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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

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The Hobbit:
The Desolation of Smaug
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Jackson
Screenplay by
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAndrew Lesnie
Edited byJabez Olssen
Music byHoward Shore
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • 2 December 2013 (2013-12-02) (Los Angeles premiere)
  • 12 December 2013 (2013-12-12) (New Zealand)
  • 13 December 2013 (2013-12-13) (United Kingdom)
  • 13 December 2013 (2013-12-13) (United States)
Running time
161 minutes[1][2]
Countries
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$200 million

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a 2013 epic fantasy adventure film co-written, produced and directed by Peter Jackson. It is the second installment of a three-part film series based on J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit, beginning with An Unexpected Journey (2012) and set to conclude with There and Back Again (2014). The three films together act as a prequel to Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film series.

The storyline continues the events of An Unexpected Journey, in which the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) travels with the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a company of thirteen dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) into the Kingdom of Erebor, taking them through Mirkwood, Esgaroth, and Dale to combat with the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Jackson wrote the screenplay with his longtime collaborators and Lord of the Rings co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and Guillermo del Toro, originally chosen to direct the Hobbit films. The film also stars Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt and Orlando Bloom.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug premiered on 2 December 2013 in Los Angeles, and was released internationally on 11 December 2013.[3] Like its predecessor, the film used a shooting and projection frame rate of 48 frames per second. The new projection rate was advertised as "High Frame Rate" to the public.

Plot

Bilbo along with Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield and the Dwarven Company leave the Carrock after the events of the previous film. They continue east to the edge of the forest of Mirkwood where they encounter the skin-changer Beorn. Gandalf departs before the others enter Mirkwood where they are attacked by giant spiders and, except for Bilbo, are captured by Wood-elves. Bilbo helps the dwarves escape from the elves and they follow the forest river to Lake-town, where they meet the Master of the town, and Bard, a bowman and the descendant of the original Lord of Dale. After acquiring a boat and supplies from the town, the company travels to the Lonely Mountain. They eventually find the hidden door into the mountain and Bilbo enters and encounters the dragon Smaug. After a failed attempt by Bilbo and the dwarves to kill Smaug by drowning him in molten gold, Smaug seeks revenge by heading to Lake-town to wreak havoc again.

In the meantime, Gandalf enters Dol Guldur, where he discovers the true identity of the Necromancer. The elves of Mirkwood, led by King Thranduil and his son, Legolas, must battle the orc invasions from Dol Guldur.

Relationship to the book

Compared to Tolkien's original children's book, Jackson's movie version is better considered a reimagining than a straightforward "adaptation". Characters have the same names and visit the same places for much the same reasons, but the tone is far darker, with much intense fighting added. The simple concepts of the children's book are made more serious and complex. The Elven-king Thranduil is greatly fleshed out, and his son Legolas is imported from The Lord of the Rings. Entire new subplots are added, in particular as regards the newly-created character of Tauriel and her hinted-at love relationship with one of the Dwarves. Gandalf's conflict with the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, which in the book is only briefly mentioned when the wizard returns after a long absence, is promoted to a major side-plot. The Necromancer is explicitly identified as Sauron, a discovery Gandalf makes onscreen during the movie (according to Tolkien's original chronology, the wizard already knew this, his expedition to Dol Guldur having occurred more than a century earlier).

Cast

Further information: Cast of The Hobbit film series and Casting of The Hobbit film series

Additionally, Peter Jackson makes a cameo appearance in the film and James Nesbitt's daughters Peggy and Mary portray Tilda and Sigrid, the daughters of Bard the Bowman. Cate Blanchett makes an appearance as Galadriel.

Production

Further information: Development of The Hobbit film series and Production of The Hobbit film series

Most of filming was finished during 2012, ending in July 2012, but during May 2013, additional shooting for the film and the sequel began in New Zealand, which lasted 10 weeks.[12][13][14]

Score

Main article: Music of The Hobbit film series

The musical score for The Desolation of Smaug was composed by Howard Shore in association with local New Zealand writing teams. It will be performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The original motion picture soundtrack album is expected to release in late 2013, to coincide with the film's release.

It was announced that English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran wrote and recorded "I See Fire", which is to be played during the end credits.[15] The song was released on iTunes on November 5, 2013.[16]

Distribution

Benedict Cumberbatch at the Los Angeles premiere of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Marketing

Peter Jackson provided the first details about the second film in the series at a live event held on March 24, 2013.[17] The access code was attached to the DVD editions of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.[17] The live-broadcast event revealed some plot details; Jackson said that the role of Tauriel, acted by Evangeline Lilly, is a part of the elven guard and a bodyguard of the Elvenking, Thranduil.[17] In addition, he revealed a scene from the film in which Gandalf and Radagast the Brown search for the Necromancer fortress and discover that the Ringwraiths have been released from their graves.[17] The first trailer for the film was released on June 11, 2013.[18] On November 4, 2013, an extra long 3 minute trailer/sneak peek was released and revealed new footage and major plot points.[19][20] On November 4, 2013, a special Desolation of Smaug live online fan event, hosted by Anderson Cooper in New York, was held across eleven different cities with participants including Peter Jackson, Jed Brophy, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage.[21][22]

Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Jackson, Richard Armitage, Luke Evans and Evangeline Lilly took part in press junkets, appearing in talk shows and interviews before the film's release.

Theatrical release

The film is set to be released internationally from 11 December 2013.[3] As part of an agreement between Warner Bros and New Line Cinema, the film's world premiere was not held in Wellington, New Zealand, as it was for the previous film in the series.[23] It instead premiered in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on 2 December 2013.[24][25][26]

Reception

Critical reaction

After the Los Angeles premiere, Metro Magazine reported that early critical reaction was "glowing", with critics describing it as a "spectacle".[27] Template:Rotten Tomatoes score On aggregate review site Metacritic, the film has a score of 72 out of 100 based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

Nick de Semlyen of Empire magazine awarded the film five stars out of five and wrote that "Middle-earth's got its mojo back. A huge improvement on the previous instalment, this takes our adventurers into uncharted territory and delivers spectacle by the ton",[29] while Richard Corliss of TIME declared it one of the top ten films of 2013, and wrote "In all, this is a splendid achievement, close to the grandeur of Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films." [30] Justin Chang of Variety wrote that "After a bumpy beginning with 'An Unexpected Journey', Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogy finds its footing in this much more exciting and purposeful second chapter." [31] Todd McCarthy of Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Nearly everything... represents an improvement over the first installment of Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved creation." He also praised the High Frame Rate of The Desolation of Smaug as being better than that of An Unexpected Journey.[32] Mark Hughes, who reviewed the film for Forbes, was highly enthusiastic, and felt "The Desolation of Smaug is another grand entry in the Tolkien saga, raising the emotional and physical stakes while revealing more of the sinister forces," before concluding "It’s pleasing to see a filmmaker this in love with storytelling, this committed to creating entire worlds... that’s a rare thing indeed, and for it to turn out so well is even more rare. It’s a sight to behold, and you won’t be sorry you did."[33]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian scored the film four out of five stars, writing, "It's mysterious and strange, and yet Jackson also effortlessly conjures up that genial quality that distinguishes 'The Hobbit' from the more solemn 'Rings' stories." [34] Total Film also scored the film four out of five stars, but reviewer Matt Maytum noted that, in his opinion, the film suffered "from middle-act wobbles." Despite this, he praised the "rousing action... incredible visuals... and one stupendous dragon", and concluded his review stating "There’s a lot to admire in 'The Desolation of Smaug."[35] Jim Vejvoda, who reviewed the film for IGN, awarded it 8.5 out of 10, and felt "It's a breathlessly told, action-packed crowd-pleaser that restores the luster of the saga for those underwhelmed by its predecessor and leaves you excited for the final chapter in the trilogy.[36]

Conversely, R. Kurt Osenlund, who reviewed the film for Slant, was less admiring, awarding it 2 out of 4 stars. He felt it was the "franchise's weakest installment", which has forgotten "these adventures' magic was never conjured by bells and whistles." He criticized the "freewheeling liberties taken in... chapter two of Jackson's... once sprightly and ominous Lord of the Rings prequel trilogy," and felt Jackson only wanted to "serve up something else entirely: a lightning-paced, nuance-deprived succession of busy set pieces, many of them exasperating in their breathless insistence on pandering to the blockbuster crowd."[37]

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by The Hobbit film series

References

  1. ^ "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Marquee Cinemas. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  2. ^ "'Wolf of Wall Street,' 'Hobbit' Sequel Clock In at Nearly Three Hours". Variety. November 27, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "The Hobbit Worldwide Release Dates". thehobbit.com. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  4. ^ Sims, Andrew (13 May 2013). "Benedict Cumberbatch reveals how he convinced Peter Jackson to motion capture Smaug". Hypable. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  5. ^ Fleming, Michael ‘Mike’ (4 December 2010). "Orlando Bloom Close To Legolas Reprise In 'The Hobbit?'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2010-12-04.
  6. ^ Sims, Andrew (5 June 2013). "'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug': First look at Evangeline Lilly as new character Tauriel". Hypable. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  7. ^ a b Wood, Daniel (May 14, 2013). "The Hobbit: First look at Bard the Bowman, Tauriel and other new characters". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  8. ^ Jackson, Peter (30 April 2011). "Casting news!". Facebook. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
  9. ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (2 May 2011). "Lee Pace cast in 'The Hobbit.' Our hopes for his comeback grow". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  10. ^ "Update: Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt cast in 'The Hobbit'?". TheOneRing.net. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 2011-05-01.
  11. ^ "John Bell discusses his role in 'A shine of rainbows' available now on DVD". Hollywood Teen 'Zine. 14 December 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
  12. ^ "The Hobbit filming to start again in NZ". Television New Zealand. May 20, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  13. ^ Gicas, Peter (May 22, 2013). "The Hobbit Trilogy Resumes Final Filming, Director Peter Jackson Posts Photo on Facebook". E!. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  14. ^ "Hobbit set fires up for new movie shoot". stuff.co.nz. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  15. ^ "Ed Sheeran unveils 'The Hobbit' song 'I See Fire' music video - watch". Digital Spy. 7 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  16. ^ Sheeran, Ed (November 4, 2013). "I very happy to announce I have written and recorded the end credits song for the new Hobbit movie 'The Desolation of Smaug'". Twitter. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  17. ^ a b c d "The Hobbit: Desolation Of Smaug Preview Footage - Details And Live Blog - Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movies and TV News and Rumors". Bleedingcool.com. 2013-03-24. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  18. ^ "The First Trailer for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is Here!". ComingSoon.net. 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  19. ^ "'They are in grave danger': New trailer for Desolation of Smaug hints at a darker times ahead for The Hobbit". Daily Mail. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  20. ^ "Watch trailer #3 "sneak peek" for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!". The Onering.net. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  21. ^ "All the spoilery details from the 20 minutes of previously unseen footage screened at The Desolation of Smaug Fan Event". The Onering.net. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  22. ^ "Transcript of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug Fan Event". Theonering.net. 5 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  23. ^ "Peter Jackson says he wanted 'nice people' in The Desolation of Smaug". Daily Telegraph. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  24. ^ "No Welly premiere for second Hobbit film". stuff.co.nz. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  25. ^ "Evangeline weaves her magic spell at The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug premiere as she cuddles up to Orlando Bloom". Daily Mail. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  26. ^ "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Premiere". Hollywood Reporter. 3 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
  27. ^ Sarah Dean. "'Middle Earth's got its mojo back': First reviews for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug roll in". Metro. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  28. ^ "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  29. ^ "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug". Empire. Retrieved 6 Dec 2013.
  30. ^ Corliss, Richard (November 20, 2013). "Top 10 Best Movies". Time. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  31. ^ Chang, Justin (December 6, 2013). "Film review: 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  32. ^ "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. November 29, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  33. ^ Mark Hughes. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review". Forbes. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  34. ^ Bradshaw, Peter (December 8, 2013). "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - review". The Guardian. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  35. ^ Matt Maytum. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review". Total Film. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  36. ^ Jim Vejvoda. "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Review". IGN. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
  37. ^ Osenlund, R. Kurt (December 8, 2013). "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug". Slant Magazine. Retrieved December 7, 2013.

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