Review: Compared to my enjoyment of the first film, I had the opposite reaction after the second Hobbit film. Instead of just adding new material to the original story, the film's writers started to make major changes to the original plot that spoiled things for me. I could live with small things like making the barrel escape more action-oriented, but plot changes like Thorin abandoning his sick nephew, his heir, at Laketown were too much. Adding Evangeline Lilly's elf character of Tauriel was a good idea in theory but they botched it by putting her into a weird love triangle with Legolas and Fili the Dwarf.
The second most important event in Tolkien's book is Bilbo's encounters with Smaug. While they did a great job with Bilbo's riddle game against Gollum, I thought they dropped the ball with the second. Instead of the perfect dialogue-heavy test of wills from the book, they had an ineffectual dragon pursuing the visible Bilbo all over the treasure hoard. Most importantly, changing the story so that everybody in Laketown already knows about the missing scale on Smaug's belly instead of Bilbo discovering it ruined his critical contribution to the demise of the dragon. After another viewing, I still don't see the writer's reasoning behind the dwarves attempt to kill the dragon at the end of the film. The whole point of them bringing Bilbo along as a burglar was that they could not possibly confront a powerful dragon themselves. I preferred the tension-filled chapter of the book where the dwarves are searching the treasure hall while expecting the missing dragon to return at any moment.
Quotes:
"You've changed, Bilbo Baggins. You're not the same Hobbit as the one who left the Shire."
"I was going to tell you. I found something in the Goblin tunnels."
"Found what? What did you find?"
"...my courage."
"Good... You'll need it."
"Who is this? Your brother?"
"That is my wife!"
"And who is this horrid creature? A goblin mutant?"
"That is my wee lad, Gimli!"
"Aren't you going to search me? I could have anything down my trousers."
"Or nothing."
"Was that an earthquake?"
"That, my lad, was a dragon."
"I did not come to steal from you, O Smaug the Unassailable Wealthy. I merely wanted to gaze upon your magnificence, to see if you were as great as the old tales say. I did not believe them."
"And do you, NOW?"
"Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of your enormity, O Smaug the Stupendous..."
"Do you think flattery will keep you alive?"
"No, no..."
"No, indeed!"
"You seem familiar with my name, but I don't remember smelling your kind before. Who are you and where do you come from, may I ask?"
"I come from under the hill..."
"Underhill?"
"...and under the hill and over the hills my paths lead. And through the air! I am he who walks unseen!"
"Impressive. What else do you claim to be?"
"Luck-Wearer... Ring-Winner..."
"Lovely titles..."
"Barrel-Rider!"
"Barrels! Now that is interesting!"
3 1/2 out of 5 Stars
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