Better sequel

Rating: 8/10 (30 March 2020)

While the first one took it's sweet time getting to the story, this just jumps right into the action. But get ready for characters that aren't even in the book, like Legolas. And the motion capture for turning Benedict Cumberbatch into the dragon Smaug is amazing. Peter Jackson knows the right people to do motion capture, as we all know from watching Andy Serkis as Gollum all these years. But really?! 3 hours?! That's stretching it wouldn't you say? Almost as stretched as butter scraped over too much bread. I didn't see this one in 3D, which is a real shame, because it seems I would have benefited a lot from it. Smaug breathing fire towards the audience would have looked amazing in 3D. Then again, the 3D is HFR, so probably not.
Grade: B 8/10 4/5 stars