The second chapter of Peter Jackson and Company’s three-part adaptation of The Hobbit opened this weekend to praise, criticism, and a significant if not overwhelming box office. Second acts in trilogies are notoriously problematic, given the joining nature of their story structure, and this second act was already slated to be particularly problematic because of the filmmakers’ acknowledgment that they were straying far afield of the source material with this one. Add to that the fact that the source material is weaker in breadth and content than the much larger source material for Peter Jackson’s wildly successful adaptation of The Lord of the Rings a decade ago and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was bound to be a risky undertaking. I was not one who was disappointed when it was announced that The Hobbit would be stretched out to a trilogy. This will undoubtedly be the last time we’ll see this group bringing Tolkien’s world to life and I prefer more rather than less.

But enough with the preamble. The reason you are reading this is to determine what I thought about the film, compare it to your thoughts, and engage in dialogue. Thus I will no longer keep you in suspense. Though I felt the film lacked some of the heart-string-tugging emotion of An Unexpected Journey, the chance to visit multiple Middle-earth locales, the action that made two hours and forty minutes rush by, and a better than hoped for realization of the dragon Smaug made this another highly enjoyable exploration of Tolkien’s creation. I liked the film very much. Though none of The Hobbit film trilogy will, or frankly should, hold a candle to the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, the passion and creativity of the filmmakers is evident in every frame.

See it on the biggest screen possible, Smaug is a wonder to behold.

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The film adaptation of Markus Zusak’s 2007 bestselling novel is now in wide release and the trailer looked compelling enough to pull us out on a frigid December day to go to the matinee at a local theater.  I am one of the few remaining passionate readers who has not read The Book Thief, and so I went into the film knowing little about the overall story.  Coming into it cold I have to say that I felt the film was quite impressive.

A few talented known actors combined with a large cast of relative  unknowns to present an emotional look at a chapter in our history that should never be forgotten.   The Book Thief is a richly texture reminder of humanity at its worst and a glimpse of what we can be at our very best.

Downton Abbey director Brian Percival worked with a deft touch, subtly painting the picture of a small family set against the backdrop of the Holocaust.  Young Liesel arrives in a small village to be adopted by a German couple, an act of attempted salvation by her communist mother.  What might normally seem like an idyllic place soon pales as the cloud of the Nazi ideal settles upon the town.  As the move towards purification begins, an unexpected guest arrives and Liesel’s new home is thrown into turmoil.  The Book Thief examines life inside Nazi Germany through the eyes of seemingly inconsequential people and in so doing demonstrates both the power of the printed word and of the difference one life can make to lives of those around it.

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