Thoughts on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Rating: 9/10 (30 December 2013)

Thoughts on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Though I am no die-hard fan of The Lord of the Rings and its companion, The Hobbit, I was pleasantly surprised and amazed by the latest instalment of "The Hobbit" series. The plot of the film was able to effectively turn a classic "Hero vs Villain" story into an extraordinary tale with deeper meanings, making it so much more than just a children's book. The scenery of the movie was almost just as riveting as the narrative, set in the beautiful and exotic wilderness of New Zealand. Even though there were some confusion about the characters' actions in the story, overall "The Hobbit" is definitely a film worth seeing.
In the eyes of most directors, filming such a tale in a way that would be both financially feasible and inspire a large fan following would have been deemed close to impossible. Not only was the book long and sometimes repetitive, it also had a somewhat simple storyline. Despite the challenge, Peter Jackson was able to skillfully weave an emotional and meaningful tale that encompassed the incredible and mysterious life of Bilbo Baggins.
This mesmerizing and exciting adventure began with Bilbo's decision to leave the comfort and sanctuary of his home back in Bag End and embark on an epic journey with the dwarfs and Gandalf in order to do something worthwhile and to be an adventurer. As the story progresses, the group started to lose its cohesion after Gandalf's departure and Bilbo soon took the helm as leader, urging everyone not to give up and assisted them no matter how difficult the situation became. This was a major change to the shy and nervous Bilbo in the first Hobbit movie, making it a clear metaphor that even people who appears to be weak at the start could end up becoming great leaders. Throughout Bilbo's odyssey, he showed a deep sense of compassion to his companions and frequently placed his life on the line to save them, making him well loved by his comrades. It was in this respect that Bilbo appeared to have become a lot more responsible and mature compared to before, making him a much more lovable character than he had been previously. This change also symbolized the fact that true heroes care for their friends and help them no matter the circumstance. As for the storyboard, it was significantly darker than the novel, with scary orcs, gruesome monsters, and plenty of tense moments. However, Peter Jackson was able to skillfully balance between light and dark, putting lots of humour at precise moments in the movie so that it offsets the scary atmosphere that occurs so frequently from time to time. Even so, there were less joyful moment as there had been in the previous movie, setting a slightly more serious tone to the film.
While some movies depend on the script and others on the scenery, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is one of the rare movies that take in the best of both worlds, resulting in a cinematic masterpiece not seen in years. Filmed in the vast and colourful wilderness of New Zealand, the audience are given a big treat for their eyes as they watch Bilbo and his buddies flee from orcs across sweeping fields of grass; full off a daring escapade from the elves by swimming through large freshwater rivers; face off against horrific monsters in a vast, sweeping forest of red maple. Not only did the lush scenery make the film so much more engaging, it also caused the story to be so much more immersive. The characters felt more animate and human-like with the realism, enabling the audience to connect to and feel for them so much easier.
However, like all great films The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug still have some slight issues. For instance, Gandalf's actions in this story were quite strange and were never explained throughout the film, leaving viewers baffled and at a loss for an answer.
With all this beauty and meaning that the movie brings, the audience will surely relate to the struggles of the characters; cheer when they overcome adversity, and join the millions of The Hobbit fans awaiting for the next and final chapter of this amazing series.