Unless something bizarre happens, this will be the last movie of the year. Fitting, since a year and change ago, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was my last film of 2012¹

Unfortunately, The Desolation of Smaug doesn’t even reach the bar An Unexpected Journey set a year before. The latter² at least had a lot going for it. A return to the spectacular world that Tolkein imagined and Peter Jackson brought to life. A new story, promising the zany hijinks of The Hobbit with just a bit of flavor foreshadowing The Lord of the Rings thrown in for good measure.

Unfortunately, that’s where the The Desolation of Smaug falls flat. Actually, the same as last year, the movie posters reveal the weak point. Last year, it was the entirely replaceable dwarves. This year we have Gandalf taking center stage, with a trio of elves, Thorin, Bilbo, and Bard the Bowman. But wait, you might say, Legolas? He’s in The Hobbit? And is that Evangeline Lilly? Is she lost?

That’s pretty much exactly what you get for taking a 300 page children’s book and trying to turn it into an epic three four three³ part film–even more than the three 600 page nice thick novels we’ve already seen. You have to add things, just to make the movie feel whole. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work. The movie feels thin for a good part of it’s not insubstantial length, and by then end you’re just left wanting more. Well, you’re in luck…

Ah, who am I kidding. I’ll go see the next two too. Likely the week of their release even. Heck. It’s the Hobbit.

Wait, what was that? I forgot the eponymous Smaug? No, that part was actually pretty awesome. It took far too long to get there, but I really loved Benedict Cumberbatch voice. The fight scenes were a little much⁴ and for such an ancient foo, he was surprisingly gullible. Hubris, I guess? So it goes.

Overall, not as good as the first. Not even as good as many of the films out this year. Still, enjoyable enough for what’s in theaters.