A disloyal epic that yet entertains as it should

Rating: 8/10 (17 December 2013)

Somewhere along this Unexpected journey to Erebor, The Hobbit found his courage that transformed him from being the Baggins of Bag-End to a burglar who repeatedly saved the lives of the dwarf company through many an adventure. Tolkien's beloved tale takes an evil turn as Peter Jackson stretches the storyline for 3 films, meandering about with new characters and old. Be it studio pressure to cater to larger audiences rather than just its fan base or Jackson's self- consuming digression in support of more action and violence, 'The Desolation of Smaug' loses the charm of a coherent story with enjoyable characters and turns into a tale of evil in Middle- Earth with a Hobbit.
Right out of a frying pan and into the fire, the company of Thorin Oakenshield is rescued by the eagles (summoned by Gandalf) who carry them all to the eastern edge of the misty mountains. There lies before them a treacherous path through the Mirkwood forest that will bring them to Long Lake and Esgaroth before they head north towards the lonely mountain and Erebor wherein rests the cunning dragon Smaug. But before that, they find refuge and rejuvenation in the house of Beorn the skin-changer. Their journey through Mirkwood thereafter resumes without Gandalf, who leaves them in lieu of urgent business. After struggling through the bewildering forest and battling spiders, the company gets captured by the wood-elves who incarcerate them in the halls of King Thranduil. Legolas (Orlando Bloom) re-emerges for Jackson as the King's son who, along with the beautiful lady Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) fights spiders and orcs with adept shots of arrows and swords. Using his ring, Bilbo plots an escape with the dwarfs during a feast. They roll down the river in barrels, chased by orcs and elves alike. This sequence is thoroughly enjoyable and even with all special effects, makes it the film's action highlight. The company reaches the shores of Long Lake and after spending an infinite time there, the company journeys into the the desolation of the dragon where the hidden door is opened at the right celestial time and the hobbit is asked to perform his burglar duties in the dragon's lair. Meanwhile, Gandalf ventures into the abandoned fortress of Dol Goldur where the Necromancer reveals himself as the enemy of past and future. The epic climax leaves you on a cliffhanger that will guarantee a big opening for next year's 'There and back again'.
Martin Freeman's Bilbo is even more convincing with a bit of courage now and Armitage is excellent as the transforming leader. Evangeline Lilly forms a beautiful elf who can seriously cut through some orc flesh while Orlando Bloom is a much more violent and fun to watch Legolas. Ken Stott's Balin brings wisdom and much needed emotional balance to the company and Luke Evans rises above his controversial character of Bard. Sir Ian McKellan's commanding voice and diction yet again prove to be a compelling force among the performances.
The film charges along faster than the previous one on account of having gone through the introductions already. The journey of the dwarfs moves along rapidly and yet, it clocks in at 2hr41min. It seems that the well intended Peter Jackson went too far with his digressive story- telling to the extent that he began to sub-plot his sub-plots. The appendices were useful to propel the story into a thrilling 3rd installment as long as Jackson stuck to the plan of Gandalf's business in Dol Goldur, introduction of the fan-favorite Legolas and imposing the threat of orcs who will eventually come in bigger numbers. However, his liberty brings a curse upon the Tolkien folk who shake their heads in dismay as these events unfold before their 3D spectacled eyes: > Intoducing Tauriel as an Elf warrior is quite welcome as she is the only female character but to put her through a mundane love triangle was completely unnecessary. > Dwarfs depart from Lake town after celebrations but they leave some of their company behind due to injury? Only to lead an orc attack with Legolas and Tauriel to defend them? Jackson is in a parallel universe at this point. > Bard, the respectable bowman is now a bargeman who smuggles dwarfs into town for coin? He will need a convincing character change when he has to raise the giant bow onto a fiery Smaug and lead his men to Dale. > Smaug's terrific creation justifies a bit more screen presence but certainly not at a complete twist in story that engages him with the dwarfs! The subsequent chase sequences involving fires and forging of gold that pass through as rivers turns into a blasphemous preview of next year's Godzilla. Oh! Peter Jackson what have the fans done to deserve your betrayal in such manner? There is enough material in Tolkien's Hobbit itself to warrant 3 movies if you must but the compulsion to make them in such lengths at the cost of digressions and self-consuming reinventions will disappoint a legion of fans.... but they will still flock to the theaters next December for the midnight screening.
For the regular audience, Jackson's Smaug is intense fun with a sense of urgency in the journey of the dwarfs as they get ever closer to their quest's completion. As a grander vision, the impact of the imminent danger pertains not only to the dwarfs but to the world and therefore the added focus on the wood-elves, men of lake town and orcs. The essence of the story is of course that Smaug wasn't the cause but merely a symptom of greed that led many to battle and doom. Through his adaptation of Tolkien's appendices, Jackson adroitly renders this aspect and is sure to showcase that in full glory in the final installment of the Hobbit's tale. Just hope that his deliberate inventions find their purpose as the quest comes to its fateful end.

8.68 on a scale of 1-10.