SPOILERS FOR THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PART 2)
Smaug is immense, majestic and a spectacular addition to the Hobbit trilogy...
By Gandalf's beard this film is good. The sequel to the first Hobbit flick, An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug is vast, rich and full of impressive visuals and music. Building on this was my first venture into the world of High Frame Rate cinema (or HFR for short), but more on that later. You may have found the first Hobbit film disappointing and aren't sure about this Blockbuster sequel, I urge you to revisit Dol Guldur, the Shire, Bree and the Lonely Mountain once more, as this three hour flick is such a huge improvement on it's predecessor that it left me wanting to immediately watch it again.
I'd like to just say now, that I believe Martin Freeman was the absolute perfect choice to play Bilbo Baggins. There is one particular scene that took place in Mirkwood that sticks in my mind. Bilbo had dropped the ring during a fight with some incredibly creepy arachnids when an armored centipede almost wears it on it's claw (I know it sounds weird, but trust me on this). Bilbo is so horrified he may lose his 'precious' ring forever that he viciously attacks the creature. Afterwards, he realised what he did and through about 10 seconds of footage, just Freeman's facial expressions relay exhaustion, detest, disgust, horror, wonder and paranoia successfully to the audience.
Furthermore, this was a movie that truly explored Middle-Earth and multiple settings were used. Dol Guldur seemed vaster and more deadly than before, and Mirkwood itself was claustrophobic and suffocating. The Wood Elves kingdom was ornate and fresh and Peter Jackson's more Edwardian take on Lake Town was cosy and creepy at the same time. That brings us onto the Lonely Mountain. The exterior of the rock was lush and peaceful but as soon as Bilbo stepped inside the atmosphere became dank and cold. The abandoned corridors still adorned with Dwarf cave art and runes were haunting and Smaug's treasury was the largest room I think I have ever seen on screen. Shimmering, golden coins flew at the crowd's faces via IMAX 3D and the little touches like this proved amazing to behold.
Brit Benedict Cumberbatch gave his voice to the magnificent Smaug who is undoubtedly the best depiction of a Dragon in film history. The long scene in the last half of the film in which Smaug and Bilbo had an 'intelligence-off' was just amazing, and if they released a 2 hour long version of it in cinemas I would go in a heartbeat. Then Smaug himself is revealed in all of his glory and the almost impossible scale of his being is truly breathtaking. As I went into this film I was under the impression that this film would cover the actual 'desolation' of the gold-loving reptile, and that the third film would focus on the Orcs, the Necromancer and the battle of the Five Armies. I am now so thankful that I was wrong, because just the thought of seeing more of Smaug and the destruction of the fragile Lake Town this November is getting my heart racing.
The addition of the wood elves by Director Peter Jackson did not seem forced and in fact added a lot of excitement to the film. Many Tolkien 'purists' are furious that not only Orlando Bloom's Legolas is returning to the mix, but a completely new character that did not appear in any of the Tolkein books, Tauriel, has been invented by the film makers due to the complete lack of female roles. I can assure them now that the only way that this will distract you is if you get wound up by it. As a reader of the Hobbit, I am aware of the ending of the story, but the introduction of a character that does not appear in the books or the Lord of the Rings trilogy creates some genuine tension for me, as it is clear there will be a reason she does not make it into the aforementioned Middle-Earth trilogy.
Another addition to the story that many are unsure of is that of Sauron, the protagonist of multiple Tolkien tales. For me, this did not prove much of a problem because the Necromancer (which did appear in the books) is Sauron anyway. Also, the battle between Gandalf and Sauron in Dol Guldur was incredibly exciting, and seeing the pupil of the Eye of Sauron become the warrior himself was brilliantly executed and is a lovely easter egg that allows the Hobbit to more firmly establish itself in the Tolkien cinematic Universe. Also, this will provide an exciting and unknown element into the third film, as only the team behind the movie know what will happen.
This small grudge however, did not spoil this film for me. I LOVED this movie for so many reasons. Jackson and co. have set up the third and final film so greatly that I worry it may not all fit in to 3 hours, which is crazy considering the minuscule length of the source material could probably just about fill one flick. I cannot wait for There and Back Again, and strongly urge you, yes you reading this, to go out right now, and watch The Hobbit 2 in cinemas right now. this is not a film for DVD, this is a Cinema Experience that will leave you pumped for the final installment of the trilogy. Before we go, can I just say, that cliffhanger! I mean talk about an 'ah-man!' ending! Go. WATCH THIS NOW.
Brit Benedict Cumberbatch gave his voice to the magnificent Smaug who is undoubtedly the best depiction of a Dragon in film history. The long scene in the last half of the film in which Smaug and Bilbo had an 'intelligence-off' was just amazing, and if they released a 2 hour long version of it in cinemas I would go in a heartbeat. Then Smaug himself is revealed in all of his glory and the almost impossible scale of his being is truly breathtaking. As I went into this film I was under the impression that this film would cover the actual 'desolation' of the gold-loving reptile, and that the third film would focus on the Orcs, the Necromancer and the battle of the Five Armies. I am now so thankful that I was wrong, because just the thought of seeing more of Smaug and the destruction of the fragile Lake Town this November is getting my heart racing.
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| Evangeline Lily is wonderful in the portrayal of wood elf Tauriel |
Another addition to the story that many are unsure of is that of Sauron, the protagonist of multiple Tolkien tales. For me, this did not prove much of a problem because the Necromancer (which did appear in the books) is Sauron anyway. Also, the battle between Gandalf and Sauron in Dol Guldur was incredibly exciting, and seeing the pupil of the Eye of Sauron become the warrior himself was brilliantly executed and is a lovely easter egg that allows the Hobbit to more firmly establish itself in the Tolkien cinematic Universe. Also, this will provide an exciting and unknown element into the third film, as only the team behind the movie know what will happen.
My experience of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in HFR IMAX 3D was not a bad one. Initially, I did find that 48fps was mildly distracting and odd to watch, but for a generation reared on 24fps, I do believe that the initial reaction to HFR was just because it was new and not bad. About 30 minutes in when my eyes had adjusted to the effect I found the experience immersive and ultra realistic. HFR partenered with the 3D almost macde me feel as if I was watching it unfold around me, like I wasn't watching a play but rather standing on stage with the thespians themselves. I truly feel that HFR 3D is the best way to experience this movie and would urge anyone who can to view it this way, as it is much better that An Unexpected Journey's attempt at 48fps.
One or two things did take me out of the action however. As the characters enter Mirkwood for the first time, the gang are surrounded by trees that have clearly been carved and varnished. I guess I'm saying that some effects could have been tidied up. Another sequence was incredibly sloppy in the last half an hour of the film. The incredible rendition of Smaug was contrasted against almost cartoon-ish looking molten gold, and I felt that the team behind the SFX could surely have smoothed this round the edges.
Some of the Special Effects let the side down, although most of the time were stunning...
This small grudge however, did not spoil this film for me. I LOVED this movie for so many reasons. Jackson and co. have set up the third and final film so greatly that I worry it may not all fit in to 3 hours, which is crazy considering the minuscule length of the source material could probably just about fill one flick. I cannot wait for There and Back Again, and strongly urge you, yes you reading this, to go out right now, and watch The Hobbit 2 in cinemas right now. this is not a film for DVD, this is a Cinema Experience that will leave you pumped for the final installment of the trilogy. Before we go, can I just say, that cliffhanger! I mean talk about an 'ah-man!' ending! Go. WATCH THIS NOW.
9 . 0
OUT OF TEN Reviewed by James Green
OUT OF TEN Reviewed by James Green
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The trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug:
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