The Hobbit: The Desperation of Slough

Rating: 7/10 (14 December 2013)

This film is recommended
More is more in Peter Jackson's second installment to his latest fantasy trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. The director has better success this time around. Jackson still know how to move his camera and stage his action masterfully and he has again assembled a gifted crew of artists that create wonders with their respective talents; the production values, especially in the areas of art direction, make-up and CGI, are top notch. The many action sequences are indeed well choreographed and worth viewing (just not in 3-D). Still, the story rambles on endlessly as the director sets up his plots and myth-like exposition. Some judicious editing could have eliminated the ennui and helped to make the film even more effective. (And speaking of endless, the film leaves the moviegoers ultimately dissatisfied with its abrupt cliffhanging conclusion.)
Yes, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is an epic fantasy adventure film that has more to offer. There are now more engaging characters in place (excluding most of the dwarfs who still have no distinct personalities and are mere storytelling fixtures). There are also more liberties taken with Tolkien's original story, adding an unnecessary love interest between the handsome but height-challenged Kili (Aidan Turner) and a new character not found in the sacred novel, a female warrior elf named Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). There are more energized set pieces that build suspense well, although some of the film's overabundance of sub-plots undercut the continuity of the action, especially in the climatic showdown between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Smaug.
The screenplay-by committee script by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Jackson is serviceable enough, but it lacks clever dialog and complex character development to make the film compelling and memorable. The story is a continuation of the first film with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) leading his gang of adventurers on on a perilous journey to reclaim their homeland from a fire-breathing menace named Smaug and make Thorin (Richard Armitage) its rightful king. All of the actors deliver their lines with a yeoman-like precision and, while they never garner genuine emotion, they do make their characters believable.
Unlike Jackson's first disappointing chapter in this series which bored me completely, this sequel has a more serious tone and a darker edge to it. The silly slapstick antics of the merry dwarfs are thankfully gone and the film stays more focused on the journey and its dangers, although it takes forever to get to the main villain in the subtitle. In fact, we don't even see the evil dragon until close to the 90 minute mark, but Jackson has created an entertaining saga with fine production values and strong visual effects along the way.
Nowhere is it more apparent than in three pivotal scenes: a creepy episode involving a giant spider attack that will easily bring nightmares to any child and adult in the audience; a harrowing escape by barrels down rapid waters while being sieged by those nasty Orcs, in which the fluidity of the camera-work and editing heighten the tension and show off the the cinematic skills of this talented director; and the film's highlight, a battle of wits between one little insignificant man, played ever so delightfully by Mr. Freeman, and one terrifying Goliath reptile, marvelously voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. (Smaug's scaly details and slithering movement are absolutely sensational.)
While the action keeps coming, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a marvelously thrilling ride. It's the down time in-between that's a bit of a slough. GRADE: B
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