Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Tymon Sutton The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

cinemajesty Movie Review: "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013)After now more Academy-Award-winning Director Guillermo Del Toro left the two-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic childrem book, firstly published to the English-speaken book market on September 21st 1937, "Lord of The Rings" director Peter Jackson took the opportunity to present this centerpiece of a newly-organized trilogy by writing trio Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson, releasing the three "Hobbit" movies between December 2012 and 2014 in for favors for initial book options owner Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as galvanizing presanter, backed in wolrdwide distribution by Warner Bros. affliate New Line Cinema.In the first minutes, it becomes clear "The Desolation of Smaug" is not the usual Tolkien universe fantasy-movie, director Peter Jackson delivers with atmospheric as stark digital "Red Epic" cinematography ignited by Andrew Lesnie (1956-2015), when a 150-Minute theatrical cut by Jabez Olssen strikes suspense, visual effects splendors with gigantic spiders attack in a mysterious mind-blending forest, when the company of dwarves surrounded by actor Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield and reprising "Gandalf" portraying character Ian McKellen as Martin Freeman in the title-role of "Bilbo" must confront several non-stop thrilling action scenes from being captured by Wood-Elves, escaping in a extraordinary barrel riding wild river sequence toward the awakening of dragon Smaug, vocally portrayed to excellence by actor Bendict Cumberbatch, and then an exceeding edge-of-the-seat final confrontation between deceptive "Smaug and the mining forge organizing dwarves.The second installment of "The Hobbit" movie series markes a highlight in fantasy cinema due to perfect pacing, endless newly-to-discover characters from man-resembling hobbits, dwarves and wizards as orcs, other fantastic beasts plus a sequence-owning shapeshifting bear creature turning into the utmost mysterious character "Beorn", given face by actor Mikael Persbrandt, making this Holiday season of 2013/2014 movie event a real likeable as satisfying Hollywood motion picture entertainment experience, perferably watched in and IMAX certified theatre.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

siderite After a lot of character building and exposition, it is time to meet some of the antagonists. The orc's obsession with the dwarfs is now explained as a part of an elaborate evil plan, we finally meet the dragon, which is an intelligent and articulate being, only driven mad by pride and greed. I quite liked the dragon and I wish the character would have been explored more. However, considering this is based on a children's book, any kind of depth in the story is a bonus. We also meet the humans, not some great kingdom, but a mere fisherman's village, far removed from the glory of the original Dale, and run by a corrupt ruler. Sauron makes his appearance, battling all kinds of magic users that seem to appear and disappear from various places as the story demands. We meet the "not so good" elf lord with a grudge on the dwarfs, as well. Here things start to also go awry with the quality of the storytelling, but the special effects and the increase in tension keep the viewer entertained. It all starts to go more and more over the top, without any reason to. If you are a Tolkien purist or thrive on a believable plot with reasonable characters and events, here is where you will start to scratch your head and wonder where it all went wrong. Still good and fun, though.

morganstephens512 What I liked1. The barrel roll scene2. The introduction and debates between Smaug and BilboWhat I didn't like1. Terrible climax and cliff hanger2. The female elf3. All of the scenes with the leader of the townOver all this was not a terrible movie but it was not good at all either and this is the first movie in that universe I simply just did not like that much. Wish that this film wasn't so filled with filler

mark.waltz But you've got to go through the woods to get to the mountain to slay the dragon, and what a venture it is. I wouldn't want to face the giant, blood thirsty spiders who will argue with each other after bundling you up before they go for your blood. I wouldn't want to face the various creatures who also dread the dragon but refuse to help the dwarfs (lead by the handsome and fearless Thorin) and the ring wearing invisible Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Anxious to tell wizard Gandolf about the ring, Bilbo simply says he's found his courage. He'll find a lot more than that before this adventure is over. Even worse than these human looking creatures with dark souls filled with prejudices, there's also the demonic looking creatures who serve the dragon, a heroic female (Cate Blanchette) and a cursed creature whose form keeps changing against his will. It was established in the first film the judgmental prejudices between dwarfs and hobbits, bonded together because of a common cause, a metaphor if ever I saw one for a reason that humans must band together to fight the evil human dragons who threaten to destroy peace and freedom today.There literally is a sequence where Bilbo and the dwarfs go over some dangerous falls in barrels, nifty action battle sequences, and of course, middle earth enemy #1, the dragon Smaug. I've had mixed feelings about these often loud fantasy franchises, whether too set in the world of the dark arts or so over the top with computer generated special effects. So I keep these in perspective and am overjoyed when like this, they are actually highly above average. It's difficult to realize where live action filming begins and computer generated effects begin, but as long as there's characters you genuinely root for, then I am in favor of them. Most of the rest, not so much.