Fan fiction done right

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2013)

"I am fire. I am death. I am king under the mountain!"
Says a gloriously resplendent Smaug in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Cunning, vain, greedy, vicious, and almost invincible, Smaug is brought to life wonderfully by Benedict Cumberbatch, giving personality to a CGI creation, and actually ending up upstaging an excellent movie in itself. Smaug was teased in the first movie, and is the boss in this feature. The face is bestial but so very expressive, the movements graceful yet powerful, and that magical voice- alternating between thundering and coy results in a masterful sequence to savor for the ages, and one that rivals Gollum's "riddles in the dark" scenes from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Desolation of Smaug picks up right where the first movie ended. The intrepid group of 13 dwarfs led by Thorin Oakenshield continue on their path to the lonely mountain to reclaim their lost kingdom. On the way stands the evil forest of Mirkwood, chasing them are bands of orcs and giant arachnids, and all the other species that they meet- humans, shape-shifters and elves, seem to have reservations about them. So in short, they keeping falling into the frying pan, or the fire. It has been established that Bilbo Baggins is a reluctant hero, but is a hero nonetheless. Time and again he uses Sting, and the "one ring" to save his friends. From a typically creative face off with giant spiders, to furious barrel chase escape on the river, to a water based city, to finally the fateful encounter with Smaug deep in a labyrinth, there is plenty of action right from the word go. The elves seem to make orc hunting a sport, and the dwarfs prove to be doughty customers themselves.
All the actors do a credible job, - Martin Freeman as the peace loving Bilbo grows in confidence and so does the effect of the ring on him, as he begins to secretly enjoy killing. Richard Armitage's Thorin carries himself with the pride that is afforded by royalty, Ian McKellan's Gandalf is as reliable as ever, and Evangeline Lilly's feisty Tauriel brings the much needed female presence in a story full of hairy men. There is plenty of humor inter-spaced throughout, the it is generally a happy movie as the orcs keep missing, and the dwarfs and elves keep hitting.
The master of cinematic detail, Peter Jackson, once again engulfs the audience in his version of Middle Earth- a rich vista of swathing natural beauty, and bewitching creatures, successfully making an epic out of a friendly family adventure. Even then, there is this much you can do if you want to make a trilogy from source material which is 300 pages, and like the first movie, some sections do feel bogged down. Hence Jackson takes creative liberties by bringing back one of the most charming characters in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy- Orlando Bloom's Legolas, and introducing a new character, the elf maiden Tauriel. Together they form quite a team, making mincemeat of orc hordes in eye popping style. In the book, Gandalf disappears for no reasons, but here again Jackson tries to link back to the LOTR movies by creating a back story of Gandalf's battle with the Necromancer/Sauron. But nothing quite prepares you for the moment when Smaug opens his eye.
"Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of your enormity, O Smaug, the stupendous"
It is an enthralling experience that ends on a cliffhanger as Bilbo's sincere attempts to charm Smaug fall flat. The fiery dragon now covered in gold flies off to lay waste whatever he sets his eyes on, pity though it is a one year wait to follow up on this amazing adventure. Recommended for all ages- 9/10