The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/

I haven’t read The Hobbit, yet I sense the parts of this film that don’t work are those expanded or invented to turn one book into three long, big-budget films. Some scenes are way too long to hold interest. This film suffers from a terrible case of middle-trilogy-itis that didn’t affect LOTR: The Two Towers.

Most of the characters from the first film are back with the exception of the one who is the most interesting in these as well as the LOTR films. I’m sure you can guess. Since I haven’t read the book I don’t know if this character will show up at the end of the story, but I do hope so.

There are some new characters, including one who has been fully invented from thin air to give the story an unnecessary love interest. This, too, helps slow the action with tedious (and somewhat unbelievable) romance.

The makers of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug have us over a barrel when it comes to forking over ticket money.

Still, Peter Jackson sure knows what to do with CGI effects as well as that gorgeous New Zealand landscape. It’s long been said that these movies are the best advertisement for the kiwi tourist industry and you won’t be disappointed here. BTW, here's another film where the use of 3D illusion is a help in enjoying the technology. (Sorry, Mr. Ebert, wherever you are.)

Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins perfectly just as he perfectly plays Dr. Watson in the new BBC Sherlock series which is one of my current favorites, so I’m very used to him. Ian McKellen is always good, but no one seems to notice that he looks 20 years older in this story than he did in the initial trilogy set 30 years in the future from this story’s timeline.

The best part of the picture, from which they derive the title, is very good, but still goes on way too long. And then… well there’s no real ending, just a plea to plop down another $9.50 next Christmas to see how it all turns out. That will give me ample time to try to read the book again.

If you like to have the TV on for white noise while you do something else – balance the checkbook or write a blog – this would be a good choice. This year I wrote Christmas cards with LOTR: The Return of the King tracking on telly. And for that, I’ll give The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug two and one-half Wilders.

   

Our Overlooked Film of Significance for the Week: A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  Many purists hated this movie and there was a collective “Huh?” when Martin Freeman was cast in the lead, but his Arthur Dent has an appropriate subduedness to the blinding aggravation of dealing with a universe of misdirected beings.