The second part of the three part adaptation of the relatively short book of The Hobbit has now hit the screens and is doing big business around the globe. So is this movie a fantasy thrill ride or a padded out pile of perfunctory pap?
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug sees everyone's favorite Hobbit, Bilbo (Martin Freeman), and his dwarf colleagues on the run from some rather nasty orcs in their continuing attempt to reach the dwarves home of Erebor. Complicating matters further is the dragon, Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch), has taken up residence and to get what they need Bilbo will have to sneak past him.
Okay, cards on the table time. I am not a fan of The Lord Of The Ring series or their original written versions. I can certainly admire the visuals and the impressive efforts of Peter Jackson and co in bringing this fantasy series to life but at the end of the day it comes down to style over substance.
Desolation manages to ramp up the action a bit over its predecessor (which I mostly slept through) but the problem remains that every single set up, every conversation, every establishing shoot just takes so long that any sense of urgency just dissipates. I guess it's a good sign that I slept less during this movie but the fact remains that boredom still sets in.
Performances are great, the visual effects and scenery are stunning, it all sounds great and there are plenty of characters who would be interesting if they didn't rabbit on so much so the real issue comes back to how drawn out this whole adventure is. Even the cliffhanger ending failed to instil me with any enthusiasm for the final part.
The Hobbit probably could support a trilogy if the individual movies where a bit leaner. I am pretty sure there is a pretty good 80 minute movie contained within this 160 minute marathon. It's such a shame it got buried in the padding.
Alternative title - The Over Long Conversation Of Smaug.
Alternative title - The Over Long Conversation Of Smaug.
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