The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie Review

Another must-have Extended Edition Blu-ray from Peter Jackson and Warner Bros...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown November 3, 2014

And so we come to yet another Peter Jackson extended cut, with the same burning question we always have: is it better than the theatrical version? The Lord of the Rings extended cuts perhaps set an impossibly high bar. Essential. Definitive. And for many fans, the only way to watch Jackson's first three Tolkien adaptations. Fast forward a decade, though, to a different time and the start of a different trilogy, and you find a decidedly different experience. The extended cut of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey plays more like a run-of-the-mill extended cut; one packed with too much deleted material, some of which works, some of which proves distracting. So how does The Desolation of Smaug fare? Its new cut isn't essential or definitive. The theatrical version is fine as is, and doesn't really feel as if it's missing any plot points of great worth. But the extended version also isn't nearly as problematic as its Unexpected Journey predecessor. The scenes that have been reinserted -- some 25-minutes worth -- feel slightly more crucial to the plot, and feature more vital character beats and welcome story expansion. The additional bits and pieces are still rather hit or miss on the whole, but the hits are more impactful and the misses aren't as bothersome. Desolation's extended cut didn't strike me as significantly better or significantly worse, just more of a good thing. If you didn't enjoy the theatrical release, though - - if the words "good thing" just made you wince -- nothing in the new version of the film is likely to change your mind.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continues his journey with Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan) and a company of thirteen Dwarves on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company, led by heir to the throne Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), travels East, encountering skin-changer Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt) and a swarm of giant spiders in the treacherous, winding forests of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the Wood-elves and their king, Thranduil (Lee Pace), the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, where they meet Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all: a creature more terrifying than any other that will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself... the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Elephant in the room: as a faithful adaptation of the second act of Tolkien's beloved book, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug fails, and fails spectacularly. It not only represents filmmaker Peter Jackson's loosest Tolkien adaptation to date (far more so than An Unexpected Journey), it fundamentally alters key events, characters, themes and climactic encounters, sacrificing cherished story beats and subtleties for the sake of bigger, badder, grander movie magic and, worse, the expectations and attention spans of fickle audiences. Defenders of the Original Text will neither be pleased nor amused, and find Jackson has taken several steps too many to expand and energize the second entry in his Hobbit trilogy. The more you treasure Tolkien's work, the more your distaste for The Desolation of Smaug will grow as the film hurtles toward its action-packed endgame.

As a film, though -- particularly as the action-oriented midpoint of a much larger action-fantasy trilogy -- Jackson's second chapter works, and works quite spectacularly. Divorced from the text, which is treated more like a rough outline than a sacred tome (a la The Lord of the Rings), The Desolation of Smaug is a brisk, thrilling, well-executed adventure through the dark wilderness of Tolkien's Middle-earth. The drama of the dwarves' quest to reclaim their homeland has been heightened, even enriched, exponentially. The heart of Bilbo's tale continues to pump the saga's lifeblood, even when the brave little Hobbit is reduced to a less crucial hero in Thorin's company. Secondary heroes and villains that were once sketches on the page are fully developed and that much more intriguing. And the journey, for all its faults, is suddenly more gripping, progressing with a confidence, clarity of purpose, breakneck pace and dazzling craftsmanship that's entirely Jackson and entirely engrossing. Does Jackson make mistakes along the way? Absolutely, and plenty of 'em. Arguably more here than in An Unexpected Journey, although debate will rage as to what constitutes a mistake and what constitutes boldness. The real question is, does his ambitious imagination and at-times unchained id deliver? You bet, so long as you're willing to accept The Desolation of Smaug on its own terms rather than holding it to the flame of Tolkien's fire.

Desolation races towards the Halls of Erebor without taking so much as a breath, abandoning the longer, more character-driven stretches of An Unexpected Journey in favor of increasingly joyous, almost impish outbursts of rapidfire action and grand-scale peril. Jackson hasn't left much room for a scene between Bilbo and, well, anyone other than Smaug, but there also isn't the prevailing distrust between Bilbo and Thorin that required the first film to slow down and deal with simmering conflict within the Company. And with introductions out of the way, there's little reason to do anything other than dive right into the next leg of the journey. Our little Hobbit hero has officially proven himself worthy of Thorin's respect now, and Jackson thankfully doesn't retread familiar ground or dig up old angst. Thorin, meanwhile, takes full ownership of the Company's quest (albeit at the expense of poor, Ring-addled Bilbo, who's once too often demoted to supporting player). Armitage takes ownership as well, delivering a commanding, layered performance that's strong enough to justify the prince's promotion. Here he's a more complex and haunted would-be king than the gruff, tough to please nomad that scoffed and scowled at Bilbo throughout An Unexpected Journey. Freeman still finds plenty of scenes and passing encounters to swipe, though, chief among them an early moment in Mirkwood where the budding adventurer realizes the lengths to which he's suddenly capable of going with the Ring in his possession.

Not that the remaining cast members are deprived of opportunities to shine. McKellan is as warmly wizened and lovably crusty a wizard as ever, with a number of visually striking sequences to his name that rather successfully dovetail The Hobbit into The Lord of the Rings. (The biggest problem being a rampant case of prequelitis, wherein the known outcome of Gandalf's toe-to-toe with the Necromancer deprives the showdown of intended heft. Still, better than having a wizard who disappears for no reason when he's most needed. Ahem.) The dwarves are also showcased now and again, not to mention a bit easier to distinguish, with the perfectly cast Ken Stott (Balin), Graham McTavish (Dwalin) and James Nesbitt (Bofur) making room in the spotlight for Kili (Aidan Turner) and Fili (Dean O'Gorman). Sure, John Callen (Oin), Peter Hambleton (Gloin), William Kircher (Bifur), Mark Hadlow (Dori), Jed Brophy (Nori), Adam Brown (Ori) and Bombur (Stephen Hunter) are largely comic relief and interchangeable background filler. So what? Each actor earns at least three memorable lines or gags that help set him apart from the rest of his colorful brothers in arms.

Then there's the ever-expanding Hobbit family. Orlando Bloom is effective in his return to the role as Legolas, even if everyone's favorite elf essentially enters the fray as an unlikable thug. (Personally, I dig Dark Legolas; if nothing else, Jackson is laying the groundwork for a redemptive turn-on-daddy arc bound to tie up nicely in the final installment of the trilogy.) Evangeline Lilly makes a fine Mirkwood elf, adding a touch of depth and welcome femme ferocity to the male-dominated proceedings. Her Tauriel may be wholly invented -- perhaps even wholly unnecessary, if a love triangle is all she turns out to be good for -- but, like Legolas' presence, that all depends on where The Battle of the Five Armies runs with her character. Luke Evans plays a solemn but refreshingly fleshed out Bard the Bowman; racked with a smartly concocted mix of roguish nobility, generations-old guilt and quiet resolve. And both Pace and Cumberbatch rise to the occasion, crafting two very different but very formidable foes in the elf king and the titular dragon. Thranduil is on track to be one of the more nuanced villains in the trilogy, doling out fire and brimstone with an air of high-minded self-righteousness, while Smaug brings more weight to the table than the spiders, the Necromancer, Azog (Manu Bennett) and Azog's mangled son Bolg (Lawrence Makoare) put together.

Yes, a number of questionable plotting and storytelling decisions have been made. (The most unforgivable being those that revolve around Smaug and a wildly out-of-place third act skirmish in Erebor.) Yes, action most certainly trumps drama. And yes, the this but that critiquing littering this review is evidence of how unreliable Desolation can be. But it's hard to walk away from the film without some level of satisfaction; unless, again, your love of the text is such that you can't set aside thoughts of what The Hobbit could have been. (To quote a disgruntled member, "Jackson shoulda stuck with the damn book.") The liberties the filmmaker takes, though, free the film and allow it to flit about on the wind in a dazzling dance of swords, arrows, magic, flawed heroes, vile monsters, stirring music and sweeping visual effects. The more I focus in on the various pieces of The Desolation of Smaug, the more I feel the need to fly to the top of the page and lower my score. However, the more I suppress the urge to scrutinize every frayed edge or dwell on my attachment to Tolkien's original work, the easier it is to sit back, let go, and embrace an invigorating ride through Jackson's Middle-earth. Perfect? Goodness no. Desolation is as troubled as Journey, even if for completely different reasons. Fun? Thrilling? Eye-gouging and jaw-dropping? Yep, yep and yep. Enough to make the second part of Jackson's trilogy easy to digest, enjoy and, ultimately, recommend.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Extended Edition release of The Desolation of Smaug includes three BD-50 discs: the first featuring the new 186-minute cut of the film (with no breaks or disc swaps to be had), and the other two devoted to more than ten hours of high definition bonus content. Thankfully, the quality of the AVC-encoded presentation is virtually identical to its April 2014 theatrical version counterpart.

Similar to the palette shift that occurs when moving from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Two Towers, The Desolation of Smaug is a much darker, bleaker film than An Unexpected Journey. The same goes for Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation. Shadows are greedier, the cloak of night more oppressive, delineation less forgiving, and crush a bit more of a nuisance than before. Even so, the two transfers are excellent examples of the benefits high definition affords; each one rich in detail, lovely to behold, and utterly faithful to Jackson and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie's dramatic digital color grading. Skintones are perfectly saturated (or desaturated, as is typically the case), black levels are satisfying (albeit a touch muted in Mirkwood and Erebor), and contrast is spot on, with very little in the way of distractions. (The few that do arise trace back to the filmmakers and/or the FX.) Clarity is also remarkable, with crisp edges free from aliasing and ringing, refined textures that capture every last subtlety of the film's production design and costumes, and a pleasing veneer of grain that doesn't hinder the image in any way.

Better still, artifacting, banding and other significant enemies of the crown are held at bay. There are a few negligible instances of banding and artifacting, but nothing that takes a serious toll, and nothing that will be noticed by anyone who isn't scanning the shadows, smoke and fog looking for something to overreact to. (A half-dozen unsightly, lower definition GoPro Camera shots pepper the barrel escape sequence, and irritate me every time I watch the film. But each one only appears for a split second and, again, should be laid at Jackson and Lesnie's doorstep, not Warner's.) All told, The Desolation of Smaug is gorgeous. Jackson's rabid fans will be rewarded for their allegiance.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like the theatrical version of The Desolation of Smaug, the Extended Edition features an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. Dialogue is intelligible, believably grounded in Jackson's Middle-earth, and meticulously prioritized. It doesn't have to compete with the many, many action scenes that threaten to overwhelm it at any given moment, nor does it suffer or struggle when rivers rage, dragons roar or castles crumble. Dynamics are terrific too, and the LFE channel bolsters each element that requires its aid, granting everything from Beorn's rampages to the windstorm of Smaug's leathery wings tremendous weight and presence. The rear speakers are just as prepared for any challenge Jackson presents. The skittering of Mirkwood spiders. A fluttering sea of butterflies atop a deadly forest canopy. The lapping of water in Laketown. The angry tendrils that hiss and screech at Gandalf's light shield. The shower of gold coins that rain down whenever Smaug explodes from his nest. The flames that fill the halls of Erebor when the beast attacks. Directionality is exceptionally precise, pans are wonderfully transparent, and the soundfield is as immersive as I could have hoped for. I don't have a single complaint.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary: Filmmaker Peter Jackson (fresh out of the Five Armies editing bay) and co-writer Philippa Boyens deliver another engaging scene-by-scene commentary that encompasses all aspects of the production. The bulk of the discussion is driven by the development, assemblage and adaptive challenges of the second film after the decision was made to expand The Hobbit from two to three films, but it's by no means the only topic covered. Jackson and Boyens are pleasant as always, and quite candid and forthcoming (particularly in regards to decisions made during the scripting process); rarely, if ever, boasting or patting themselves on the back, and frequently diverting any credit due to the whole of the production team rather than themselves. Once again, the only downside is that there's just one commentary. The Extended Edition release of The Lord of the Rings includes four separate tracks for each film in the trilogy, making Jackson and Boyens' lone Desolation track seem a bit... well, desolate. It's a small quibble, but a chat with the dwarves, Freeman and Cumberbatch, McKellan or other members of the cast and crew would have been most appreciated. It isn't bothersome enough to penalize the set, though, as the additional bonus content more than make up for any disappointment.
• New Zealand: Home to Middle-Earth Part 2 (HD, 7:11): The cast and crew reflect on shooting in New Zealand, where the very real beauty of the natural landscape outshines any CG creation. Note: this is the same short featurette that appeared on the standard Blu-ray edition of Desolation of Smaug earlier this year. The set does not, however, include "Peter Jackson Invites You to the Set," the "Production Videos," "Live Event: In the Cutting Room," or the Ed Sheeran music video exclusive to the April 2014 release of the theatrical cut.
• The Appendices Part 9: A Long Expected Journey (HD): The film's appendices -- "The Chronicles of The Hobbit - Part 2" -- is spread across two additional BD-50 discs, with a massive collection of bonus content that leaves no stone unturned... quite literally at times. The five hours of featurettes and production documentaries that appear on the first bonus content disc breaks down as follows:
  
  
  • Opening (HD, 3:22): Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens and a number of actors touch on the decision to expand The Hobbit saga into three films and briefly discuss the challenges the second installment presented, the "ordered chaos" that was the production, and the highs and lows of shooting Desolation.
  • A Warm Welcome (HD, 29:23): Peter Jackson, Martin Freeman, the Dwarf actors, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans and other members of the cast and crew tear through Lake-town, discussing everything from the sprawling sets to the immersive joy of walking the streets, burying the dwarves in fish, incorporating acrobatic wire-suspended elves into the action, the dwarves' public "trial" before the Master, the various tricks and techniques used to achieve shots in which Bilbo and the Dwarves appear alongside humans and elves, and the many, many Lake-town cameos peppered throughout the film.
  • Business of the State (HD, 15:24): In the Master's chambers, Jackson directs actors Stephen Fry and Ryan Gage to make their politicians as sleazy as possible, keeps things light with airborne eggs and mountain oysters, and works to balance style and silliness.
  • Shelter on the Long Lake (HD, 20:19): Up next, the Bard's house, fully realized using two sets at two different scales (1:1 and 1:1.42). Highlighted is the filming of James Nesbitt's children (who play the Bard's daughters), the Lake-town orc attack, Evangeline Lilly and her stunt double's work, splicing a single-scale dwarf together with green screen magic, the Black Arrow and its reveal, and, as Andy Serkis labels it, the most pivotal scene of the movie: the toilet entrance.
  • In the Halls of the Elvenking (HD, 29:17): Two deleted/alternate scenes are featured in this half-hour look at the Woodland Realm, the halls, prisons and cellar of the Elvenking's fortress, and Thranduil and his subjects. Also covered: Thranduil's throne chamber, the king's wine barrels, the fun of improvisation in dwarf jail, and the rehearsal for Thorin and Thranduil's confrontation.
  • Flies and Spiders (HD, 29:43): On to Mirkwood Forest as the cast and crew face endless delights and challenges. Exhaustion, drunkenness and drug tripping on the forest sets, Jackson's shout-y action-scene direction, the madness of spiderweb cocoons and more are on display for all to see and enjoy.
  • Queer Lodgings (HD, 27:02): The locale by locale tour of Jackson's Middle-earth continues with a revealing trip to Beorn's house, where towering sets allow the characters (skin-changer, wizard, dwarves and hobbit) to believably appear, in appropriate scale, alongside one another. Running in costume is the first order of business, followed by a move from exterior location to interior set, additional March 2012 filming, and more.
  • On the Doorstep (HD, 18:28): With the journey to Erebor complete, the behind-the-scenes cameras turn to location scouting for the mountainside staircase, designing and building the dwarven statues (via bigatures and other practical set pieces), the development of the moon light reveal and the hidden door, a visit from Smaug himself, and the disastrous devastation nearly unleashed by Graham McTavish.
  • Inside Information (HD, 26:12): Smaug wasn't just kept secret from the audience. The cast and crew weren't sure what he would look like either. Martin Freeman handles it like a pro, though, delivering take after take to... an empty room filled with treasure. The design of Smaug and his lair is covered at length as well, as is the construction of the Erebor interior, Jackson and Boyens' adaptation of one of the most beloved scenes from the book, the female dialect coach who stood in for Benedict Cumberbatch on set, blocking Bilbo's encounter with the dragon, and the pitfalls of CG coin simulations.
  • Down the Swift Dark Stream (HD, 15:42): On location along the Pelorus River, where Bilbo and the dwarves come ashore after their barrel ride and meet Bard. Surprisingly, this simple sequence quickly becomes a hilarious horror show, as Richard Armitage and his paddling cohorts battle ice-cold water in full costume and prosthetics.
  • Barrels Out of Bond (HD, 30:05): The complete barrel ride, in all its glory. From practical filming to digital effects, motion capture, water simulations, large scale sets and a 2nd unit shoot, the film's wild ride is pieced together, bit by watery bit.
  • A Chance Meeting (HD, 20:37): Plucked from Tolkien's Appendices, Desolation's opening scene was devised and shot only after the two-film project became a trilogy; a trilogy with a middle installment that demanded a compelling beginning the filmmakers had yet to conceive. And so Jackson and his team returned to Bree, a nostalgic trip home for those who worked on The Lord of the Rings.
  • Erebor Rekindled (HD, 27:59): A new ending? No problem. Jackson and the filmmakers dream up a fresh third act after the Hobbit films became a trilogy; initially out of necessity, eventually out of enthusiasm. The goal? To show just how dangerous Smaug could be. The end result? An entirely different sequence -- one teeming with visual effects -- in which the dwarves harness their heritage, relight Erebor's forge, and go on the offensive.
  • Into the Fire (HD, 7:58): A glimpse into the near future and all that The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will offer audiences when it arrives in theaters this December.


• The Appendices Part 10: The Journey to Erebor (HD): The film's appendices continue on yet another BD-50 disc devoted to even more HD bonus content, totaling another five hours. The extras break down as follows:
  
  
  • Summoning Smaug: Last of the Fire-Drakes (HD, 1:16:31): "There are certain characters in movies where you just have this understanding going in that, unless you get this right, you're actually jeopardizing the movie." This extensive overview of Smaug's development, design, animation, voice casting and performance is one of the more engrossing documentaries in the set, and leaves little to the imagination.
    
    
    • "The Last and First Dragon" (26:36) offers a history of dragons, Tolkien's fascination with the creatures, the good professor's creation of one of literature's most unforgettable villains, Smaug's influence on books and movies ever since, and the work of refining ideas to bring a living, breathing monster to the screen.
    
    
    • "Conversations with Smaug" (24:50) focuses on Benedict Cumberbatch's audition, casting, commitment to the role, approach to the character, motion capture and performance (one that's entertaining in its own right), and the challenge of visualizing a talking dragon and designing, modeling and finalizing a striking digital Smaug.
    
    
    • "Into the Dragon's Lair" (25:36) delves into Smaug's personality and expressiveness, comparisons between Tolkien and Jackson's dragon, Bilbo's incorporation into the sequence, the look of Smaug's fire breath and flame blasts, and combining Cumberbatch's performance with other elements to build the final digital creature.
  
  
  • The Peoples and Denizens of Middle-earth (HD, 1:11:48): Another three-part documentary follows, one that pulls back the curtain on the development, design, casting, costuming and performances of the peoples and creatures introduced in The Desolation of Smaug.
    
    
    • "Beorn: The Shape-shifter" (25:08) spends a great deal of time with Beorn, whose screentime is much shorter than the featurette devoted to his creation. Jackson, conceptual designers John Howe and Alan Lee, author Tom Shippey and other key members of the production team discuss Tolkien's Beorn, his uniqueness in the mythology of "The Hobbit," the development of his look, prosthetics and costuming, the visual translation of his transformations, the design of the digital monster-bear, and Mikael Persbrandt's audition, casting, approach to the character, and performance.
    
    
    • "The Spawn of Ungoliant" (16:49) returns to the spiders of Mirkwood, but takes far more time exploring their use in the film, their ties to Shelob and the spiders in The Lord of the Rings, their design and the inspirations that led to their final look, their modeling and animation, and finally the vocalization of their language, the difficulty in creating their thin, creaking hiss-voices, and casting old friends from past Peter Jackson films as the spiders.
    
    
    • "The Men of Lake-town" (30:17) is the longest of the three "Peoples and Denizens" chapters, and for good reason. It has the most ground to cover. Infusing history, culture and mythology into every costume, profession and performance was no easy task, and the filmmakers didn't breeze through the process. A great amount of thought was invested in developing a convincing, lived-in, diverse Lake-town with more stories hinted at on screen than could ever possibly be told.
  
  
  • Realms of the Third Age: From Beorn's House to Lake-town (HD, 1:34:07): Yet another sprawling behind- the-scenes documentary, yet another wealth of thorough dissections of all things Middle-earth. "Realms" is broken into four parts -- "Beorn's House" (26:40), "Mirkwood Forest" (17:00), "The Woodland Realm" (21:05) and "Lake-town" (29:55) -- and tracks the design, construction and functionality of the many, many sets featured throughout the film. Best of all, the smallest details are brought to light that are sure to make repeat viewings of Desolation a rewarding experience.
  • The Music of The Hobbit (HD, 1:00:54): Once again, the saga's music is given a terrific amount of attention, from the composition of new themes to composer Howard Shore's creative process and inspirations, the orchestral recording sessions, and much more. Chapters include "Overture: Music of the Wilderland" (21:36), "1st Movement: The World of Men" (20:25) and "2nd Movement: In the Halls of Erebor" (19:14). Of particular note is the documentary's structure, which divides the music into three separate groups. Not only is Shore's process, his compositional nuances, and the evolution of the score (which often occurs mid-session) explored in greater depth and detail, the manner in which Middle-earth's culture, history, mythos and visualization in the final film informed the music and each theme's personality is explored as fully and completely as any fan could hope for.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Desolation of Smaug isn't a perfect film and certainly isn't a perfect adaptation of the middle stretch of Tolkien's book. It wanders farther off the beaten path than An Unexpected Journey, and oh how the first film loved to go skipping off through the forest. Desolation is a thrilling action-adventure fantasy, though, with a whirlwind trip through Jackson's Middle-earth that's as exciting as it is energetic. The filmmakers deliver. The cast delivers. The crew, production design, visual effects and music deliver. And the film, flawed as it may be, delivers. And the new extended edition? It isn't as strong as the LOTR extended cuts, but it's better than its Unexpected Journey predecessor, and less problematic. As to Warner's second Blu-ray release of The Desolation of Smaug... wow. With an excellent video presentation, powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and more than 13 hours of extensive special features, fans couldn't ask for much more. (A few more commentaries maybe, but who's counting?) If you have any love for The Hobbit, there's no good reason to let this release pass by.