Barrels Out Of Bond

Rating: 7/10 (7 May 2015)

Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard and the band of dwarfs continue their quest to find a secret door to the Lonely Mountain and reclaim their gold. But Smaug the Dragon has no intention of giving up his glittering cache
The second movie in the Hobbit trilogy has the classic The Empire Strikes Back flaw - it doesn't have a beginning or an ending - but despite this, it is fantastic entertainment and arguably even better than its predecessor. It shares some of the first movie's problems, primarily that it's too long, but it is less excessive and feels much closer to the novel, both in narrative and atmosphere. Where it adds new characters, such as the elf warrior Tauriel and the returning Legolas (Bloom reprising his star turn from the Lord Of The Rings movies), for the most part they feel natural and add a richness to Bilbo's quest, although there is an unnecessary subplot to link this story back to the earlier film trilogy. As ever though, the realisation of these environments is simply irresistible, with gorgeous sets, paintings, props, design and music always a feast for the eyes and ears. The creepy, soul-sucking, spider-infested Mirkwood and the tired, ramshackle, built-on-stilts Laketown are highlights in a film filled with visual delights. The whole escape-in-the-barrels sequence - one of the best bits from the book - is brilliantly realised, with an eye-popping ten-minute action sequence as our heroes hurl down the rapids, confronted by perils on all sides; one of the best chase scenes I've seen for years. If I have one minor complaint though, it's in the characterisation of Smaug himself; visually he is wonderful, terrifying and humorous in equal measure, but his scenes drag on too long. In the book he is horror personified - the monster who can smell an invisible burglar a mile away - but in the movie he talks far too much and skitters dangerously close to becoming a buffoon, as for all his powers he constantly misses, fumbles and goes the wrong way. Like The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, my personal view is that this film could be much more fun, action-packed and scarier with a little judicious pruning. This doesn't however detract from what is simply a fabulous adventure movie from beginning to end. Brilliantly photographed throughout by Andrew Lesnie, who sadly passed away recently, and along with fellow Australian Dean Semler created many of the most memorable images of Antipodean cinema. Followed in 2014 by the concluding part of the trilogy, The Battle Of The Five Armies.