An Impressive Second Chapter in "The Hobbit" Trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (30 December 2014)

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" is of course the second in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy book for young readers. The story is a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" books and movies, but takes place some sixty years prior to that separate tale.
In the previous film, we were introduced to Bilbo Baggins, a.k.a. "The Hobbit", a.k.a. "The Burglar", who is conscripted into the service of a party of dwarfs and a mighty wizard, Gandalf the Gray, who together are seeking to reclaim the dwarfs' homeland from a mighty and fierce dragon who goes by the name of Smaug. This second film continues that story, picking up with the party being hosts of elves, and then continuing on its fantastic journey toward "The Lonely Mountain", the lost home of the dwarfs.
The movie starts out with an overall feel that is similar to its predecessor, but along the way the story picks up and things get far more interesting than the first film. Whereas the first movie is all journey and not much accomplishment, "The Desolation of Smaug" sees the party make its way to its destination, only to be left with a cliffhanger ending that sets up the third film quite well.
Without spoiling much, it's hard not to mention that the best part of this film is when Bilbo and company finally encounter Smaug. The dragon is featured prominently in the latter third of the film, and the special effects on the dragon himself are absolutely stunning. This was a film that certainly warranted having been seen in a theater, and if you have a large flatscreen television you certainly will be impressed with the graphics on Smaug.
Couple that with a developing storyline that is much more engaging than the first film, and "The Desolation of Smaug" is a thoroughly enjoyable movie experience. I feel good about giving it 8 out of 10 stars, and I can see how some might rate it even higher.
One note to Tolkien purists, though: the film certainly does expand on the book quite a bit, introducing scenes that are only mentioned in the book in a tangential way. The same goes with character development, as some of the characters from the book who are not even mentioned by their proper name now have much more developed story lines. For a Tolkien purist, the film may push the envelope a bit.
Still, the movie is a true delight for anyone who's simply looking for a fun, family friendly fantasy movie complete with dwarfs, dragons, elves and Hobbits. You should enjoy it immensely if you fit that description.