The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – PG 13

Running Time: 161 minutes

Rating: 8

Director: Peter Jackson

There is no denying that 2013’s winter season was full of blockbuster hits. Among them was director Peter Jackson’s second installment of The Hobbit series: The Desolation of Smaug. Serving as prequels to author J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit is also a book the author wrote following the story of young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Frodo Baggins’ uncle, and his unexpected journey to the Lonely Mountain with a slew of dwarves. The book has been expanded into three film adaptations using many of Tolkien’s notes that did not make the cut in the novel.Thorin and his accompaniment of dwarves continue their perilous journey to the Lonely Mountain in search for a long stolen treasure… and a dragon. As their journey ensues and draws nearer to their destination, new unexpected calamities flaw a long distraught expedition. Being hunted by a slew of orcs and imprisoned in an elvish kingdom sets the company back and creates more opportunity for enemies to continue the pursuit. With rising evil in Middle Earth much of future events lie in the condition of the Lonely Mountain. A movie of rising action and events, The Desolation of Smaug provides a strong base for the finale and mysteries of how the events will play out.

Orlando Bloom revises his role as Legolas, prince of the Woodland Realm and shows another darker side to his character as imprisoner of Thorin’s accompaniment and only concerned for himself and his realm. The best part of this additional character from The Lord of the Rings is delving deeper into backstories (as it is a prequel series) and witnessing how characters came across their personalities represented in later days.

As far as sequels are concerned, The Desolation of Smaug moved the storyline to its necessary destination but did not develop much further in characters or significance. It’s much like the sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring of The Lord of the Rings series in its importance of moving the characters closer to their set goal, but does not provide much more depth than plot progression. As the wayward characters of The Two Towers face undeniable peril in their journeys, there is little in any surprising occurrences and a lack of meeting any ends.

The Desolation of Smaug is indubitably impressive in its cinematography though. It is hard to deny the plush and expansive beauty of the New Zealand islands and Jackson picked the most impressive locations. From rolling plains of vibrant colors and hues to expansive mountains and crisp rivers, The Desolation of Smaug scenery speaks for itself. I was blown away by the bright and exquisite scenery, much more alluring than the dark and depressing tones of The Lord of the Rings. Yet beyond even that is the astonishing CGI Jackson takes the liberty of. From vast and imposing underground dwarf kingdoms to sickly forests and massive spiders, this movie brings in a whole new meaning in CGI’s advancement. It felt as though these images were very real possibilities that the dwarves and Bilbo had to face. Let’s not forget Smaug, the whole dilemma of the movie that the dwarves must face. This colossal and stupendous beast is all too real in his armored scales and reptilian characteristics. Kudos to the tech and filming crew, they most definitely outdid themselves in this installment’s beauty and enormity.

Overall The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was a smashing sequel that moved the storyline along towards its final film while providing entertainment and a few laughs that many audience members have enjoyed. Although slower in pace and action than the first, this sequel made for a sidewinding adventure with some suspense to top it off.