The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The second instalment in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy sees Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his dwarf friends led by Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield on the next chapter on their quest to reclaim Erebor. So far, the fellowship have escaped the Misty Mountains, bested a group of goblins and alluded Azog. Now, they must join forces with the wood elves of Mirkwood and the people of Laketown in order to defeat Smaug the dragon and return to their homeland.

2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey faced some criticism especially regarding Jackson’s decision to expand the story, but it’s important to remember that after writing Lord of the Rings, Tolkien went back and made changes to the original Hobbit story, lining it up more closely to the sequel.  So love it or hate it, Jackson’s doing the same thing with the film’s that Tolkien did with the books. With the sequel Jackson’s drawing from other Tolkien works to create storylines for the wood elves as well as Gandalf. There’s also a larger emphasis on the one ring which Bilbo stole from Gollum in the first film.

Along with the returning cast from the first film, there are some new actors joining in the fray.  Orlando Bloom reprises his role from the Lord of the Rings movie as Legolas.  Evangeline Lilly appears as Tauriel the Elf.  Stephen Fry and Luke Evans join the picture as the Master of Laketown and Bard the Bowman.  And of course Benedict Cumberbatch makes his appearance as the voice of Smaug.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is available in IMAX3D, 3D and plain old 2D.

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