SPLICED MOVIES /
ISSUE 02
REVIEW / THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG
The character of
Tauriel (right)
is an original
creation written
for the film.
Jackson and Co.
wanted to bring
red headed bad
ass feminine
energy into the
film. "We believe
it's completely
within the spirit
of Tolkien." said
Phillipa Boyens
(Screenwriter).
Then of course, comes Bilbo's
encounter with the titular Smaug.
Benedict Cumberpatch seemed an
odd choice to play the evil dragon, but
any aspersions I had were immediately
dismissed the minute he began to
speak. Smaug was glorious, he was
evil, but Cumberpatch's added lilt
and pompousness made the beast
so much more incredible to watch
than I'd hoped for. The animation is
sublime, and I was mesmerised as I
watched the individual muscles of
Smaug's face tense and pull, giving a
dragon the ability to sneer in the most
condescending way I have ever seen. In
fact, with the exception of Freeman's
Bilbo and McKellen's Gandalf, Smaug
(via Cumberpatch) was the best-acted
character in the entire film.
WETA took 25
years to develop
the texture of
Smaug's skin
I left the screening of The
Desolation of Smaug slightly confused,
very entertained but also a little
disappointed - the potential of the
characters was lost in a miasma of
unneeded dialogue and very strange
decisions on their roles, as well as
the boredom-inducing filler scenes.
Visually, the film is striking (as always),
with Jackson's direction giving layered
and glorious scene-play in the beautiful
world of Middle Earth. No matter
my criticism, I would still definitely
recommend giving it a watch. Do it for
Smaug if nothing else.
7
VERDICT
An entertaining
adventure that can
be a little overburdened by
elongated narratives, The
Desolation of Smaug is still very
much worth a watch, even if just
to see Smaug himself.
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