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Review: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

2013 film directed by Peter Jackson and starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage

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Peter Jackson continues his reinterpretation and lengthening of The Hobbit, giving us a more adult and darker version than how J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel runs. While the first film was mostly criticized for its divergences from the novel, in this second instalment they usually prove to be an improvement.

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This film covers much of the middle chapters of the novel – you get to see Beorn, giant spiders, barrels and, of course, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). To turn these chapters into a two-and-a-half hour film, Jackson has added some new story elements, a couple of new characters, and a few more scenes of intense action.

The movie moves quickly, as Bilbo and the dwarves are for the most part being chased all the way to the Lonely Mountain by the orcs. There are several major fight scenes, including one with the barrels in the river that is somewhat campy but is also very entertaining. Die-hard fans will be debating what was the most interesting orc-kill!

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The film adds political and racial tension – elves don’t get along with dwarves, and the people of Laketown are in a revolutionary mood – and characters like Bard and Kili get expanded roles. Meanwhile Gandalf’s adventures during this time, which are not covered in the novel but are written about in Tolkien’s other works, also get some screen time. This secondary story of Gandalf confronting the Necromancer has impressive visuals, and those who didn’t like the character of Radagast will find that his role in this film to be fairly limited.

This film reminds me of The Empire Strikes Back, the second part of the original Star Wars trilogy – the forces of evil are proving to be very formidable here, and by the end of the movie the situation is not looking overly optimistic for our heroes. Most people leaving the cinema should be satisfied with what they saw – good action, a storyline that does most things right, and one impressive dragon! ~ Peter Konieczny

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