Another enthralling adventure in Tolkien's epic saga.

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2014)

Over a decade ago, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy story, "The Lord of the Rings", was brought to life on the big screen in grand fashion. The prequel book, The Hobbit, was later awarded with a movie trilogy of its own. With part 1 of The Hobbit trilogy, "An Unexpected Journey", a year in the past, we now look to part 2, "The Desolation of Smaug", which is bigger and better than its predecessor in practically every way.
The story once again follows the continuing quest of the Company of Dwarfs, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey to reclaim their homeland of Erebor from the mighty dragon Smaug. Fans who have read The Hobbit book might not be too surprised at how the movie unfolds, however, its the way that the movie unfolds that is something to marvel at. The Desolation of Smaug swiftly and beautifully delivers high-octane action sequences supplemented by gorgeous CGI and a higher frame rate than its predecessor throughout the entire film, and with rock solid pacing, the action doesn't overwhelm the film while still delivering plenty of exciting action scenes. The dragon Smaug himself is a excellently created mythical beast, who is a joy to watch on screen. The world of Middle-Earth is a vast and adventurous land filled with numerous mystical creatures and races, both beautiful and dangerous and the film does a terrific job in bringing this great world to life. The Desolation of Smaug doesn't hesitate to pull your mind into its fiction, and when you let your imagination dive into the movie, it becomes a world of wonders that delivers spectacle by the ton.
The Lord of the Rings movies quite possibly wouldn't have been what they were without the direction of visionary Peter Jackson. It was critical that Jackson returned to direct The Hobbit trilogy, and after a solid first movie, Jackson has heightened the level of the playing field to create a second part which leaves you even more excited for the conclusion. It's pleasing to see a filmmaker this in love with storytelling, this committed to creating entire worlds. That's a rare thing indeed, and for it to turn out so well is even more rare. It's a sight to behold, and The Desolation of Smaug benefits enormously from his stellar direction. This film is bigger, darker and deeper than the first, and more emotionally engaging with a great set of characters filling out the stunning world around them. Bravo Mr. Jackson, here's to an even better third act.
The vast majority of the cast from the first film return for part 2, and again do a wonderful job. Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage lead the way as Gandalf, Bilbo, and Thorin respectively, and each of their characters are interesting in their own way. Orlando Bloom carries a heavy load of action as the Elven Prince Legolas, and he is a blast to watch as he mows down enemies. The fierce dragon Smaug, a computer generated masterpiece, is voiced and motion captured by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his performance is stellar. Smaug very well could be the best character in the film, striking a sense of fear and fantasy into the viewer's heart. The Company of Dwarfs are fun to watch and provide some laughs along the way as well. All together, the cast of characters are interesting and well rounded, giving Middle-Earth the occupants it deserves.
The only negatives the movie suffers from is a fair lack of dedication to the source material, something some fans might be even more displeased with, but I found the way the story was told to be a wonderfully penned vision and a success as a whole. One other thing was that our favorite hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, was shorted the screen time he needed to further progress his character. A little more of Bilbo, and Gandalf, would have been nice, but this doesn't hurt the film in any major way.
Now to wrap everything up. If The Desolation of Smaug did one thing, it was being better than its predecessor on nearly every front. The action was thrilling, the CGI and frame rate were top notch, the cast was awesome at portraying our lovable characters, both good and evil, and director Peter Jackson once again proves he's one of the greatest directors in Hollywood with his passion for storytelling and creating yet another grand trilogy set in the beautifully dangerous Middle-Earth. The Desolation of Smaug has raised the bar for the entire Hobbit trilogy, and with part 3, "The Battle of the Five Armies", set for a December 2014 release, we're not too far away from the conclusion of another enthralling adventure.
9.5/10