter Jackson has an endgame in mind. The use of appendices to expand the film was originally viewed as a way to give film more padding, but if you pay enough attention, and if you've seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy, you can see what they are setting up. You can tell that there is going to be payoff when the trilogy is over, so stick with it.

While in the first film, it was very slow getting the action started, this time we dive right in. It's much more satisfying than sitting through 40 minutes of build-up. And it is all glorious. Jackson breathes life into parts of the book in ways I could never imagine. The action is suspenseful, the characters are all three dimensional, and the music is magnificently appropriate.

The second the film ends, I immediately began anticipating the next chapter.

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage and the rest of the cast return from the first film, and they all deliver excellent performances which develop across the spectrum of the film and still remain fresh. So rather than rehash those, I'll instead talk about the new additions to the cast.

Orlando Bloom makes his return as the fan-favorite archer-elf Legolas, and he brings with him the same ferocity and determination that he did in the original trilogy. He is younger in this movie, which gives Bloom the opportunity to play a more youthful, less mature, but admittedly still badass iteration of the character.

Evangeline Lilly premieres as the elf Tauriel, a character created specifically for the movie. While it could be easy for one to view her as merely a female Legolas, she has her own unique personality which pops and soars, creating a very memorable dynamic to the film.

Luke Evans plays Bard the Bowman, a character who has suffered and would rather not be bothered. His performance in the film arguably has the most pathos and the most heart, as Bard is clearly a man wounded and Evans does well to portray him as such. Full well knowing his fate, I eagerly await seeing Luke's stamp on the character in the final chapter.

Andrew's Standout for this film would be the growing talent of Benedict Cumberbatch. Other than Sean Connery and Christopher Lee, I know few people that can masterfully give life to a dragon, let alone one so iconic. But Cumberbatch puts on his motion capture suit, and crawls his way through to becoming the beast we could only picture as we read the book. He creates a chilling voice that, while recognizable, feels in tone with our antagonist, and will remain in your head as the film ends.

The choreography is magnificent, particularly the famous barrel scene. It almost reminds you of that sweeping six team member fighting shot in The Avengers.

If you had doubts about the first movie, rest assured, the second is superior. It is action and story packed, with enough suspense to make you giddy with anticipation for the series conclusion.

A-