This year has been filled with nerdgasms for me. So it's only fitting that my (most likely) last review of the year is The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. It's an amazing adventure that I actually think is better than An Unexpected Journey.
After a small scene which would've worked better had it been in the first movie, things pick up pretty much where they left off. Bilbo and the dwarfs continue on their quest to reclaim Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug (played by Benedict Cumberbatch through the use of motion capture). Along the way they encounter Orcs, Elves, creepy looking spiders, and much more.
Peter Jackson does an amazing job once again. He really makes you feel like you're in Middle Earth. Yes, the editing could've been a little tighter in certain scenes but it wasn't too bad. For me, those three hours just flew by. I easily could've sat in that theater for another three hours. The action scenes were well done, especially the barrel scene. It was just so much fun and looked incredible in 3D. The cinematography was gorgeous as well. The movie looks wonderful on an IMAX screen. The special effects were great for the most part. Although it was a bit much at times, mainly with the Orcs. I think practical effects would've been better in that case. But I trust Peter Jackson and think he knows what he's doing.
Martin Freeman is back as Bilbo. Surprisingly for being the title character, he really doesn't have as much screentime in this one. But the scenes he does have are really memorable. Especially his scenes with Smaug. Speaking of Smaug, how badass was he? Excellent job by Benedict Cumberbatch and the special effects team.
I really enjoyed Richard Armitage as Thorin. The way he was able to show such emotion simply with his eyes was amazing. I loved learning more about this fascinating character .
Luke Evans plays Bard, whom Bilbo and the dwarfs encounter in Laketown. I think he was a great choice and I'm really looking forward to seeing more of him in There & Back Again.
But my favorite characters were Kili (Aidan Turner), whom I must admit is pretty hot for a dwarf, and the Elf warrior Tauriel (Evangeline Lily). Now I know Peter Jackson completely made up Tauriel for the movies and I'm okay with that. Lets face it, there is a lack of female characters in Middle Earth. So it's refreshing to she her character who completely fits into this world. She's smart and strong. It's great seeing her kick ass and save the day.
As some of you may have heard, there's a love triangle thrown in between Tauriel, Legolas (Orlando Bloom. It's so great seeing this character again and how he was before the events of LOTR) and another character that's a bit of a surprise. When I first heard about the love triangle I thought it was crazy and unnecessary. I have nothing against love triangles (although the Twilight movies seem to have ruined them for a lot of people). I think if done correctly they can be fun to watch play out. After seeing this movie, I'm totally okay with it. In fact I loved it. Yes, the dialog is extremely cheesy at times, but overall I thought the whole thing was really sweet.
Howard Shore once again provides a beautiful score that works perfectly with each scene.
I must warn you though, if you're not a fan of cliffhanger endings, boy does this movie have one. Probably one of the biggest cliffhangers I've seen a movie pull of recently. When it cut to black and the credits rolled, I literally was like, "What the hell? Nooooo!! It can't end now." Damn you Peter Jackson for making us wait a whole year for the last movie. Although I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.
The only complaint I really have has to do with the higher frames per second issue. In An Unexpected Journey I got use to it after awhile. But for some reason in this one it bothered my eyes in certain scenes. I don't know if it's the higher frame rate, maybe it wasn't set up right by the theater I was in, or it could be because I have astigmatism. Normally I don't have any issues watching 3D movies. Who knows. I'm definitely going to back and watch the movie again, but maybe this time in regular 3D or in 2D.
The Desolation of Smaug is a fun, action packed movie that I think everyone can enjoy. Especially if you're a big LOTR fan. Did The Hobbit need to be split up into three movies? Well, no. Are they as good as the LOTR trilogy? Of course not. But I still had a great time watching it.
My Rating: 9/10
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