The first great film in the LOTR/Hobbit series

Rating: 8/10 (16 January 2015)

I find The Lord of the Rings films quite dull on the whole. They have their moments, but overall I have no interest in seeing any of them ever again.
Unlike those films, The Desolation of Smaug is actually quite fun and exciting. Bilbo is a much better protagonist than Frodo was, he has much more charisma and likability. Sequences like the barrel ride are quite fun, and Smaug is an amazing villain, by far the best one in any of these films. Benedict Cumberbatch did a great job for the motion capture with his voice and mannerisms, I was fascinated by every movement the creature made and every word he said. Peter Jackson compared Smaug to Hannibal Lector if he were a dragon, and that's not far off. Howard Shore's score isn't bad, but it is forgettable.
Haven't seen The Battle of the Five Armies yet, but the quality of this movie gives me more hope for it than I would've had previously.