The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Filmmaker Peter Jackson's second installment in the trilogy adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novel picks up with resourceful Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continuing his journey with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a band of dwarves on their quest to steal the magical Arkenstone, which will enable the latter to reclaim their lost kingdom of Erebor. Unfortunately, the gem is guarded by the fearsome, fire-breathing dragon Smaug (sonorously voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). En route, the group are attacked by vicious Orcs, befriended by shape-shifting Beorn, and captured by a swarm of giant spiders in Mirkwood forest—all episodes from Tolkien's text. But the filmmakers here also introduce a new character: Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), a spunky elf archer who flirts with hunky, handsome dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner), thereby igniting jealousy in Legolas (Orlando Bloom). Middle Earth purists rightly point out that Legolas never appeared in The Hobbit, but his presence here is captivating, while Lilly bears a startling resemblance to Liv Tyler's Arwen. Undoubtedly, the most exciting chase sequence occurs when the dwarves engineer a spectacular escape that has them being swept downriver in barrels—hounded by malicious Orcs—until being assisted by Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), who smuggles them into Laketown, where they prepare to confront Smaug in his cavern. While this overlong trilogy is not as emotionally involving as The Lord of the Rings, the Oscar-nominated visual effects are impressive. An intense, action-packed adventure that concludes with an exciting cliffhanger, this is recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette with director Peter Jackson (41 min.), four production featurettes (37 min.), a location featurette on filming in New Zealand (7 min.), the music video “I See Fire” by Ed Sheeran, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this eye-popping second film in Jackson's Hobbit trilogy.] (S. Granger)