Interesting at times, but nonetheless, still a very good film

Rating: 10/10 (14 December 2013)

I went to see this film with very high hopes, and don't get me wrong, it was a very good film, but there were just some things which I wasn't quite expecting. There were also some parts which I knew had been altered for screenplay, but once I'd considered why these changes had been made, I was able to conclude that it WAS an excellent film.
Firstly, I recommend viewers (book-readers especially) to see this film as as much of a link between The Hobbit and LOTR as an adaptation of the novel. A lot of this film is based on writings by Tolkien from outside The Hobbit book. It's these parts that help turn the story of The Hobbit into the link with LOTR; I was really glad that these were incorporated into the story, as audiences can now be aware of more stories written by Tolkien in addition to what we see in The Hobbit and LOTR. However, even some of these external Tolkien writings have been altered or exaggerated. For example, some of the events shown didn't happen during the time in which The Hobbit was set; however, it is reasonable that these changes have been made in order to fit them into the story and, again I say it, form the link with LOTR. Also, some of these external Tolkien events have been exaggerated. E.g. The Orcs attacking Mirkwood and especially Lake Town. The events in Mirkwood (I believe) have been exaggerated. However, it is reasonable that this was added in order for the film to be adapted to its older audience. I do agree, however, that some may find the events with the Orcs in Lake Town a bit too far. There were only three parts of the film which I didn't understand why they were there. 1) A certain enemy of Thorin uniting with a darker power in Dol Guldur. 2) The Dwarf-Elf romance forming. 3) The Dwarfs taking on Smaug. Personally, I thought that these could have been left out of the story or the story left without these changes.
In conclusion, when I finished watching The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, I couldn't help feeling slightly uneasy about how different it was in places from the book. However, upon reflection and much thinking about the film, I have concluded that the majority of changes were necessary to fit the film into what it has become. People need to bare in mind that Tolkien wrote this book for his children in 1937. Times have changed since then. Also, LOTR became the much greater, darker and well-known between it and The Hobbit (especially since the release of the films), so audiences of The Hobbit today are much older than the 5-9 year olds that Tolkien first intended the book to be for. For that reason, the film had to be adapted for older age groups, and if that means adding a few more fight scenes, then I can understand that! This film is very much about 'setting the table' and building up to LOTR, and the changes made in the film, I believe, are necessary for that. Now that I know what to expect, I very much look forward to going back to see it again!