Last year's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a fun ride, but the seriousness of the previous films had been left at the door to Bilbo's house, and instead we were given a more light-hearted adventure that was just lots of fun and less dark in tone.
Now Jackson and Co. return a year later with The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, which brings back the elements of the original LOTR trilogy, while at the same time, giving the audience a sense of amazement. Amazement not unlike realizing that a show like Duck Dynasty is still on the air while HBO's Carnivale was cancelled after only two seasons.
There has been a lot of backlash about these new films. Some Tolkien purists feel that making a 200-page book into a 9 hour 3 film trilogy is a little on the absurd side, but then if Opie can make a movie out of a 54-page Dr. Seuss book, well then I guess ol' Peter can do whatever he wants too.
For me, these films are my Harry Potter. I never was an HP fan, and really could not care less about that franchise, but I know there are people that love 'em, and that's OK. Perhaps it's because I'll always see Snape as Hans Gruber and I'm expecting him to say to Harry at any moment, "Shoot...the glass!" (That's a Die Hard ref for the uninitiated.)
Why do I love Jackson's films so much? Because they are summer movies released at Christmas. They are what movie making is all about. Perhaps I just didn't care about the characters in the HP franchise because they weren't interesting to me, but also because I couldn't tell you anything memorable from the 4 films I saw from that series. It just wasn't for me. With LOTR and The Hobbit, there's always something memorable. And what Jackson does is carefully construct series of events in a way that falls into place and makes for an entertaining-thrill ride.
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| WWMD? (What would Magneto do?) |
Are these movies perfect? Nope. But that's OK. When you go to a movie like Smaug, is it REALISM you're looking for? Last time I checked, an evil being that breathes angry smoke and fire and talks in confusing riddles only existed when someone listened to the Yeezus album.
Case in point: This is an adventure. A pure adventure put on the screen to entertain, but it's done in the correct way. Jackson isn't Michael Bay-ing it here with worthless characters, dumb acting, and explosions that are just there for the sake of being there. (Oooh, Armageddon! Look! Kewl!) There's none of that. Although, some may disagree. While Jackson added some characters to the script that were not in the book and changed a few things, it doesn't detract from anything. At least not for me.
What follows is an awesome tapestry of moviemaking and fantasy. Ian McKellan's Gandalf is still providing us with us his "Oh, crap. Not again." faces, and Martin Freeman's Bilbo is the perfect younger version to Ian Holm's Bilbo in the original trilogy. While much has been said that Bilbo has been brushed aside and made a secondary character in this chapter, I disagree. Yes, there are several scenes where Bilbo is not present, but that is because it's necessary when it leads up to his first confrontation with the dragon Smaug, which allows his plucky and somewhat simple personality to really shine through for the first time. It's the ultimate meeting of good and evil.
Which brings me to Smaug, probably one of the greatest dragons ever put on screen. Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal is dark and so nerve-wrecking, I have to admit that I was truly scared and terrified in some scenes. I felt like the little kid who had to go home and check under his bed when I got home to make sure no monsters were lurking around. That's how realistic his portrayal was.
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| You know what's really scary? Waiting TWO YEARS in-between Seasons 2 and 3 of Sherlock! HA HA HAAAAAAA!!!! |
While some may balk at the film's almost 3-hour running time, when the ending cuts us off and leaves us with a cliffhanger for next year, I wanted to go back and see every minute of the film again, which is something I haven't done since the original Jurassic Park.
There's so much more to say, but do you really need to know anything more about these films? Peter Jackson continues to give audiences the entertainment they deserve, unlike other films in the genre that seem more interested in providing their audience with a half-assed version of a Legend Of Zelda knockoff.
It's dangerous to go alone. So make sure you have a good script and direction to take with you.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Directed by Peter Jackson
Directed by Peter Jackson
161 minutes
Grade: A
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