So I finally finally *finally* got around to watching DESOLATION OF SMAUG...
...and holy shit. I mean, it was fantastic, but still, holy fucking shit.
Trailers I Got:
-Jupiter Ascending: It looked really good, to be honest. The premise looks intriguing.
-The Amazing Spiderman 2: Looks awesome.
-Maleficent: I never thought of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, but she seems to just be rocking the role in the trailer. Same with Elle Fanning as Aurora. And while from what I read, the Start of Darkness for Maleficent sounds really...weird, the trailer still looks awesome.
The Theater Experience:
Believe it or not (and maybe it's because of my being extremely late in terms of viewing the movie -- and yeah, I know, but let's say that I had a bad case of exams previously, and it was really only over the break that my family would allow me to see it -- that that's the case), my mom and I were the only ones there. My brother was supposed to go, but he was too tired (he's been tired a lot, really, poor thing) and my aunt was supposed to come with us, but she was kind of sick and had to stay home, which really sucked. And my dad wouldn't go altogether. So my mom and I were the only ones at the theater. So we got to sort of make comments during the movie. I even remember when Bilbo was sneaking around in Smaug's lair -- without the Ring on at first, but I'll get to that in a bit -- and I actually begged my mom to make some sort of joke so the tension wouldn't get unbearable. (We were all talking in whispers, BTW, don't worry)
The movie itself:
I already loved the first installment, but I loved the second installment all the more, if only because of the amazing character development, the character dynamics, freaking Tauriel (seriously, she was just so awesome), the building of the tension and suspense (I know that one of the things I loved about the Lord of the Rings films was the matter of building the suspense and the tension. It only made the already amazing visuals have all the more weight, such as the scene where Gandalf watches the Orcs march from Dol Guldur), and honestly, a heck of a lot more. It was definitely darker than the first installment, to be perfectly honest; I think the fact that it's the second in a trilogy definitely doesn't help matters. Because in a trilogy -- well, think of a trilogy like the three acts of a story. The first in the trilogy is the first act, where everything gets set up, the second in the trilogy is where shit gets real, and the third in the trilogy is where everything gets wrapped up, with usually a happy or at least satisfying ending. My mom wasn't exactly a fan of the film; she didn't dislike it, but she found it a bit too violent and dark on occasion, which I can't disagree with. The Orc deaths, for example, were pretty violent -- although they also got so ridiculous as to occasionally break the laws of physics. The two orcs that get an arrow through both their heads, for instance. I think it's definitely Peter Jackson's horror movie roots showing through here, because (and I was actually really surprised to learn this when I first did) he actually used to be a horror movie maker. Although really, he went more for the bleakly humorous sort of splatter comedies and not necessarily the scary sort of horror movies. So I think even though he was doing fantasy here, his horror movie roots -- well, they definitely come out in stuff like, say, the battles. (Also, Legolas sort of hopping on the dwarves' heads while he's battling the Orcs. Yes, that is a sentence I just typed. I'm giggling even remembering it. XD)
Speaking of the more horror elements of this, one thing I really liked (even though I was basically just freaking out and grabbing my mom's hand a lot and going, "Please, God, let them be okay" -- which is definitely a good thing. People should care about your characters, or at least be interested in them -- during some of those scenes) was the building of the tension. I definitely know, for example, Gandalf finding out about the Witch King's tomb being empty was a spooky scene, as well as that sort of false scare near the end of the scene where Radagast shows up. (Also, it was definitely good to see him again! Seriously) Also, Bilbo in Smaug's lair. I guess it didn't help that I just knew that Smaug was lurking around in that lair, and I was just basically going, "Put the Ring on, Bilbo, put the Ring on, put the Ring on..." (And I knew that putting the Ring on wouldn't be a good idea for Bilbo, but I really just wanted him to be able to evade Smaug and get the Arkenstone, then get out) I think it was the moment that Smaug opened his eye and later, began rising from the pile of gold that I started basically freaking out internally. It didn't help that Smaug...when I first read the book when I was younger, I never really dreamed of Smaug being that scary. I mean, it was tense in the book, but it wasn't like in the movie where Smaug seemed to be the stuff of nightmares. It doesn't help that the visual effects for Smaug look amazing. (And honestly, I don't think I could really do the look for Smaug justice. The visual effects look wonderful) Not to mention, Benedict Cumberbatch...when I first heard he was cast as Smaug, I was just sort of like, "Wait, what? Sherlock? He's playing Smaug?" Then, of course, he blew me away in Star Trek Into Darkness (even nearly making me cry, to be perfectly honest, all while being a scary sonuvabitch), and here...while he was amazing as John Harrison, I think Smaug might be a serious contestant in terms of Best Performance Thus Far. (Seriously, Cumberbatch is on a roll right now!) I knew he'd be awesome when I saw the trailer and heard his voice in the trailer -- it definitely helped that whoever did the sound editing * did a really great job at making his voice sound not just deep but honestly like it rolled up from the pits of hell. Nothing less for a fire-drake of Morgoth. ** He didn't just sound the part or look the part (because they did motion capture like they did with Andy Serkis when he played Gollum to get his movements and his facial expressions, which actually made it even scarier because they were almost too realistic), he was Smaug. I think that's another reason why the Lord of the Rings movies and the Hobbit movies are so awesome; the cast is just perfect. That and the fact that Smaug...in the book, as much as I can recall, Smaug was sort of smug and sort of sarcastic. Faux Affably Evil, as it were. And while it's definitely true here -- they definitely kept his sarcasm and wit -- they definitely upped the ante in terms of how horrifying he was. His telling Bilbo to step into the light where he can see him, for example, as well as the added detail for the film of him sensing the Ring (and considering that Sauron and the Fire Drakes were both servants of Morgoth...yep. No wonder Smaug terrifies Gandalf so much, or at least the very concept of what would happen if he and Sauron joined forces), and Martin Freeman's acting as Bilbo as he tries vainly to outwit Smaug mostly by praising him -- yeah, that was a frightening scene. Seriously, it was. And the moment where it looks like Thorin's going to leave Bilbo to Smaug just for the sake of finding the Arkenstone again just makes it more terrifying, because Smaug...Smaug's bad enough. But the idea of Thorin succumbing to the same "gold sickness" that struck his grandfather isn't just terrifying, but really, honestly heartbreaking. Even if I knew it was coming. It's one thing to read about it in the book; it's really another thing to see it on screen, and the fact that the first film was busy with building Thorin up to be this sympathetic and ultimately likeable (despite his faults) character *** really doesn't help. And yet at the same time, with Thorin...well, in a way, I felt for him. I know, for example, him seeing the bow perched on the tower -- which will later be used to bring down Smaug -- and commenting on how it hadn't been seen since Erebor, and Balin recounting what happened during that (I'll be getting to the matter of the Bard himself later), as well as when he thinks that they're too late to get into the mountain -- well, to put it plainly, I just felt sorry for him. And even though I knew that what he was doing was horrible -- him leaving a wounded Kili behind, for example, just because he thinks that Kili will slow them down, which Kili and Fili aren't happy about to say the least -- well, I wanted him to succeed. And yet stuff like him being willing to risk awakening Smaug just to get the Arkenstone back (which the Bard calls him out on), leaving Kili behind, and having it look like he's just going to leave Bilbo to Smaug's mercy, plus drawing his sword on poor Bilbo...it really makes it clear that Thorin's basically going over the edge. Which I think is really interesting to see, to be perfectly honest. And the fact that I can understand and be terrified by him at the same time...well, I think it's a sign that Peter Jackson and co, plus Richard Armitage, are doing their jobs well. And Richard Armitage did a wonderful job as Thorin. Whether it's him having a He Who Fights Monsters moment or rallying the people to his cause or anything else, he just does a fantastic job playing this character.
I know that another instance I really liked was Gandalf going into Dol Guldur. Not only does he end up meeting up with Azog and the others -- and the film does a beautiful job just stretching the tension, what with Gandalf wandering around this terrifying fortress, all while Azog and the others...I think the terrifying part is the fact that they're concealed under a spell. Just think about that -- Gandalf was wandering along this fortress, while almost unaware that there's a whole full house of Sauron's minions with him. He knew that Sauron was there, but I don't think he expected his minions. That and him being on the receiving end of a Curb Stomp Battle with Sauron. The voice definitely doesn't help, as well as Sauron saying, in a sort of Call Forward to what he says to Frodo when the latter is trapped in the Ring World for the first time, that there is no light that can stop darkness. And then we see the glimpse of Sauron's eye, and it sort of morphs a bit to reveal the shape of how Sauron was in the prologue of Fellowship of the Ring. Just a really well-done scene, and it being capped off by Gandalf watching as the Orcs march off to war...yeah, that was a well-done sequence. Terrifying, but well-done.
I also really liked Tauriel. I had my reservations at first, if only because she seemed like another Arwen Expy (and don't get me wrong, I really like Arwen, love her in fact, but...well, I just had my reservations), but she was just awesome (and it helps that Evangeline Lilly was just fantastic in the role). She's kind (her conversation with Kili while he's imprisoned, for one thing, when he was holding his trinket that his mother gave him with a promise inscribed on it for him to return home ****, and her praising how pure his promise is, also known as one of those scenes that got me close to crying in the cinema), she's clever, she's quick, she's brave, and she sees things that Thranduil and Legolas can't. I know that her making her decision to go and help out the others -- I already liked her before, but I think it was that moment, where she also asks Legolas "When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?" was definitely one of those moments where she earned my respect. And where Legolas earned my respect -- after he got me kind of angry what with things like him insulting Gloin and his family and such. Made even more jarring because when we see Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy...yeah, there's his rivalry with Gimli at first, but ultimately, he's very much one of the Nice Guys of the Fellowship. Then again, Character Development -- when he chose to go with her. I definitely know I respected their guts right there. Not to mention her managing to heal Kili of his wound -- and Kili's sort of love confession (including his wondering if Tauriel would ever love him back) and Tauriel's reaction was very touching.
And speaking of Legolas and his family, I definitely know that Thranduil -- Thranduil was definitely quite frightening. Even more so because in the original novel of The Hobbit, he wasn't really a bad person. Yeah, he might have locked Thorin and the dwarves in the dungeons, but he wasn't exactly a bad person. He was definitely more strict than anything else, not necessarily bad. Here, they mostly turned him into a sort of ruthless bastard, randomly slaughtering an Orc after he promised to let the Orc go, and justifying it by saying that yes, he did let the Orc go; he just decapitated him. And yeah, the Orcs are bastards, no doubt about it, but even so, what Thranduil did was scary. Not to mention an earlier scene with Thorin when he's trying to actually negotiate a truce prior to imprisoning Thorin in the dungeons, and Thorin calls him out for not coming to their aid when Smaug was desolating Erebor, etc. and Thranduil says that he knows of dragonfire, and there's a brief sort of flash of the right side of his face that's been burned by dragonfire -- it honestly reminded me a bit of that scene with Two-Face in The Dark Knight. There's something in me that's torn -- and generally with adaptations, I'm flexible. If it helps the story, I'm cool with it. And this did help the story in a way, mostly in terms of just showing how removed Thranduil is and how he's been trying to do whatever he can to protect Mirkwood to the point of insanity. But that, plus his classism when talking to Tauriel when he's referring to Legolas being quite fond of her (made worse when it looks like he's, at first, going to have a sort of Pet the Dog moment and then it turns around and becomes a sort of asshole moment. The look on Tauriel's face doesn't really help)...yeah, Thranduil was a Jerkass. It served the story, yes, and yet...well, I'm not certain that I like it, especially considering I didn't really mind Thranduil in the original novel of The Hobbit. Movie Thranduil wasn't exactly very likeable; I guess it was because of his Knight Templar nature. (Then again, I could be wrong) Legolas, on the other hand, was definitely awesome. Yeah, he started out as a Jerkass at first, but he definitely got some pretty good Character Development later on.
I also really liked the Bard. I know that the scenes with his family, for example, were very sweet and very touching -- and even occasionally poignant, such as when he's trying to reassure his daughter that they're not going to die when Smaug first wakes up and there's this sort of ripple that's mistaken for an earthquake (also loved Balin's line "That, my lad, was a dragon" when talking to one of the dwarves) and it looks like Smaug's going to head for Laketown. That and he was a genuinely nice guy -- helping the people, standing up to the Mayor of Laketown (who was also pretty awesome, thanks to Stephen Fry just having a lot of fun with his role), and so on and so forth. Not to mention being willing to call out Thorin's potential terrible mistake in terms of putting the people of Laketown in danger. It definitely added a reminder that even in the midst of Thorin's inspirational speech to the people of Laketown, despite how sincere Thorin may be, he's still going over the edge. Balin calling him out on it as well also helps, what with things like "the Thorin I knew would never leave Bilbo behind like that" (basically) as well as, when Thorin says, "I won't risk the quest for the life of one burglar", correcting him and telling Thorin, "His name is Bilbo". Balin was another favorite of mine, to be perfectly honest -- not only was he incredibly clever (persuading the Bard to get them to Laketown, for example) but he was definitely one of the nicest dwarves in the Company, to be honest -- calling out Thorin for his callous treatment of Bilbo, for example. Which seems to stick if only for the moment considering that Thorin just rushes back in there and, instead of going after the Arkenstone, makes it more of a goal to save Bilbo and kill Smaug. And granted, it fails -- but then again, I already sort of figured that. Smaug doesn't really die until one of the Black Arrows gets him in the Battle of Laketown -- but the process, just luring out Smaug by taunting him before springing the trap -- even trying to drown him in liquid gold at one point. Also known as a Karmic Death if it had actually been a death, really -- was definitely worthy of admiration. And Smaug's reaction when he sees Thorin face-to-face was definitely awesome. Not to mention him ultimately escaping the trap -- though ultimately heartbreaking and terrifying as well -- and heading towards Laketown to exact his revenge. It's awesome, really, thanks to the image of Smaug rising from the liquid gold (also clever considering that one of his titles is Smaug The Golden. Nice one, Jackson!) and yet heartbreaking thanks to the fact that the people of Laketown really didn't do anything wrong; Smaug is just exacting his revenge on them because he thinks that they're allied with the dwarves, because he can smell the people of Laketown on their clothes. Bilbo's last line, "What have we done?" just makes it even worse. And then it just cuts to black, then the credits roll, and I was in the theater sort of like, "You can't just leave it there!" I know I was definitely all but numb by the time I walked out because...well, I felt like I'd gone into shock. The ending was just that powerful.
I also really liked the whole Mirkwood forest scene. While it was more whimsical, in a sense, in the book (including that song that Bilbo sings to one of the spiders just to provoke them. I'm thinking Jackson and co. cut that song -- which kind of sucks -- because they figured that it would probably distract from the general tension of the scene, but even so...I almost wish it had been in there, if only for nostalgia's sake. I really loved that song when I first saw it in the book), here, it plays almost like the whole inside-the-TARDIS scene from "The Doctor's Wife", what with the Mirkwood fog actually messing with their heads. Also, the spiders. I definitely know that I cringed away when the spiders came onscreen; it didn't help that they were way too well-done, really, and too realistic. It would have been a great time for them to, say, look a bit goofy, but the visual effects guys had to have standards... And I know that the added scene they had when Bilbo kills a baby spider -- basically flies into a rage and kills it -- just because it touches the Ring as well as Bilbo's My God What Have I Done moment afterwards (he's just holding his hand to his mouth like he's about to puke, which I definitely would have done in that situation)...that was really well-done. It almost made me unable to look at Bilbo afterwards -- not that I shouldn't have seen it coming, but still... -- just because it was so unsettling. Still, it had some funny parts, like the Master of Laketown (also some pretty good political satire, in my opinion), the barrels scene, etc. They were few and far between, but they were there.
Honestly, it was a great movie. The only thing I didn't like? When it ended, really.
* And the Lord of the Rings movies have amazing sound editing. Hell, I definitely recommend the sound editing feature on the Extended Edition DVDs so you can see how they created the sound effects.
** And I definitely know that the fire-drakes in general -- such as Glaurung from The Silmarillion -- were kind of one of those sort of creatures that I was afraid of when...I think I was in middle school actually, because I didn't read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and other Tolkien books until I was in middle school. But yeah, the fire-drakes scared me. And yes, Smaug is a fire-drake of Morgoth. He was kind of retconned into being one by Tolkien.
*** Honestly, though he really fulfills the sort of Aragorn role, he actually reminded me, personality-wise, of Boromir. Strong, cool, sort of fatherly, protective, genuinely well-intentioned -- everything, even the faults, really. That and the two Thorins really are different -- book!Thorin was mostly driven by a desire to reclaim the Arkenstone, while movie!Thorin was mostly intent on getting his people home as well as the Arkenstone. I think both are good versions -- book!Thorin showing the dangers of greed and ambition (which seems to be one of many running themes in Tolkien's work. The story of Feanor, for example, as well as pretty much everyone tempted by the One Ring) while movie!Thorin is mostly just a generally good man trying (with the help of those around him, really. Honestly, if not for Balin, he would have been screwed long ago) not to sacrifice everything in the name of reclaiming his lost home.
**** Which really becomes Harsher in Hindsight considering that Kili dies in the Battle of the Five Armies.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.
Trailers I Got:
-Jupiter Ascending: It looked really good, to be honest. The premise looks intriguing.
-The Amazing Spiderman 2: Looks awesome.
-Maleficent: I never thought of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, but she seems to just be rocking the role in the trailer. Same with Elle Fanning as Aurora. And while from what I read, the Start of Darkness for Maleficent sounds really...weird, the trailer still looks awesome.
The Theater Experience:
Believe it or not (and maybe it's because of my being extremely late in terms of viewing the movie -- and yeah, I know, but let's say that I had a bad case of exams previously, and it was really only over the break that my family would allow me to see it -- that that's the case), my mom and I were the only ones there. My brother was supposed to go, but he was too tired (he's been tired a lot, really, poor thing) and my aunt was supposed to come with us, but she was kind of sick and had to stay home, which really sucked. And my dad wouldn't go altogether. So my mom and I were the only ones at the theater. So we got to sort of make comments during the movie. I even remember when Bilbo was sneaking around in Smaug's lair -- without the Ring on at first, but I'll get to that in a bit -- and I actually begged my mom to make some sort of joke so the tension wouldn't get unbearable. (We were all talking in whispers, BTW, don't worry)
The movie itself:
I already loved the first installment, but I loved the second installment all the more, if only because of the amazing character development, the character dynamics, freaking Tauriel (seriously, she was just so awesome), the building of the tension and suspense (I know that one of the things I loved about the Lord of the Rings films was the matter of building the suspense and the tension. It only made the already amazing visuals have all the more weight, such as the scene where Gandalf watches the Orcs march from Dol Guldur), and honestly, a heck of a lot more. It was definitely darker than the first installment, to be perfectly honest; I think the fact that it's the second in a trilogy definitely doesn't help matters. Because in a trilogy -- well, think of a trilogy like the three acts of a story. The first in the trilogy is the first act, where everything gets set up, the second in the trilogy is where shit gets real, and the third in the trilogy is where everything gets wrapped up, with usually a happy or at least satisfying ending. My mom wasn't exactly a fan of the film; she didn't dislike it, but she found it a bit too violent and dark on occasion, which I can't disagree with. The Orc deaths, for example, were pretty violent -- although they also got so ridiculous as to occasionally break the laws of physics. The two orcs that get an arrow through both their heads, for instance. I think it's definitely Peter Jackson's horror movie roots showing through here, because (and I was actually really surprised to learn this when I first did) he actually used to be a horror movie maker. Although really, he went more for the bleakly humorous sort of splatter comedies and not necessarily the scary sort of horror movies. So I think even though he was doing fantasy here, his horror movie roots -- well, they definitely come out in stuff like, say, the battles. (Also, Legolas sort of hopping on the dwarves' heads while he's battling the Orcs. Yes, that is a sentence I just typed. I'm giggling even remembering it. XD)
Speaking of the more horror elements of this, one thing I really liked (even though I was basically just freaking out and grabbing my mom's hand a lot and going, "Please, God, let them be okay" -- which is definitely a good thing. People should care about your characters, or at least be interested in them -- during some of those scenes) was the building of the tension. I definitely know, for example, Gandalf finding out about the Witch King's tomb being empty was a spooky scene, as well as that sort of false scare near the end of the scene where Radagast shows up. (Also, it was definitely good to see him again! Seriously) Also, Bilbo in Smaug's lair. I guess it didn't help that I just knew that Smaug was lurking around in that lair, and I was just basically going, "Put the Ring on, Bilbo, put the Ring on, put the Ring on..." (And I knew that putting the Ring on wouldn't be a good idea for Bilbo, but I really just wanted him to be able to evade Smaug and get the Arkenstone, then get out) I think it was the moment that Smaug opened his eye and later, began rising from the pile of gold that I started basically freaking out internally. It didn't help that Smaug...when I first read the book when I was younger, I never really dreamed of Smaug being that scary. I mean, it was tense in the book, but it wasn't like in the movie where Smaug seemed to be the stuff of nightmares. It doesn't help that the visual effects for Smaug look amazing. (And honestly, I don't think I could really do the look for Smaug justice. The visual effects look wonderful) Not to mention, Benedict Cumberbatch...when I first heard he was cast as Smaug, I was just sort of like, "Wait, what? Sherlock? He's playing Smaug?" Then, of course, he blew me away in Star Trek Into Darkness (even nearly making me cry, to be perfectly honest, all while being a scary sonuvabitch), and here...while he was amazing as John Harrison, I think Smaug might be a serious contestant in terms of Best Performance Thus Far. (Seriously, Cumberbatch is on a roll right now!) I knew he'd be awesome when I saw the trailer and heard his voice in the trailer -- it definitely helped that whoever did the sound editing * did a really great job at making his voice sound not just deep but honestly like it rolled up from the pits of hell. Nothing less for a fire-drake of Morgoth. ** He didn't just sound the part or look the part (because they did motion capture like they did with Andy Serkis when he played Gollum to get his movements and his facial expressions, which actually made it even scarier because they were almost too realistic), he was Smaug. I think that's another reason why the Lord of the Rings movies and the Hobbit movies are so awesome; the cast is just perfect. That and the fact that Smaug...in the book, as much as I can recall, Smaug was sort of smug and sort of sarcastic. Faux Affably Evil, as it were. And while it's definitely true here -- they definitely kept his sarcasm and wit -- they definitely upped the ante in terms of how horrifying he was. His telling Bilbo to step into the light where he can see him, for example, as well as the added detail for the film of him sensing the Ring (and considering that Sauron and the Fire Drakes were both servants of Morgoth...yep. No wonder Smaug terrifies Gandalf so much, or at least the very concept of what would happen if he and Sauron joined forces), and Martin Freeman's acting as Bilbo as he tries vainly to outwit Smaug mostly by praising him -- yeah, that was a frightening scene. Seriously, it was. And the moment where it looks like Thorin's going to leave Bilbo to Smaug just for the sake of finding the Arkenstone again just makes it more terrifying, because Smaug...Smaug's bad enough. But the idea of Thorin succumbing to the same "gold sickness" that struck his grandfather isn't just terrifying, but really, honestly heartbreaking. Even if I knew it was coming. It's one thing to read about it in the book; it's really another thing to see it on screen, and the fact that the first film was busy with building Thorin up to be this sympathetic and ultimately likeable (despite his faults) character *** really doesn't help. And yet at the same time, with Thorin...well, in a way, I felt for him. I know, for example, him seeing the bow perched on the tower -- which will later be used to bring down Smaug -- and commenting on how it hadn't been seen since Erebor, and Balin recounting what happened during that (I'll be getting to the matter of the Bard himself later), as well as when he thinks that they're too late to get into the mountain -- well, to put it plainly, I just felt sorry for him. And even though I knew that what he was doing was horrible -- him leaving a wounded Kili behind, for example, just because he thinks that Kili will slow them down, which Kili and Fili aren't happy about to say the least -- well, I wanted him to succeed. And yet stuff like him being willing to risk awakening Smaug just to get the Arkenstone back (which the Bard calls him out on), leaving Kili behind, and having it look like he's just going to leave Bilbo to Smaug's mercy, plus drawing his sword on poor Bilbo...it really makes it clear that Thorin's basically going over the edge. Which I think is really interesting to see, to be perfectly honest. And the fact that I can understand and be terrified by him at the same time...well, I think it's a sign that Peter Jackson and co, plus Richard Armitage, are doing their jobs well. And Richard Armitage did a wonderful job as Thorin. Whether it's him having a He Who Fights Monsters moment or rallying the people to his cause or anything else, he just does a fantastic job playing this character.
I know that another instance I really liked was Gandalf going into Dol Guldur. Not only does he end up meeting up with Azog and the others -- and the film does a beautiful job just stretching the tension, what with Gandalf wandering around this terrifying fortress, all while Azog and the others...I think the terrifying part is the fact that they're concealed under a spell. Just think about that -- Gandalf was wandering along this fortress, while almost unaware that there's a whole full house of Sauron's minions with him. He knew that Sauron was there, but I don't think he expected his minions. That and him being on the receiving end of a Curb Stomp Battle with Sauron. The voice definitely doesn't help, as well as Sauron saying, in a sort of Call Forward to what he says to Frodo when the latter is trapped in the Ring World for the first time, that there is no light that can stop darkness. And then we see the glimpse of Sauron's eye, and it sort of morphs a bit to reveal the shape of how Sauron was in the prologue of Fellowship of the Ring. Just a really well-done scene, and it being capped off by Gandalf watching as the Orcs march off to war...yeah, that was a well-done sequence. Terrifying, but well-done.
I also really liked Tauriel. I had my reservations at first, if only because she seemed like another Arwen Expy (and don't get me wrong, I really like Arwen, love her in fact, but...well, I just had my reservations), but she was just awesome (and it helps that Evangeline Lilly was just fantastic in the role). She's kind (her conversation with Kili while he's imprisoned, for one thing, when he was holding his trinket that his mother gave him with a promise inscribed on it for him to return home ****, and her praising how pure his promise is, also known as one of those scenes that got me close to crying in the cinema), she's clever, she's quick, she's brave, and she sees things that Thranduil and Legolas can't. I know that her making her decision to go and help out the others -- I already liked her before, but I think it was that moment, where she also asks Legolas "When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?" was definitely one of those moments where she earned my respect. And where Legolas earned my respect -- after he got me kind of angry what with things like him insulting Gloin and his family and such. Made even more jarring because when we see Legolas in the Lord of the Rings trilogy...yeah, there's his rivalry with Gimli at first, but ultimately, he's very much one of the Nice Guys of the Fellowship. Then again, Character Development -- when he chose to go with her. I definitely know I respected their guts right there. Not to mention her managing to heal Kili of his wound -- and Kili's sort of love confession (including his wondering if Tauriel would ever love him back) and Tauriel's reaction was very touching.
And speaking of Legolas and his family, I definitely know that Thranduil -- Thranduil was definitely quite frightening. Even more so because in the original novel of The Hobbit, he wasn't really a bad person. Yeah, he might have locked Thorin and the dwarves in the dungeons, but he wasn't exactly a bad person. He was definitely more strict than anything else, not necessarily bad. Here, they mostly turned him into a sort of ruthless bastard, randomly slaughtering an Orc after he promised to let the Orc go, and justifying it by saying that yes, he did let the Orc go; he just decapitated him. And yeah, the Orcs are bastards, no doubt about it, but even so, what Thranduil did was scary. Not to mention an earlier scene with Thorin when he's trying to actually negotiate a truce prior to imprisoning Thorin in the dungeons, and Thorin calls him out for not coming to their aid when Smaug was desolating Erebor, etc. and Thranduil says that he knows of dragonfire, and there's a brief sort of flash of the right side of his face that's been burned by dragonfire -- it honestly reminded me a bit of that scene with Two-Face in The Dark Knight. There's something in me that's torn -- and generally with adaptations, I'm flexible. If it helps the story, I'm cool with it. And this did help the story in a way, mostly in terms of just showing how removed Thranduil is and how he's been trying to do whatever he can to protect Mirkwood to the point of insanity. But that, plus his classism when talking to Tauriel when he's referring to Legolas being quite fond of her (made worse when it looks like he's, at first, going to have a sort of Pet the Dog moment and then it turns around and becomes a sort of asshole moment. The look on Tauriel's face doesn't really help)...yeah, Thranduil was a Jerkass. It served the story, yes, and yet...well, I'm not certain that I like it, especially considering I didn't really mind Thranduil in the original novel of The Hobbit. Movie Thranduil wasn't exactly very likeable; I guess it was because of his Knight Templar nature. (Then again, I could be wrong) Legolas, on the other hand, was definitely awesome. Yeah, he started out as a Jerkass at first, but he definitely got some pretty good Character Development later on.
I also really liked the Bard. I know that the scenes with his family, for example, were very sweet and very touching -- and even occasionally poignant, such as when he's trying to reassure his daughter that they're not going to die when Smaug first wakes up and there's this sort of ripple that's mistaken for an earthquake (also loved Balin's line "That, my lad, was a dragon" when talking to one of the dwarves) and it looks like Smaug's going to head for Laketown. That and he was a genuinely nice guy -- helping the people, standing up to the Mayor of Laketown (who was also pretty awesome, thanks to Stephen Fry just having a lot of fun with his role), and so on and so forth. Not to mention being willing to call out Thorin's potential terrible mistake in terms of putting the people of Laketown in danger. It definitely added a reminder that even in the midst of Thorin's inspirational speech to the people of Laketown, despite how sincere Thorin may be, he's still going over the edge. Balin calling him out on it as well also helps, what with things like "the Thorin I knew would never leave Bilbo behind like that" (basically) as well as, when Thorin says, "I won't risk the quest for the life of one burglar", correcting him and telling Thorin, "His name is Bilbo". Balin was another favorite of mine, to be perfectly honest -- not only was he incredibly clever (persuading the Bard to get them to Laketown, for example) but he was definitely one of the nicest dwarves in the Company, to be honest -- calling out Thorin for his callous treatment of Bilbo, for example. Which seems to stick if only for the moment considering that Thorin just rushes back in there and, instead of going after the Arkenstone, makes it more of a goal to save Bilbo and kill Smaug. And granted, it fails -- but then again, I already sort of figured that. Smaug doesn't really die until one of the Black Arrows gets him in the Battle of Laketown -- but the process, just luring out Smaug by taunting him before springing the trap -- even trying to drown him in liquid gold at one point. Also known as a Karmic Death if it had actually been a death, really -- was definitely worthy of admiration. And Smaug's reaction when he sees Thorin face-to-face was definitely awesome. Not to mention him ultimately escaping the trap -- though ultimately heartbreaking and terrifying as well -- and heading towards Laketown to exact his revenge. It's awesome, really, thanks to the image of Smaug rising from the liquid gold (also clever considering that one of his titles is Smaug The Golden. Nice one, Jackson!) and yet heartbreaking thanks to the fact that the people of Laketown really didn't do anything wrong; Smaug is just exacting his revenge on them because he thinks that they're allied with the dwarves, because he can smell the people of Laketown on their clothes. Bilbo's last line, "What have we done?" just makes it even worse. And then it just cuts to black, then the credits roll, and I was in the theater sort of like, "You can't just leave it there!" I know I was definitely all but numb by the time I walked out because...well, I felt like I'd gone into shock. The ending was just that powerful.
I also really liked the whole Mirkwood forest scene. While it was more whimsical, in a sense, in the book (including that song that Bilbo sings to one of the spiders just to provoke them. I'm thinking Jackson and co. cut that song -- which kind of sucks -- because they figured that it would probably distract from the general tension of the scene, but even so...I almost wish it had been in there, if only for nostalgia's sake. I really loved that song when I first saw it in the book), here, it plays almost like the whole inside-the-TARDIS scene from "The Doctor's Wife", what with the Mirkwood fog actually messing with their heads. Also, the spiders. I definitely know that I cringed away when the spiders came onscreen; it didn't help that they were way too well-done, really, and too realistic. It would have been a great time for them to, say, look a bit goofy, but the visual effects guys had to have standards... And I know that the added scene they had when Bilbo kills a baby spider -- basically flies into a rage and kills it -- just because it touches the Ring as well as Bilbo's My God What Have I Done moment afterwards (he's just holding his hand to his mouth like he's about to puke, which I definitely would have done in that situation)...that was really well-done. It almost made me unable to look at Bilbo afterwards -- not that I shouldn't have seen it coming, but still... -- just because it was so unsettling. Still, it had some funny parts, like the Master of Laketown (also some pretty good political satire, in my opinion), the barrels scene, etc. They were few and far between, but they were there.
Honestly, it was a great movie. The only thing I didn't like? When it ended, really.
* And the Lord of the Rings movies have amazing sound editing. Hell, I definitely recommend the sound editing feature on the Extended Edition DVDs so you can see how they created the sound effects.
** And I definitely know that the fire-drakes in general -- such as Glaurung from The Silmarillion -- were kind of one of those sort of creatures that I was afraid of when...I think I was in middle school actually, because I didn't read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and other Tolkien books until I was in middle school. But yeah, the fire-drakes scared me. And yes, Smaug is a fire-drake of Morgoth. He was kind of retconned into being one by Tolkien.
*** Honestly, though he really fulfills the sort of Aragorn role, he actually reminded me, personality-wise, of Boromir. Strong, cool, sort of fatherly, protective, genuinely well-intentioned -- everything, even the faults, really. That and the two Thorins really are different -- book!Thorin was mostly driven by a desire to reclaim the Arkenstone, while movie!Thorin was mostly intent on getting his people home as well as the Arkenstone. I think both are good versions -- book!Thorin showing the dangers of greed and ambition (which seems to be one of many running themes in Tolkien's work. The story of Feanor, for example, as well as pretty much everyone tempted by the One Ring) while movie!Thorin is mostly just a generally good man trying (with the help of those around him, really. Honestly, if not for Balin, he would have been screwed long ago) not to sacrifice everything in the name of reclaiming his lost home.
**** Which really becomes Harsher in Hindsight considering that Kili dies in the Battle of the Five Armies.
So overall? Loved it. Definitely recommended.