A Hobbit to Its Predecessor

Rating: 5/10 (15 December 2013)

And so, the pack's journey continues- on a quest to rid Middle Earth of the viscous dragon, Smaug. Bilbo Baggins has decided to keep the mysterious, golden ring (or we can just call it "The One Ring!") and his interest in it begins to develop even further. How much longer can he hold onto this secret and retain the group's trust, especially that of his old friend, Gandalf? The Desolation of Smaug is undoubtedly a more grandiose experience when compared to the trilogy's first installment (An Unexpected Journey). I was actually one of the biggest admirers of the first part, mind you, and discerning the greater praise for this film definitely brought me into a state of larger anticipation for its release.
With that being said- and to no surprise- the visual effects remain awe- inspiring. The spectacular production design will fully immerse you in this epic world that Peter Jackson impeccably constructed. You will never, for one second, sense the actuality of the events transpiring on a movie set- everything from the detailed, fantastical forests to the gloriously designed caves, suffused with gold and remarkable architecture. If you find these special moments beautiful to no end, wait until you see the dragon (Smaug) unleash fury and prove his utter formidability in the film's exhilaratingly action-packed and lengthy finale. Like I said, the production value for a movie has never felt more imposing.
I also immensely appreciated the thoughtful focus on each individual character as we witness certain dynamics and interesting arcs throughout, involving not only the dwarfs but a satisfying and significant inclusion of favorites like Legolas and enjoyable new additions like the badass beauty, Tauriel, and strong-willed Bard. However, its grandeur only goes so far before you start to notice detrimental flaws the film persistently carries along. First of all, the picture essentially lacks focus as a result of introducing countless characters/villains and extended peripheral scenes between minor characters and situations. There are so many subplots tossed in- considering Jackson's enormous ambition of capturing the entire lore of Tolkien's product- that the main storyline ultimately becomes muddled. Though I applauded the emphasis on numerous characters, the execution comes with a fault, and the characterization is subsequently more transparent than subtle.
Then, we have the lackluster script that's pervaded by hackneyed one- liners and overall clichéd dialogue. The screenplay basically attempts to implement the utmost menace into its villains by having them utter the most stereotypical (thus unintimidating) phrases. I honestly have no recollection of a similar issue in An Unexpected Journey, but let's continue, shall we? My next sentiment could be deemed controversial and that of a minority's opinion, but I'll reveal it anyways: I frankly sensed the 3-hour-long duration in this case drastically more than I did with the first entry. A large contributor is the confrontation between Bilbo Baggins and Smaug himself. Their conversation just went on and on, juxtaposing with the troubling events occurring in several other settings and again returning to this ever-prolonged talk. You'd think Smaug would get right to it, but no, his lonesome self apparently receives pleasure from conversing with others.
I was also surprised by the absence of a memorable and exciting score when regarding An Unexpected Journey's amazingly gratifying soundtrack ("Far Over the Misty Mountains," anyone?). The music continued on but never happened to stand out in any of the more thrilling and intense sections. In addition, the plot definitely suffered from a hint of predictability since every situation was so miraculously resolved that any predicament succeeding it lost its potential tension. It'd be important to note the changed tone from the predecessor's; taking the fact that this is not Lord of the Rings into account, I much preferred the lighthearted tone in An Unexpected Journey. There was just a superior amount of fun in that one as opposed to the familiarly darker tone of this follow-up's. At the end of the day, I understand that these criticisms could be seen as, at least, partially subjective, but Desolation of Smaug didn't hype me for next year's continuation the way An Unexpected Journey did.