The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Rated PG-13 for violence
Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans
Directed by Peter Jackson
The Story:
Bilbo (Freeman), Gandalf (McKellen) and the Dwarves continue their push back to the Dwarf homelands, defeat Smaug (Cumberbatch) and reclaim their lost treasure and kingdom. By the end of the movie, the Dragon is angry and about to go on a rampage at the nearby village.
I can't help but think if they would have trimmed some of the first and added parts of this one into the first Hobbit, they could have made this a pretty good trilogy.
But at this point, pushing for a 4th movie is just plain greedy, and it feels like padding.
So I take it on this installment, that otherwise was more action oriented than the previous installment.
The cast beefs up with the arrival of an old friend, Legolas (Bloom) who you must remember we are seeing for the first time... and female elven warrior Tauriel (Lilly) whose crush on Legolas is about to go out the window before this film is over.
Luke Evans comes aboard as a mysterious entity in the human outpost of Laketown. It seems like he is fated to make up for a family mistake of not killing Smaug when they had the chance.
Really, like killing dragons is easy.
Finally, I must commend them for the barrel riding sequence for being a great action chase scene with quite a bit of humor interspersed with all of the action.
Good stuff.
So complaints of padding aside, I'll still sign up to see the next installment on DVD when it comes out.
Final Grade: B
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor - I didn't feel the same charm as the first part of The Hobbit with this one. While heavier on the action, at closing in on 3 hours, these films become a labor to watch on repeated viewings.
Rated PG-13 for violence
Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans
Directed by Peter Jackson
The Story:
Bilbo (Freeman), Gandalf (McKellen) and the Dwarves continue their push back to the Dwarf homelands, defeat Smaug (Cumberbatch) and reclaim their lost treasure and kingdom. By the end of the movie, the Dragon is angry and about to go on a rampage at the nearby village.
I can't help but think if they would have trimmed some of the first and added parts of this one into the first Hobbit, they could have made this a pretty good trilogy.
But at this point, pushing for a 4th movie is just plain greedy, and it feels like padding.
So I take it on this installment, that otherwise was more action oriented than the previous installment.
The cast beefs up with the arrival of an old friend, Legolas (Bloom) who you must remember we are seeing for the first time... and female elven warrior Tauriel (Lilly) whose crush on Legolas is about to go out the window before this film is over.
Luke Evans comes aboard as a mysterious entity in the human outpost of Laketown. It seems like he is fated to make up for a family mistake of not killing Smaug when they had the chance.
Really, like killing dragons is easy.
Finally, I must commend them for the barrel riding sequence for being a great action chase scene with quite a bit of humor interspersed with all of the action.
Good stuff.
So complaints of padding aside, I'll still sign up to see the next installment on DVD when it comes out.
Final Grade: B
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor - I didn't feel the same charm as the first part of The Hobbit with this one. While heavier on the action, at closing in on 3 hours, these films become a labor to watch on repeated viewings.
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