The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) - Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Stephen Fry, Cate Blanchett, Sylvester McCoy. Written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, and Guillermo Del Toro. Based on the novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein. Directed by Peter Jackson.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second in Peter Jackson's Hobbit series, the prequel series to The Lord of the Rings series, continues the story of Bilbo Baggins as he travels with a company of dwarves in their quest to kill a dragon and take back their homeland. The story also follows Gandalf the Grey as he tries to stop impending war and the return of evil to Middle-Earth.
Those complaining about how the first Hobbit film was too slow will be content with this film. Despite one notable exception - a conclusion battle that drags on and on - the story and the action moves at a rapid pace. The acting is exceptional, especially Martin Freeman whose Bilbo is a way better character than Frodo from The Lord of the Rings. However, it feels odd that in a film entitled The Hobbit, Bilbo seems to not have a lot of the focus on him. That actually seems to be a detriment to the film as a whole: at times it feels completely unfocused.
I thought this film was spectacular and was a worthy addition to the franchise, but I had one major problem with the film. I thought the CGI was grossly overused. I thought the use of practical effects on the Orcs in The Lord of the Rings was a lot cooler and a lot scarier than the CGI Orcs in The Hobbit. There are several scenes that feel almost cartoonish because of this CGI overused. That being said, overall I found the film to be great.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
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