In
February this intrepid reviewer will get hitched and head to New Zealand on
honeymoon. Why New Zealand? Because as young tucks my fiancé and I were
captivated by the elvish, hobbit-ish,
dwarfish and even orc-ish realm that
is Middle Earth. And now, eleven years on, we've been brought back to Middle
Earth only to be captivated all over again. The enchantment is still there and
whether you agree with Jackson and co's desire to venture off into Unfinished
Tales or not, the terrific quests and themes of good versus evil, obsession and
greed still permeate. Less of a children's tale than Tolkien had planned, this
second Hobbit instalment has
something for everyone.
Unlike the first instalment of Bilbo's tale, there is no history lesson that
preludes the narrative... other than the briefest of flashbacks, where a
certain prince and wizard are scheming in a murderous, dusty old tavern. From
then on we find ourselves once again following the quest of the ragtag
thieves-turned-refugee-
When it comes to entertainment in The Desolation of Smaug, it will surely catch audiences off guard to encounter a heroine well worth her weight in gold. There's no ninja elf in Tolkien's text, there's not even a Legolas sighting. But in this heroine, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), we find the much desired combat entertainment that the first film somewhat lacked. "We created her for that reason," screenwriter Philippa Boyens comments. "To bring that energy into the film, that feminine energy. We believe it's completely within the spirit of Tolkien." It's these bold moves that make these films so intriguing, too. As soon as trailers are released, social media is ablaze with gossip. Some positive. Some negative. What is for sure, though, is that Jackson and co. won't go quietly. (With all that said, can't we ever have a female introduced without a love interest? Or does a woman always have to be saddled with a romance?)
Making the grandest of noise in this instalment is the breath taking action sequences. Mirkwood works to dizzy us, while the barrel adventure exhilarates - resulting in what should be Wet N Wild's next ride. With elves flying left and right, and the dwarves bobbing, bouncing and occasionally splashing, this is a sequence that doesn't disappoint. And the darnedest thing is the fluid humour that accompanies the action. Of course, it is the trek up and into the loneliest of mountains that we are waiting to see. And with Benedict Cumberbatch at the helm as Smaug, dragon mythology comes to life. It takes a few minutes to accustom oneself to the intriguing personality of this arrogant beast. We just aren't used to dragons being so relatable! Smaug is a visual and psychological treat for all to enjoy. He might even rival Bilbo's showdown with another creature who fancies the jewels, Gollum.
"Smaug is the physical manifestation of one of the themes of the book - greed to the point of sickness. There is an obscenity about him. It is "dragon sickness". That is the wonderful phrase that Tolkien uses." - Screenwriter, Philippa Boyens
What the Hobbit instalments have over the immortalised Lord Of The Rings films is a lead Hobbit who carries the weight of expectation. Martin Freeman plays Bilbo to the delight of book readers and in a manner that will excite, amuse and please fans of Jackson's films. Elijah Wood's Frodo had only one stroke, whereas Freeman's Bilbo has wit, character, humour and maturity. And with the brilliant ace card that is the ring, audiences will always be glued to this bloke's battle with obsession and greed.
"This is Bilbo's story. The Hobbit has always been loved because of Bilbo Baggins. You can't separate the thought of The Hobbit from Bilbo Baggins. We needed a fantastic Bilbo and we got one." - Peter Jackson
Never one to hold back, Jackson has also worked his star dwarf, Thorin (Richard Armitage), into the obsession and greed discussion. Thorin's character continues to develop, unlike the rest of the hairy clan. Well, actually, Kili (Aidan Turner) gets the love bug treatment. But that's not something to really write home about. Thorin shows enough resemblances of his ancestors to have us pondering what will occur in the final instalment. Tolkien devotees will likely be up in arms if the much anticipated third instalment offers some curve balls in this department! Overall, however, the dwarfs don't excite or interest on a grand scale. They appear to be the lesser of the races, sadly. And that is coming from someone who barracks for them over the uppity elves... and the sad-sack humans.
The sore point in this expanded narrative comes after Gandalf (Ian McKellen) splits from the dwarf pack and goes off on one of those Gandalfian journeys. In this Gandalfian (there's that word again) journey we venture into the realm of dramatic irony. Yet, all this amounts to is a ferocious, and somewhat physically shapeless, tussle between light and dark. Oh, and we get a sneak peek at what is coming in the form of one ugly orc army. This whole segment could've been done away with for proper dwarf character development. Or not.
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| A hero in waiting, Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) |
What is not in doubt is the role that New Zealand and the stellar production
team have played in recreating a world that once belonged only to the
imagination of one genius novelist. The mood, pace and feel of the film changes
depending on where we are travelling through. Mirkwood possesses a
supernatural, Mother Nature on LSD, feel to it, while this new elf kingdom
is as grandiose as it is impressive. It matches the Silvan elves’ isolationist
attitude and is prim and proper, to match its dreamy-eyed king, Thranduil (Lee
Pace).
Jackson remarked that Lake-town was built and then rebuilt four times during
production. Jackson's production designer, Dan Hennah, argues that Lake-town has
actually been built no less than five times. What a sight it is after we venture
with the dwarfs through the fog and towards the watery town at the foot of the
mountain. It has a distinct "human" flavour to it. It apparently
smells like “fish oil and tar,” while being run down and preyed upon. But it is
in the lonely mountain that jaws truly drop and wonder awaits. The sheer size
and magnitude of the CGI experience is astounding. It's a wonder that dwarves
could've constructed such a place. Heck, even the larger-than-life Smaug
doesn't look squished. You've got to give it to the various visionaries behind
this project, Erebor is well worth the wait!
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug may be just as long as its predecessor, but it flows and moves at a much more entertaining pace. Like An Unexpected Journey, the New Zealand landscape is utilised to perfection and fits with Jackson’s "HFR" (high frame rate) 3-D innovation well. Plus, with interesting characters joining the fray, not to mention a stunning dragon which brings dragon mythology to its knees, there really is something for everyone. So, go on and enjoy this Tolkien/Jackson fusion feast.
9/10
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