The Desolation of Smaug Worth Coming Out of The Hobbit Hole?
Aelyn Thompson
Staff Writer
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is a CGI filled thrill ride, with life-like monsters sure to make audiences jump out of their seats and possibly toss popcorn and smuggled Sour-Patch-Kids. Slightly tedious at points, but whatever might have been snooze-worthy was pushed to the side by scenes that keep audiences cheering for Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey and their posse of bearded dwarves.
Set in Middle-Earth, 60 years before the “Lord of the Rings” story line, this continuation of “The Hobbit” film trilogy keeps with Bilbo, his wizarding comrade and 13 trusty dwarves. Throughout, they find themselves in many perilous situations as they try to defeat the dragon, Smaug, who hoards all the dwarves’ wealth and their precious Arkenstone, the dwarves’ key to restoring their society.
Bilbo (Martin Freeman) is a hobbit who lived within his hole in The Shire before Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) arrived for tea and asked him to go on an adventure. Bilbo’s task was to be a burglar to steal the Arkenstone back. One implication; it lies under the belly of Smaug, the elusive and evil dragon. Although Bilbo has a secret up his sleeve, literally, that will make him all the better candidate to help the dwarves get their old way of life back, he nervously agrees to hop onto a pony and join the brigade. Along the way to The Lonely Mountain, the horde of adventurers meet unlikely friends that assist them through the hiccups in their journey.
The whole production had an intense but fantastical feeling. Viewers were on the edge of their seat as orcs, shape-shifters and elves moved across the silver screen. Looking around the theatre, everyone was tuned in, jumping, shouting and sighing at different parts, which proves the script was well executed, keeping the audience interested.
Compared to the book, the movie was less of a snooze-fest, with vivid action and great script delivery. Many cannot envision humongous speaking spiders and a man turning into a bear, and back to a man again. Like all book adaptations, the movie left out lots of details that maybe could have added to the production, although a director can only elaborate a mountain climb so much when the movie is already three hours long.
I felt like some of the scenes were overly dramatic and the acting not very believable. CGI animation was used throughout, with voices that matched the characters they portrayed. The characterization was very nice, each part very fitting with the actor playing it. Music and sounds made the performance suspenseful or light when needed and it added a layer to the movie that some films lack.
It is recommended to read at least some of the book before watching the movie. A lot of parts could be confusing, and reading “The Hobbit” will help fill in those holes. Die hard “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” fans would love this interpretation of J.K. Tolkien’s novel. Many who enjoy comedic plot lines or romance wouldn’t necessarily be hopping in the ticket booth line to see this, but an elf-dwarf duo may surprise those who enjoy a little love in their life.
This production definitely shows just how much a little hobbit can do. Audiences root for Bilbo and his friends through epic barrel rides and hissing of dragon fire. For those looking to see something new, let Gandalf the Grey take their hand, and don’t hesitate to go on an adventure outside the hobbit hole.
