A Fine Ramp for the Final Installment

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2013)

"The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" starts 20 years earlier when Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf the Grey meet for the first time. The hobbits plus Bilbo baggins and Gandalf start a stream like journey, which soon splits into various tributaries as the dangers around multiply exponentially.
Escaping and Aiding from the Skin Changer (The last line won't make sense until you watch the movie), venturing into a far more dangerous forest, giving a slip to the Elves, barrel riding through the river, crossing the lake via a barge, through the invisible door, the Hobbits finally enter Erebor, the land that they ruled once, now guarded by a sword-teethed, spear-clawed, iron-armored Dragon, the Smaug that waits to feast upon anyone who shall enter his chambers.
All leads up to the epic David(s) versus Goliath styled battle, thanks to Peter Jackson, J.R.R.Tolkien and the CGI team.
The LOTR fans, including me, had a blast watching our favorite characters, minus a few, re-emerge on the screen to carry on the perilous journey that only gets worse with each passing step. Few side stories crop along the way which will make even more sense in the next installment.
So much importance has been given to "The Desolation of Smaug", that it appears by itself on the screen rather than as a sub-title to "The Hobbit".
Peter Jackson has once again proved his mettle as have Ian Mckellen, Martin Freeman and the Hobbit brothers. Ben Cumberbatch's voice is totally unrecognizable as Smaug, which only makes it more eerie.
Summing up, a fine ramp for the final movie.