Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

If any movie in the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings saga can be said to be all Peter Jackson and little (if any) J.R.R. Tolkien, this is it. When Jackson made the decision to split the novel "The Hobbit" into not two but three feature films, I'm sure we all knew that we would eventually come across "padding" material that Tolkien never intended to exist. On paper, this sounds like a recipe for disaster, but thankfully, much like last year's An Unexpected Journey, Jackson has successfully navigated most of the traps. With The Desolation of Smaug, this prequel trilogy announces itself not so much as "The Hobbit" but rather "The Hobbit-Plus," and that's okay as long as the end product entertains. This one certainly does.

After a brief flashback, The Desolation of Smaug picks right up with hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan), and 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakensheild (Richard Armitrage) as they resume their quest to take back the dwarves' homeland from the dragon Smaug (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch). After spending the night with a shape-shifting man named Beorn, they proceed through Mirkwood Forrest, where giant, unfriendly spiders await. They are saved by Elves, but later imprisoned when Oakenshield refuses to negotiate with the Elven king, Thranduil (Lee Pace). Bilbo eventually helps them escape, and they continue toward The Lonely Mountain (with a pit stop at the economically suffering human city of Laketown) with orcs in hot pursuit. Gandalf, meanwhile, splits from the group to pay a visit to Dol Guldur, the castle of the Necromancer, where he makes a horrifying discovery: the Dark Lord Sauron is returning to Middle Earth and preparing his troops for war.

The Desolation of Smaug is 20 minutes shorter than An Unexpected Journey as well as better paced. It's almost like the fantasy equivalent of an action movie, where the proceedings rocket from one set piece to the next. Tolkien's original work didn't have much room for elaborate chases and fights, but as presented here, they're a lot of fun and fluidly choreographed. The barrel escape sequence in particular is a standout; it may look like something out of a theme park ride, but it's a dizzying, whirlwind battle featuring moves and props that resemble that of a martial arts film. The dwarves as characters aren't as enchanting as the fellowship from the LOTR films, but those we get to know on a first name basis (not to mention Bilbo) are likable and worth rooting for.

Obviously, purists will be horrified with the liberties Jackson takes from a story perspective. But for me, the inclusion of elves Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), two characters never mentioned in the book, prove effective. They have just enough of a personality and character arc to add more flavor to this vision of Middle Earth. Jackson also expands the backstory of Lake Town shipman Bard (Luke Evans) to give us another multi-layered human character. Finally, the film introduces a love triangle of sorts between Legolas, Tauriel, and the unusually tall dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner), and as cheesy as it sounds on paper, it's a welcome addition that doesn't soak up too much screen time.

Ultimately, the film's title dragon must have his day, and that's when the film loses a little steam. Don't get me wrong, Smaug looks amazing, and Benedict Cumberbatch (with the help of some Darth Vader-ization of his voice) delivers all his lines with relish, but this portion of the film occasionally dips into the realm of silliness. Think about it for a minute; what use would a gigantic, articulate dragon have for piles upon piles of gold and nothing to do with it? At times, he resembles a Bond villain with too much talk and not enough ruthlessness. And the resulting 20-something-minute action sequence involving Smaug and the dwarves is well-filmed but far, far too long for its own good. This eventually leads to a cliffhanger ending that simply doesn't work. Yes, while every film in the series except for Return of the King ended with one, it followed a climax and a sense that something was accomplished. Here, it's an awkward, literal stopping point.

Nevertheless, these are nothing more than nagging flaws in an otherwise entertaining film. I never expected this "Hobbit-Plus" trilogy to enthrall and engage emotionally the way the LOTR films did, but two films in, they blend in well with the overall mythology. This quest-based story is still fun and well-paced enough for the movie's 160-minute running time to elapse fairly quickly, and Jackson's numerous additions are mostly beneficial. The Desolation of Smaug isn't an Oscar contender; it will have to settle for being a well-assembled fantasy action film. But hey, that kind of movie works just as effectively in December, perhaps even more so, than your average superhero film does in the summer.

Rating: *** (out of ****)