The
Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug
(2013/Warner Blu-ray 3D w/Blu-ray 2D, DVD & Digital Copy)
3D
Picture: A Picture: A-/B Sound: A/A/B Extras: C+
Film: A-
Peter
Jackson may not have realized the epic journey he was embarking upon
when he took on The
Lord the Rings Trilogy all
those years ago now, but has managed to do everything right in the
process. With fans adamant that The
Hobbit could
not and should not be made without Jackson at the helm; the studio
(for once) listened and made it happen. Now, whether we as fans
would have known he and the studio would stretch Tolkien's shortest
book into separate films is anyone's guess, but to date there are no
complaints here. Sure it was somewhat of a money grab for the
studio, but with both films released to date standing on their own as
epic adventures there is nothing to lose sleep over.
The
Desolation of Smaug is
the second film in what will become The
Hobbit Trilogy.
Again, whereas it might seem strange to stretch such a short book
into three films, it gives Jackson the opportunity to tell the untold
stories of Middle Earth; diving into Tolkien's appendices and
tangential tales to construct an even more vivid world.
Picking
up where The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
(2012) left
off, The
Desolation of Smaug has
Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and Thorin [Richard Armitage] (with
his crew of dwarves) continuing their path toward Lonely Mountain.
The second part of the trilogy is darker in tone (somewhat) as we get
the opportunity to see more Orcs, battles, bloodshed, and less
silliness. As we finally get into the meat and potatoes (po-tate-ohs
precious!?) of the the tale of The
Hobbit we
are introduced to the character of Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt) the bear
man; or giant shape shifter to be more precise. An animal in size,
shape, and personality Beorn gruffly helps the hobbit and his crew on
their journey; leading them to Mirkwood. It is here when Gandalf
(again Sir Ian McKellen) departs on his own side quest; discovering
much more than he bargained for at the Tombs of Nazgul. Introducing
the audience (as if we didn't already know) that much darker plans
are afoot in Middle Earth. Meanwhile the dwarves are captured by a
horde of spiders in Mirkwood; only to be rescued by the unassuming,
slick Bilbo. We as an audience see Bilbo slowly beginning to
comprehend the power of the ring; as invisibility, the ability to
understand the spiders and the general hold the ring has on those who
possess it takes center stage.
Moving
along the crew makes it to Lake Town where we meet the Bard of
Esogaroth (Luke Evans) and the comically disturbing Mayor played by
Stephen Fry. Bilbo, Thorin, and the dwarves are on a covert mission
at first, but that doesn't last for long before they are rushed to
Lonely Mountain to face off against Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch)
himself.
It
seems clear that the third and final chapter will be the best;
finally showcasing The Bard, the battle of wits between Smaug and
Bilbo, and a final epic battle featuring the entirety of The
Hobbit crew.
This second film was an improvement over the first in tone, timing,
and pace. The film felt well balanced as it managed to create a
vehicle for the talented actors to display their range; while
continuing to deliver an adventurous tale that was faithful to
Tolkien's original works. The addition of elements from Tolkien's
other works, as well as Jackson's choice to incorporate his own
original ideas were brilliantly executed; seamlessly ingraining
themselves into the journey as if they had always been.
I
highly recommend The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
as it again brings a classic tale to life and shows why Jackson and
will always be the right man for the job.
For
a look back at our review of The
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,
please see the review link below:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12113/The+Hobbit+–+An+Unexpected+Journey+(2
The
technical features on this Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray release are all
done exceedingly well. The picture on the standard Blu-ray is a 2.40
X 1 image in a 1080p, AVC encoded, MPEG-4 that is stunning from
beginning to end. The image is crisp, clean, and clear throughout;
giving off astonishing realism and capturing the true essence of the
film. Every hair, every fiber, every bit of rust can be seen. The
film is without light and dark issues; projecting the finest details
in even the murkiest of atmospheres. There are the occasional
moments of aliasing, but far and few. Peter Jackson filmed The
Hobbit exclusively
on a Red Epic Camera System at the 48 frames per second (fps) rate;
which translates to 24 fps here on Blu-ray without any issues to be
seen. My main issue with the film (similar to the first) is the
brighter style of The
Hobbit.
With the Lord
of the Rings Series we
were delivered all of the fine detail and life, but with a dimmer
lighting scheme and grit that made the film appear realer. As we
move from An
Unexpected Journey to
Desolation
of Smaug the
film does take on a somewhat deeper, darker feel; but not enough for
this reviewer's taste. The 3D contains all of the same positive
elements as the standard Blu-ray, but with the added screen jumping
3D action. The 3D for The
Hobbit was
done exceedingly well and again translates nicely to Blu-ray. I
would say even somewhat better than the standard release this time
around; as Jackson had always intended for this adventure to be in
the 3D format. The dimensionality that the 3D brings to the film
whole heartedly encompasses the world of The
Hobbit and
Jackson's true vision.
The
sound on both the 3D and standard Blu-rays are presented as a 7.1
DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) lossless mix from the theatrical Dolby Atmos
11.1 presentations in select venues that is flawless. Desolation
of Smaug has
a heavy track to deal with as the film is action packed and
constantly moving. Prioritization is spot on as the speakers come to
life without a single moment of muddled sound. Solid bass brings a
vibrato to the film that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat.
The dialogue, the roar of the dragon, the musical scores, and the
clang of each sword projects with ease; in the end creating a truly
dynamic track.
The
DVD and Digital Copy releases are merely downgrades of the already
stunning Blu-ray and 3D releases.
The
extras are a bit weaker than fans will like; but this is most likely
due to a jam packed extended addition on the way. The ~2.5 hours of
extras include:
Production
Videos
Live
Event: In the Cutting Room
Peter
Jackson Invites you to the Set
New
Zealand: Home to Middle Earth - Part II
Trailers
and Previews
Music
Video for I
See Fire
by Ed Sheeran
For
more on this film, try this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12685/The+Hobbit:+The+Desolation+of+Smaug+(2
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
