Once again, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), his band of dwarves, and their Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) are on their way to reclaim the Mountain Kingdom of Erebor, and its massive treasure, from the dragon Smaug.
They have to get to the Mountain by the "last light" of Autumn or all is lost. But the evil Orcs want them dead. The Elves also hate them for some reason. The seemingly dead Sauron is raising an army of evil to take over the world. And yes, there's Smaug, who finally appears in (digital) person with the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.
That's pretty much it. And it takes about three hours to tell. Though it's slightly shorter than its predecessor.
That's pretty much it. And it takes about three hours to tell. Though it's slightly shorter than its predecessor.
It holds up the attention span pretty well since it has more of a plot than its predecessor. Its visual effects set pieces are amazing, particularly the encounter and battle with Smaug. Another great scene was one where Bilbo and the Dwarves ride barrels down a river. A few shots though were jarringly out-of-place in that scene because they looked like they were shot from a security camera!
A few objections. One: the Elves' feud with the Dwarves is barely given a reason. Two: it ends on so obvious a cliffhanger. That last part deflates so many plot points, such as the eventual fate of one of the dwarves.
This Hobbit is much better than the last because it feels closer to the end. It's more like "stuff happens for a reason" than "stuff happens." This should keep film-goers at ease a bit until the end comes next year in The Hobbit: There and Back Again.
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