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.

After an interesting flashback in which we see the genesis of the journey to the Lonely Mountain, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug picks up where we left the thirteen dwarves (plus one wizard and one hobbit)–on the run from Azog’s forces and inching ever closer to their destination.  That brief respite from the action to begin the film is one of the few that exists in Desolation‘s two hour and forty minute run, and the more calm moments are not particularly calm, or light.  This is a dark, tense, and intense film.  I thought often during the film about young children and how nightmare-inducing The Desolation of Smaug might be to them.  Make no mistake, none of this opinion is offered as criticism.  It was that pulse-pounding action coupled with gorgeous visuals, dark tension, and one amazing dragon, that left me pondering the film all night last night and anxious to see it again when I awoke this morning.

The Desolation of Smaug is the kind of fantasy film that would have genre fans begging for more if it were not for the fact that it is based on a beloved book, and while I sympathize with the validity of negative reactions from fans of the book, I went in to this trilogy having only read the book once, over a decade ago, and willing to base my opinion largely on whether or not the films deliver an entertaining, emotionally satisfying experience.  Thus far I have not been disappointed.  I must admit that it helps greatly having watched all the hours of extras on the Extended Edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when it came out last month.  Any concerns I had back when these films were undergoing studio turmoil melted away in seeing how joyful Peter Jackson was during the filming process.  The extras also provided a great opportunity for the dwarves to become individualized characters in ways simply not possible with that big of a cast in the actual film.

As I mentioned in the intro, I felt that there was a stronger emotional thread in the first film, in large part because of the moments of growth we see in Bilbo as circumstances force him to decide what kind of hobbit he is going to be.  That isn’t to say that emotion was lacking in The Desolation of Smaug, simply that this one put more emphasis on action and the building danger of an old enemy’s return.

I saw the film in 3D, not because of the desire to see those effects but because I am partial to a local theater with a very large screen and anymore I am willing to pay the extra money and see whatever version happens to exist to see it on a truly large screen.  There were a few obvious 3D effects but those either were over and done with early or I blocked them out of my mind because it wasn’t long after the opening minutes that I forgot about the glasses and the effects and just enjoyed the film.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is arguably one of the better fantasy films to come out in the years since The Return of the King and it offers up plenty of thrills along with tantalizing glimpses into the events that forged Frodo’s future journey.  I will always advocate for the theatrical experience when it comes to this kind of spectacle and for those who have not seen it already, I would recommend making room for it in your holiday plans.  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug not only leaves me anxious for the final installment in the trilogy but it also has me aching for the Extended Edition replete with more scenes and behind the scenes goodness.

That ends the ‘non-spoiler’ portion of the review. While I don’t intend to offer up any BIG spoilers in the remainder of this post, I do want to touch on some of the things I particularly enjoyed in the film without the pressure of attempting to integrate said thoughts into a proper semblance of order. With apologies to the gang at the Hugo-Award-winning SF Squeecast, I just want to squee a little over The Desolation of Smaug.

First on my list? All those locations we got to visit, even if just briefly. Beorn’s home, the Mirkwood and Thranduril’s realm, Laketown, a brief glimpse at Dale, Dol Guldur, and of course the enormous kingdom under the mountain, Erebor. If this middle film solely existed to give fans a chance to see these locations it would have been enough for me. I need to see the film again if only because I spent so much of this film in awe of the art direction, wishing I could go exploring these locations for hours. By way of example, when the company got to the overlook and Bilbo was concerned about leaving without Gandalf, I was busy wondering if anyone was hiding out in the ruins of Dale and how great it would be to go exploring. As Gandalf entered Dol Guldur, all I could think about was just how scary-cool these ruins were. And despite how eerie the Mirkwood looked, who wouldn’t want to go exploring the elven path? Wow, the visuals of all these locations was amazing.

And Erebor? Wow again!!! One of my favorite locations in the film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings is Moria, particularly the dwarven city of Dwarrowdelf. It stirs the imagination to think of these vast underground cities and even though the scenes in Moria, even in the Extended Editions, do not go on long enough, what we see is awe-inspiring. Erebor makes Moria look like a small cave. My that realm is vast! To think of the craftsmanship that would have to go into a place like that is mind-boggling. I love the way that the creators of this film imagined Erebor. I was grateful that the viewers were given a significant amount of time in that location. Which of course also means that we were able to spend a good deal of time with Smaug.

Smaug was just “holy crap Wow!” incredible. I was so pleased with the design, with the quality of the CGI, with the way in which Benedict Cumberbatch delivered his lines and the vocal wizardry added by the sound department. The gang at Weta Digital certainly have not spent the last decade resting on their laurels but instead have continued to work to push technology forward and the results are frankly stunning. As Bilbo stood in that massive cavern of gold declaring the wonders of Smaug, I couldn’t help but shake my head in complete agreement. To their credit the filmmakers spent a significant amount of time with Smaug, giving us the chance to revel in Weta’s achievement.

I like Tauriel. Hard to be disappointed by an attractive redheaded elven warrior, really. I don’t mind that she didn’t exist in Tolkien’s writing. Let’s face it, Tolkien’s world included many inhabitants that we never actually “meet”. A host of characters like Tauriel most likely would have existed in his world. I also thought they used the character in wise ways, to inject a much-needed emotional layer in all the action, to correct some of Tolkien’s guy-centric characterization, and as a way to highlight the animosity between the elves and the dwarves while being a liaison between the two. Having Legolas back is great, especially as a tie in to the other trilogy, but Legolas cannot be seen as too sympathetic to the plight of the dwarves as that would negate where his character is at in The Fellowship of the Ring. Is the romance entirely necessary? No, but I feel like Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens are working hard to put parallels in to The Lord of the Rings films and I am fine with the thematic symmetry.

Other moments that stood out to me? The spiders. Oooooh they were so deliciously creepy. They made my skin crawl. During that same scene I absolutely LOVED the moment when Bilbo climbs the tree and emerges into the sunlit sky. Those gorgeous autumn colors and the blue butterflies and the joy that came over Bilbo’s face as he breathed in the clean air and saw the Lonely Mountain was great.

I thought Beorn was nicely done and I liked his house and was sad that more time could not be spent with him, though I completely understand. I liked that moment in Beorn’s house where the bees fly around and land on Bilbo as it is a great visual reminder of Bilbo’s size.

Though there is an enormous cast of characters in these films, I find myself drawn largely to Bilbo given that he is a focal point of this journey. I was impressed with the way in which it was demonstrated that the One Ring was having an effect on Bilbo. It was somewhat agonizing to see, though I am glad they chose to show those moments as they establish the evil of the ring that becomes so evident in the later trilogy.

I could blather on for hours more, typing until my fingers cramp, but I should probably end this with a mention of Dol Guldur and the scenes with Gandalf and Radagast and later with Gandalf and an ethereal Sauron. I mentioned earlier that I thought the creation of Dol Guldur is fantastic. The place is so dark and frightening and evil. The cells where the Nine were evidently buried and the way they are ripped open establishes just how powerful Sauron is already. It was great seeing Gandalf making an aggressive move to assert some power and influence and it was great to see a brief glimpse of the all-seeing Eye!

I’m anxious to read your thoughts. I’m happy to read opinions opposite of mine so don’t fear being honest, that always leads to interesting dialogue. So here we go, let’s talk Desolation!