The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

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8 / 10
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Overview

The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon, Smaug.

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Ian McKellen
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Martin Freeman
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Benedict Cumberbatch
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Lee Pace

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  1. Insomniacs Reviews
    8 Based on 1 Votes
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    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10 THE SUMMARY If the first film felt like a slow walk through the countryside, The Desolation of Smaug is where Peter Jackson finally puts his foot on the gas. Picking up with Bilbo and the dwarves as they head toward the Lonely Mountain, the story takes us through the trippy Mirkwood forest, a high-speed barrel escape, and finally into the lair of the greatest dragon ever put to film. It is a massive, visually spectacular middle chapter that replaces the "walking in lines" vibe with genuine tension and fire-breathing gold. THE PROS Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug is the absolute business; his voice is so deep and menacing it practically vibrates your speakers, and the CGI work on the dragon still looks incredible years later. The barrel chase sequence is a celebratory explosion of creative action that manages to be funny and thrilling at the same time. Martin Freeman continues to prove he was born to play Bilbo, especially during his tense, high-stakes riddle-chat with the dragon. It manages to make Middle-earth feel dangerous again, recapturing some of that grit that made the original trilogy a masterpiece. THE CONS It earns an 8/10 because it suffers from the classic "middle child" syndrome—it starts abruptly and ends on a massive cliffhanger that might leave you shouting at the telly. The introduction of Tauriel and the resulting love triangle feels a bit wet and unnecessary, clearly added just to pad out the runtime and give Legolas something to do. Some of the action, particularly in the forge at the end, drags on a bit too long and leans a little too heavily on CGI that can occasionally look a bit like a video game. THE VERDICT An 8/10. This is a good film and easily the strongest entry in the Hobbit trilogy. It is a genuine, heart-pounding adventure that finally delivers on the promise of an epic dragon hoard. While it is not quite at the level of The Two Towers, it is a vault essential for anyone who wants to see blockbuster filmmaking on a massive scale. Go and watch it if only to see Smaug emerge from the gold—it is a sincere cinematic moment that justifies the price of admission on its own. INSOMNIAC TRIVIA • Seeing Double: During the scene in Bree, director Peter Jackson makes a witty cameo as a man eating a carrot, which is a direct nod to his identical cameo in the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring. • Scales of Magnitude: To make Smaug feel as massive as possible, the sound team used the recordings of two massive industrial fans to create the "sound" of his wings moving through the air. • Artistic Roots: Benedict Cumberbatch didn't just provide the voice; he actually did the motion capture for the dragon, crawling around on a carpeted platform to mimic the movements of a giant reptile. THE VIBE Like the smell of ancient gold and burnt timber, the sound of a deep growl echoing in a cave, and the thrill of a narrow escape. It is grand, fiery, and deeply immersive. It makes you want to explore an old ruins, hoard your own jewellery, and never trust a dragon with a silver tongue.

Director:
Peter Jackson
Writer:
Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, J. R. R. Tolkien, Guillermo del Toro
Release Date:
2013-12-11
Run Time:
161m
Tagline:
Beyond darkness... beyond desolation... lies the greatest danger of all.
Genres:
Action Adventure Fantasy
Keywords:
based on novel or book bear dragon dwarf earnest elves fantasy world giant spider gold good versus evil high fantasy invisibility journey lake live action and animation melancholy mountain ring sequel shapeshifting sincere sword and sorcery trekking troll wizard
Financials and Popularity

Budget: 250,000,000.00 $

Revenue: 958,400,000.00 $

Vote Average: 7.6/10

Vote Count: 14112 Votes

Movie Popularity: 13.4921

Spoken Languages: English

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Reviews for

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Comment (1)

  1. Insomniacs Reviews

    ⭐ Insomniacs Rating: 8/10

    THE SUMMARY
    If the first film felt like a slow walk through the countryside, The Desolation of Smaug is where Peter Jackson finally puts his foot on the gas. Picking up with Bilbo and the dwarves as they head toward the Lonely Mountain, the story takes us through the trippy Mirkwood forest, a high-speed barrel escape, and finally into the lair of the greatest dragon ever put to film. It is a massive, visually spectacular middle chapter that replaces the “walking in lines” vibe with genuine tension and fire-breathing gold.

    THE PROS
    Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug is the absolute business; his voice is so deep and menacing it practically vibrates your speakers, and the CGI work on the dragon still looks incredible years later. The barrel chase sequence is a celebratory explosion of creative action that manages to be funny and thrilling at the same time. Martin Freeman continues to prove he was born to play Bilbo, especially during his tense, high-stakes riddle-chat with the dragon. It manages to make Middle-earth feel dangerous again, recapturing some of that grit that made the original trilogy a masterpiece.

    THE CONS
    It earns an 8/10 because it suffers from the classic “middle child” syndrome—it starts abruptly and ends on a massive cliffhanger that might leave you shouting at the telly. The introduction of Tauriel and the resulting love triangle feels a bit wet and unnecessary, clearly added just to pad out the runtime and give Legolas something to do. Some of the action, particularly in the forge at the end, drags on a bit too long and leans a little too heavily on CGI that can occasionally look a bit like a video game.

    THE VERDICT
    An 8/10. This is a good film and easily the strongest entry in the Hobbit trilogy. It is a genuine, heart-pounding adventure that finally delivers on the promise of an epic dragon hoard. While it is not quite at the level of The Two Towers, it is a vault essential for anyone who wants to see blockbuster filmmaking on a massive scale. Go and watch it if only to see Smaug emerge from the gold—it is a sincere cinematic moment that justifies the price of admission on its own.

    INSOMNIAC TRIVIA
    • Seeing Double: During the scene in Bree, director Peter Jackson makes a witty cameo as a man eating a carrot, which is a direct nod to his identical cameo in the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring.

    • Scales of Magnitude: To make Smaug feel as massive as possible, the sound team used the recordings of two massive industrial fans to create the “sound” of his wings moving through the air.

    • Artistic Roots: Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t just provide the voice; he actually did the motion capture for the dragon, crawling around on a carpeted platform to mimic the movements of a giant reptile.

    THE VIBE
    Like the smell of ancient gold and burnt timber, the sound of a deep growl echoing in a cave, and the thrill of a narrow escape. It is grand, fiery, and deeply immersive. It makes you want to explore an old ruins, hoard your own jewellery, and never trust a dragon with a silver tongue.

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