Bad Housekeeping in Middle-earth: A Review of the Desolation of Smaug

[lavendertook]

I enjoyed PJ's big AU Hobbity Adventure Part 2. It needed more dialog and character interaction and development and less orc fighting, wizard wall-pressing, and smart dragons being bad at hide 'n' seek, but yay for pretty, pretty Middle-earth. Some of the changes were good, doing a better job of pulling the narrative into Tolkien's Legendarium

Comments

[shirebound]

including Katy Jackson waiting tables. And cats.

I didn't notice either of those in the first viewing. I'll have to pay more attention when I see it again sometime.

Thank you for sharing this thoughtful review.

[lavendertook]

There is a cat in Bree in FotR, along with a ferret--it was nice to revisit a Bree-kitty. (-:

[baranduin]

I'm liking this idea of a Beorn/Radagast connection!

[lavendertook]

Aren't they perfect together? (-:

[claudia603]

Your review gave me a lot of food for thought...you brought up a lot of things id never thought of! I may have to read this a couple times! Thanks for sharing !! :)

Beorn and radaghast should def have a cat. :)

[lavendertook]

You're welcome. Would like to hear where your thinking takes you.

Thye must have only very well-fed and well-entertained cats, so they are not tempted to catch Beorn's meeces. (-;

[hanarobi]

Having not read The Hobbit and falling very short of being knowledgeable about Tolkien and his writings, so much of what you wrote here was mystifying...in that good way that makes you start to wonder about things and be tempted to look more closely. For example, I just assumed that what I saw on the screen was what Tolkien wrote, and so I didn't worry about the forges and Smuag's powers of detection. I just drank it all in as canon and engaged in an act of pretty much total suspension of disbelief.

Having said all that, I will just agree with you that the gilding of Smaug was one hell of a glorious image to behold.

[lavendertook]

Glad to make you wonder. (-:

[browngirl]

And I was so glad to see so many varied people of color featured among the people of Laketown, though speaking parts would have been nicer, but, of course, you have to be an orc for that.

*laughs and nods* Oh, this review is glorious and true.

I'm really glad you wrote about the antiSemitism of the Dwarves are Greedy trope. I noticed that and was troubled, but didn't feel qualified to comment.

And while I'm on that, I just don't get why Bilbo took off the ring in Smaug's presence. It makes no sense.

Did you catch the flash of Sauron's Eye in that scene? Between Smaug's Compelling Voice and the whole "putting on the Ring exposes one to Sauron and is therefore painful" aspect, Bilbo winced and took the Ring off. At least, that's what I thought when I saw that moment.

I completely agree with you about Beorn (and Radagast, BWEE, I am tempted to prompt that at the Kink Meme) and Tauriel, and I am saving this excellent review in my files.

[lavendertook]

Thank you, bb! (-:

The antisemitism in the film is very troubling. There was no need or good reason to build the "dwarves are greedy" angle.

I missed the Eye-flash. What you say makes sense of it very well.

:-D