Mostly Enjoyable Hobbit Film
(2.5 shields)
The modern Hobbit films are full of flaws, but The Desolation of Smaug is an enjoyable experience that fulfills many of the most anticipated sequences from the book.
Adaptation
The Desolation of Smaug shares some similarities with Hollywood’s most disastrous changes to Narnia films. When The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was adapted into film the filmmakers were looking for ways to add a sense of urgency to the quest by inventing a villain when they fabricated a green smoke monster and seven magical swords. This film also suffers from an attempt to create a powerful villain and to match the darker tone of The Lord of the Rings. Throughout the trilogy most of the quest for the necromancer’s dark fortress feels unnecessary and was not accounted for in the book. In both of these books the plot is not advanced by fighting a villain but by the merits of the quest itself. Another example of how this film has been unfortunately reinterpreted is in the introduction of made up romances. For no apparent reason one of the woodland elves falls in love with a captive dwarf. Just like the uncomfortable romance with Susan and Caspian, this love interest adds nothing to the film and does not play off as very believable. Not every movie has to have a powerful villain and not every film has to have a romance, but both Narnia and The Hobbit have been struck with these changes from the source material to fit the mold of popular films.
Smuag the Stupendous
The key highlight of the cinematic experience is the full reveal of Smaug. The visual effects and acting performance have impeccably delivered on all expectations of this crucial scene. Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a legendary performance that is as clever and magnificent as the writing itself. One of the benefits of the stretched out runtime is that it has enabled the film to have lengthy dialogue sequences that perfectly capture memorable scenes like the encounter with Smaug. The excellent portrayal of smug is a high point of the trilogy that makes watching the film entirely worthwhile. I can appreciate the development of the character as a powerful and cunning adversary, but just a few scenes later the dwarfs try to defeat him by running around the the mines shouting out insults to get his attention. Clearly this is another of the film’s inconsistencies and did not play off very believably.
Editing
Since the book was drawn out over the course of three movies there is a weakness in how the films are broken apart because it does not feel like each movie tells a complete story. At the end Smaug flies out of The Lonely Mountain and very nearly utters “To be continued” under his breath. It could have been more satisfying if the film ended with the defeat of Smaug to payoff the title “The Desolation of Smaug”.
Tone
While the first Hobbit film was torn between a family friendly fantasy adventure and a darker Lord of the Rings film, each film following has been progressively darker before ending with an R rated battle in the final film’s extended edition. There was a scene where this film could have easily included “The Lord of Silver Fountains” song from the book, but it instead chose to take us on a witch hunt to a dark fortress. It is notable how gruesome this film can become and should not be recommended for children. The creature/monster design and fight sequences were repulsive, but no more so than any other Hobbit film. There is noticeably more violence than in the book or what would seem reasonable for the story. The barrel rider escape sequence became drawn out into a white water rapids battle with elves and orcs that just happened to be waiting alongside the river just in case the hobbits broke out of prison. Although this is another split from the book it was very fun to see Legolas in action again despite several brutal beheadings.
Innovation
The quality of the film was enhanced by excellent 3D filmmaking that gives the world a larger sense of scale and can be best enjoyed on a 3D TV. It is very satisfying to see the general quality of filmmaking effects and design that can live up to the imagination of Tolkein’s world. The technical innovations used in the film allowed creatures like the Mirkwood spiders to appear lifelike and visually satisfying. Just like in the book the spiders were personified with the ability to speak which feels like one other minor similarity to Narnia. Peter Jackson deserves credit for pushing technical innovation in his films. After all if it had not been for the success and technical innovations of The Lord of the Rings the Narnia films that we love would not have been possible.
Conclusion
No film in the Hobbit trilogy is perfect, but The Desolation of Smaug provides the most satisfying experience. It falters from Hollywood adaptation blunders relying on adding a major villain and romance.The movie may not seem to tell a complete story because of how the book was fragmented into three films, but the masterful reveal of Smaug is a worthwhile payoff. Just like Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogies it is the second installment that is the darkest film and The Desolation of Smaug drifts further away from the book’s light tone. As always the exceptional production quality and technical innovation almost make up for storytelling embellishments. The Hobbit films leave a lot to be expected, but this film is overall enjoyable.