The Desolation of Smaug

[naledi_seren]

I went to see it in Shrewsbury this afternoon and I'm just back. All I can say is WOW! All I can say this side of a cut, that is. But behind it I can be more specific.

First let me say that I loved the first Hobbit film. I know many didn't and I understand their reasoning, but I loved it. This was so much better! What I'm about to write isn't so much a review, more a series of thoughts and impressions. My head's still spinning from the film, so it probably won't be very coherent and I'm sure I'll miss loads of things that I'll think of as soon as I post.

Be warned - the things I'm going to say will give away the plot - especially the digressions from the book - big time. Please don't read on if you want any surprises when you watch the film. I avoided the spoilers in the run-up, and I'm really glad I did.

Okay, here goes. Not in any particular order, just the way I remember things.

1. Beorn. I thought the scenes in his house and of him - in both forms - were magical. I can see why PJ has him in bear form chasing them into the house rather than, as happens in the book, Gandalf introducing them two at a time. There simply isn't enough time in the film to have fifteen members of the company arriving in twos! The detail of the set was amazing. When I get the dvd it will be one of the things I freeze-frame so that I can see all the bits I missed at the first viewing.
2. Mirkwood. The old, twisted trees were very much how I imagined them, although I suppose I like to think of the area around Thranduil's halls as greener than portrayed. The major disappointment for me was that they missed the scene where they run into the clearing where the elves are feasting. When my dad read the book to me when I was four, that was the scene that I loved best - the image of the Elvenking, presiding over the feast was a point of light amidst the darkness of the forest. Instead we get these hallucinogenic spores to provide the reason for why they wandered off the path. It was an effective scene, but I would have preferred the feast. Also no enchanted river.
3. Thranduil. We didn't see as much of him as I would have liked. The trailers pretty well show every scene he was in. But still - he's magnificent! But what was that thing that happened to his face when he was interrogating Thorin? Any thoughts? I couldn't make it out.
4. Elros. So it was just the name of one of the guards that got drunk. Not some kind of flashback to Numenor. In a way I'm relieved as I couldn't see how that was going to work.
5. Tauriel and Legolas. I loved Tauriel. Her action scenes were spectacular and I liked the way she spoke her mind to Thranduil and Legolas. I'm sure many purists would disagree with me, but I can see how PJ isusing her character to be the one to stir Thranduil from his stronghold and I think it works. If anything, I thought the scenes with her and Legolas were a bit rushed. I think their relationship could have been developed more fully. I wasn't convinced by the Tauriel/Kili thing, because honestly - who would choose Kili over Legolas? But maybe that's my bias. But (rushing ahead) in Laketown, when she abandons Legolas to the the chase in order to heal Kili - that's clearly going to be highly significant to the next film and I'm really excited to see how that turns out. She's now disobeyed direct orders from both Thranduil and Legolas...
6. The barrel chase. Epic! Especially where Legolas jumps on the dwarves heads. Legolas does get some great stunts in this film.
7. The moment where Legolas looks at the pictures of Gloin's wife and child (Gimli!) Priceless!
8. The conversation between Smaug and Bilbo was excellent and much of it straight from the book. Smaug is truly awesome. Martin Freeman is an amazing actor. I can see why PJ went to great lengths to get him. His timing was just perfect.
9. The fight with Smaug in Erebor. This is a major diversion from the plot but it was just so gripping that I can't fault its inclusion. And really it's something of an anticlimax in the book that the bdwarves hardly see the dragon at all - it just flies off to Laketown where Bard shoots him. This way, we get a truly enraged Smaug heading to Laketown and an ending that left me gasping.
10. Legolas again. I have to finish with my favourite elf. His fight scene against the orcs in Laketown was brilliant. I was just a bit puzzled why he sould have got so wound up when he discovered he'd been left with a nosebleed. He's a warrior. Surely he's received a wound before? I suppose it's to give a reason for his dashing after Bolg without waiting for Tauriel, but personally I found that a bit puzzling. Maybe we learn more in the next film. It's obviously significant that he and Tauriel have parted ways.

There's so much more I could say, but I'll leave it there. I'm curious to know what everyone else thinks about these or any other points.