Director: Peter Jackson.
Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, Graham McTavish, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Aidan Turner, Orlando Bloom.
Running Time: 161 Minutes.
Certificate: 12A.
Synopsis: The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
After the sheer scale of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and its justified place in modern movie history, I wasn’t entirely persuaded that THE HOBBIT would be able to reach such stature but that uncertainty was thrown aside after the truly entertaining AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY took us back to the start of J.R.R. Tolkien’s magnificent fantasy world. In THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, Jackson has encapsulated and continued with a mind-blowing spectacle. What’s also ingenious about Jackson’s second instalment is the expansion of characters we already know but we still manage to acquire an invigorating and renewed understanding.
THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG begins with a brief opening flashback to Gandalf giving Thorin a handy nudge towards claiming his throne again, and then we’re back with Bilbo and the Dwarves on their journey just after they’ve crossed the Misty Mountains and they’re – quite rightly – watching their backs for Orcs. After an encounter with the rather vicious ‘Skin-changer’ Beorn, a bit like Wolverine but with less social skills and more anger, the group head off into the Spider-infested Mirkwood Forest as their only escape from an impending Orc attack. Spiders have never been my favourite on the big screen, so when they’re gigantic with sharp teeth, Gollum-like voices and joyously wrapping up prey, you may want to look away but what a great film really does is make you watch and squirm.
They’ve also categorically stepped up the always-impressive action and for a story that occasionally could dip into a ‘lot of walking’, the action sequences are tremendous. There are a number of stand-out scenes and we haven’t even got to Smaug, angry teenage scowling Legolas or Gandalf’s encounters, but a special mention must go to the Dwarves escaping in barrels via river rapids. Although it almost leans towards farcical, the actual brilliance and sheer comedy of what ensues finds a balance that makes it equally hilarious and rewarding.
So now, it’s time for the stupendous dragon; Smaug. He’s everything you’d hope for in a fire-breathing angry dragon and, dare I risk a cliché, a whole lot more. I don’t think I’ve been more over-awed by an animal design since the T-Rex in JURASSIC PARK. The believability of Smaug is enhanced by Martin Freeman’s brilliant monologues (and his traces of Ian Holm to be) but it is Benedict Cumberbatch’s bass-booming voice that enhances the fear-factor with immense power. Smaug is a sight to behold in full flow and you’ll be spoiled for his screen-time and I’ve never seen such a creation done better.
It might sound obvious but it’s also important to remember this isn’t a prequel as that would indicate some precursor from Tolkien, when in fact his early work set-up everything that came later and Jackson’s inventiveness of additional narrative, of not dragging himself into the things we already know, is what makes it so special. First class performances, faultless action, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG easily takes a very high place in what we’ve seen so far, and there’s still one more to come. It’s an absolute fantastical and wondrous epic adventure.
THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG opens on December 13th.
