could be better

Rating: 6/10 (16 December 2013)

The CGI is great and the story a bit richer than in the book. "Desolation of Smaug", however, has not the fast pace of "An Unexpected Journey". Unfortunately, the audience is "robbed" of two beautiful book scenes. First, when the party arrives at Beorn they're chased by the angry bear Beorn. In the book they march pair-wise each 5 minutes to Beorn's door and introduce them beautifully and very politely. Of course, this does not work in the movie as the party's constantly chased by Azog. Second, in the forest they're attacked by the giant spiders. The whole "attercop" dialogue of the book is missing. Instead, it's a slautherhouse. Then, there are a few question marks in the logic of the story line. First, what sense does an unguarded ring ghosts jail on a mountain top make if no one guards it? Why put an unsafe jail up there in the first place? Second, why fight a dragon insight the mountain who decided to leave anyway to take revenge on the lake people? Third, why doesn't Sauron just kill Gandalf once he gets hold of him? Gandalf's of no use for Sauron. Fourth, when the drawfs and the elves fight the orks in the lake city there are absolutely no inhabitants or guards in the city. However, the noise of the fight is horrendous. As soon as the dragon wakes (but is not yet seen and no noise at all) the city is populated again and all are shocked.