Movie Title: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Special Edition
Grade: B+
In a Nutshell: Fill up your popcorn buckets early
folks…this is a long movie. It feels
good to be back in Middle Earth. According to the Associated Press, it looks
like everyone was willing to spend Christmas with The Hobbit
. The second part
of The Hobbit trilogy won the weekend box office, bringing in $29.9 million
over three days. Tried and true fans of
the Lord of the Rings have been supporting the Hobbit’s story, although most
will admit this second trilogy isn’t quite as novel or spell-binding as the
first. (Terrible puns intended.)
. The second part
of The Hobbit trilogy won the weekend box office, bringing in $29.9 million
over three days. Tried and true fans of
the Lord of the Rings have been supporting the Hobbit’s story, although most
will admit this second trilogy isn’t quite as novel or spell-binding as the
first. (Terrible puns intended.)
Bilbo Baggins (the terrific Martin Freeman) continues his
journey with thirteen Dwarves and Gandalf the Grey (beloved Ian McKellan) to
reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor within the grand mountain. You can’t blame Director Peter Jackson for
trying to cash in on a proven hit. Did
you know Pan’s Labryinth’s Guillermo del Toro was one of the writers?
Uplifting theme: Good
vs. evil. Light vs. darkness. Courage vs. cowardice. In the first Hobbit
movie, Bilbo was so frightened by the idea of a quest that he fainted. With each progressing film, Bilbo develops
heroic qualities and reveals hidden reserves of inner strength. Mankind, and perhaps even WWI England, may be
whom Tolkien wanted to inspire to greatness.
Epic literature often features swords with names to show the bravery of
the holder, so it is fitting that as Bilbo’s courage grows, he names his short
sword that killed the spiders “Sting.”
Things I liked: The dragon was amazing. I loved how you could see the fire building
beneath his throat and belly before he roared with flames. Very cool.
It gives real meaning to their expression “the flames of war.” The
barrel scene was whimsical and action-packed, albeit cheesy and not as polished
as the rest of the CGI in the film. You
can see individual hairs blowing in the wind in the 3D version of the High
Frame Rate. At first, the 48 frames per
second feels odd to the senses, but the quality is amazing. I love the simmering Smaug played expertly by
Benedict Cumberbatch.
We learn another trick the ring can do: it allows Bilbo to
understand what the giant spiders are saying.
Ick. Fans of Lost will be happy
to see Canadian beauty Evangeline Lilly take to the screen as Tauriel, one of
the many new characters that don’t exist in J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book.
Things I didn’t like:
I tried to read The Hobbit
when I was in college and shamefully admit I just couldn’t get into it. While I loved The Lord of the Rings, there is
something missing in this Hobbit trilogy.
It simmers just below being a really great movie. I confess that I was completely exhausted when I watched this film, so I
don’t know if it was that or because the movie was dragging that caused me to
doze off a time or two.
when I was in college and shamefully admit I just couldn’t get into it. While I loved The Lord of the Rings, there is
something missing in this Hobbit trilogy.
It simmers just below being a really great movie. I confess that I was completely exhausted when I watched this film, so I
don’t know if it was that or because the movie was dragging that caused me to
doze off a time or two.
What happened to sexy, playful Legolas? He was angry and moody throughout the entire
movie. Poor Orlando Bloom. Have you noticed that Orcs never walk, but
are constantly running at a wicked pace?
Humans are always so greasy and dirty in these films, have
you noticed? The Master of Laketown’s
assistant had some “ripe” zits that were incredibly disgusting to look at. Gandolf’s only power (although effective) was
to slam down his staff and bring evil-destroying light. Other than that, he was fleeing on a horse or
running…it would be nice if he could contribute more magic to get everyone out
of their never-ending dangerous predicaments.
Funny lines:
- “What is that?” “Our host!”
- “Did he offer you a deal?” “I did. I told him he could #$%!#$.” (We assume that’s some kind of profanity in Dwarf lingo.)
Insightful quotes:
- “When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?” - Tauriel
- “Do not think that flattery will keep you alive.” - Dragon
- “What have we done?” - Bilbo
- “He cannot see beyond his own desire.” - Bard the Bowman
- “Such is the nature of evil. In time all foul things come forth.” - Legolas
Things to look for:
- The comical self-portrait and statue of Stephen Fry as Master of Laketown
- Speaking of Laketown…did you notice Stephen Colbert in the movie?! He played a Laketown spy and was invited by Peter Jackson who declared him the king of Lord of the Ring geeks. Rumor has it he may in the third installment as well.
- I know a guy in real life who looks just like the handsome Aidan Turner who plays Kili. He’s an inspiring artist who makes super cool t-shirt designs at www.BeamingDownPeace.com He’s in the 3rd & 6th photo on the “Us” page. There’s a shout-out for ya Nick!
- Stunning black & white horses towards the beginning of the film
- Cool transformation scene when the “Skin Changer” turns into a human
- The Prancing Pony from Lord of the Rings at the beginning of the film
- Beautiful, long Elf locks. Someone from Loreal needs to make an Elf a spokes model
- A quick peek at what a woman Dwarf and baby Dwarf look like in the photo inside the necklace. Look fast!
- The rock that looks like Rodin’s famous “The Thinker” just outside a cave
Tips for parents: Lots of
fighting and some scary scenes with spiders, Orcs, fiery dragon, and other
creepy creatures.
Fun products if you're a Tolkien fan:
Fun products if you're a Tolkien fan:
Tolkien Calendar 2014, The hobbit
Lord Of The Rings Sting Sword Letter Opener
.
's beautiful voice…yes please. All of the snow-filled animation is
simply gorgeous from the delicate snowflakes to glittering snow packs to icy
palaces, foggy breath, windy flurries, and a lively snowman.
for inspiration for snow-filled mountains and even costuming on the film.
when Anna and Hans sing “Our mental
synchronization can have but one explanation.”
came to be.
, albeit clever marketing.
thing.”
, but a solid dramatic performance that is endearing.
or 