Random Review: The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug *spoilers*
Now almost everyone was disappointed with the first chapter of the Hobbit. An Unexpected Journey started off slowly and it didn't have the same Lord of the Rings vibe that the trilogy had. Many people left the theater disappointed and hoping that Peter Jackson could astound us with the second and third installments. Seeing as how The Hobbit is a children's book, it makes sense that it isn't as astounding as the Lord of the Rings trilogy but separating a small book into three movies was an astonishing decision. And so we're left tagging along for the ride as Tolkien fans like me will indubitably attack the film for deviating from source material or implementing stupid scenes.
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Well this movie was much better than the first movie. While not living up to the revolutionary status of the original Jackson trilogy, it still entertains and allows for good fun. The middle chapter was paced exceptionally well and the locales of this movie were amazing to look at. If Peter Jackson wanted to be like a tour guide for New Zealand, then he succeeded spectacularly. Middle Earth is as vibrant as you'd expect it to be though the CG is jarring at times. This movie just felt like it was a great addition to the land of Middle Earth.
Lemme get my biggest complaint out of the way right now. The love triangle. I have no idea why Peter Jackson thought it was a good idea but you have Tauriel going after Kili when Legolas loves Tauriel. Every second of that was cringe-worthy and my Tolkien senses were tingling after that. In fact, I think Tolkien himself is rolling in his grave. This unnecessary thing added just added extra screen time that I think everyone can agree were unnecessary. The whole thing just made it feel more generic and cliched like the rest of Hollywood's movies.
Regardless, I still enjoyed the ride. We speed through Beorn's cabin quickly which was a little disappointing seeing how Beorn was one of the best characters and we also speed through Murkwood as well. The film still manages to portray the settings and the moods of our adventurers through the beginning but it felt rushed. Then we get to the elves' fortress where we spend a lengthy amount of time with how the elves operate and how autonomous they were. Essentially, they were just antagonists for the time being. Meanwhile, Gandalf goes on his own voyage and finds out that the Necromancer is truly Sauron and he's gathering his orcs to go conquer Middle Earth. Anyways, the fellowship make their escape from the elves and we get epic barrel action as Tauriel and Legolas kick some ass. Kili gets hurt and there's a ton of drama from this. Eventually, they get to the Laketown with the help of Bard who is the grandson or son of the guy who couldn't kill Smaug. Foreshadowing, much? So Bard doesn't trust the dwarfs based on the prophecy but the mayor allows the crew to continue to the Lonely Mountain and Thorin shows how ruthless he is. They get there, they eventually open the secret key and Bilbo is sent in to get the Arkenstone.
And Smaug. Oh my god, Smaug was so awesome. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays his cunning and wickedness by toying with Bilbo's emotions. You can see Bilbo turns against the company after learning about Thorin's greed. Foreshadowing, much? Smaug does some awesome stuff while the company runs around before they piss him off and Smaug flies off to destroy Laketown. The movie ends on that depressing note.
Seeing as how I know how The Hobbit ends, I know there's gonna be the war and that's why Jackson dedicated the third movie to the journey's end. I have to say, I loved this movie. The sheer thrill of the adventure gave Middle Earth such a visual improvement and everything about the film seemed spot-on. There still is that feeling that the movie drags since, after all, the book was really short. But Jackson does what Jackson does and we're left with this epic trilogy that revamps Middle Earth once again. The music was great, the acting was great, and the visuals were great. And waiting two hours was worth it just to see Smaug. I'm also glad that they left the slapstick comedy out of this one because those moments were awkward in the first. This chapter tells a somewhat goofy tale, yet there's enough seriousness about it to make the tension palpable. I loved how well this movie ends for the last chapter. I also love how Martin Freeman truly portrays Bilbo for the Took that he is now that he's gotten a hold of himself.
Overall, the ride into Middle Earth was a great adventure and I'll be looking forward to the last chapter to see if Jackson reclaims the great charm the original Lord of the Rings trilogy had.
Final Rating: 9/10
Well this movie was much better than the first movie. While not living up to the revolutionary status of the original Jackson trilogy, it still entertains and allows for good fun. The middle chapter was paced exceptionally well and the locales of this movie were amazing to look at. If Peter Jackson wanted to be like a tour guide for New Zealand, then he succeeded spectacularly. Middle Earth is as vibrant as you'd expect it to be though the CG is jarring at times. This movie just felt like it was a great addition to the land of Middle Earth.
Lemme get my biggest complaint out of the way right now. The love triangle. I have no idea why Peter Jackson thought it was a good idea but you have Tauriel going after Kili when Legolas loves Tauriel. Every second of that was cringe-worthy and my Tolkien senses were tingling after that. In fact, I think Tolkien himself is rolling in his grave. This unnecessary thing added just added extra screen time that I think everyone can agree were unnecessary. The whole thing just made it feel more generic and cliched like the rest of Hollywood's movies.
Regardless, I still enjoyed the ride. We speed through Beorn's cabin quickly which was a little disappointing seeing how Beorn was one of the best characters and we also speed through Murkwood as well. The film still manages to portray the settings and the moods of our adventurers through the beginning but it felt rushed. Then we get to the elves' fortress where we spend a lengthy amount of time with how the elves operate and how autonomous they were. Essentially, they were just antagonists for the time being. Meanwhile, Gandalf goes on his own voyage and finds out that the Necromancer is truly Sauron and he's gathering his orcs to go conquer Middle Earth. Anyways, the fellowship make their escape from the elves and we get epic barrel action as Tauriel and Legolas kick some ass. Kili gets hurt and there's a ton of drama from this. Eventually, they get to the Laketown with the help of Bard who is the grandson or son of the guy who couldn't kill Smaug. Foreshadowing, much? So Bard doesn't trust the dwarfs based on the prophecy but the mayor allows the crew to continue to the Lonely Mountain and Thorin shows how ruthless he is. They get there, they eventually open the secret key and Bilbo is sent in to get the Arkenstone.
And Smaug. Oh my god, Smaug was so awesome. Benedict Cumberbatch portrays his cunning and wickedness by toying with Bilbo's emotions. You can see Bilbo turns against the company after learning about Thorin's greed. Foreshadowing, much? Smaug does some awesome stuff while the company runs around before they piss him off and Smaug flies off to destroy Laketown. The movie ends on that depressing note.
Seeing as how I know how The Hobbit ends, I know there's gonna be the war and that's why Jackson dedicated the third movie to the journey's end. I have to say, I loved this movie. The sheer thrill of the adventure gave Middle Earth such a visual improvement and everything about the film seemed spot-on. There still is that feeling that the movie drags since, after all, the book was really short. But Jackson does what Jackson does and we're left with this epic trilogy that revamps Middle Earth once again. The music was great, the acting was great, and the visuals were great. And waiting two hours was worth it just to see Smaug. I'm also glad that they left the slapstick comedy out of this one because those moments were awkward in the first. This chapter tells a somewhat goofy tale, yet there's enough seriousness about it to make the tension palpable. I loved how well this movie ends for the last chapter. I also love how Martin Freeman truly portrays Bilbo for the Took that he is now that he's gotten a hold of himself.
Overall, the ride into Middle Earth was a great adventure and I'll be looking forward to the last chapter to see if Jackson reclaims the great charm the original Lord of the Rings trilogy had.
Final Rating: 9/10
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