The Hobbit 2 The Desolation of Smaug

Not for the superstitious,  The Hobbit – The Desolation Of Smaug, part 2 of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, came out to rave reviews in UK cinemas on Friday 13th December yesterday. Ok so I’m not going to start discussing all the old chat, about how PJ has stretched The Hobbit into three films, or how parts of the plot differ from the book etc. The bottom line is… if you like fantasy, and crave the release of a good adventure film around Christmas time, then this one is for you.

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

Expect your fair share of unwelcome characters and fast paced action.

Dark and creepy scenes with the spiders of Mirkwood, don’t see this in 3-D if you are an Arachnophobe or perhaps just want to sleep at night : )

Benedict Cumberbatch (from BBC 1 ‘Sherlock’ fame)  is the voice of Smaug. He has been heavily praised for his voice and character acting in the film.

Here you can see Benedict going through his lines and experience just how much energy went into the role.

Benedict said “You just have to lose yourself on a carpeted floor, in a place that looks a little bit like a mundane government building,” he told Total Film last year on donning the mo-cap suit. “It was just me as well, with four static cameras and all the sensors. Then the boys at Weta work their magic … It’s very freeing, once you put the suit on and the sensors. I’ve never felt less encumbered, actually. And you have to be. You have to be free.”

Some beautiful moments and scenery also promised during the film’s two hours and forty minutes.

The film was released on thursday in the USA and the Hollywood Reporter claimed that it made a staggering $8.8 Million that night alone. CNN International give the film an A-, IMDb rate it 8.7 out of 10 and The Guardian awards it 4 out of 5 stars.

Let yourself escape into another world for a few hours. Always good for the imagination, I can’t wait. Anyone seen it yet ?