“The Desolation of Smaug” is part 2 of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien (a book which many didn’t think lended itself to three movies). Even if you believe Jackson has stretched Tolkien’s story out too far, you’ll have to admit ‘Smaug’ is action packed and the 2 hours and 40 minutes of the film really do fly by.
For those who haven’t seen ‘The Hobbit,’ Jackson does give viewers a short scene to bring you up to speed, but then it’s straight into fights with orcs, spiders and, of course, the stupendous dragon Smaug. The plot of part 2 is quite simple. A group of dwarves, along with Bilbo, are on a quest to reach the dwarves homeland–a towering mountain which Smaug has claimed for himself, including the mountains of gold and jewels within it. Thorin (Richard Armitage) is heir to the throne and he plans on taking it back. The tiny catch is that within the gold and silver mounds, the Archen Stone must be obtained for him to officially take the throne. This is where Bilbo, a very small hobbit comes in to play. His job on the quest is that of burglar.
‘Smaug’ brings back one of the most beloved characters from ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series. Legolas (Orlando Bloom), the light footed elf assassin, is back and has a thing for beheading orcs. He’s not as lovable as you might remember him, because his people aren’t fond of dwarves and they’ve come traipsing in his kingdom, bringing a slew or orc hunters with them.
Alongside Legolas is Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). Evangeline became famous for her role as Kate in the T.V. series ‘Lost,’ and I think many sci-fi fans will be happy to see her in this role. Tauriel is a rebel. When the rest of her people decide to close their gates and hide from the enemy, she seeks danger with the hopes that she’s helping protect the dwarves on their mission.
Another new addition to ‘The Hobbit’ family is one of my favorite actors–Benedict Cumberbatch. Benedict is the towering, menacing voice of Smaug and he is so good. We’ll see much more of Smaug in the third movie.
I have to say ‘Smaug’ is better than the first movie. Where the first movie spent numerous scenes getting the story set up, this movie doesn’t slow down for a minute, which I believe was absolutely necessary to keep the audience’s attention and get them jazzed up for next year’s part 3. In true Peter Jackson form, ‘Smaug’ is left on the ultimate cliff hanger.
