JASMINE's THOUGHTS on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Genre:

Action/Adventure, Fantasy

Theatrical Release:

December 13, 2013

Rating:

PG-13

Run Time:

161 minutes

Director:

Peter Jackson

Screenplay by:

Peter Jackson

Fran Walsh

Philippa Boyens

Guillermo Del Toro

Adapted from the novel by:

J.R.R. Tolkien

Cast:

Ian McKellan as Gandalf the Grey

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

Aidan Turner as Kili

Dean O'Gorman as Fili

Manu Bennett as Azog

Orlando Bloom as Legolas

Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel

Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of Smaug

Lee Pace as Thranduil

Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman

Ken Stott as Balin

James Nesbitt as Bofur

John Bell as Bain

Jed Brophy as Nori

Adam Brown as Ori

John Callen as Oin

Mark Hadlow as Dori

Peter Hambleton as Gloin

Stephen Hunter as Bombur

William Kircher as Bifur

Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown

Graham McTavish as Dwalin

Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn

Lawrence Makoare as Bolg

Synopsis:

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all--a creature more terrifying than any other, one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself--the Dragon Smaug.

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My Thoughts

This was a fun movie night for me and my family. Since the release of this film, we have been eager to watch it in the theater...and we finally did! And...we absolutely enjoyed it! Like with any adaptation from book to film, screenwriters are tasked to interpret the pages of the novel into a screenplay that will bring the heart of the story to life. I haven't read the novel, 

It definitely progressed since the first film. Luckily, I was able to watch the first film since HBO has been showing it for some time now...haha! The journey continues as Bilbo and the Dwarves make their way to the Lonely Mountain. But, of course, like in many travels, obstacles come around to delay their progress as we find out as they travel through the Mirkwood forest. Throughout the film, we find a few subplots, which I found were interconnected in one way or another. I know that part of the purpose of the film is to tie it in to The Lord of The Rings trilogy, but it seemed that the film strayed too often away from the main plot of the journey to the Lonely Mountain...Bilbo's adventure.

The cinematography was beautiful. The whole scenic journey gave viewers many magnificent views of the countryside of the film's location...absolutely breathtaking! The action scenes pretty cool and spectacular. I wasn't all too impressed with the whole frame rate concept of 48 frames per second. Those CG scenes and some action sequence just didn't work for me...it just didn't seem realistic. 

Love the cast! I enjoyed the humor-filled banter among the Dwarves. I am just happy that familiar names reprised their roles for these films! Although, again, this second installment was long...just like the first film. I had to watch the first one again to really enjoy the film. I may have to do that with this second film. I haven't read the book, so I really can't compare the film to the book. But, in regards to both films, I enjoyed it. I loved the "prologue" of the film in which Gandalf meets Thorin...it gave me that, "Ah ha...that explains it," feeling about the first film. However, the cliffhanger ending took me for a "loop!" I wasn't expecting the end of this second installment to literally have a "cliffhanger" ending...hahaha! We were like, "Say what!?! That's it!" 

In the end, I am somewhat divided about the film...I loved it, but, yet, I wasn't all too impressed with it. I did enjoy Peter Jackson's cameo appearance in the film...haha! I did like that continuity from the first film to the second...I thought it tied in together pretty well...considering all the other distractions of subplots.

My rating:

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