Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is the middle chapter of his Hobbit trilogy, and it plays like a bridge between two films rather than a destination in itself. Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book, the movie picks up after the dwarves leave Rivendell and follows them through Mirkwood, Lake-town, and finally into the Lonely Mountain itself. It is longer than the source material demands, darker than the book’s tone, and far more spectacular than its predecessor. That spectacle is both its strength and its weakness.
The film opens with a prologue that recaps the events of the previous movie, then jumps forward years to show the destruction of Erebor and the fall of the dwarf kingdom. This framing device is clumsy, and it sets a pattern of exposition that stretches across the rest of the runtime. But once the dwarves set off, the movie finds its footing. The journey through Mirkwood is genuinely unnerving, with the forest itself acting as a character that traps, terrifies, and nearly kills the company. The sequence is a technical triumph, with the trees rendered as living, malevolent beings that reach out to grab the travelers.
Trailer, via Warner Bros..
Mirkwood and the Company’s Ordeal
The Mirkwood sequence is the best stretch of the film. It is tense, visually inventive, and it gives Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins a chance to shine. Bilbo, the titular hobbit, is the heart of the story, and he carries the film’s quieter moments with a weariness that feels earned. He is not a hero in the traditional sense, and the movie respects that. His scenes with the other dwarves, particularly with Thorin Oakenshield, played by Richard Armitage, are the emotional core of the film. Their arguments about honor, greed, and the weight of history are the closest the movie comes to being a drama rather than an adventure.
Thorin is a complicated figure. Armitage plays him as a man consumed by grief and pride, and the film spends a great deal of time exploring why he is the way he is. The flashbacks to his youth, showing him as a prince before the dragon took his home, add depth to a character who could have been a simple villain. But the film also stacks flashbacks on top of each other, and the pacing suffers for it. Scenes are repeated, and some plot threads feel like they are introduced just to be dropped.
Lake-town and the Lonely Mountain
After Mirkwood, the dwarves arrive in Lake-town, a human settlement built around a lake that serves as a refuge from the dangers of the wild. The town is a bustling, colorful place, and the film captures its warmth and its fear. The dwarves are treated as refugees, and their arrival stirs resentment among the townspeople. This tension is handled well, with the townspeople’s hostility feeling grounded in practical concerns rather than prejudice. The scene where Bard, played by Luke Evans, confronts the dwarves is a highlight, with Evans delivering a performance that is both menacing and sympathetic.
The final act moves into the Lonely Mountain itself, where the dwarves find the secret entrance to Erebor. The sequence is a visual marvel, with the mountain rendered in stunning detail. The confrontation with the dragon Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, is the centerpiece of the film. Smaug is a terrifying presence, a living fire that speaks in a deep, sonorous voice. The scene is a masterclass in creature design and motion capture, and it is the most memorable moment in the entire trilogy.
What the Film Skips
The film’s biggest problem is its structure. It is a bloated adaptation that adds padding rather than substance. The movie runs nearly three hours, and large chunks of it feel like filler. The chapters of the book that were cut from the first film are simply not present here, and their absence leaves gaps in the story. The film skips over key moments of the journey, and it rushes through others, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks.
One of the most notable omissions is Bilbo’s sword, Sting. In the book, Bilbo finds Sting in the troll hoard early in the story, and it becomes a recurring element of his adventures. In the film, Sting is mentioned but never shown. This is a small detail, but it is emblematic of the larger problem. The film is faithful to the spirit of the book, but it is not faithful to its letter.
Here is a quick rundown of the elements the film drops:
- Bilbo’s discovery of Sting in the troll hoard
- Certain chapters of the book that were cut from the first film
- Key moments of the dwarves’ journey that are rushed or skipped entirely
The Soundtrack and the Score
Howard Shore’s score returns, and it is as grand as expected. The music swells during the action sequences and retreats during the quieter moments, providing a consistent emotional anchor throughout the film. The sound design is also excellent, with the roar of Smaug and the creaking of the mountain adding to the immersive experience.
The film’s technical achievements are undeniable. The visual effects are state-of-the-art, with the landscapes of Middle-earth rendered in stunning detail. The motion capture work on Smaug is particularly impressive, giving the dragon a sense of weight and presence that few CGI creatures achieve. The 3D conversion is seamless, and the film holds up in any format. These are not minor accomplishments, but they do not make up for the structural problems.
The Final Word
“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is a flawed but entertaining film. It is a worthy successor to the first Hobbit movie, and it sets up the final act of the trilogy with style. But it is also a bloated, occasionally confusing mess that asks a lot of patience from its audience. The film is best enjoyed as a spectacle, not as a story. Its strengths are visual and emotional, not narrative.
The film earns a 6.6 out of 10.
