"The Desolation of Smaug" is King Under the Mountain!

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2013)

It's hard not to chuckle at the irony hidden within the fabric of the Hobbit trilogy. The Hobbit films are based on the 300-page story of the same name that contains such prominent themes of greed and materialism-was stretched into a 3-part "cash-grabbing" epic by Warner Brothers (it is not the first time they have done this). The good news is, despite the somewhat disconcerting motives, "The Desolation of Smaug" is a fantastic adventure that establishes its place in adventure-cinema as one of the best.
In "The Desolation of Smaug, the band of 13 dwarfs plus a hobbit and a wizard continue their journey towards the lonely mountain in hopes of reclaiming the dwarf kingdom of Erebor back from the dragon Smaug. I was one of the few who actually enjoyed "An Unexpected Journey". While far from perfect, the movie boasted superior performances to those in the LOTR trilogy and a lighter tone that I felt was in the spirit of the book, with the exception of scenes bordering on the ridiculous (i.e. any scene containing Radagast), though it was hard not to feel as if something was missing. "The Desolation of Smaug" fixes those problems, and in its place provides a tighter, more purposeful narrative, impeccably choreographed action sequences and a whole lot of valuable character development, while providing a darker tone that somehow maintains the spirit of the book. Director Peter Jackson takes a lot of creative liberty by drawing material from some of Tolkien's other works. The integration of this material works surprisingly well in "The Desolation of Smaug" due to the fact that most of it pertains in one way or another to Lord of the Rings and that "The Desolation of Smaug" feels a lot more like "The Lord of the Rings" in its presentation. Jackson and co. should be applauded for their work in this regard.
Although much of the "excess" material was taken from the appendices of "The Lord of the Rings," the same cannot be said for all of the additions. In particular, I am referring to the addition of Legolas and Tauriel. Nowhere in the book does Legolas appear, although his integration is logical in "The Desolation of Smaug" due to the fact that his father, Thranduil plays a large role in the story. Tauriel on the other hand is a character that was created for the film, as Jackson felt that a 21st century adaption of the book could not go without any female characters (the book has none). Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly is part of the elven- guard and is established as a fierce warrior from the first shot she is in. Her character was more interesting than I expected, which should be credited to Evangeline Lilly, who is the best actor of all of the elves that appear in this film. Overall, her character was awesome, while also giving meaning to the term "wood-elf" (from my adolescent perspective).
As for the rest of the crew, Bilbo, played by Martin Freeman was as good (if not better) than he was last year in "An Unexpected Journey". Freeman perfectly conveys the effect that the ring is starting to have on Bilbo, as well as having the adept ability to be a hobbit. You also start to see more shades of Thorin as the dwarfs near Erebor and the gold within. Thorin beings to falls prey to the seductive power of the treasure that plagued his ancestors and begins to care less about his comrades. Richard Armitage displays this transition admirably. As for the other dwarfs, it is more of the same, although more emphasis is placed on Fili and Kili this time around for reasons that those who have read the book know. The most impressive performance in this film belongs to Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, whose voice shook the theater every time he spoke. The representation of Smaug is exactly as I imagined in the book and makes the third act the highlight of the movie.
Even though "The Desolation of Smaug" possesses a darker tone than its predecessor, the film still has that charm that distinguished "An Unexpected Journey" from the "Lord of The Rings." The dark tone is relative, as the action sequences are filled with improbable acrobatics, minimal blood and little resistance from the attackers establishing the lower stakes and lighter tone simultaneously. The orcs in this film do not seem to have any ability in combat, even though they are bred warriors. While it is incredibly entertaining to watch these sequences, the movie does drift dangerously close to your typical action flick without ever being one--We have Peter Jackson's obsessive attention to detail and long run times to thank for that.
In conclusion, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" is a vast improvement over its predecessor. The "meat" of the story consists of the most iconic and memorable moments from the book. This movie contains the best action sequences of the year, some impressive visuals, great performances, an amazing representation of the iconic barrel riding scene that made everyone in the theater laugh out of pure joy, the best movie dragon ever, and an amazing cliffhanger ending in its purest form. "The Desolation of Smaug" does what a good sequel does. It improves upon it predecessor, increases the stakes, and makes you excited for the next installment. "The Desolation of Smaug" is fantastic!