The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013), PG-13, 3 stars

Young Bilbo Biggins (Martin Freeman) stumbling and looking at something.

Sometimes, so much of a good thing can be a burden after the disappointing first Hobbit movie. I felt like that movie had so much visual excellence that it almost felt like that the filmmakers were almost too focused creating a video game than an actual movie. The battle scenes in that movie felt like that it was too redundant and had no idea what each opponent was fighting for. And, there was too many shots of Bilbo exploring that the viewers felt bored. I even felt bored. However, this second chapter of the Hobbit trilogy is a vast improvement over the dull predecessor.

In the opening, Gandalf (Ian McKellen) persuades Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitrage) to obtain a white gem called the Arkenstone to get the Dwarves together. Gandalf thinks that they both need a person to swindle a jewel from Smaug. A year later, Thorin and his group are being hunted and followed by Azog (Manu Bennett) and his Orc party. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) informs the group that a bear may be following them and Gandalf guides the group to Beorn's (Mikael Persbrandt) house to hide. Beorn, however, is a skin-changer who was in the form of a bear.

The following day, the group goes to Mirkwood and Gandalf and the group discovers some graffiti which vanishes abruptly and mysteriously. But, somehow, the group loses direction and giant spiders are attacking them but with the help of Bilbo's ring, he sets the dwarves free and after dropping the ring, he brutally kills the spider and then he learns the corrupt power that he could inherit.

The Wood Elves arrive and they are led by Legolas and Tauriel (Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly) and there some discrepancies between the elves and the group where the group is imprisoned and packed into empty wine barrels being sent downstream. Meanwhile, Gandalf has to investigate the tombs of the Nazgul, which is found empty. There are too many mysteries and ambiguity and predictable turns and issues to really comprehend and it would take forever to type on, so I am just going to leave it at that.

Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel and Orlando Bloom as Legolas.

I did not even reveal what happens between Bilbo and Smaug when he is trying to find and retrieve the Arkenstone. It is obvious that he awakens (in proof of the trailer) but I will not reveal what kind of horror will be unleashed. I did like the movie because of the action being more thrilling and the pacing is a little better, but there are still some issues I had with this movie that I had with the previous movie. There seems to be narrative problems and it does not drive the movie with the length of the movie, it seems like the cast has to play catch-up.

Martin Freeman is still good as Bilbo and Ian McKellan is no less compelling in the role of Gandalf. All the dwarves still seem a little inconsistent at time to like compared to the Fellowship in the LOTR trilogy. It's great to see Orlando Bloom again as he plays Legolas and gets time with Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel. They do have chemistry with each other as they play elves with not much emotion. But, I have to say Benedict Cumberbatch voicing Smaug...he's pretty terrifying and scary to see on-screen especially when the dragon fires its mouth at the screen.

Again, it's a good and thrilling movie and much more satisfying than the first Hobbit movie. However, Peter Jackson, the director, has to be more creative with the storyline and let the characters blend in with the narrative drive to make the audience interested. It seems like that there are certain scenes that still look like that the visual effects were a bit overdone and seems like a video game at times. It is definitely an enchanting and admirable crowd-pleaser and sets the third movie as an anticipated movie of 2014 for many fans of the LOTR and Hobbit groups.

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