Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) by Manohla Dargis for The New York Times — 12 Dec 2013

There are, once again, too many busy, uninterestingly staged battles that lean heavily on obvious, sometimes distracting digital sorcery. But there are also pacific, brooding interludes in which the actors — notably Mr.

Freeman, an intensely appealing screen presence — remind you that there’s more to Middle-earth than clamor and struggle.