By Ankur Kayastha ’15

The well-anticipated sequel within the Hobbit trilogy entitled “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” encompasses elements of humor, romance, and action all into one lengthy and entertaining film. J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing truly received a new vitality in the new film.

An element unique to the film is that the entire movie is not selectively focused on the main character, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman). The movie instead brilliantly stitches the story lines of multiple characters in order to spice up the series and make it more interesting to both readers and nonreaders of Tolkien’s Hobbit trilogy. For example, the romantic spark between Kili (Aidan Turner), a seemingly unimportant dwarf, and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), a royal elf warrior, is simply entrancing. The moments that these characters are on the screen seem to be the ‘aww’ factor of the entire movie. Bilbo Baggins also receives his rightful glory as well through Freeman’s various facial expressions and nonstop clumsiness. This earned him plenty of laughter throughout the entirety of the film. The humor of Bilbo and the romance between Kili and Tauriel, as well as the eventual terror that accompanies Smaug the dragon, ultimately creates a real thrill that keeps the viewer entertained until the very end of the film.

The transitions and camera placements between characters and their perspectives also add a unique and beneficial twist to the film, including Gandalf’s (Ian McKellen) journey to the necromancer where good meets pure evil. The set of the film is located in New Zealand, where natural beauty really makes the difference between a cliché set, and an amazing one. The mountains and valleys combined with immaculate special effects used make the movie both mystical and realistic. When Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberpatch) makes his debut in the film, the CGI is seemingly so realistic that it is hard to believe that he is not a real dragon. The details are fine print – all the way down to the close-knit sharpness of Smaug’s knife-like teeth. From the forest of the Great Spiders to the teeth in Smaug’s mouth, the special effects and CGI work in this film are phenomenal and are well-deserveding of recognition.

Though acting is so often overlooked in fantasy films, in this particular movie, it was nothing short of breathtaking. Bilbo Baggins, portrayed by Freeman, especially is very true to his character with his skepticism and clumsiness that gave the movie its hilarity. Lilly, who portrays Tauriel, flawlessly plays an amorous elf that creates a scandal between the Elf Kingdom and the dwarf journeyer Kili. Her fighting scenes are filled with intense action until she kills the very last orc in a battle partnering with Legolas (Orlando Bloom).

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is incredibly well produced and executed, and now there are undoubtedly high expectations for the concluding film of The Hobbit trilogy.

Kayastha is currently a Journalism student.