The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Fran Walsh (screenplay), Philippa Boyens (screenplay),

Stars:

Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 62 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ian McKellen	...	Gandalf
Martin Freeman	...	Bilbo
Richard Armitage	...	Thorin
Ken Stott	...	Balin
Graham McTavish	...	Dwalin
William Kircher	...	Bifur
James Nesbitt	...	Bofur
Stephen Hunter	...	Bombur
Dean O'Gorman	...	Fili
Aidan Turner	...	Kili
John Callen	...	Oin
Peter Hambleton	...	Gloin
Jed Brophy	...	Nori
Mark Hadlow	...	Dori
Adam Brown	...	Ori

Storyline

After successfully crossing over (and under) the Misty Mountains, Thorin and Company must seek aid from a powerful stranger before taking on the dangers of Mirkwood Forest--without their Wizard. If they reach the human settlement of Lake-town it will be time for the hobbit Bilbo Baggins to fulfill his contract with the dwarves. The party must complete the journey to Lonely Mountain and burglar Baggins must seek out the Secret Door that will give them access to the hoard of the dragon Smaug. And, where has Gandalf got off to? And what is his secret business to the south?

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Plot Keywords:

mountain | lake town | burglar | wizard | dragon | 

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Taglines:

Beyond darkness... beyond desolation... lies the greatest danger of all.

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Genres:

Adventure | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Centralmoviesth Official site

Country:

USA New Zealand

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 2013 (Canada)

Also Known As:

El Hobbit: La desolación de Smaug

Filming Locations:

New Zealand

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$73,645,197 (USA) (13 December 2013)

Gross:

$258,355,354 (USA) (11 April 2014)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), New Line Cinema, WingNut Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

161 min 186 min (Extended Edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos Datasat Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bilbo steals the keys to the prison from an Elf addressed as Elros. Elros is also the name of Elrond's brother. The two brothers had both human and Elvish ancestry on both their mother's and father's side, and as such were perfectly half-Elf and half-Man. While Elrond chose to be an immortal Elf, Elros chose to become a mortal man. He thus became the progenitor of the Numenorian race, and an ancestor of Aragorn.

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Goofs

At the start of the movie Bilbo first checks the ring and puts it in his left pocket but in the next shot he takes it from his right pocket.

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Quotes

Smaug: What was it he promised you, a share of the treasure! I will not part with a single piece!

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Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2014)

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Soundtracks

I See Fire
Written by Ed Sheeran
Performed by Ed Sheeran
Courtesy of Atlantic Records
Ed Sheeran appears courtesy of Asylum Records UK

User Reviews

A Fun Film, Particularly in 3D

The second Hobbit film connects you better to the characters than the first in an entertaining ride with more danger, excitement, and humor. The action is well done, and the 3D adds to it, especially in the "whitewater rafting" scene. That part and the whole movie has good editing. In this one, two of the non-King dwarfs' presence is stronger (Balin and Kili). The she-elf warrior Tauriel and what comes with her works, adding some heart to the film.

Besides Richard Armitage leading the way as the King under the Mountain with his great chemistry with fellow castmates, there are three actors who give specially noteworthy live-action performances. Lee Pace is one of the true highlights as Thranduil, who is an Elf King that deals with foreboding in a way that is different from Elrond. Ian McKellen's acting is comparable to him in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as he takes advantage of Gandalf getting his own storyline and heart-pounding action scene. Martin Freeman is good once again as the brave titular character, and actually slightly better.

The confrontation with Smaug is very enjoyable. It is a long movie, but the finale is the high point. Benedict Cumberbatch does an excellent job with the arrogant beast's voice, and the dragon looks really cool in 3D. I personally think that they ended it at the perfect place. When they divide a book up, it will inevitably result in a cliffhanger feeling. But, I am satisfied with how they handled it.