Desolation of Smaug reviews

Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:35 pm

Time will tell. But I do hope (and expect) that you go into with an open mind.

Mon Dec 09, 2013 10:57 pm

A quite positive review (so far as I can tell from Google translate) from Der Spiegel:

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/der-h ... 38083.html

Mon Dec 09, 2013 11:02 pm

A very encouraging (again so far as I can tell from Google translate) 4 and a half star Finnish review:

http://dome.fi/elokuvat/arvostelut/arvo ... in-yllatys

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 1:23 am

It might be worth noting that on rottentomatoes, the Desolation of Smaug, one film out of a trio of films adapted from a beloved children's book by a peerless author in the fantasy genre, is currently 12 points behind Disney's Frozen.

Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:35 am

Noted, although I'm not sure exactly why. I suppose the point is that Jackson could have made a single film based faithfully on The Hobbit and have it be more critically acclaimed than any of his three "LOTRized" films. But that wouldn't be a Peter Jackson film. For better or for worse, we are getting Peter Jackson films. If one can't appreciate them as such, one won't appreciate them! (That is not a criticism, just a fact.)

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:54 am

Passdagas the Brown wrote:It might be worth noting that on rottentomatoes, the
Desolation of Smaug, one film out of a trio of films adapted from a
beloved children's book by a peerless author in the fantasy genre, is
currently 12 points behind Disney's Frozen.

That is no parameter to judge. Many classic movies haven't got a 100
score while some mediocre movies which were entertaining enough got a
100%. Does that make them better?

Besides, I have heard good things about Frozen. It being on par with Disney classics Lion King and Aladdin, and having excrllent songs.
So that doesn't surprise me.

Post by **SirDennis** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:24 am

If you toggle Top Critics, DoS is at 100% right now.

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 4:13 am

Finally read the Film Journal international review.

One thing upped my anticipation.
That they have kept Tolkien's dialogue intact in the Smaug-Bilbo confrontation!!!

Tue Dec 10, 2013 4:58 am

I would say that it remains to be seen whether "Jackson keeps Tolkien’s playful language intact for the scene where Bilbo plays a witty verbal delaying game with Smaug" really means what it says.

Oh Al.

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:18 am

SirDennis wrote:If you toggle Top Critics, DoS is at 100% right now.

True, but there are only five up so far, no?

Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:22 am

Passdagas the Brown wrote:It might be worth noting that on rottentomatoes, the Desolation of Smaug, one film out of a trio of films adapted from a beloved children's book by a peerless author in the fantasy genre, is currently 12 points behind Disney's Frozen.

And if you check their MetaCritic scores, which you yourself said was a more accurate judge of a film, they are almost identical. And DoS "top critic" score at RT is 13 percentage points ahead of Frozen.

Not that I think any of that particularly matters, because they are two completely different films with virtually nothing in common.

Post by **Passdagas the Brown** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:35 am

Well, it seems that they may both feature a similar amount of computer animation.

Tue Dec 10, 2013 6:09 am

A rave review from "We Got This Covered" except for being infuriated by the cliffhanger ending (still gave it four stars):

http://wegotthiscovered.com/movies/hobb ... ug-review/

Post by **Smaug's voice** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 11:07 am

A full negative from NY post

http://nypost.com/2013/12/07/bored-of-t ... ched-thin/

Seriously. The guy talks about DOS for one paragraph and the rest of it is just why PJ sucks and why Bloom sucks and why LotR sucked.

Should this even be called a review?
I hope this is not on the RT list.

Post by **Alatar** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 12:22 pm

Thats not a review, its a rant that would be banned on most messageboards!

Post by **axordil** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:39 pm

"Ignore the Oscars and the billions of dollars! I'm right and all of you are wrong! Popular things are bad!"

Every time you shoot a hipster critic, God brings a kitten back to life.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:46 pm

Hipsters at a Fox-owned tabloid?

Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:49 pm

Now that was amusing! My favorite line:

The problem with J.R.R. Tolkien’s hairy-toed Wagner plagiarism is that it’s all been there, slain that.

And yes, SV, he is an RT critic. With the lowest rate of agreeing with the "tomatometer" of any of the ones that I have checked, by a wide margin. But it's the NY Post. What do you expect?

ETA: But he likes Frozen.

Second ETA: I will bet that that gets added to the RT list before the TIME review.

Post by **Elentári** » Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:53 pm

Have to admit I sniggered at this, though:

"Jackson’s already in post-production on “The Hobbit 3: A Hard Hobbit to Break,”

Tue Dec 10, 2013 3:00 pm

Me too, Elen.

Just for some contrast, a rave review from Marg's Meanderings:

http://margsmeanderings.wordpress.com/2 ... -of-smaug/

We’re also graced with what may well be one of the most cinematically beautiful movies ever made with a mix of CGI perfection and the vast, sweeping beauty of the on-site shooting in New Zealand

But what of the dragon? Smaug is the big reveal in this film, and the moment the gigantic lizard unfurls his wings in the mountain, preparing to facedown Bilbo, the movie slides from ‘great’ to ‘awesome.’

It’s difficult to get dragons right. How do you deal with talking? Do they move their mouths? What about the fire? And the wings, where should they be? But the red behemoth who rises like a phoenix from his mountain of gold is utter perfection from his detailed scales right down to Benedict Cumberbatch’s deep, menacing voice rolling off his tongue.

The entire theatre went silent.

Where there had been laughter at small Lord of the Rings jokes, there was now hundreds of people holding their breath.

I was floored. I don’t think I had ever been so single-mindedly focused on a movie as I was for the last third of this one as we’re faced with Smaug.

This movie does the book justice. All the complaints viewers may have had when faced with a trilogy based on what is a small novel has been effectively swept away by this movie which gives fans the smallest of details and allows them to not just enjoy the story, but feel like they’re right there with Bilbo and Thorin (Richard Armitage) as they try to defeat Smaug.

It’s a movie you’ll want to see twice. Indulge.