Movie Review: The Hobbit 2, Desolation of Smaug
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I saw it this week in IMAX 3D with the new High Frame Rate. I thought it was a lot of fun, and well worth the expense. It's better than the first Hobbit movie (which I also liked). Since most of you know the story, I will review with that in mind, while not giving too many spoilers for those that haven't seen it yet and want to be surprised.
It's a pretty typical Peter Jackson film: high on action and special effects. There is character development and most of the characters draw you in, but there are some fairly steep departures from the Tolkien text so don't expect to see everything the way you read it or heard it before. In particular, it's less whimsical and a lot more violent than the book. I don't recommend it for children under 8, and even under 10 is pushing it.
Some parts of the book (the journey through Mirkwood, the long captivity by the elves, and the journey by the dwarves to the Lonely Mountain) have been compressed in the interest of pacing. But little things I remembered like the bees in Beourn's house have been retained. As in the other LOTR movies and the first Hobbit, Jackson has beefed up all the battles and put them on steroids. There also are some additional side plots and subplots that weren't in the books at all, but which mostly work. The chief among these is the presence of Legolas and a kick-ass female elf guard captain named Tauriel. Played by Evangelne Lily, this elf has a rather flirtatious series of encounters with one of the dwarves (Fili) that adds emotional depth to the movie. She's also a very cool fighter.
As in the book, Bilbo's courage and leadership grow throughout this part of the story, and his self doubt is mostly gone. I did miss, however, much of the whimsy in his encounters with Smaug, which comes off quite differently in the movie. One of my favorite characters, Bard the bowman of Laketown, is well played here by Luke Evans.
Smaug, the dragon, is by far the best thing about this film. He is huge, ghastly, and ferocious. There is also an extended battle between him and the dwarves through the whole underground mines that was not in the books.
My chief complaint about the film is how and where it ends. It's quite unexpected and leaves most of the plot threads to be resolved in next year's finale. So I got my money's worth, but I wanted more. I guess that's what Jackson and Company were after.
AubreyMaturin
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It's not very loyal to the book, but it never made me feel like I wasted my money. Some details are off, and I will never get over how dragons are so easily fooled when their intelligence is just beyond human (or dwarven) comprehension. But I can say I enjoyed the three hours I sat watching it, probably because I promised myself I wouldn't hate the movie just because it's different from the book.
PS: Tauriel makes me wish FR elves were like Tolkien ones, or at least that NWN elf models weren't so ridiculous. Then I could play one in Narfell.
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You know they're probably going to make a movie trilogy of The Silmarillion next.
It's gonna get nuts.
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I actualy never expected the film would be like the book. Books are books, and films are films, and they are entirely different things.
I'm a bit odd, but I wouldn't want to see a film of something that will be entirely the same I read. My imagination is 100 times better than any film that can be produced, and the film would just [insert here bad word] it up in my mind.
So i just take it as what it actualy is, a movie that is based on a book, but is not the book itself made into a movie.
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I thought it was rotten. The scenes with the dragon dragged like nothing on earth. Also, YES with Benji; I intensely dislike the handsome-effect dwarven prince.
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I felt that the movie deviated from the book so much that it could hardly be considered a Hobbit movie.
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I'm still irked something seems off with some of the dwarves. They just don't look dwarven enough. Like they're just regular dudes who are short and have sausage fingers.
Saw it with Dondiah and her husband in 3D while I was out there for the Narf meet.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS, copy and paste below lines to view.
Best part was when the one guy took an arrow to the knee and it was supposed to be all dramatic and like 'OH NO, NOT THE HOT DWARF' and all Dondiah could think of was Skyrim "I used to be an adventurer but I took an arrow to the knee" and she started laughing out loud in a silent theater totally embarrassing us.
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Nice review of the film, AubreyMaturin.
I actually went to the theater yesterday and saw it for the second time. I initially was angered by the immense cliff hanger he ended it on, I think my actual reaction in the theater was "You've got to be kidding me?!" I came to terms with it shortly after though and now I'm just excited for the final film.
I only had very minor complaints. I immediately noticed how much they cut out of the Mirkwood scene. I wished they had given that part of the movie the time it deserved. I also wasn't really into all the Fili-Tauriel scenes. On the series as a whole I was a little annoyed they turned a story of this size into a trilogy and added all the extraneous side details. That being said I have enjoyed watching these lesser known plots played out.
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Gonnar said:
"But I noticed that when the dwarves are captive, they manage to get out while some elves are sleeping. Elves don't sleep.
Fail."That part is straight from the book. The elven guard and the King's wine steward were trying out the new wine, got drunk, and fell asleep. That's when Bilbo took the keys. So maybe elves do at least fall into a senseless stupor after they've had too much to drink. Dwarves know!
AubreyMaturin
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I pretty much agree with everything you said about the movie.
But I noticed that when the dwarves are captive, they manage to get out while some elves are sleeping. Elves don't sleep.
Fail.
