The Hobbit adventure continues with the second installment of the movie trilogy: “The Desolation of Smaug.”
The previous movie, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” left off at the point where Bilbo, Thorin and company had just been rescued by the eagles who answered Gandalf’s called for help. They were conveniently dropped off at an eerie that gave them a view of the Lonely Mountain. This was a good point to leave off at because it gave the second an easy and smooth way to pick up the plot again without an obvious cliffhanger or halting story line.
The returning cast of Martin Freeman as the reluctant hero hobbit Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as the wise but mysterious Gandalf the Grey, and Richard Armitage as the rightful King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield are a delight. Just watching the facial expressions that Freeman brings to the character of Bilbo is enough to make you fall out of your seat laughing. Another returning Lord of the Rings character includes Legolas Greenleaf, played by a very young looking Orlando Bloom. Though his character is not included in the original book, The Hobbit, his character adds in a new depth to the story and fun twist that works well for a movie original idea. A big draw for many fans of the television series “Sherlock” is that Benedict Cumberbatch, one of the main cast of the show, stars as the voice and facial feature generation for the title dragon Smaug.
One of the more impressive features of this movie is choreography of the fight scenes. Organizing fight sequences for two people is hard enough to make look realistic but with thirteen dwarves, one hobbit, one wizard, two elves, and lots of orcs seems impossible. The movie, however, adds a level of realism and fluidity that is often missing in modern action movies. In a scene where the dwarves and Mr. Baggins are escaping in barrels on a river and being attacked by orcs at the same time, the choreography of the fight, along with the passing of weapons between the dwarves, is like a well-practiced dance.
Another nice touch on the icing of a great cake that is this movie is the small, but significant changes the movie made from the original book. Not only was the character of Legolas added, but also the subplot of the pale orc Azog, Ratagast, and the love story between the dwarf Kili and the elf Tauriel. It appealed to many audiences while also incorporating into the movie smoothly. These tidbits add in to the detail of the story, rather than distract from the original meaning, as often happens when writers add to the story.
Overall the movie was a joy to watch. The 3D option was definitely worth it and I personally am waiting on the edge of my metaphorical seat for the last installment of the movie trilogy.