The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - REVIEW

Here's a quick review of the film, which I'd actually seen back in December, but was too busy to speak of until now... And there isn't much to say other than that it was awesome and ends on quite a cliffhanger! If you felt 'An Unexpected Journey' took too long, then perhaps you'll find 'The Desolation of Smaug' more to your liking, because it tends to cut to the chase and be much quicker paced than its predecessor which had the enormous task of setting things up. With the set-up out of the way, it's onto the fun.

Bilbo and co continue their way to the mountain while Gandalf rides off again to demystify the strange signs he sees all around him. While Gandalf goes off to track down the Necromancer, the dwarfs and hobbit must cross through dangerous places and forests that cuts through the hometown of Legolas but their presence is not welcome and they find themselves facing off against Orcs, Elves, creatures of darkness and even opposition from men. Things that bring both painful histories and politics to the forefront as something big and dangerous builds up in the background that shall all culminate in the Lord of the Rings.It's a really fun adventure there though, I'll tell you. Full of action and even new creative licenses with regards to bringing more of the LOTR world into the Hobbit as well as romance and drama. So even fans of the original book will find lots of new interesting things in store.

I made it a point once again to catch the film in HFR 3-D and I certainly can't recommend it enough as the best way to experience the Hobbit, unless you have physical issues with 3-D. The clarity it brings really makes you feel like you're there looking at the scenery at times. And the FX this times does a better job of keeping up so you don't feel any mismatches between what is real and what is just a matte painting or prop. And certainly, when the dragon Smaug makes his appearance, it'll definitely cement itself in your mind as one of the best CG characters ever put on film! A fine performance from its voice actor and its animators! There's quite a lot of good lengthy action sequences in store too that'll keep you riveted throughout!

 So if for some reason you haven't seen it yet, you really ought to. If you were disappointed by the first film, I'd recommend giving this another try. I think you'll like it better! There's definitely going to be a few new surprises too! Great performances from everyone around! Many epic scenes and action sequences! Virtually no issues from me with this film here except that the next one is so far away...

P.S. Drop by our store if you're looking for art books from Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit!