Film Review: The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug
Sunday, December 29, 2013
The film is a jam-packed 2 hours 41 minutes but by now, I think we all know not to expect anything less! I don't actually know the original novel plot very well, and hadn't seen An Unexpected Journey since watching it in the cinema a year ago, so the story was a little bit hazy in my memory. To recap, hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) has been appointed as "thief" and joined an energetic group of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). They've set out to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), meeting familiar faces along the way from LOTR (namely Galadriel and Elrond, and who could forget Gollum?). Lots goes on, including battling goblins and other evil creatures, and the film ends on the awakening of Smaug. Not a proper recap (that's what Wikipedia's for), but basically the clan don't even make it to Smaug. Which is where The Desolation... picks up.
We're treated to a frightfest of giant spiders and orcs, and the scare factor is further intensified by scenes with the Necromancer whose enigmatic identity was previously unknown. I've been told that the Necromancer/Gandalf scenes are all non-existent in Tolkein's novel, but watching it with no previous awareness of the plot, it completely made sense. It also cleverly bridges the plot and foreshadows towards LOTR in a very visually intriguing way. Because the Necromancer is...you guessed it, Sauron. We knew that anyway, but good ol' Gandalf didn't. Another character die-hard novel fans won't be expecting is...Legolas! Credit where credit's due to the make-up and CGI people for making the age-proof elf look as youthful as ever, considering The Fellowship of the Ring was made over a decade ago. Or maybe Orlando Bloom just refuses to age. The blonde archer may not feature by name in the book, but Jackson's logic was, if he was alive then (which he definitely was), why shouldn't he? This means we get to see some seriously kick-ass action scenes.
Another new character is that of Tauriel, a feisty female elf who is also skilled with a bow! It's nice to have some female presence in an otherwise all-male main cast, plus there's a sweet minor storyline involving dwarf Kili and chemistry. Speaking of new characters, there's also brave man Bard from the little town of Laketown who I reckon will play a significant part in Part 3 which will be called There and Back Again. And let's not forget Smaug, because he plays a huge role in this film. Whilst LOTR revolves around this one little ring, which actually proves quite useful for Bilbo in the film, it can be said that The Hobbit kinda revolves around this one giant dragon. He's greedy and powerful and has stolen the Arkenstone, a gem sought by Thorin. The booming voice of Benedict Cumberbatch works remarkably well, and Smaug is brought to life by spectacular CGI. On a side note, as a bit of a Sherlock geek, it's great seeing Freeman and Cumberbatch side by side in a very different circumstance.
Speaking of Freeman, I really could not picture anyone else as Bilbo Baggins. He did a fantastic job in the first film, and this certainly continues as his character development progresses. This character insight extends to the dwarves as well, although there still isn't enough distinction for me to be able to name more than a handful - or even tell them apart for that matter. Perhaps that's just me. One dwarf that does get a named mention, and not because it's one of the only names I can remember without using Google, is of course Thorin. Armitage does a tremendous job bringing to life all the raw emotions of loss and grief along with the ambition of redemption.
I can't finish this review without at least mentioning the music, scenery and special effects. Without rambling on too much, all three are stunning. From the Ed Sheeran-penned theme song which gets better with each listen, to the breathtaking scenes of New Zealand's beautiful Middle Earth, you really are invited into the wonderfully marvellous world of Tolkein. Even though I hadn't read the book beforehand, I feel like I have a very good sense of the intended story which I think Jackson has once again captured with skill.
Whilst the film is still very long, I actually wouldn't call it unnecessarily long as everything seemed integral and purposeful to the plot. I did wonder which scene they would end the film on, and it is a cliffhanger which will keep us hanging until this time next year, no doubt. I certainly enjoyed it more than its predecessor as it just felt like there was more going on. More movement in plot, more sub-plots, more meaning and backstory. And more importantly (for me), more action. There are sprinkles of laugh-out-loud comedy thrown throughout, and thoughtful nods to the future of the franchise. I left the cinema chattering excitedly, and thinking that this whole Hobbit film thing was a good idea; a very good idea.
Another new character is that of Tauriel, a feisty female elf who is also skilled with a bow! It's nice to have some female presence in an otherwise all-male main cast, plus there's a sweet minor storyline involving dwarf Kili and chemistry. Speaking of new characters, there's also brave man Bard from the little town of Laketown who I reckon will play a significant part in Part 3 which will be called There and Back Again. And let's not forget Smaug, because he plays a huge role in this film. Whilst LOTR revolves around this one little ring, which actually proves quite useful for Bilbo in the film, it can be said that The Hobbit kinda revolves around this one giant dragon. He's greedy and powerful and has stolen the Arkenstone, a gem sought by Thorin. The booming voice of Benedict Cumberbatch works remarkably well, and Smaug is brought to life by spectacular CGI. On a side note, as a bit of a Sherlock geek, it's great seeing Freeman and Cumberbatch side by side in a very different circumstance.
Speaking of Freeman, I really could not picture anyone else as Bilbo Baggins. He did a fantastic job in the first film, and this certainly continues as his character development progresses. This character insight extends to the dwarves as well, although there still isn't enough distinction for me to be able to name more than a handful - or even tell them apart for that matter. Perhaps that's just me. One dwarf that does get a named mention, and not because it's one of the only names I can remember without using Google, is of course Thorin. Armitage does a tremendous job bringing to life all the raw emotions of loss and grief along with the ambition of redemption.
I can't finish this review without at least mentioning the music, scenery and special effects. Without rambling on too much, all three are stunning. From the Ed Sheeran-penned theme song which gets better with each listen, to the breathtaking scenes of New Zealand's beautiful Middle Earth, you really are invited into the wonderfully marvellous world of Tolkein. Even though I hadn't read the book beforehand, I feel like I have a very good sense of the intended story which I think Jackson has once again captured with skill.
Whilst the film is still very long, I actually wouldn't call it unnecessarily long as everything seemed integral and purposeful to the plot. I did wonder which scene they would end the film on, and it is a cliffhanger which will keep us hanging until this time next year, no doubt. I certainly enjoyed it more than its predecessor as it just felt like there was more going on. More movement in plot, more sub-plots, more meaning and backstory. And more importantly (for me), more action. There are sprinkles of laugh-out-loud comedy thrown throughout, and thoughtful nods to the future of the franchise. I left the cinema chattering excitedly, and thinking that this whole Hobbit film thing was a good idea; a very good idea.
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