Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Opening Weekend Box Office: #1 with $73,645,197
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $229,634,000
Gross Revenue: $756,634,000
Production Budget: $225 million
Director: Peter
Jackson
I have long-since acknowledged that my negative
opinion of 2012’s An Unexpected Journey
was largely influenced by having seen the film in the IMAX 3D HFR format, so as
long as I chose the right theater, there was a good chance that I would enjoy
what was easily one of the most anticipated releases of the Holiday Season. Despite some of the more maligned elements of
Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy that I
mentioned in the Short and Sweet review, even the most steadfast of naysayers
acknowledged that it seemed like The
Desolation of Smaug would be borrowing more heavily from some of the
elements that made the original LOTR trilogy so successful. Even though he appears nowhere in the
original novel, promotions made clear that fan-favorite character Legolas would
return and bring along some considerable action, and news of cast additions
like Luke Evans and Evangeline Lilly was just icing on the cake. And make no mistake, everyone, from those
fluent in the Elvish language and Orc lore, to those who confuse Gandalf with
Dumbledore and know little about Hobbits beyond the Denny’s breakfast menu, was
curious about the introduction and interpretation of the dragon Smaug. So, in spite of massive competition from the
likes of Christian Bale, Will Ferrell, and Leonardo DiCaprio, this big-budget
fantasy epic was primed to set a few records and pave the way for the 2014
conclusion to the second Middle-earth trilogy.
Picking-up shortly after the events of An Unexpected Journey, The Desolation of Smaug finds Bilbo
Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and the Company of Dwarves
heading towards The Lonely Mountain to confront Smaug the Dragon (Benedict
Cumberbatch). The primary objective of
this expedition is to retrieve a legendary gem known as the Arkenstone, which
will allow Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) to claim his birthright as
leader of the Dwarf Kingdom across all the different tribes and families. As the group draws closer to the mountain,
Gandalf splinters-off to investigate the workings of the shadowy Necromancer
from the previous film, while Bilbo begins to feel the dark influence of the
One Ring, and the Dwarves themselves are captured by a group of Wood Elves lead
by warriors Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). After a harrowing escape expedited by
ambushing Orcs, the company is smuggled into the Lake-town Esgaroth by a man
called Bard (Luke Evans), so that they may re-supply before making a final trek
to the Lonely Mountain, where Bilbo gains access and accidently awakens Smaug. Now facing a thoroughly dangerous dragon,
ambushing Orcs, and the Necromancer (now revealed as Sauron), Bilbo and his
allies must use every resource possible to confront and defeat the growing
darkness surrounding Middle-earth.
As we have to come to expect over the years, Peter
Jackson delivers incredibly sophisticated filmmaking techniques, but what makes
The Desolation of Smaug so successful
is that evokes a welcome familiarity with the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Between better character development, faster pacing, more action, and
the reintroduction of fan-favorite faces, I defy any fan of Jackson’s original
trilogy not to find something of an enjoyable reminder within this prequel
sequel. By making a greater effort to
individualize the support characters, the audience is given a stronger
attachment to the previously anonymous Company of Dwarves, as well as made to
enjoy a more subtle performance like that of Luke Evans, whose limited screen
time promises big things for his expanded role in the next chapter. And speaking of bringing faster pacing and
more action to the fore, introducing Orlando Bloom’s Legolas and Evangeline
Lilly’s Tauriel was a stroke of genius, as the two elven warriors deliver
adrenaline-filled battles so enjoyable that is hard to care whether they
appeared in the original novel or not.
Now, even with the improved nature of this second chapter of the Hobbit trilogy, there are a few
shortcoming, but trust me when I say they are overshadowed by a very, very cool
dragon.
After careful consideration, there were only two
real elements of The Desolation of Smaug
that can be classified as missteps, and even then, they are easily forgivable
and vastly overshadowed by other accolades.
First, the narrative tries to shoe-horn in a romance sub-plot between
Tauriel and Kili the Dwarf, which though a little on the nose, means more
screen time for Evangeline Lilly, so that doesn’t really represent any kind of
tragedy. Second, I feel that a majority
of Gandalf’s screen time was relegated to making explicit connections to the original
trilogy, which does comes across as something of a waste of Ian McKellen’s
talents…but then again, the draw of a wizard pales in comparison to that of a
dragon. Smaug is menacing, frightening,
and so gorgeously rendered that I believe he should represent required viewing
for anyone working in visual effects; Benedict Cumberbatch brings the character
to life brilliantly, and I would gladly attend the final Hobbit film to see the character again. Take all these factors into consideration and
The Desolation of Smaug rectifies and
restores faith in the genius of Peter Jackson that may have been shaken during
last December’s An Unexpected Journey.
Well, word of the magnificence of Middle-earth’s
most feared dragon is spreading like wildfire, as this second chapter of the Hobbit trilogy is absolutely dominating
the worldwide box office, debuting at over $70 million and demonstrating a
truly impressive momentum. Granted, this
holiday debut is approximately 13% lower than the preceding tale of the
Halfling and misses the mark of other December record-breakers like I Am Legend or Avatar, but no one foresaw the incredible staying power of this
fantasy adventure. The Desolation of Smaug has held the top spot at the theater for
three straight weeks…it was impressive enough when Bilbo topped Ron Burgundy,
but with five new releases on Christmas Day and high-profile holdovers like American Hustle and Saving Mr. Banks, holding onto the ticket receipt crown is
baffling. To-date, the second chapter of
Peter Jackson’s second trilogy has grossed well over $750 million, a commercial
success that combines with positive word of mouth to set the bar very high for
December 2014’s epic conclusion, There
and Back Again. Plain-and-simple, if
you think An Unexpected Journey
misses the mark, rest assured that The
Desolation of Smaug is a bulls-eye, so don’t let yourself miss this
blockbuster.
Overall
Recommendation: Very High
