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| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
The
film is still weighed down with unnecessary subplots and detours, cramming in
so many superfluous characters (including a fan favorite from Lord of the
Rings and a brand new female elf invented by Jackson and his co-screenwriters
Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro) that Bilbo Baggins becomes
a supporting player in his own story.
Jackson
remains in desperate need of an editor and now suffers from George Lucas
syndrome, mistakenly believing that an overabundance of CGI can substitute for
a compelling narrative. However, there are still traces of the old filmmaker –
the one who got his start in gross-out horror flicks – in certain scenes thanks
to an unexpected scare here or a twisted gag there.
After
an unnecessary prologue (noticing a pattern here?), the film picks up right
where the last one left off. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) is still in the company of
Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a bunch of indeterminate dwarves (Richard Armitage
and too many others to mention), chased by orcs as they make their way toward
Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). He’s the evil dragon who destroyed the dwarves’
homeland, killed their ancestors and stole their treasure.
The
crew seems to have a plan to defeat Smaug, but darned if I could tell you what
it is. Besides, Gandalf abandons them almost immediately for no discernable
reason (other than Jackson needing a subplot to link to his first trilogy).
Along the way, viewers connect with the familiar Legolas (Orlando Bloom); his
female companion Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly); and Bard (Luke Evans), a smuggler
with a conscience. Finally (in the last 40 minutes!), the group faces off
against Smaug and it’s a genuine thrill to watch. Then, when things get truly interesting,
the screen goes black and audiences must wait a year to see what happens next.
Though
there are some genuinely fun action sequences, particularly the company’s
creepy encounter with giant spiders, a thrilling river escape by way of wine
barrels and the battle with Smaug, they still don’t justify a 160-minute running
time. And because of the sheer barrage of obvious visual effects, solid
performances from Freeman, Cumberbatch and others aren’t enough to make the
audience forget they’re watching a movie. At no point did I see Bilbo, Gandalf,
etc. I saw actors in crazy costumes standing in front of a green screen with
video game images being projected onto it. That’s a problem.
Still, the groundwork is laid for a promising finale. The problem is we shouldn’t be waiting for a third installment; The Hobbit should’ve been a single three-hour film, or – at most – a pair of two-hour installments.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is rated
PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and
frightening images.
Grade:
C+
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