Here we are for Peter Jackson's penultimate film, before we see the last of Middle-Earth. Like many, I do not want it to end as he has created a world that author J.R.R Tolkien will be proud of.
When hearing this whole story would be split into three films each lasting almost three hours, people were fearing that Jackson could not find enough filler in what is a book just less than 300 pages.
But with Jackson also using the appendices from the book, it seems we would get the full story of this prequel to The Lord Of The Rings, which is seen as many peoples perfect trilogy.
Part one did see a lot of filler, but it was good filler as Jackson loves the source material and we adore whatever he presents on the screen. Part two in my opinion did not have as much filler, and whenever there was potential filler, it was still amazing cinema.
What this second installment does, is send you right into the action. Unlike part one, there is no waiting in the Shire. You are straight into dangerous parts of Middle-Earth. It's quite a fast opening as you are introduced to more and more new characters and places in Middle-Earth that we have never encountered before. While Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarfs of Erebor continue their quest to reclaim the mountain, there is something else happening that makes The Desolation Of Smaug quite a dark and scary one.
It felt like 'The Empire Strikes Back' was evolving in front of my eyes, but involving orcs, elves, a dragon and many other creatures. There was that feeling of the darkness rising once again, and I was nervous to see what was going to happen next, but in an excitable way.
As the epic and sometimes scary finale came to a halt, I was left feeling that Jackson has done it again and continues his reign as 'the king of the fantasy genre'. Whatever he touches quite literally turns into cinema gold and the source material is just oozing out of him and I am very excited to see that it still has a magic and philosophy about it that the whole world wants to witness.
There are so many positives I will probably forget all of them. Martin Freeman is continuing to blossom as Bilbo Baggins. The dwarfs lead by Richard Armitage are still firing on all cylinders, including a few others that are beginning to be involved in some interesting sub-plots. There are great new additions to the cast, but I will not spoil it in case you don't know who is playing the new characters. One I think many know is Benedict Cumberbatch, who is incredibly haunting as Smaug. As soon as you heard his voice and saw the dragon, I felt instantly petrified and I did not want to make him angry in the slightest. Most of my favorite scenes in the movie do mainly involve Smaug, he is quite a presence and Cumberbatch's voice is quite a stronghold to that horrifying appearance.
The set designs and makeup are still perfect in every way, and the music amazingly continues to find new ways of presenting Middle-Earth.
Nearly no negatives apart one scene before seeing Smaug that annoyed me. It may seem as a big mistake, but it did not make that much of a dent in what is another welcomed member of Jackson's legacy.
It is always a joy to return to Middle-Earth and see it on the big screen for another year. Can't quite believe we will only be seeing it for one last time in the final chapter 'There And Back Again'. This current installment has created quite a set of sub-lots going around the big picture. It sets us up nicely for the final part, and I hope it all connects beautifully to the start of The Lord Of The Rings. Let's all see Peter Jackson and his amazing cast and crew go out in a blaze of glory.
Rating: 9/10
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