I'm not sure I get it....so meh to this instalment

Rating: 7/10 (11 January 2015)

I'm a fickle Lord of The Rings fan. When I saw the original trilogy in theatres I found them long and boring and didn't really get what everyone was excited about. When I re-watched them later on, I began to understand and see this incredible world that Peter Jackson had created and the painstaking process of bringing the story and characters to life. So I was a changed man. Then came the first Hobbit and because I had become a fan of the series I really enjoyed it. I know it wasn't as good as the original trilogy and as many reviewers have said it felt like they focused on the spectacle and special effects and light on the story. It felt more like a video game at times but thank goodness Jackson still keeps his world in tact. So now comes Desolation of Smaug and I had heard that it was even better than the first so I had decent expectations. Desolation of Smaug (for me) was a further example of how they can show off their CGI skills and still not develop much of any characters or plot. Honestly, I found myself asking several times through this film...what exactly is going on? Why are they still walking and what is the point of all this? It doesn't seem that complex and yet I don't even understand why Bilbo is there. There are truly astonishing visuals in the film and once Smaug is revealed it definitely ups the ante and despite the fact that I'm annoyed he is nothing more than an animated dragon on a computer...the end scenes were the best.
The original trilogy created characters that won't ever be forgotten. The cast was beyond first rate. The cast for the Hobbit is okay at best. The characters aren't focused on at all and they are literally just there. The exception is Richard Armitage who came into the film as our hero Thorin Oakenshield. Armitage is good but he lacks the same chemistry that Viggo Mortensen had in the original trilogy. Still he plays his role well. Martin Freeman is the exception to all of this because he is an amazing character and perfect for his role. While I didn't think Bilbo was nearly as effective in this part as the first, he still is very good. The rest of the Dwarfs are all good and they play their roles well but they literally have no independent character. At least in the first one it felt like you could tell who was who but in this one, its barely noticeable. I was very excited that Orlando Bloom was returning to the series as Legolas but he didn't really seem like he had his heart in it. He had some great action scenes but once again...lacked depth. Evangeline Lilly joins the cast as Tauriel. She is a good character and the chemistry between her and Legolas is interesting. Ian McKellen's role is severely reduced in this film and I think that was a huge strike against it as well. McKellen's Gandalf is and always has been a huge part of this series and he is stunning in it so to have him missing hurt the film a great deal.
Peter Jackson has set a bar for himself and this series that is astronomically high. Its too easy to sit back and pick apart all the negative things about this. The fact is, if you love this world that Jackson has created then returning to it will be terrific for you. The film is visually magnificent and Jackson builds two films towards revealing this magnificent dragon (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch who does a great job) and while I do hate CGI I understand why it is used and for the most part it is used extremely well. The flaw to the film is the lack of character development. Jackson forgot that he may have already established this world but these are new main characters that we have to get to know and fall in love with and he fails to deliver that for most of them. I am still anxious to see the final film with the expectation that this may be the last time we experience this world created by Jackson and helmed by him too. Regardless, this is the quintessential fantasy epic. 7/10