The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is my favorite film in The Hobbit trilogy. I find it endlessly entertaining, and extremely emotional to watch. I personally feel that everything from An Unexpected Journey is ramped up, and kicked into high gear with The Desolation of Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is the second film in The Hobbit trilogy, and continues the adventures of the dwarves, Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf seeking to reclaim Erebor. There is so much to love about this film. I love all the different characters that we are introduced to, and the different worlds that they inhabit. The scope of the film is truly epic in nature, and the entire film slowly builds to the final act that takes place in Erebor. There is also a love story between Kili (Aidan Turner) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) that is quite beautiful to witness. There is romance, but there is also nothing physical that happens between the two of them. Seeing this play out is lovely to watch. It is also great to see Orlando Bloom return as Legolas. As much as I love this film, I do have some minor qualms about it. At one point in the film, it is said that Gandalf (Ian McKellen) called Radagast (Sylvester McCoy) to the High Fells of Rhudaur. When did Gandalf actually do this?? At another point in the film, Bilbo (Martin Freeman) says that he knows Bards' (Luke Evans) name because he asked him. When did this happen?? Finally, when Gandalf is rescuing Thrain (Antony Sher) in Dol Guldur, it seems like Thrain is leading him into a trap with the orcs, but then the two of them are escaping together after Gandalf blinds Azog (Manu Bennett). It just seems to me that Thrains' motives are never quite clear. Other than these extremely minor flaws, I find this film to be visually breathtaking and ripe with emotions that will tug at your heartstrings.
Evangeline Lilly plays Tauriel. Personally, I do not mind that Tauriel is a character that was created specifically for this film and Battle of the Five Armies because I think she adds something special to the film, and her motives are quite clear. I love the way Lilly portrays the character because she is just as lethal as Legolas, and yet she has a softer side to her. What makes this so important is that she does not let her emotions get the better of her. In fact, her emotions make her stronger. The scene where she is healing Kili with athelas is quite moving. Tauriel is a great example of a strong female character that never loses her femininity. Evangeline Lilly gives an excellent performance as the "Daughter of the Forest".
Benedict Cumberbatch plays Smaug. What I do not think many people realize is that Cumberbatch did not just do the voice of Smaug. He also donned a motion-capture suit, and crawled around on the ground so the camera could pick up his movements. Doing this adds to the portrayal of the character, and you can also see the wide range of emotions on Smaugs' face. Cumberbatchs' voice is menacing, and it is breathtaking to hear it echo throughout the walls of Erebor. Cumberbatchs' performance gives me goosebumps every single time I watch this film.
Peter Jackson returns as director of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I love that Jackson added in a scene with Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) at the beginning of the film. This scene shows how they initially met, and how Gandalf was the one who urged the dwarves to reclaim their homeland. This scene, while small, adds more weight to the relationship between these characters. I also love the way Jackson uses the camera during the scene with the spiders in Mirkwood Forest. This scene is so tense, and keeps you on the edge of your seat because you are genuinely frightened. The spiders looks incredibly realistic, so much so that it almost makes you physically uncomfortable to look at them. I also love the look of Lake-town, and the way it is designed. Lake-town is one of my favorite parts of the book, and I loved seeing it come to life on film. Also, from an editing standpoint, I love the fact that the joy and happiness of the dwarves climbing the stair to the door into Erebor is mirrored by the dark events that happen in Dol Guldur. We are shown that even in Middle Earths' darkest hour, there are people in the world who experience great joy and happiness. Of course, I am always in complete awe of the sequences that occur in Erebor. Again, the way Jackson uses the camera, he truly conveys the size of the dwarf kingdom. When the dwarves split up, and Smaug is chasing all of them, your heart beats with excitement. I also love that the film cuts to black right after Bilbo says, "What have we done?". It chills me to the core every time. From a directorial standpoint, I personally think this film is on par with Return of the King.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is one of those films for me that I could watch over and over again. It is a film that delivers in every way. If you enjoyed An Unexpected Journey, you will LOVE The Desolation of Smaug!!!
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