Much Better Than The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey!

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2013)

To begin with, the greatest credit for this amazing film goes to Late J. R. R. Tolkien and his genius storytelling.
I am posting this review having just watched The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in a Cinemax situated in my neighborhood and was not disappointed one bit. I found the acting very genuine, relatable and believable unlike the last one; especially Martin Freeman was outstanding once again as Bilbo and Benedict Cumberbatch's voice effect as Smaug and the Necromancer was, partly, both scary and funny (I don't know why did I felt funny; maybe because of Sherlock). The Dwarfs fared much better than they did last time, especially, I felt as a viewer and a big movie enthusiast, Richard Armitage as Thorin and Aidan Turner as Kili were notably more mature in their acting and were more relatable on an emotional level (but still, I think, there is lots of room for improvement). The rest of them didn't get much dialogue and impact scenes, so it is hard for me to tell how they were. Other than them, I was so glad to see Legolas back again. Orlando did justice to the role and was very good in his scenes, the same way he was in LOTR. Evangeline Lilly was a breath of fresh air and looked stunningly beautiful as Tauriel. Another important character was the character of Bard played by Luke Evans; I am personally rooting for him. As so far, he is the only character with some substance, representing men in this series.
Ian McKellen was awesome as Gandalf, the Grey wizard, as always! (Do I really need to mention that?!) :)
When it comes to directing, I believe Peter Jackson (finally!) was just at his best here. The pace of the movie was just right this time and the scenes felt neither too fast nor too slow. The locations were just breathtaking and I was glued to its beauty, drooling with awe. The technology used in making the movie has to be one of the best because, it felt THE BEST, by far. This is the first time, I have seen such wizardry with 3D technology. While watching the movie back then, for a second, I almost forgot the Dragon cannot possibly harm me when I jittered in my seat, spilling all the popcorn I was having unto me, which fortunately no one seemed to notice. LOL. Phew!
Lastly, I will conclude by saying that, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will surely be a big success (if it isn't already). I am giving it a 9/10 this time only for the sole reason that I am saving the perfect score for the third of this series. Hopefully, I won't be disappointed. Finger's Crossed till next Winter.