Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) by Michael M — 24 Jul 2015

Though I do ultimately like The Hobbit films more than The Lord of the Rings films, I will say there is one thing the Rings film do better, and that is tell a fully-arched story. With The Hobbit, Peter Jackson seems to be trying to cram everything in, to the point of even adding new things that weren't even in the books but were in Tolkein's notes, and even some things that weren't in there.

As such, Desolation of Smaug feels a bit inconsistent, and more like a series of films strung together rather than a fully realized film (all the way down to its unnecessary cliffhanger ending). We see a series of stories, and some of them work while some of them don't.

Gandalf's quest involving the rise of Sauron in particular feels not only unnecessary, but highly detrimental to the primary story. When we're constantly reminded that a much greater worldwide threat is on the rise, it makes Bilbo's quest with the dwarves seem entirely insignificant.

When we are focusing on Bilbo, the story mostly works. I love Martin Freeman as Bilbo, and his charm and levity help carry the film; the dwarves are also a lot of fun to spend time with. As you'd expect from Jackson, the whole film is huge and gorgeous, and just looking at it is a joy.

I also have come to realize with this entry just how godamn good Jackson is at shooting an action scene. Whether it's a battle between elves and orcs fighting along a river or the dwarves running from Smaug (who, along with his layer, looks godamn amazing I should say), the camera moves with a magnificent flow as to capture everything in the grandest way possible.

I'll never be a Lord of the Rings fanboy, and this film hasn't changed that, and Jackson's self-indulgence can become tiresome. Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it, and there are definitely a good number of scenes that stuck to my memory.