I was one of the
minority it seems in that I thoroughly enjoyed the first Hobbit film.
It built at a great pace and was a fun, action-packed adventure. For
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, however, the careful
pacing of the first film seems to have gone out the Hobbiton window,
leaving behind a film that is, in parts, jaw-droppingly spectacular
(seriously, my jaw actually dropped!) and in others, mind-numbingly
dull.
As the film begins, a
darkness is spreading over Middle Earth. Gandalf (Ian McKellen) is
getting concerned and implores Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the dwarves
(led by Richard Armitage) to hurry along with their quest before
their window of opportunity closes. Thorin (Armitage) starts getting
more ruthless the closer he gets to reclaiming the wealth and home of
his people and Bilbo begins to use the ring, which starts to reveal a
little more of the power it holds over him.
There is plenty of
action – between all the walking and running – including a
hilarious sequence involving barrels. On their journey, the group
runs into many scary creatures, including an animal who can
shapeshift, many dreaded orcs and plenty of ill-tempered elves.
Legolas (Orlando Bloom) makes an appearance and scowls his way
through every scene he's in. Fortunately, many of these scenes take
place alongside Evangeline Lily's newly-created Tauriel, who becomes
a welcome breath of fresh air, bringing a spark, ferocity and heart
to an otherwise dull group of male characters. The film boasts an
impressive cast list but sadly most of the characters which are
intending to be menacing or strike fear in the viewers are laughable
and have no depth. You would think with all that time to develop
their characters, a bit more attention could have been paid.
That said, one
character who is anything but dull is Bilbo himself. Thanks to
Freeman, Bilbo manages to bring courage, inner turmoil over his
precious ring and humour to the role. Many of the laugh out
loud moments are thanks to him and his mannerisms and when he finally
meets the dragon, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), he – like
the dragon himself – truly shines. Smaug's arrival is undoubtedly
the best part of the whole film. I'd say he is worth the wait but
even that might be pushing it. Both the special effects used to bring
Smaug to life and the incredible vocal talents of Cumberbatch make
for one of the most incredible, breath-taking creatures ever seen on
screen, from the moment his eye is first visible to that when he
reveals his full size and power.
The real issue with the
film is that the really good parts of it are far too sparse and by
the time they arrive, you've barely got enough motivation to keep
paying attention. The group spends so long walking and talking that
every time a literal or figurative roadblock is put before them, you
figure out a way out long before they do. It quickly becomes easy not
to care and when Smaug finally appears, you may find yourself willing
him on instead.
It is really such a
shame that this brilliant story has been dragged out over three
films. Though this second of the trilogy offered a few moments of
spectacular, the rest just felt like filler. The end result is overly
long and self-indulgent.
Film - 2.5 FOBLES
