effects are much improved, the pace is seamless, and the danger is ever more present. Yet through it all, Bilbo and the company's journey to reclaim the Lonely Mountain is not forgotten as the driving force of this tale.

movie will not be beat. I can't wait till the third one comes out.Go see the movie. 10/10

middle earth yet again! The hobbit and the lord of the rings will be the greatest master piece of all time! In a 100 years these films will be the Mona Lisa of films! I would recommend you go see this movie over and over again!

film, a road that many movies have taken on in sequels. Fortunately, it was nothing of a sort. "Desolation" gives a stronger adventure and enjoyment than the original Hobbit movie. Faster pace, beautiful sets, lovely score, costumes and most impressive CGI than ever before, with the comeback of one of the most beloved character of the original series, Legolas, will surely win over the audiences both fans of Tolkien's book and not, over the globe again this Christmas season. If anything, I'll definitely go catch it again. Thumbs up!

you'd think that would be bad since it's already hard to keep track of the dwarfs. But the pace of the film keeps the viewer interested at all times. When the new characters come in, we're given just enough time with them to fall in love with the characters. Thranduil, Tauriel, Bard, Beorn... They shine on screen, but again not more than they have to. We get much time with Bilbo and his journey, and of course with the dwarfs.It's just intensely exciting, with great drama, great acting, thrilling action... I seriously lack words...And the ending... You want more...Now I never thought I'd say this... But this film is better than Return of the King... I NEVER thought those words would leave my mouth...Enjoy it..10/10Easiest 10 I've ever given...

growing feelings for Fili O'Gorman, sympathetic, and still attracted to these tall, gracious beings . Speaking of romance, Legolas Bloom, still spot-on as the determined prince goes with her as he is in love with her - however, not to his knowledge, his father refuses him marrying outside of hierarchy.As this completes the transition into re-imagining after the first was an adaptation with some added elements , it not only sets up the Lord of the Rings trilogy serving as a prequel - and though this was not necessary, it is, in my opinion, quite welcome much better than the original children's faerie tale did or was ever intended to; for my money, this is much more enjoyable than its source, not feeling like it was made up as he went along, letting its theme of greed and selfishness being something that has to be overcome show more clearly through , it changes for the better pretty much the only things that the first one got wrong not that I, personally, minded them . As such, the plot not only takes off immediately, it keeps moving throughout. The action never takes over. There are genuine consequences power is corrupting... this is seen in our protagonists! , and rather than a series of unrelated events, this presents a definite chronology of events, with characters sticking around and being developed.The most compelling of these, without a doubt, is Bard Evans, a courageous, loving father , who takes on many roles, living up to all of them. There is a change of the weighing of humor and darkness, now in favor of the latter. We now begin to feel that this is a dangerous endeavor, one that may claim the lives of some of them. While FX tend to be CGI over practical, this never gets lost in them. Reaction shots, use of perspective and other approaches are employed to ensure that. The High Frame Rate will take your eyes and rest them before and after, this does strain them some - it's worth it 15 minutes to adjust to - and then you'll literally believe you can reach out and touch what you witness. And even if you won't go with that, make sure to watch this in 3D. Few things poke out at you meaning they never lose the effect , and it further improves the amazing atmosphere, where every location feels distinct, with temperature and scents seemingly affecting you in the cinema. The scope is shown well, you appreciate size differences.For those who wished they'd seen more of Smaug Cumberbatch, making lines work when no one else could in last year's film, this is for you. He doesn't show up for a while - trust me, you won't mind. We get such a satisfying taste of him, his massive physique, his danger, his manipulative nature. The cliffhanger ending does leave us hanging - excessively so. Dialog and acting are enthralling. Charm and mystery work well to draw us in, keeping each other in check so as to not let either overwhelm us. Bring your kids. Take your parents. There's something for everyone. This makes use of quick, loaded introductions - to people, places, beings, etc. Thus, a ton of detail and change can be implemented, making even the 160-ish minute running time packed with events. No, this is not An Unexpected Journey. That one set the scene. This? The real show. There are winks to those who've seen the previous trilogy already, and they are less on the nose. No one shows up to do nothing in this, we don't visit anywhere that nothing occurs in.There is a lot of mild to moderate violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to any fan of fantasy, drama and grandeur. 9/10

stuff, let me get my complaints out of the way. My biggest complaint are the unnecessary plot threads. There seems to be a big need for this series of films to tie into LotR, and I really don't understand why. A great deal of time is taken in this film to introduce us to things we already know the outcome of. We're, at points, taken away from the dwarfs and Bilbo to follow Gandalf as he goes off on his own adventure to uncover the growing evil of Sauron and his armies. Like the first film, it's completely unnecessary, but unlike that film, it's jarring. We're ripped from a fantastic adventure to a story that we don't really need to know and has no real relation to the dwarfs and their adventure. In fact, any time we're taken out of the company of the dwarfs, it almost feels cheap. The almost romance between Evangeline Lily's elf and the dwarf Kili feels something of the same, the whole lot of these stories coming off as filler in an effort to make time for three movies instead of just two. It feels like a stretch and brings a screeching halt to the momentum of the main story.That said, the rest of the film is an excellent and expertly crafted adaptation. There is a definite sense of character growth, especially from Bilbo, who seems to struggle with the power of the ring and it's greed. We already know where this goes, but it is none the less fascinating considering who he was when we first met him. The dwarfs seem to almost take a back seat here. They are less prominent, with the exception of Thorin and Balin, who take front and center. That isn't to say they aren't entertaining, as they usually are every time they are on screen. Thorin is the real standout though, as he goes through similar changes as Bilbo, which lends them an interesting comparison in their mutual struggles. The actors are all excellent once again in their respective roles, with Freeman once again being the standout. Evangeline Lily is also a pleasant surprise in an original role as an elf created for the film. She adds a much needed feminine touch to an otherwise predominantly male cast. She proves herself to be a fine silver screen presence and hopefully this will net her some further film roles.While the film does an excellent job of not simply being the middle film, something The Two Towers struggled with in the LotR trilogy, it is the action, set pieces, and effects which are the true stars. This may not be a LotR movie, but it's close. We almost immediately start out with a bang and it rarely lets up. Of course, much of what happens early on, as exciting as it may be, pales in comparison to it's explosive and lengthy climax. Smaug is quite possibly the best creation of any of the film, Hobbit or LotR. He is as awesome as you could have hoped for and Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent in the role. While effects have been applied to his voice to give it more boom, he does a fantastic job as the sneering, wise, and boastful dragon. Watching and listening to him face off against Bilbo is a delightful treat, and that is before we get to any fire breathing and chasing. What follows is a lengthy conclusion to the film that will excite and delight all. I have no qualms in saying that Smaug makes the entire film worth the admission of price. But don't go in expecting a solid conclusion. This is, after all, the second of a trilogy, so you can surely expect the film to leave you salivating for the next one.While this new Hobbit film still doesn't reach LotR heights, it is superior to the previous film, especially when it comes to being an enjoyable adventure. It feels like it matters to the trilogy and delivers on being an epic. And I simply can't rave enough about Smaug. If you didn't enjoy the first film, you may find yourself feeling about the same here. But at least this one has a cool dragon.

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.

from the novel - I'm pretty sure Legolas wasn't in the book. He is great fun here, as a much angrier soldier in the Elf Army. And new creation Tauriel is hugely enjoyable, resembling nothing so much as Uma Thurman's character from Kill Bill, albeit attractively played with the hint of a smile by Evangeline Lilly.Apart from being a more engaging movie than part 1, pretty much everything I thought about that movie still holds. I still have reservations about the dwarfs - their faces and hair feel obviously prosthetic and wigged, and it's still pretty difficult to tell them apart from each other except for the old one, the one wounded by the orc arrow, Thorin, and James Nesbitt's Irish one. I still have reservations about CGI orc faces - the prosthetic orc faces work noticeably better. I still have reservations about some of the action sequences, where more is not necessarily better one sequence, in particular had the audience laughing because of the extent to which the Elvish derring-do was over-derring-done . And there are times when Bilbo looks cut out and pasted into a scene. And, once again, the 3D is indifferent.Otherwise, this was great fun. Loads of action, some nice character work, an excellent and nasty spider fight, a well-voiced and visually realised Smaug, and not the slightest yen to look at my watch.And a cliff-hanger. You swine, Jackson.