Psycho's Movie Reviews #429: The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a 2013 epic high-fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson and produced by WingNut Films in collaboration with New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Warner Bros. Pictures served also as the distributor of this second instalment in the three-part film series based on the novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. The film was preceded by An Unexpected Journey (2012) and followed by The Battle of the Five Armies (2014); together they operate as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

The film follows the titular character Bilbo Baggins as he accompanies Thorin Oakenshield and his fellow dwarves on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The film also features the vengeful pursuit of Azog the Defiler and Bolg, while Gandalf the Grey investigates a growing evil in the ruins of Dol Guldur. The ensemble cast includes Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom.

Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro wrote the screenplay. The films were shot simultaneously in 3D at a projection rate of 48 frames per second, with principal photography taking place around New Zealand and at Pinewood Studios. Additional filming took place throughout May 2013.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug premiered on 2 December 2013 in Los Angeles and was released internationally on 11 December 2013 in both conventional and IMAX theatres. The film received mostly positive reviews and has grossed over $959 million at the worldwide box office, surpassing both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2013.

Plot

Gandalf and Thorin Oakenshield meet at the Prancing Pony, and Gandalf convinces Thorin to take back Erebor and the Lonely Mountain. Twelve months later, Thorin and his company are being pursued by Azog and his Orc party. They are ushered along by Gandalf to the nearby home of Beorn, a skin-changer who can take the form of a bear. That night, Azog is summoned to Dol Guldur by the Necromancer, who commands him to marshal his forces for war. Azog then delegates the hunt for Thorin to his son Bolg. The following day, Beorn escorts the company to the borders of Mirkwood, where Gandalf discovers Black Speech imprinted on an old ruin. This, and a prior request by Galadriel, urge him to investigate the tombs of the Nazgûl. He warns the company to remain on the path and leaves them. Upon entering the forest they lose their way and are ensnared by giant spiders. Bilbo then sets about freeing the dwarves with the help of his recently acquired invisibility ring. He subsequently drops the Ring and first begins to understand its dark influence after he brutally kills a creature to retrieve it.

The remaining spiders are fended off by the Wood-elves led by Tauriel and Legolas. They also capture the Dwarves and bring Thorin before their king Thranduil. Thorin confronts the Elvenking about his neglect of the Dwarves of Erebor following Smaug's attack 170 years earlier and is consequently imprisoned with the other Dwarves. Bilbo, having avoided capture, arranges an escape using empty wine barrels that are sent downstream. While being pursued by the Wood-elves, they are ambushed by Bolg and his Orc party, and Kíli is wounded with a Morgul shaft. They engage in a running three-way battle down the river, but ultimately the Dwarves are able to escape both groups of pursuers. Thranduil then seals off his kingdom when an Orc captive reveals an evil entity has returned and is amassing an army in the south, but Tauriel decides to leave and assist the Dwarves; Legolas goes after her. Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast go to investigate the tombs of the Nazgûl, which they find to be empty.

The company is smuggled into Esgaroth by a bargeman called Bard. Thorin promises the Master and the people of Laketown a share of the mountain's treasure. It is then revealed that Bard is a descendant of the last ruler of Dale, and possesses the last black arrow capable of killing Smaug. Kíli is forced to remain behind, tended to by Fíli, Óin, and Bofur, as the remaining company receives a grand farewell. Meanwhile, Gandalf travels south to the ruins of Dol Guldur, while Radagast leaves to warn Galadriel of their discovery at the tombs of the Nazgûl. Gandalf finds the ruins infested with Orcs and is ambushed by Azog. The Necromancer overpowers and defeats Gandalf and reveals himself as Sauron.

Thorin and his remaining company reach the Lonely Mountain, where Bilbo discovers the hidden entrance. He is sent in to retrieve the Arkenstone, and while doing so, he accidentally awakens Smaug. While conversing with Bilbo, Smaug reveals his knowledge of both the dwarves' plot to retake the gold and the return of Sauron. Back in Laketown, Bard attempts to bring the black arrow to the town's launcher, as he fears what may happen when the Dwarves enter the mountain. However, he is arrested by the Master and his conniving servant, Alfrid, in the process and leaves his son to hide the arrow. Bolg and his Orc party then infiltrate the town and attack the four Dwarves, but are quickly dispatched following the arrival of Tauriel and Legolas; Tauriel then tends to Kíli. While Kíli is recovering, he openly admires Tauriel's beauty and wonders if she loves him. Legolas leaves in pursuit of Bolg. Meanwhile, Gandalf watches helplessly as Azog and an Orc army march from Dol Guldur towards the Lonely Mountain.

Back inside the mountain, during a long chase, Bilbo and the Dwarves rekindle the mountain's forge using Smaug's flames to create and melt a large golden statue, hoping to bury Smaug alive in the molten gold. They do so, but Smaug emerges from the gold, stumbles out of the mountain and flies off to destroy Laketown as Bilbo watches after him in horror and despair.

Production

Most of the filming was finished during 2012, ending in July 2012. During May 2013, additional shooting for the film and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies began in New Zealand, lasting 10 weeks. Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones were used for some shots in the film.

Score

The musical score for The Desolation of Smaug was composed and conducted by Howard Shore in association with local New Zealand writing teams. It was performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The original motion picture soundtrack album was released on 10 December 2013. It received positive reviews, especially for its new themes.

English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran wrote and recorded "I See Fire", which plays during the end credits. The song was released on iTunes on 5 November 2013.

Release/Reception/Box Office

The film premiered in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on 2 December 2013, and was released internationally on 11 December 2013 and in the United Kingdom and United States on 13 December 2013.

An extended edition of the film had a limited re-release on 7 October 2015, accompanied by a special greeting from Peter Jackson.

Following the Los Angeles premiere, Metro noted that early critical reaction was "glowing", with critics describing it as a "spectacle", while The Guardian reported that it was receiving "much stronger early reviews". However, before the film's theatrical release, E! reported that reviews had been "mixed", but stated they were still "much better" than the previous film. After the film's international release, MTV reported that the film has garnered a "positive" critical reaction, while the Los Angeles Times stated the consensus is that the film "reinvigorates" the series, putting it "back on course". On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes the film has 74% approval rating with an average rating of 6.80/10 based on 251 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "While still slightly hamstrung by "middle chapter" narrative problems and its formidable length, The Desolation of Smaug represents a more confident, exciting second chapter for the Hobbit series." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 66 out of 100 based on 44 reviews, indicating "generally favourable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore, during the opening weekend, gave it an average grade of "A-" on a scale from A+ to F, down from the first film which scored an "A" grade.

Nick de Semlyen of Empire awarded the film five stars out of five and wrote that "Middle-earth's got its mojo back. A huge improvement on the previous instalment, this takes our adventurers into uncharted territory and delivers spectacle by the ton", while Richard Corliss of TIME declared it one of the top ten films of 2013, and wrote "In all, this is a splendid achievement, close to the grandeur of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films." Justin Chang of Variety wrote that "After a bumpy beginning with An Unexpected Journey, Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogy finds its footing in this much more exciting and purposeful second chapter." Todd McCarthy of Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Nearly everything... represents an improvement over the first instalment of Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved creation." He also praised the High Frame Rate of The Desolation of Smaug as being better than that of An Unexpected Journey. Mark Hughes, who reviewed the film for Forbes, was highly enthusiastic, and felt "The Desolation of Smaug is another grand entry in the Tolkien saga, raising the emotional and physical stakes while revealing more of the sinister forces," before concluding "It’s pleasing to see a filmmaker this in love with storytelling, this committed to creating entire worlds... that’s a rare thing indeed, and for it to turn out so well is even more rare. It’s a sight to behold, and you won’t be sorry you did."

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian scored the film four stars out of five, writing, "It's mysterious and strange, and yet Jackson also effortlessly conjures up that genial quality that distinguishes 'The Hobbit' from the more solemn 'Rings' stories." Total Film also scored the film four stars out of five, but reviewer Matt Maytum noted that, in his opinion, the film suffered "from middle-act wobbles." Despite this, he praised the "rousing action... incredible visuals... and one stupendous dragon", and concluded his review saying "There’s a lot to admire in The Desolation of Smaug." Jim Vejvoda, who reviewed the film for IGN, awarded it 8.5 out of 10, and felt "It's a breathlessly told, action-packed crowd-pleaser that restores the luster of the saga for those underwhelmed by its predecessor and leaves you excited for the final chapter in the trilogy."

Conversely, Peter Travers, who reviewed the film for Rolling Stone, gave it two and a half stars out of four. He felt it was "a little less long and a little less boring" than the first instalment, and offered praise for the depiction of Smaug, saying "as a digital creation, Smaug is a bloody wonder of slithering fright." He was, however, very critical of the film's padding of a "slender novel", but concluded: "I'd endure another slog through Middle-Earth just to spend more time with Smaug". Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph was even less admiring, and awarded it two stars out of five. He too criticised the decision to turn Tolkien's book into three films and felt Jackson "is mostly stalling for time: two or three truly great sequences tangled up in long beards and longer pit-stops." He continued, writing "There is an awful lot of Desolation to wade through before we arrive, weary and panting, on Smaug's rocky porch," and disapproved of the introduction of a love triangle to Tolkien's narrative, adding: "Maybe this really is what a lot of people want to see from a film version of The Hobbit, but let's at least accept that Tolkien would probably not have been among them." The New York Post's Lou Lumenick was extremely negative in his 1.5/4 star review and remarked "There are probably enough moments to satisfy hard-core fans, but for the rest of us, this amounts to the Middle Earth equivalent of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, a space-holding, empty-headed epic filled with characters and places (digital and otherwise) that are hard to keep straight, much less care about."

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug grossed $258.4 million in North America and $700.6 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $959 million. Calculating in all expenses, Deadline Hollywood estimated that the film made a profit of $134.1 million. It is the fourth highest-grossing 2013 film, and grossed $209 million worldwide on its opening weekend.

In North America, The Desolation of Smaug earned $8.8 million during its midnight opening, making it the second-highest December showing ever, behind only the first instalment. The film topped the box office on its opening day with $31.2 million. It remained in first place throughout its opening weekend, grossing $73,645,197, a 13% drop from its predecessor. The Desolation of Smaug was in first place at the box office for three consecutive weekends.

Outside North America, The Desolation of Smaug was released internationally on 16,405 screens. The film earned $135.4 million in its opening weekend. Its largest openings occurred in China ($33.0 million), Germany ($19.0 million) and the United Kingdom, Ireland and Malta ($15.2 million). It topped the box office outside North America on four consecutive weekends and five in total. It is the highest-grossing film of 2013 in many European countries, as well as in New Zealand and Fiji.

Budget $191–250 million

Box office $959 million

My Review

Having really enjoyed An Unexpected Journey, though it was a long way from perfect, last year, a family cinema outing for this was guaranteed. And it was worth the wait, Dad and I liked it a little less than my brother, sister and godparents(die-hard LOTR and Hobbit fans by the way) but all of us found a lot to enjoy, more so than An Unexpected Journey. Desolation of Smaug also shares imperfections, Azog is still a very one-dimensional villain and doesn't add a lot to the story(Bolg is no better either actually); the love triangle felt forced and shoe-horned in for the sake of it, including a bit that is like an inferior copy of Arwen and Arogorn; Beorn is criminally underused and any signs of development with him is rushed; the Mirkwood scene is far too short though the atmosphere was good; Gandalf deserved more to do with only his encounter with Sauron and perhaps the beginning really standing out for him; and the ending is very abrupt with a pointless, too long and really overly-silly battle between Smaug and the dwarfs(Smaug's final line was incredibly chilling though!).

Moving on from the debits, the film does look amazing. I liked that we saw more locations and that the film has a softer, darker yet more storybook-like feel to it than An Unexpected Journey. The attention to detail in the costumes, make-up and sets(Laketown is fantastic) is remarkable, the photography is beautifully transitioned and atmospheric and most of the special effects are great, especially with Smaug, Sauron and the spiders and excepting the flowing gold and maybe Azog. The music in equal turn is ethereal and haunting, not the most memorable stuff that Howard Shore has written but it fits perfectly within the film. The script has a better balance between the comedic and dramatic, in fact the humour is subtle while taking much more of a serious approach than to An Unexpected Journey without being too morose. It's thought-provoking too, and Smaug's lines especially in his taunting of Bilbo and when Bilbo implores him from not attacking Laketown are just chilling.

The story gets much more to the point than in An Unexpected Journey and the pacing is swifter with generally more dramatic tension(if not always consistent). There are some great set pieces too, Bilbo's encounter with Smaug is the highlight of the film, tense and brilliantly written, though the spider scene is appropriately sticky and matches it in tension, Gandalf's encounter with Sauron was brief but visually stunning and the barrel-on-the-river scene while on the over-exaggerated side is a lot of fun, inventive and thrilling. The acting is good, Martin Freeman is still appealing in a curmudgeon sense, Ian McKellen is still perfect as Gandalf(even doing things that you do not expect someone of his age to still do, but he should have had more to do), Richard Armitage is a brooding presence and succeeds in showing Thorin's worse qualities and Ken Stott stands out among the dwarfs, he is fun and wise here. Orlando Bloom has some charisma, Lee Pace plays the morally ambiguous character of Thranduil just right(he does come across as a douche but from a moral perspective he is an interesting character) and the astonishingly beautiful Evangeline Lilly brings some real heart as the most likable character of the film.

Stephen Fry chews the scenery amusingly, Sylvester McCoy does respectably with Radagast wisely being given a backseat and Bard is well played. The best asset of the film though is Smaug. Right from his design, the best-looking dragon design since that for Dragonslayer. To how cunning, manipulative and physically mighty he is. And to Benedict Cumberbatch's(one of the most talented actors to date) booming, sly, sinister and really quite phenomenal voice-work in definitely the most evil role he has done to date. The film absolutely nails the scene between Bilbo and Smaug, and Smaug and Cumberbatch have much to thank for that, as well as the writing being the best it is. While the film is not faithful at all really to Tolkein's The Hobbit apart from some details- it's often more Lord of the Rings-feeling(though not as good) than The Hobbit- the first half of the scene between Bilbo and Smaug does show clear evidence of fidelity, with the dialogue almost straight out of the book.

Overall, judging it as a stand-alone- which in all honesty it deserves to be, one of those things that I'm getting sick of repeating but it's necessary because of how much of a problem it seems to be(not quite as bad as people having no regard for other people's opinions and making out they're the only ones that are right, there's a lot going on here too)- The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug was a flawed but very entertaining film and superior to its predecessor from personal opinion. 9.7/10