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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

PG-13

Released Dec 13, 2013

2h 40m

Fantasy

Adventure

Drama

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Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

251 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Having survived the first part of their unsettling journey, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his companions (Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage) continue east. More dangers await them, including the skin-changer Beorn and the giant spiders of Milkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood Elves, Bilbo and the dwarves journey to Lake-town and, finally, to the Lonely Mountain, where they face the greatest danger of all: the fearsome dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

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Critics Consensus

While still slightly hamstrung by "middle chapter" narrative problems and its formidable length, The Desolation of Smaug represents a more confident, exciting second chapter for the Hobbit series.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Jackson managed to do something that I never thought was possible--make me care about a Hobbit tale. He also delivered one of the best cliffhangers of the year. Kudos to that.

Sep 5, 2017

Full Review

Max Nelson

Film Comment Magazine

Nearly everyone in the film is creaking under the weight of the past.

Jan 14, 2014

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Bruce Diones

The New Yorker

The tale has no emotional resonance, and the thinness of the plot (only five of the book's chapters are adapted here) and the colorless depictions of the leading characters do it no favors.

Dec 30, 2013

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

The continued character development is another perk of the patience of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 17, 2024

Full Review

JD Duran

InSession Film

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug was anything but impressive. Just because you have the resources and abilities to do anything with CGI, doesn’t mean you should go crazy with it.

Rated: B-

Aug 19, 2024

Full Review

Iván Kazi

EscribiendoCine

This sequel compensates and amply exceeds its predecessor. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 9/10

Dec 7, 2022

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Audience Member

The scenes with the Smaug were impeccable...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

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Audience Member

Not as good as the first in my opinion. I still loved this movie, and I highly recommend it. Benedict, Ian, Richard, and Martin did so well.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

Full Review

やめてく

By the time this final chapter begins, it’s clear the story has long since run out of steam. The Battle of the Five Armies is less a film and more a 2.5-hour tech demo for CGI battles with no real stakes, depth, or emotional payoff. Characters wander through scenes without purpose, dialogue feels like filler, and the original charm of Tolkien’s world is buried under layers of visual noise. The actual “battle” drags on endlessly, yet somehow manages to be both overblown and forgettable. It’s hard to care who’s fighting who, or why. The human moments are gone — replaced by spectacle that’s impressive only in scale, not in meaning. This wasn’t a conclusion, it was an obligation. A loud, shallow send-off to a trilogy that never should have been one in the first place.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

Full Review

tim s

Part two of The Hobbit trilogy is by no means a bad film, but it doesn't quite meet the high standards set by part one. It has its memorable moments and features a myriad of fantastical creatures, but the pace of the movie slows significantly in the second act. The third act picks up the momentum when the dragon is finally revealed. Smaug is undoubtedly the best thing about this movie. Additionally, the cliffhanger ending is wholly unexpected, which, I must say, left me wanting more.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/24/25

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Nerd W

Should have been one movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Samuel E

One of the worst movie adaptations of all time. An insult to all Tolkien fans and a frustrating, boring movie. This movie was an exercise in torture. DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE IF YOU VALUE YOUR SANITY. Zero out of ten.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

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Peter Jackson

Director

Ian McKellen

Gandalf

Martin Freeman

Bilbo Baggins

Richard Armitage

Thorin Oakenshield

Benedict Cumberbatch

Smaug

Evangeline Lilly

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Synopsis

Having survived the first part of their unsettling journey, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his companions (Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage) continue east. More dangers await them, including the skin-changer Beorn and the giant spiders of Milkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood Elves, Bilbo and the dwarves journey to Lake-town and, finally, to the Lonely Mountain, where they face the greatest danger of all: the fearsome dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Director: Peter Jackson
Producer: Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Screenwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), WingNut Films
Rating: PG-13 (Frightening Images|Fantasy Action Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 25, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $258.4M
Runtime: 2h 40m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

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