The Hobbit ended with Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), and the 13 dwarves looking at Lonely Mountain, way off in the distance, wondering what sort of adventure stretched ahead of them. The answer, of course, came in the shot of Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Well, not the dragon itself, but from a close-up of his reptilian eye. What would happen? Fans knew they wouldn’t find out for another year, when part two of The Hobbit trilogy – The Desolation of Smaug – hit cinemas.
The year is up, and Smaug is out. Was it worth the wait? Well … that probably depends. What were you expecting to see? I haven’t read The Hobbit, so I’m not going be in that camp that complains about how the film deviates from the book, or about how it should have remained one film. Blah, blah. To those people, if you are in love with a book, please, just re-read the book. A film is NOT going to be the book. Everyone on this planet should know this by now. This is Peter Jackson’s reinvention of J.R.R. Tolkein. If you can’t handle that, then that’s your problem. Most of us don’t care that you’re upset. I’m pretty sure that Peter Jackson doesn’t care.
My only experience of The Hobbit is from the Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. animated, made-for-TV, 1977 version, and it was so memorable that I don’t even remember it. In short, I came into this trilogy with no real expectations. I just know that I trust Jackson, and I’m willing to go wherever he wants to take us. I loved The Hobbit. Saw it twice in the cinema, and have since watched it twice at home. Compared to the first film, Desolation of Smaug isn’t as well-written, and not a lot really happens. And yet, I am still planning on seeing it again. And again.
The cons: Desolation of Smaug is a “middle film,” and usually they tend to not be as interesting as the first or the last films in a trilogy. (One exception: The Empire Strikes Back.) I remember when I saw Lord of the Rings: Two Towers in the cinema. My reaction was the same; I came out, feeling a bit disappointed. Of course, when I watched it again, in its proper place, between The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and LOTR: Return of the King, I loved it. Had no idea why I hadn’t felt that way in the cinema. I suspect poor old Smaug will improve when viewed in context.
Smaug deviates from the book, or so I’m told, by including characters that shouldn’t be there, specifically Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), and by introducing new characters, specifically Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). I am of the opinion that the more elves you add, the better the film. If I ruled the world, Legolas would be in every film ever released. The justification for creating Tauriel and including Galadriel, I believe, was to inject some estrogen to the testosterone-heavy story. After all, two of the four persons adapting The Hobbit are female: Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. (The other two are Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, who was originally slated to direct.) I applaud the idea of including more women. What I didn’t like was the fact that Tauriel wasn’t allowed to just be a badass warrior who can mow down Orcs left and right. (And she’s great at doing that.) Instead, she is, almost immediately, put into a love triangle scenario with Legolas and the dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner). Once I realized that, I thought about the females in The LOTR trilogy, and with the exception of Galadriel, who is an object of beauty, all of those female characters also exist to be love interests. Kind of made my heart sink. Not cool. Not cool at all. Ms. Boyens and Walsh, please see Frozen as soon as you can.
The pros: If you like action, and Orc killing, Smaug has both in abundance. Once the dwarves encounter Legolas and Tauriel, they are quite literally in for a ride. The best sequence in the film involves dwarves in barrels, rushing down a river, trying to avoid being slaughtered by an Orc army. The elves ably assist. I have heard some complaints about this sequence, but I loved it. It’s a bit like watching a fast-paced video game.
The second best part of the film is the interaction between Bilbo and Smaug, who is majestic and cunning and … I really want him to survive this experience, even though I know he won’t. The character design is laudable, and the CGI flawless. When CGI is done well, I am like a kid eating 16 scoops of ice cream. And casting Cumberbatch to do the voice was a brilliant choice. I can’t wait to see more of the dragon in the third installment. By the way, dragons always make a film better. If I ruled the world, every film would have Legolas AND a dragon. Or two.
One final sequence in Smaug that beautifully blends action with exceptional CGI involves dwarves, Bilbo, and a bunch of giant, ravenous spiders. Once it was over, I was shuddering. I felt as if spiders were crawling on me or that I, too, was wrapped in webbing. Arachnophobias beware. Spiders are awesome, by the way.
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug might pale in comparison to The Hobbit, but it’s still a beautifully shot and designed film. It has exciting and intense moments, some funny bits, and a lot of heart. The closing song, “I See Fire,” is particularly lovely. While it was playing, I was transfixed. Sung by British folk artist, Ed Sheeran, it is definitely a must-buy.
Because I was over-tired when I saw Smaug, I plan on seeing it again before it leaves the cinema. And I will probably buy however many versions come out on Blu-ray. I’m excited to watch all three films, back-to-back, but that won’t be for a few years. We still have to wait for The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Next December 17, yo. Put it on your calendar.
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
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