Review: THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG Extended DVD is an Exciting Journey for LOTR Fans New & Old

When I was given the opportunity to review the Extended DVD release of THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG, I balked at first, having never seen or read anything "Hobbit" or "Lord of the Rings" related. However, seeing an opportunity to fill in a gap in my pop cultural knowledge, I agreed, and when I got the DVDs in the mail, I called the biggest LOTR dork I know, my brother.

Not only has he read all of the books and seen all of the movies multiple times, but he took an entire class in college on the Tolkien series. Needless to say, he came in very helpful when watching this movie about a land, people, and languages that were completely foreign to me. I preface my review with all of that unnecessary information, so that you know that even though I came into the viewing with next to zero understanding of what was waiting for me in Middle-earth, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was even more impressed by the visual grandeur of its worlds.

Despite the fact that "The Hobbit" novel is a scant 300 pages, THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG is the second of three movies based on the book. In this film, hobbit Bilbo Baggins (SHERLOCK and FARGO's Emmy-winner Martin Freeman) is journeying with a group of dwarves to obtain the Arkenstone, under the guidance of wizard Gandalf (Tony and Olivier winner Sir Ian McKellen). On their quest, the group encounters Orcs, giant spiders, Wood-elves, greedy humans, poisoned arrows, and a dragon. If all of that sounds like complete gibberish to you, don't worry, I felt the same way.

However, despite the odd names, strange humanoid species, and mythic creatures, Peter Jackson's story flows smoothly from start to finish; and while being able to pause the movie and ask my brother for plot and character backstory was nice, if he hadn't been there, I don't think that not being completely caught up with the series' history would have impacted my appreciation much at all.

No one is ever going to confuse the performances in this film as being Academy Award-worthy, however, the dynamic ensemble cast is extremely compelling. Freeman has cornered the market on the unassuming protagonist market. Richard Armitage, who plays the dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield II, is a strong, imposing (albeit small) figure. Though McKellen and Cumberbatch have smaller parts in this installment, every time that they are on screen, either physically or vocally, they demand attention. While Evangeline Lily's Tauriel, a character created for the film, initially caused some apprehension amongst Tolkien devotees, she added some much needed compassion to the otherwise action-packed proceedings. Unsurprisingly, Orlando Bloom, Stephen Fry, Lee Pace, and Cate Blanchett are fantastic in supporting roles.

As has become commonplace for Jackson, he seems to have again redefined what is possible on screens both big and small. Whether it was on the Lonely Mountain, in the Kingdom of Erebor, trekking through the forests of Mirkwood, or in Lake-town every new land that the dwarves traveled was incredibly unique and vivid. The visual representations of these lands was especially helpful to me, as they immediately communicated the appropriate feelings of fear, wonder, and foreboding for each setting. Over five films, Jackson and his crew have over-and-over created exciting new worlds, and the technologies that they have developed are second-to-none and continue to impress.

A number of times throughout the film's 186 minute running time, my brother told me that certain scenes were not in the theatrical release. While obviously that didn't mean much to me, for my brother (and I'm sure other fans like him), those 25 extra minutes of insight were like the most colorful, candy-filled of all Easter eggs.

In addition to the extra footage, the extended DVD contains more than nine hours of special features including commentary from Jackson and co-producer and screenwriter Phillippa Boyens; "The Appendices" which chronicle all aspects of producing the epic film, and "New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth- Part 2."

Now, my brother and I only skimmed through these features, but based on how excited he was to sample each one, the true Ringers out there will undoubtedly be settling in for a 12+ hour binge-watching session.

Now, I don't know if I am going to be binging on the entire LOTR series in preparation for next month's release of THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, but now when my brother suggests I go over to his house and watch a movie, I won't be worried about being completely bored out of my mind!

A bout the release

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG EXTENDED EDITION, a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, the newest epic in The Hobbit trilogy arrives on Blu-ray 3D™ and Blu-ray™ November 4th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. The Extended Edition features a 25-minute longer cut and more than nine hours of new special features.

The Quest through Middle-earth continues in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, when the epic fantasy adventure is released as an Extended Edition on Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray on November 4th from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). A production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, this extended cut of the second film in The Hobbit Trilogy includes 25 minutes of extra film footage that extends individual scenes, making this the must-see, definitive version for fans. Both versions of the Extended Edition include more than nine hours of new bonus features that will enrich the experience of the Trilogy as fans gear up for the December 17 theatrical release of the third and final film, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare.

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Photo Credit: ©2014 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

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