A rollocking roller-coaster of a ride full of sizzling gypsies

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2013)

Okay, I made up the bit about sizzling gypsies; pardon my obsession with Blackadder. Peter Jackson's second Hobbit film sets a more adult tone than its predecessor. Gone are the songs, and the comedy moments are rarer. The biggest laughs by far were provided by Bombur (watch out for his barrel moment!). In were multiple beheadings and fatal piercings, and a host of plot developments which deviated from the content of the book substantially. I wouldn't cite this as a flaw; as another reviewer pointed out, the nature of story-telling in cinema is often very different from literary sources, and the director's plot additions are mostly justified in setting the scene for events that are to transpire 60 years hence in Middle-Earth. While some story threads appear frivolous, they are generally done with enough charm that I didn't mind. There is one thing I couldn't quite accept; yes, there was some slightly ropey CGI along the way, but the story carried me along. That wasn't what bothered me. I realise it's a fantasy film, but the laws of physics were apparently laid aside in an extended dragon encounter - flesh would've been crisped, people would probably have been crushed etc. I was reminded of the bombastic and unedifying dinosaur chase scene in King Kong; I'd hoped that Peter Jackson wouldn't make any more errors like that. Putting ridiculous moments on screen is fine for comedic effect (see the aforementioned barrel chase), but when it's meant to be serious, it insults the viewer's intelligence. Now I've got that off my chest, I'll round off with all the things I loved about this film. Up to the dwarfs entering the Lonely Mountain, I would probably have given this film a 10. The dragon is FANTASTIC. The famous moments (barrel escape, spiders) were excellently done, I liked the pacing (I was given the impression it would be relentless, but thankfully there are some quieter moments that give a chance to breathe), I appreciated the Dol Goldur encounters and all related plot- strands that tie the story into the LOTR canon. So, if you didn't like the songs in Hobbit 1, and if you are desperate for more action, and don't mind the plot deviations, you'll probably love this film. If you're a Hobbit purist, you might want to take a pinch of salt in with you.