Written and directed by Peter Jackson
Co-written by Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo Del Toro
Based off novel “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, and Richard Armitage
‘Enormously Entertaining’
You don’t have to look twice to know that you’re watching a Peter Jackson movie when there is grandeur, epic music in nearly every scene, dazzling locations captured on breathtaking cinematography, and a slew of actors sporting large, scruffy beards.
Yet the pondering problem that comes with having this distinguished of a style as a filmmaker is that it’s hard to take the audience by surprise. As is the disadvantage faced by such inventive directors like Quentin Tarantino, when you step into the theater to watch their movies you know exactly what to expect. Most of the time, they deliver nothing more nor nothing less while on a few special occasions, they step out of their comfort zones.
I’ve always adored Peter Jackson’s flair as a director, but lately he has appeared rather afraid of stepping out of his comfort zone. It is his style to make slowly paced movies that are grand in scale, yet such a distinct method of filmmaking has often resulted in a lack of surprises. Last year’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was that for me, a movie which despite being entertaining wasn’t very fun because of snail’s speed pacing and an exhaustively long length.
As a result, I dreaded a sequel with the expectations that Jackson would yet again make a movie too long to be exciting, yet with “The Desolation of Smaug”, he delivers the definition of exhilarating pop-corn entertainment.
If, like me, you were left frustrated and rather let down by the first “Hobbit” entry, then here’s a solution to your problem: a far more exciting, thrilling and character-oriented sequel in which Peter Jackson returns to form as a filmmaker. Although it plays at a very long running time of nearly 3 hours, there isn’t a moment where your eyes aren’t glued to the screen. Of course you feel exhausted by length that could have been trimmed down, but how often does Peter Jackson make movies that are this entertaining?
To tell you the truth, almost never. Most of the time, he is a director who struggles to hold an audience’s interest throughout his lengthy movies, usually losing their attention halfway through due to slow pacing or a lack of interesting events.
That is definitely not the case with “The Desolation of Smaug”. Entertaining throughout with a single dull moment, it is a strong improvement on its predecessor and sees Peter Jackson reveal talents that we normally don’t associate with him as a filmmaker.
It is quite a delightful achievement when you consider that this is a director who normally acts like a circus actor performing the same tricks over and over again.
The original “Hobbit” film was an example of this, a movie that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy because Jackson had posed the exact same style several times before and as a result, it was devoid of any surprises.
You may have come to expect the same from “The Desolation of Smaug”, but if so, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Bolstered by a spectacular sense of visuals, exciting action sequences and character arcs that the first movie never bothered to explore, it’s as fun as sequels get.
The movie picks up where its predecessor closed on a cliff-hanger: a shot of a creature’s eyes opening beneath a pile of treasure. This monstrous dragon named Smaug is now the only obstacle between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and victory. Can guidance from Gandalf the Wizard (Ian McKellen) pave the path for him and a determined group of dwarves? Or, will Bilbo’s now addictive obsession with the ring drown him darkness?
As I previously mentioned, it is never easy to make a long movie that is thoroughly entertaining yet Peter Jackson for the first time in his career miraculously does and it is mainly due to his expert handling of filmmaking areas one would usually expect him to fail in.
If you’re a devoted fan, then it should come as no surprise that as is the case with most of Jackson’s films, the movie is technically impressive and well-shot. Storytelling, on the other hand, has always been an element of painstaking struggle for the director yet in “The Desolation of Smaug”, thankfully enough he pays as much attention to it as style.
The characters are very well-developed and much more full-of-life than they appeared in the first “Hobbit” movie. What frustrated me when I watched that film was that it gave too much attention to it’s protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, providing little to no energy or zest in the story’s dwarves. Whenever the dwarves appeared on screen, they provided hilarious comical relief but sadly their personalities seemed dull.
In “The Desolation of Smaug”, Peter Jackson manages to make the dwarves and the human characters equally interesting. This time around, not only are the dwarves quite entertaining to watch, their personas are delved in a humanity that the first movie never bothered to explore.
Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the clan, is an intriguing character that reminded me of Clint Eastwood’s “Man with No Name” hero from Western films of the 1960’s. Somber and quiet throughout most of the movie, what makes him so fascinating is just how unpredictable he is. Even though we don’t know much about him due to a lacking background story, this characteristic adds a layer of depth to his personality that makes him all the more exciting to watch.
The movie also has a spectacular sense of visuals that keep you at the edge of your seat when you aren’t involved in the lives of these characters. As anyone might expect from a Peter Jackson film, it is admirably filmed with an undeniable love and passion for filmmaking. The cinematography is a visual feast for your eyes, capturing breathtaking locations such as vast landscapes and mountains with mesmerizing detail.
From the golden treasure-laden layers beneath which the dragon Smaug lies to the dark, nightmarish meeting place of the Orcs, Peter Jackson is an expert at bringing out the mood of the story through establishing shots.
When I read the book a long time back, I remember feeling that it would be quite hard to bring out it’s rich imagination, yet Jackson splendidly does so through thrilling action sequences. Whereas the film’s predecessor had rather forgettable action scenes, here they are a vast improvement. Heart-thudding throughout, they are surprisingly quite funny to watch and move at the quick pace of an “Indiana Jones” adventure.
Yet for any action sequences to work in a movie, you need to care about the actors dominating the screen. In “The Desolation of Smaug”, they brighten it up like fireworks.
Martin Freeman delivers an excellent performance as Bilbo Baggins, a courageous hobbit deeply obsessed with a dangerous ring. Charming and highly likable, he crafts the kind of character that can easily be trusted and who you would follow anywhere, even if you didn’t know them very well. In this sense, he reminded me of Tom Hanks’ “Forrest Gump” character, a man of a big heart yet goofy behavior.
Richard Armitrage sends shivers down your spine as a rather intimidating and intense dwarf with the fearlessness of a lion. Dealing throughout the movie with a bottled-up anger ready to explode at any moment, he pulls of a distinct interpretation of Hugh Jackman’s iconic ‘Wolverine’ role. Despite not speaking throughout much of the film, he brings out character through the larger-than-life expressions on his face.
The sign of a great actor often comes across when it is hard to imagine anyone else in their roles. It is definitely the case with Benedict Cumberbatch, who gives a scene-stealing voice-performance as a sinister dragon. It’s not easy to entertain only through dialogue in an action movie’s final act, yet the performer has a chilling screen presence and distinguished tone of voice that lingers on your mind long after you walk out of the theatre.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed “The Desolation of Smaug”, I don’t think that it is a movie without problems. I scratched my head in confusion when I first heard that a book as short in length as “The Hobbit” would be adapted into 3 movies, and unfortunately, this movie shows that the far-fetched idea doesn’t work well. Though very entertaining, it is far too long and could have easily been cut down.
Another disappointment is surprisingly a rather forgettable soundtrack. You usually expect beautiful music from Peter Jackson’s movies, and come out of them humming tunes, but this time around I didn’t notice any. It is quite a let-down when you consider that the music has been composed by Howard Shore, who helmed the unforgettable “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
Nevertheless, those that have savored Peter Jackson’s style ever since the making of that trilogy will definitely fall in love with “Desolation of Smaug”. Uncertain, however, is whether anyone outside of that fan-base will be willing to appreciate it.
3.5/5 stars
The Film Buff 
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