A review for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

Rating: 6/10 (15 December 2013)

The latest installment of the fantasy extravaganza The Hobbit, titled as Desolation of Smaug, has just released this week on the big screens. It is a direct sequel to An Unexpected Journey, and the second entry in The Hobbit film trilogy.
Peter Jacksons' revival (An Unexpected Journey) of the perennial tale, The Hobbit, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, garnered respectable reception and recognition both from fans and critics. As for me, I've had moderate expectations with the film, as I didn't find the first part to be 'that' amazing as the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Regardless of the upbeat tone of the book, the light-hearted take on the subject took the dread and the feeling of the true menace out of the film, making it essentially a 'prelude' with the characters to the real deal. On another note, Desolation of Smaug, with it's more matured theme, reclaims this perk, and improves greatly on the storytelling.
The film opens with a flashback in the human town of Bree, where Gandalf persuades Thorin to reclaim the Arkenstone in order to become the king of Erebor. To do this, he must recruit a group of twelve dwarfs, and a burglar hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, to steal the stone guarded by a dragon.
Just after we learn the details of this quest, the films cuts back where the An Unexpected Journey ends. Bilbo and his company seek refuge in a house nearby from an impending orc attack, led by the ominous leader, Azog. After having spent some time in the haven, they encounter a shapeshifter, Beorn, who aids the company with horses to outrun the orcs. The bunch continues their journey through a misty forest, Mirkwood, unbeknownst of the dangers that this quest has in store for them.
The movie is packed with an incredible content, as the story never drags on for over two and a half hours. Every frame has a little nuance, a thing to it: either some incredible acting, a great dialogue with good writing, a rich and colourful scenery, or simply a showcase of a breathtaking landscape, and this way the film is gifted with incredible variety and diversity.
Speaking of variety, this film is beautifully shot as per usual. There are valleys, villages, caves, mountains, streams, abandoned ruins, grandiose elven towns, all visualized in great detail. However, this visual package is often marred by some stiff animations and low-resolution CGI (the lava), but the overall picture second to none.
Every single member of the cast deliver sublime performances. New characters has been introduced in addition to the old ones. Orlando Bloom made a great return as the cunning elf, Legolas. We also have Evangeline Lilly (known from Lost) playing Tauriel, a beautiful elf, who only makes an appearance in the film(s). Lee Pace pulls off a convincing portrayal of the elven king, Thranduil. Luke Evans is portraying a likable human, Bard, who assist the dwarfs along their adventure. Benedict Cumberbatch deserves recognition for lending his low-pitched voice to play Smaug, the dragon guarding the Arkenstone.
The rest of the cast, and the old crew are still in the highlight though: Martin Freeman plays the crafty Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit with great effort. Then we have the dwarven company, and their leader, Thorin Oakenshild, played by the great Richard Armitage. Ian McKellen returns as the lovable mage, Gandalf, the brain behind the operation. Sauron also makes a brief and ominous appearance.
Few film can give me goosebumps in the first ten seconds, but Desolution of Smaug has achieved that, with the soundtrack: Howard Shores' iconic "The Shire" theme starts to play as the title fades instantly creating the feeling of adventurousness. Just when the menace appears, the musical momentum continues: more and more instruments are starting to appear. This momentum switches to a more low-key, and mysterious sounding that accompanies the journey through Mirkwood. The piano part transits to a grand and pompous sonority as the elven kingdom appears.
The soundtrack dynamically keeps getting better and better right until the end. I See Fire performed by Ed Sheeran concludes the film as the credit rolls. Although at first it may seem a little off considering the genre of the movie, it's still a powerful song, and a great way to end the film.
The only negativity I could find, apart from the minor visual inconveniences, is that the plot often relies on the "deus ex machina" device. That means, when the main characters are confronted by the evil, they are often saved right before they meet their fate. For example, when Legolas avoids getting hit by an arrow, denied by another arrow shot by Tauriel, or when the elves somehow make their way to Lake-Town and save a dwarf that was hit by a poisonous arrow earlier. I realize the film must stay true to the book, but these scenes could have been pulled off better.
All things considered though, Desolation of Smaug is faithful to the original trilogy in every way, and a major improvement over An Unexpected Journey. It's a must for fans, and heavily recommended for everyone else if you are in for an incredible journey.