The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I first went to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug as a pre-Christmas treat with my Dad, but was prompted to write a review after re-watching it with my housemates last week during our weekly nachos and film night. It is the sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and follows Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and their company on a quest to reclaim their homeland, Erebor, from the clutches of the dragon, Smaug. They come across many obstacles on their journey: the deceitful paths and bloodthirsty spiders of Mirkwood Forest, the treacherous rapids of the river to Lake Town, the nefarious master of Lake Town (Stephen Fry) whom they must escape in order to reach the Lonely Mountain, and a pack of Goblins and Orcs who are in  their pursuit. In addition to these perils, the company have also lost their guide, Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), who is inquiring into the mystery of Dol Guldur and the Necromancer. The posse of Dwarves and their trusty burglar must reach the door to the Lonely Mountain by the last light of Durin's day in order to discover the keyhole, thus allowing them to confront Smaug. 

The film itself is incredibly well made, as is expected from a Peter Jackson film, and the special effects are second to none - I especially loved the depictions of the halls of the Woodland Realm and Smaug himself is a triumph of CGI. The plot unfolds at a quicker pace than the first instalment of the trilogy, which I was glad of as An Unexpected Journey did fail to hold my attention during it's long winded passages of dialogue and moody stares. The fast-paced narrative builds excitement and tension as the company struggle to reach the Lonely Mountain before the last light of Durin's Day. The film is undoubtedly a cheerful adventure tale and enjoyable viewing for all the family - depending of course on whether or not you have an uncontrollable fear of spiders. 

We're introduced to many important new characters within the narrative - Bard, Beorn, Tauriel, Legolas, Thranduil and Smaug to name a few - and I found each character to be well-cast and convincing. Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), the finest hunter in Lake Town and descendant of Girion the last Lord of Lake Town, is set to become a key figure in the story, a hero in the waiting. Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt), a shapeshifter, who provides shelter and protection to Thorin and his company. Beorn can transform into a great black bear and is a tall, muscular man with thick facial hair in human form. Tauriel (Evangeline Lily) is a kick-ass female elf of the Woodland Realm. She is captain of the Mirkwood Elven Guard and aids the dwarves' quest by protecting them from Goblins and saving the life of Kili when he is injured by an arrow. Legolas (Orlando Bloom) is a character that is familiar to us from The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. He is the Prince of the Woodland Realm who has affectionate feelings for Tauriel, and even though he despises dwarves, protects them for her sake. Thranduil (Lee Pace) is the Elvenking, Legolas' father, who holds the dwarf company captive in his dungeons - Pace's portrayal of the cold, dagger-eyed King is second to none. Of course, I have to mention Benedict Cumberbatch's epic portrayal of Smaug, the honey-voiced, cunning dragon who has occupied Erebor. Smaug's voice is powerful and commanding and his personality Machiavellian, he is undeniably evil and calculating in every possible way.

I first read The Hobbit when I was young and decided to re-read it last year when the first instalment of the trilogy was about to be released. Even from a young age I was captivated by Tolkien's writing and his portrayal of his invented world, Middle Earth. The magic and mystery of his imaginative writing hooked me, and so I have read a wide selection of his works. However, as an avid Tolkien reader, I couldn't help but notice the many times in which The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug strayed from Tolkien's original storyline. These variations from Tolkien's original plot vary from small alterations  (such as Kili being shot in the leg by a Goblin) to ones that have had some Tolkien fans in uproar (such as the fabrication of Tauriel's character which was argued to have been created to bring female energy into a male-dominated narrative). Another example that I noticed was that when the dwarves escape from the Elvenking's dungeons they do so in open barrels and fight Goblins and Orcs on their dangerous trip down river. In the book, these barrels are sealed and the dwarf company is only released when Bilbo deems it safe. Of course, creative licence must be given to the screenplay writers of the trilogy as a scene with the dwarves fighting for their survival against raging rapids and the onslaught of enemies certainly holds more dramatic effect than thirteen barrels floating down a river. The presence of Legolas, however, is not as easily forgiven as he is not present in The Hobbit at all. In fact, the first time Legolas meets Bilbo is in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring at the council of Elrond in Rivendell. Another stark difference that I noticed is that in the book the dwarves do not face Smaug at all, only Bilbo does. In the film, however, the dwarves are depicted devising an elaborate plan to trick Smaug into relighting the furnaces in order to trap him in molten metal. 

I'm not entirely sure if it's just my pedantic nature but I found myself being particularly annoyed by Legolas' miraculous change of eye colour from hazel (in The Lord Of The Rings) to a sky blue. Did anyone else notice this? 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and would recommend it. The cast are fantastic and I felt that each actor brought their own flare to their character, especially Martin Freeman who I cannot praise enough for his portrayal of the quick-witted and caring Bilbo Baggins. I enjoyed the narrative but was slightly put off by the changes from the original storyline, however, I have been assured by those of my friends who have not read the book that they were thoroughly pleased with the plot of the film and found it to be enthralling. I myself found the ending rather anti-climatic, however those of you who have not read the book, would I'm sure, find it to be a provocative cliff hanger. It is definitely a step up from its predecessor as there is far more content and excitement within its narrative. In conclusion, the film definitely sweeps you away into the fantasy world that is Middle Earth. This epic fantasy-adventure movie is a must watch and is a perfect form of escape from the trivialities of everyday life. Overall, I would rate The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug with 4.5 stars.

What are your opinions on the film? 

How do you rate it?

Did you notice any differences between J.R.R Tolkien's The Hobbit and this Peter Jackson creation?