The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review

So here we are, one year after attending the special press screening for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, we're now attending the second film, THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG with a bonus treat.

It's still the same creative and production team that's behind this. Still Peter Jackson directing with some help from Guillermo Del Torro, still Martin Freeman as Bilbo, Richard Armitage as Thorin and Ian McKellen as Gandalf.

We get some new additions to the cast too. LOTR alum Orlando Bloom returns here as Legolas, Luke Evans and Evangeline Lily are first timers here playing Bard and Tauriel respectively. The big character here is the dragon Smaug which is now voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock fans huzzah!). Still J.R.R. Tolkien's book as the source of inspiration and finally it's still Lee Pace here playing the role of Thranduil, that smug elf-king that rides a fricking reindeer to battle.

Evangeline Lily as Tauriel

Lee Pace as Thranduil

Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman

So what's different from this film from An Unexpected Journey. First the tone shifts to a darker, serious tone.  This new movie focuses on more darker stuff. That darker stuff? It also happens to be the meatier parts of the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Things like the Necromancer and Smaugh himself serve to really give our heroes a tough challenge. If you need further proof of this tonal shift I'm talking about, check out the dialogue that Beorn the Skinwalker provides about the Defiler and his torture. It's grim as grim can be.

Don't fret because much like Galadriel's phial of light, there's still some great things to expect from the film. There's a new love story element here between Tauriel (Lily) and Kili; which also becomes a love triangle thanks to Legolas. Bard's role is fleshed out better here and even Thranduil.

The scenes with the barrels were both funny and awesome. Keep your eyes peeled for that one.

In a nutshell, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is everything that you'll need for your epic fantasy adventure fix. It's already a great novel and it being translated for the big screen with lots of new bells and whistles shows just how much love director Peter Jackson has for the project. Tons of adventure and action but with very little fantastical creatures which is considerable since they focused more on Smaug the dragon. There's also a lot of complexities for most of the characters in this one. Thorin Oakenshield is one of the primary example. 

The ending is definitely STAR WARS Empire Strikes Back with the execution.

If there's any problem that I might have encountered here in the film, it's too much Orlando Bloom. Yes I acknowledge we need Legolas but we don't need him that much. The Kili-Tauriel was also half-baked but that's understandable since we're paying to see some action and dragon slaying hi-jinks and not "how we sired a dwarf-elf hybrid". 

For a movie that follows a high pedigree, I'm also impressed that The Hobbit: TDOS isn't as long as what I was anticipating, rather short film if I can say so myself. Also I highly recommend you see the film in a specific format - HFR IMAX 3D. Why? so that you'll freak out at the sight of huge spiders and get creeped out by giant honeybees that's why! 

The movie is perfect for my taste. It's packed tight with everything and it follows the book closely (well to some extent anyway, I don't need it to follow everything). The acting is superb and as always, the visual effects and musical scoring is practically begging for an Oscar Award. 

I'd like to thank Warner Bros. Pictures and the SM Mall of Asia IMAX for this wonderful screening. Until next year. Oh and the film is NOW SHOWING.

Martin Freeman Back as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit" Sequel

Like all Hobbits, Bilbo Baggins is fond of his comfortable existence; all he needs to be happy is a full pantry and a good book. When the Wizard Gandalf and 13 Dwarves unexpectedly appear on Bilbo’s doorstep and invite him to join them on a dangerous adventure, Bilbo’s life changes forever. Initially skeptical of the invitation, Bilbo’s spirit of adventure leads him to join the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and become the “burglar” required to complete their quest to outwit a ferocious dragon and reclaim the Dwarves’ stolen treasure. To everyone’s surprise, including his own, Bilbo’s wit and courage prove that there is indeed more to this Hobbit than meets the eye.

British actor Martin Freeman returns as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

As the second film begins, Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Bilbo, Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the Company are shaken and exhausted ... but not broken.

Perhaps most changed of all is Bilbo Baggins himself. “I think, as the journey continues, Bilbo is able to look at the world a bit more square on,” says Freeman of the Hobbit at the center of the tale. “He is still the person he was; he is still frightened. He’s not a fighter or adventurer by nature, but to be among different species that want to kill him or eat him ... it doesn’t need to be said how huge a change that is. And Bilbo finds a bravery that he didn’t know he had, and, more importantly, that none of the others knew he had.”
From his encounter beneath the Goblin Tunnels in the cave of the emaciated and conniving creature known as Gollum, Bilbo has emerged with something more than his courage. He has managed to steal Gollum’s “precious” ring with the power to make its wearer invisible.

“Bilbo is beginning to have a strange relationship with this gold ring,” say screenwriter and producer Philippa Boyens. “He’s beginning to have a sense that there’s something off about it. It’s a tough choice for him to put it on and disappear, and he takes it off as soon as he can. Having such a great actor as Martin Freeman helps you find your way through this idea that this is not just a magic trinket that turns you invisible. Not every choice he had to make was a good choice down in those holes beneath the mountain.”

Bilbo chooses to conceal this new information from Gandalf, and, for McKellen, Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo in this moment illustrates the art the actor brings to his performance. “Martin has a palette of subtlety, and it’s often unpredictable,” McKellen observes. “He doesn’t like to do the same thing twice in front of the camera, so with a multitude of takes, in every one of those takes, Martin will give you a different nuance, a different color, a different aspect of the character he’s playing. You don’t know quite what’s going to happen next, which makes your reaction all the more real. With each take, I discovered something new about Bilbo.”
A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Armitage Returns as Thorin in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

He made a huge impression as the Dwarf Prince, Thorin Oakenshield in last year's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Now, Richard Armitage returns to play the same character in the highly anticipated sequel, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.”

As a young Dwarf Prince, Thorin witnessed the destruction and terror wrought when a great fire-breathing dragon attacked the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. When no one came to the aid of the surviving Dwarves, a once proud and noble race was forced into exile. Now, as the strong, fearless fighter and respected leader of The Company of Dwarves, Thorin is determined to reclaim his homeland and destroy the beast that brought such misery upon his people.

Question: What is Thorin like when we meet him in this movie, and how is he different from the Thorin in the first film?

Richard Armitage: I think one of the interesting things about Thorin on the Quest is that when Gandalf is present, he has to defer to Gandalf’s authority. Thorin has always understood that Gandalf’s in the driver’s seat, so there’s more time in the second film when Gandalf is absent from the Dwarves and Thorin’s really in control. But, unfortunately, they seem to stumble into greater difficulties.

Getting incarcerated in the Woodland Realm by the Elves is, I think, possibly the lowest point that they get to on the Quest. They’re stripped of all their belongings, of all their weapons and all hope is lost, really. That’s key to the center of the second film in terms of character development. I think that’s the moment when Thorin realizes that Bilbo is not just one of the men on a Quest. He’s actually going to be an asset in terms of retrieving the Arkenstone. So really that’s where we get with Thorin in this sweeping arc, which is actually a dent in his success rating, as it were.

Q: Along those same lines, in this film, Thorin does finally set eyes on the Lonely Mountain, his lost homeland. What kind of effect does it have on him?

Armitage: It’s so interesting because it’s a really complicated push and pull, which I knew from the beginning, and figuring how to play it was quite a challenge. The Quest is everything that’s driving him forward. The map and the key are catalysts that drive him forward, the promise of his Kingdom, of his throne, which is very personal, and also the promise of reclaiming all of that wealth for his people which, again, is very personal. But, at the same time, the terror and the demon that sits inside of the Mountain is so repulsive to him that he’s pushed away from it as much as he’s drawn towards it. It’s a very complicated, emotional moment for them.



Q: You have said that when you first began to play this role, director Peter Jackson’s belief in you helped you to find the leader in yourself to play Thorin. How has that been as you’ve continued this journey?

Armitage: Well, I think it’s partly finding my own love for the character because he wasn’t somebody initially that I was in love with. I was often at odds with him and disagreeing with him, and all the while I’m trying to defend him. But I think I found that place in him whereby the thing I loved about him was his loyalty to his men and the fact that he would fight to the death for them.

Q: Can you tell me about the Elves that capture Thorin and the Company in the Mirkwood Forest? How does Thorin feel about these Elves?

Armitage: It’s Thorin’s worst nightmare, really. I mean, the Dwarves and Elves in general have had a very antagonistic history. They’ve always been at war, but this is very personal. When they were annihilated and forced to leave the Mountain into exile, Thorin stood looking up at Thranduil, sort of begging for his help. And Thranduil turned his back on them and didn’t give them any sanctuary, and they had to wander Middle-earth as vagabonds, and find a new life in the Blue Mountains. I don’t think that’s something that he’s been able to forget.

So, being captured by them and forced in front of Thranduil and then locked away in his prison, that’s what I consider to be the lowest point in Thorin’s career, as it were. But before he’s locked away, he does voice his feelings to Thranduil. He says, ‘This is what you’ve done to my people. This is why there’s this antagonism between us and I’ll never forgive you for that.’ So, there’s a certain satisfaction in being able to say those things, but nevertheless, Thranduil is going to stop them from going on the Quest and he locks him in the dungeons—locks which, incidentally, had been built and designed by Dwarves, so they know that they cannot get out.



Q: Working with Peter Jackson again, was the experience the same as before or was it different?

Armitage: It was different. I think there was an increased sense of trust between both of us. It was always there, but I think it was much more evident when you go back to shoot with someone again. He would work with much more detail. We had a lot more shortcuts to get to things because I understood exactly what he meant, really, without saying things.

And sometimes it takes you by surprise. I’d go away the night before and imagine how the scene would be, and come back in and the first thing Peter would do would be to tell me exactly what I’d imagined. I was like, ‘Oh, we really are on the same page.’ So that was a brilliant thing. And certainly in the final two weeks of pickups, it was very much myself and Peter working together. We were both pushed to the limit and we really got through the last week together. All I can say is it was a relationship based on trust.

Q: Some characters are going to be showing up for the first time in the second movie, such as Legolas, Tauriel, Thranduil and Beorn. I was wondering if you could talk about working with Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace and Mikael Persbrandt?

Armitage: The only character I never really got to work with, sadly, was Evangeline, although we were in the same scene together and we share a look. But, yeah, I really enjoyed working with Mikael, and the same with Lee and Orlando.

I had a great scene with Lee, which was very, very satisfying to play because, as I’ve said before, it’s a chance to hear the voice of the Dwarves staking their claim and you don’t often get to hear that. With Orlando as well, there was a great scene where he takes Orcrist from Thorin and believes that Thorin has stolen it from the Elves because Orcrist is an Elvish blade.



Q: Since the release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” has your life changed in any way? Do you have people come up to you and want to talk about him?

Armitage: People don’t really recognize you. But I had a really great one. We were doing the DVD release in Australia. I did a Q&A in a cinema, and I had such a great response. I really felt the enthusiasm for the movies, but also particularly for the character.

One of the great questions was, ‘Who was the love of Thorin’s life?,’ which is something that I had thought about. People really invest in not just the character or the story but the history of the character and the future of the character. It’s something that stimulates you to ask more questions when you’re developing a role.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

Seven New Posters for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Seven brand new character posters for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” have been launched by Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM Pictures. The one-sheet artworks individually showcase the characters Bard (Luke Evans), Bilbo (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Thranduil (Lee Pace).

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

Luke Evans as BARD

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins

Orlando Bloom as Legolas

Evangeline Lily as Tauriel

Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield

Lee Pace as Thranduil

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" Gets Main Poster

The main one-sheet for Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” has just been released by Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM Pictures.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmakerm Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” the second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The three films tell a continuous story set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all—a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself—the Dragon Smaug.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom. The film also stars (in alphabetical order) John Bell, Manu Bennett, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Lawrence Makoare, Sylvester McCoy, Graham McTavish, Dean O’Gorman, Mikael Persbrandt, and Aidan Turner.

A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be released in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures on Dec. 11, 2013.

First Teaser Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Here's the first official trailer for Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG!

Synopsis: The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Watch the teaser trailer after the break.

Movie Review - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Peter Jackson's new film "The Hobbit" brings us back to Middle Earth and takes us on a completely new yet slightly familiar journey together with a mish-mash of old and new characters.

This time however the adventure is shown through the eyes of Bilbo Baggins, the uncle of Frodo Baggins (of Lord of the Rings fame). Baggins is played by Martin Freeman......

I’ve always said time and time again that I hated dwarves be it in comics, movies and whatever, the only two exceptions when it comes to dwarves comes in the form of Snow White’s seven and the dwarves from “The Hobbit”. Seeing “The Hobbit” last night reaffirmed my love for these dwarves, if not even ranked it up higher for me.

Richard Armitage is Thorin in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"

British actor Richard Armitage (“Captain America: The First Avenger”) is on the verge of Hollywood stardom as he portrays the legendary Dwarf warrior Thorin Oakenshield, in Peter Jackson's “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Thorin is the direct descendent of the line of Durin, the Dwarf Kings of Middle-earth. He is also King-in-waiting to the throne of Erebor, who witnessed the kingdom’s destruction under the dragon Smaug’s terrifying onslaught, losing both his father Thráin and grandfather Thrór in the aftermath.

“Thorin inherited a quest of vengeance from his father, to reclaim what’s theirs and take his people back to Erebor,” Armitage says. “And that burden is quite a lonely thing to carry. Thráin disappeared trying to do the same thing a hundred years ago. So Thorin feels like it’s now or never. I think he’s like a dying ember. He has the potential to reignite into a huge furnace, but if he doesn’t do it now, that ember will die.