The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The sequel to An Unexpected Journey is finally here, and fans of the book are going to love it. Once again, we follow Bilbo, Gandalf and the band of Dwarves as they carry on in their quest to conquer Smaug and claim back the Lonely Mountain and the Kingdom of Erebor.

Unlike the last film, where the beginning is somewhat a recollection and a chance to bring in the likes of Ian Holm and Elijah Wood once more, the second hurls you headlong into the story. There is no backtracking and no long-winded back-story; you are straight where the story of the first film ended. This makes the film much faster in terms of pace and settles you in to what is actually a very well-made middle film.

The plot of the original book is followed very nicely. No part is missed out (unlike in the Lord of the Rings, where a greater part was missed out due to timing issues) and in fact extra parts that piqued our curiosity in the book have been put in, such as Gandalf's adventure in Dol Guldur where he attempts to deal with the Necromancer. New ideas have also been added, and while I felt that the inclusion of Legolas is unnecessary, it does bring together the two sets of films so people who have never seen the Lord of the Rings will have extra people to recognise. Fans of the LOTR films will love this inclusion, as Legolas is a very well-loved character. Gimli is even mentioned, which is amusing as I was debating how old he might have been at this point and was entirely right.

There are a couple more new bits thrown in for good measure; A huge action sequence with Smaug (which I feel went on for a tad too long) but it was all very watchable and quite intense, a she-elf by the name of Tauriel, whose storyline is actually very interesting and quite lovely, and then there is the fact that not all of the dwarves go to the Lonely Mountain. This part is very different to the book, but I liked it nonetheless because the story had several plot-lines rather than it focusing on one thing for too long.

So now we get on to the visuals. As always with adaptations of Tolkien's novels, the scenery, the design of costumes and the effects are simply magnificent. For me, though, I particularly liked Laketown and Mirkwood, despite the fact we see quite little of it. Oh and Smaug? He is just as terrifying as I ever imagined him to be, and yet not really as clever as he should be thanks to that enormous action sequence where Smaug is simply following the dwarves about and getting confused by the fact there are so many of them.

The actors in this are all excellent. Martin Freeman shines again as Bilbo, as he discovers he has more courage than he thought; this time tables are turned as Bilbo begins saving the dwarves. Luke Evans also does a great job as Bard the Bowman, and Bard's story is a given a little bit more significance too (but you'll have to see the film to find out how!) Aiden Turner also comes into his own with a flexibility that I can only marvel at. How is it that one man can play a vampire and a dwarf and play the characters in an utterly different style? Kili is an extremely likable dwarf and is given his own subplot in this particular installment. It leaves me secretly hoping that the third film ends up slightly different to the book (again, spoilers!)

There is one tiny little thing I think this film, as well as it's predecessor, lack. The book was for children originally, and so it had a large amount of comedy in it. Most of the dwarves were amusing, the conversations with Smaug were witty, the barrel sequence was hilarious and highly memorable. I think the film has left out most of the hilarity in favour of the darker mood that encapsulates the LOTR franchise. I think I would have liked to see lighter moments in this film as it would be much more in keeping with the book.

In a nutshell, The Desolation of Smaug is everything I could have asked for. It is full of references to the other books, new plot-lines to add interest and has a vast amount of action. Apart from the lack of comedy, the film is a roaring success in my eyes. It is certainly something that most people would like, particularly people who are fans of the fantasy genre and of Tolkien. 9 out of 10.

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The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey

Fans of Tolkien have been holding their breath for the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, and have all let it out in a sigh of relief. The film, which was again directed by Peter Jackson, was a fantastic translation from the book. You will not be disappointed.

It is difficult for anyone reviewing this film not to compare it to its predecessors, and yet it has to be done.
Visually, the film is full of the epic landscapes we saw in the first three films. It includes many sets that you will be able to recognise, as well as a good few characters. Gollum is the main character to notice. Although he is played by the same man (Andy Serkis), the technology that created him has improved, and now we can see every facial expression in huge detail. Serkis's acting is, as always, impeccable, and he has played Gollum very well. He is younger here, and is not yet bitter and damaged. Instead we see his split personality and his love of the ring shine out, but also his playfulness and trusting nature that is all but gone in later years.

In comparison to the book, the film follows the plot smoothly and tells the story in acute, and accurate, detail. Even the embellishments fall in line with the plot of The Hobbit. There are some differences, but none that should offend a fan of the book. It has a very different feel to the Lord of the Rings. Originally written for Tolkien's children, the book is much more light hearted. It has all the action we would expect, but we find comic relief in the company of dwarves, and in the Hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins.

The cast is full of English actors; Ian McKellen of course, Richard Armitage (Robin Hood), Aiden Turner (Being Human), James Nesbitt (Bloody Sunday) and Ken Stott, to name a few. But the actor that was entirely perfect for his role was, of course, Martin Freeman (Sherlock) who played Bilbo Baggins. There is something about the way that he is uppity and yet valiant, not quite brave but certainly willing to give it a go and at the beginning somewhat unlikeable; it is so much like the character in the book. You find yourself laughing at his predicament, at his conversations with others. At the beginning he is a character to ridicule, but as this film goes on, you soon learn that there is more to him than meets the eye.

So what's next? This is only the first part of the trilogy, the other two being The Desolation of Smaug, and There and Back Again (where we can meet the character voiced by Freeman's Sherlock costar, Benedict Cumberbatch). We can look forward to these within the next two years, and with any luck they will follow on in the footsteps of An Unexpected Journey.

Five out of Five. It was a truly enjoyable film, and one that can be watched over and over.