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

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Popcornmeter

74%

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251 Reviews

85%

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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

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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

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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

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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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matthias s

**The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug** is a visual masterpiece that takes us deeper into Middle-earth, and honestly, who doesn’t love returning to this universe? Peter Jackson is *the* guy for the job—no contest. The landscapes are breathtaking, the soundtrack is enchanting, and seeing some OG cast members like Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Orlando Bloom’s Legolas back in action is pure nostalgia gold. Martin Freeman as Bilbo? Utterly charming. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Smaug? Absolutely brilliant—his scenes with Bilbo are tense, dazzling, and downright perfect. This is definitely the best of the trilogy. The added storylines work surprisingly well and show a lot of respect for the lore. The final act is a nail-biter, and the cliffhanger leaves you wanting more. That said, it’s still dragged out—did we need *every* detail stretched to max runtime? Probably not. But hey, for Tolkien fans, it’s a feast worth savoring.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/08/25

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Audience Member

My all-time favorite movie, as a book fan. It got the heart of the Hobbit through to shine.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

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Daniel N

Nowhere near as good as the lord of the rings trilogy but entertaining enough. Was fun seeing the pre-history on the big screen but felt like it got stretched out too long with too many "filler" scenes. I don't think the book was long enough to justify 3 movies. Could have told this story in two movies and left out the junk.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/23/24

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naim c

Its worse than the first one, its still enjoyable but its too long.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/15/24

Full Review

Alexander M

Huge LOTR fan & a lore purist, but I can make exceptions.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Erik E

i don't hate this, but i don't like it either.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/07/24

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

Tauriel

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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: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), WingNut Films, New Line Cinema
Rating: PG-13 (Frightening Images|Fantasy Action Violence)
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
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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