A year after An Unexpected Journey set out into cinemas, we’re back in Middle Earth as director Peter Jackson takes us further on our quest to the Lonely Mountain and to reclaim the ancestral home of the Dwarves. This time there is no need for exposition and introduction; we know our characters and why they’re on this journey so the film can get straight into the story.
The Unexpected Journey left us with the company narrowly escaping from their orc pursuers after a helping hand from some airborne poultry with severe pituitary gland issues. Desolation lands us right back in the chase as the enemy has caught up and the band must push on further to their goal. They have to overcome a deadly forest swarming with McDonald’s Super-Size arachnids, evade capture from petulant Woodland Elves, sweet-talk a man with a mullet the 80s could only dream of and successfully navigate the prototype of Rubber Dingy Rapids before they can even lay eyes on the Mountain. It’s quite a lot when you remember that the source material is only a few hundred pages long.
Part 2 of Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy keeps the same blend of light-hearted farce and medieval brutality that the first did so well, but it lacks in it’s pacing. As the group diverges you have multiple arcs with many characters, many new challenges and obstacles to overcome and all whilst attempting to build tension and suspense in their own way. Sadly, the frequent hopping between each branch of the film pulls you out of the narrative just as you’re getting into its groove; Jackson would have done better not to add the flash around the edges of the core story.
But it’s not all a stuttering rabbit-pulled-sleigh-ride to watch. The films boasts some fantastically crafted and executed action sequences, epic world building, tributes to fans of the books and films as well as great performances from Freeman, McKellan and Armitage. And Lee Pace leaves an immortal mark as the bitter Elven King, Thranduil; a total contrast to the majesty and decorum of Galadriel and Elrond in the Lord of the Rings that adds great depth and diversity to the mythology. But, above all, the film is constantly building toward a climax under the Lonely Mountain – and you will not be disappointed when you get there.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is in cinemas 13th December 2013.
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