ChicDragon
It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Francene Odetta
It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.
audunystgaard
I agree that this film didn't follow the Tolkien recipe, and many Tolkien-fans will be incredibly upset that what they read as a child didn't come to life in the cinema, but if people would throw away the fact that this is an adaption from The Hobbit, they would see that Peter Jackson still knows how to create movies. It was an overall exciting movie to watch.The biggest issue I had with the movie was the sheer amount of CGI. They knew that CGI would be way harder to make realistic with 48fps on the camera, but they still crammed a bunch of it into the film anyways. The Lord of the Rings managed to create absolutely astonishing shots of orcs by simply using makeup and practical effects. They just didn't at all look scary to me in this film. Still, I have to say that the dragon is some of the best CGI work I've seen in my entire life.
bitomurder
Unfortunately, The Hobbit did not know what it wanted to be. It jumped between being the fun adventure that the book is to being a dark brooding setup for the LOTR trilogy. Far too many extraneous side stories found their way into this overly long and bloated children's story. The film should have been cut down to one 3 hour or, at the most, two 2 hour movies. Filling up some extra minutes with some Middle Earth backround information was ok, but a lot of extra junk that was unnecessary was thrown into this trilogy and especially into the Desolation of Snaug. In all honestly the best parts of these films were the stuff that was taken directly out of the book.
Lane McCall
I felt compelled to write a review after watching this amazing film. The Lord of the Rings sequels are great but seeing these Hobbit movies just amazes me to see how far CGI has come. If you're looking for a movie with plenty of action and amazing cinematography then look no further than The Hobbit trilogy. These films will keep you on the edge of your seat and it's a family friendly trilogy as well.
zkonedog
"The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" is a two hour and forty minute movie. When the closing credits rolled, however, this was my first thought: "Bring on Part Three!". Once again, director Peter Jackson managed to completely immerse me in the fantasy realm of the LOTR universe.For a basic plot summary, this movie picks up right where the first one leaves off. Fresh out of the Misty Mountains, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Dwarf Co. continue to venture forward towards the Lonely Mountain. Along the way, they encounter:-Giant spiders in the forest -The woodland Elvish warriors led by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly). -Escaping the Elves in the iconic "barrels" scene. -The rising of Sauron and his army of Orcs. -The Lonely Mountain itself, inside which the mighty Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) dwells.Anyone's enjoyment of these movies comes down to how fully they are able to fully immerse themselves into the fantasy atmosphere. I am able to 100% "buy in", so I love it. I enjoy practically every aspect of the picture, from the action/adventure to the music to the "canon" material and even the dwarf bumbling humor. This is one of my favorite series of all-time, so I'm probably not being too objective here, but to me there is nothing here in this movie to shy away from.It has been awhile since I read the "Hobbit" book, so I can't comment on how closely the movie follows the text, but from what I've heard/remember Jackson takes quite a few liberties. To be honest, though, I didn't care one iota while watching the film. I didn't feel as if any of the "new stuff" was boring or dramatically changed the main storyline. Again, of course, that could just be because I'm not intimately acquainted with the novel as I once was.A final comment on this movie (and the series so far): The one thing I DO remember about the "Hobbit" book is that it is very much more light-hearted than LOTR and almost more of a children's book. However, these movies (with their horrifying creatures and graphic battles) are not marketed for the kiddie set. Thus, I can understand why Peter Jackson would want to incorporate more mature themes into the storyline. Too much of "book Hobbit" is childish (for better or worse).Overall, "The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug" was one of my favorite cinema experiences of the year. Like I said, I could have EASILY sat through the entire third segment the same night!
