Rent The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
3.6 of 5 from 826 ratings
2h 35min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and 13 dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), continue their journey to reclaim the Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Along the way, they encounter the skin-changer Beorn (Mikael Persbrandt); giant Spiders of Mirkwood; Wood-elves led by Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and King Thranduil (Lee Pace); and a mysterious Man named Bard (Luke Evans), who smuggles them into Lake-town. Finally reaching the Lonely Mountain, they face their greatest danger - the Dragon Smaug (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch).
- Actors:
- Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aidan Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Cate Blanchett, Mikael Persbrandt
- Directors:
- Peter Jackson
- Producers:
- Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Zane Weiner, Eric Monette
- Voiced By:
- Brian Sergent, Peter Vere-Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch
- Writers:
- Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo Del Toro, J.R.R. Tolkien
- Others:
- Tony Johnson, Richard Taylor, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon, David Clayton, Eric Reynolds, Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick, Peter Swords King, Rick Findlater, Brent Burge and Chris Ward, Michael Semanick and Tony Johnson, David Clayton and Eric Reynolds
- Studio:
- Warner
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Collections:
- 10 Films to Watch if You Like: A Hard Day's Night, 2014, Children & Family, Children's Books On Screen: Fantasy, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Films to Watch If You Like..., Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Cate Blanchett, Holidays Film Collection, People of the Pictures, Remembering: Bernard Hill, Top 10 Bookshop Scenes, Top 13 Halloween Films For Kids, Top Films
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/04/2014
- Run Time:
- 161 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Chinese, Dutch, English, French, Italian
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/04/2014
- Run Time:
- 161 minutes
- Languages:
- English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1, Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Chinese, English, English Hard of Hearing, Italian, Italian Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.40:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Trailer
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 30/11/2020
- Run Time:
- 186 minutes
- Languages:
- Castilian Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Czech Dolby Digital 5.1, English Audio Description Dolby Digital 5.1, English Dolby Atmos, German DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Italian Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles:
- Cantonese, Castillian, Chinese, Complex Mandarin, Czech, Danish, English Hard of Hearing, Finnish, German Hard of Hearing, Italian Hard of Hearing, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Thai
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Various
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Disc 1:
- This disc includes the following:
- Extended Version - Disc 2:
- This disc includes the following:
- Theatrical Version
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Reviews (3) of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
'An Unexpected Journey' - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review by Milstead On Movies
What was Peter Jackson thinking when he subjected us to the first film, which was practically two & a half hours of character building and the odd tribute to The Lord Of The Rings. The only scene of note was when Bilbo Baggins discovers Gollum & the 'ring', which we already knew by watching the LOTR trilogy.
In honesty, you could skip the first movie and be justly rewarded. You'd miss out on a bit of back story but you could easily pick it up and enjoy some brilliant scenes of action and adventure.
Bilbo, Gandalf & the dwarves are continuing their quest across Middle Earth from the first film and face peril at every step, across an enchanted forest, a kingdom of surly wood elves (including Legolas - Orlando Bloom), a floating village, before they eventually penetrate the dragon's (Smaug) lair.
As in the previous film and The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, meticulous effort and sweeping photography transports you to the mythical Middle Earth convincingly and the visual effects, makeup, costumes and production design are as good as they can get, although it's a shame that CGI has replaced makeup when bringing some orcs to the screen. The CGI animation to bring Smaug to life however, is top notch and Benedict Cumberbatch was a very good casting decision for the dragon's powerful, creepy voice.
The ending sets up the third film nicely, although it's a shame about the crap Ed Sheeran song ('I See Fire') which plays over the end credits.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.
Better Than 1. - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review by GI
The second film in The Hobbit trilogy is a darker film than the first but it's overly long and lacks the cohesion of the original trilogy leaving a feeling that the film meanders along. As basically a chase film this often renders the film tedious especially in the attempts to be ever faithful to the source novel and the other works of Tolkien and yet also adding additional characters and events made up for the film. But if you're a fan then there are enough elements to offer an entertaining adaptation. Peter Jackson knows how to present Middle-earth by now and creates a fantasy world that often is a delight to behold. Martin Freeman remains a delight as he was in the first Hobbit film and Ian McKellen portrays Gandalf with aplomb. There's too many characters here though with too much backstory to absorb effectively and even though the Extended edition is a more whole narrative it doesn't lift the film enough to put it up there with the original LOTR trilogy. The final battle with Smaug the dragon, malevolently voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, is a great climax to this film although the expected cliffhanger ending in readiness for the next film is little underwhelming. Better than the first Hobbit film but not on a par with LOTR.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
A Smörgåsbord of Special Effects - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review by KG
Amazing animation and special effects, good adaptation from the book, looking forward to the third installment.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug review by Alyse Garner - Cinema Paradiso
The second movie in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tolkien’s novel the Hobbit reads in many ways much like it’s predecessor; visually the effects, landscape, costumes and sets are superb – whilst much like many middle films the narrative trundles along at a somewhat slower pace. The show is still stolen by an excellent performance from Martin Freeman as the hairy footed hobbit himself: Bilbo Baggins.
The film picks up where the prequel left off, with the hobbit acting as a burglar amongst a company of dwarves on their way to reclaim their homeland from a viscous and gold obsessed dragon. Much like in An Unexpected Journey the group of travellers find themselves hunted by orks and dogged by wargs; whilst a brief respite in the home of a skin changer and attempting to pass through the kingdom of the woodland elves both make for tense but exciting breaks in their long journey. The key aspects of the film however, in my mind at least, are the moments in Lake Town, where a boatman named Bard (Tamara Drew’s Luke Evans) aids the dwarves in their clandestine crossing into the town from the realm of the wood elves; only to throw them into the middle of a long lasting feud between Bard and the Master of Lake Town (a terrible failure of mis-casting in that of the effervescent Stephen Fry who is reduced to little more than a caricature in such a limited role). Lying in the shadow of the mountains under which Smaug lurks the town is torn regarding the dwarves quest, with many fearing that waking the dragon will only mark the destruction of Lake Town.
Beyond this there is a rather unpleasant bit with some very large spiders which I would not recommend to those a little wary of either arachnids or the dark – and the addition of a new female elf, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly of Lost infamy) a love interest to Orlando Bloom’s Legolas the film felt more like a time killer than a genuine adventure; the moments in between those of high action or narrative importance meander somewhat uneventfully, whilst the final denouement in which Bilbo confronts the dragon himself is a little bit too cartoonish and child-friendly for my liking.
Ultimately I expect the Desolation of Smaug to remain the weakest film in the Hobbit trilogy, and eagerly await a lift in suspense and entertainment when the final film, There and Back Again, the narrative of which is based largely on the auxiliary notes of Tolkien regarding the history behind the Necromancer, Sauron and the inevitable build up to Frodo’s adventures in the Lord of the Rings movies.