Desolation Of Smaug Extended Vs Theatrical
Nadal Braymiller
To my mind, an extended edition should do a number of things: add significant length to the film (ideally seamlessly), clarify the vision of the film (and future ones), and add fun and/or interesting information or action. Generally speaking, it should coexist with the theatrical version without superseding it or feeling gratuitous. The extended edition of An Unexpected Journey did all of these, barring the last.
Bilbo flicks a cobweb rather in the manner of Pippin in the Fellowship film. It is cut so this occurs soon after the stream crossing. Though drawn to do this while under the stupor of the wood, this blatant self reference and stupidity is irksome. However, it does explain how the spiders find them. There is a bit more shown with regards to the enchantment of the forest, and they are explicitly shown leaving the path. The Company often hears voices. Whether this is to indicate the elves, or the spiders, I cannot tell.
In Esgaroth, there is a brief scene extending the introduction of the Master in which he eats rich (though visually disgusting) food and discusses Bard with Alfrid. They plot how to suppress the people and imprison Bard, going so far as to suggest laws specifically against bargemen.
After the Company leaves for the Lonely Mountain, the dwarves left behind approach the Master for help. They are refused. The Master is shown before this discussing the win-win situation he is in: either he gains much gold or the dwarves die and are off his hands. I liked that this mercenary element of his character was re-instituted, though it is implied in the theatrical cut.
The film follows the titular character Bilbo Baggins as he continues to accompany Thorin Oakenshield and his fellow dwarves on a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Pursuing them are the vengeful orcs Azog the Defiler and his son Bolg, while Gandalf the Grey investigates the return of a long-forgotten evil force in the ruins of Dol Guldur. The ensemble cast includes Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom.
The films were shot simultaneously in 3D at a projection rate of 48 frames per second, with principal photography taking place around New Zealand and at Pinewood Studios. Additional filming took place throughout May 2013.[6]
The Desolation of Smaug premiered in Los Angeles on 2 December, 2013, and was released on 12 December in New Zealand and on 13 December in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received mostly positive reviews and grossed $959 million at the worldwide box office, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2013. The film received numerous accolades; at the 86th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.
Thorin Oakenshield and his company are being pursued by Azog and his Orc party. They are ushered by Gandalf to the nearby home of Beorn, a skin-changer who can take the form of a bear. That night, Azog is summoned to Dol Guldur by the Necromancer, who commands him to marshal his forces for war. Azog delegates the hunt for Thorin to his son Bolg. After telling the company about the dangers of Mirkwood, including the Necromancer's rise and the Wood-elves being dangerous, Beorn escorts the company to the borders of Mirkwood, where Gandalf discovers Black Speech imprinted on an old ruin. This, and a prior request by Galadriel, prompted him to investigate the tombs of the Nazgl. He warns the company to remain on the path before leaving. Upon entering the forest, they lose their way and are ensnared by giant spiders. Bilbo frees the dwarves with the help of the invisibility ring. However, Bilbo begins to understand its dark influence after he drops the ring and brutally kills a spider to retrieve it.
The remaining spiders are killed by the Wood-elves led by Tauriel and Legolas, who capture the Dwarves and bring Thorin before their king, Thranduil. Thorin confronts the king about his neglect of the Dwarves of Erebor following Smaug's attack 60 years earlier and is consequently imprisoned with the other Dwarves. Bilbo, having avoided capture, arranges their escape via empty wine barrels that are sent downstream. They are pursued by the Wood-elves and ambushed by Bolg and his Orc party, engaging in a running three-way battle down the river. The Dwarves are able to escape both groups of pursuers, but Kli is wounded with a Morgul shaft. Thranduil seals off his kingdom when an Orc captive reveals an evil army is amassing in the south, but Tauriel decides to leave and assist the Dwarves; Legolas goes after her. Meanwhile, Gandalf and Radagast investigate the tombs of the Nazgl, which they find to be empty. Upon finding out that the Nine have been called to Dol Guldur, Gandalf correctly deduces that Sauron has returned, and is preparing for war.
The company is smuggled into Esgaroth by a bargeman called Bard. Thorin promises the Master of Laketown a share of the mountain's treasure, and they are given arms and sent off to the mountain. Due to his injury, Kli is forced to remain behind at Bard's home, tended to by Fli, in, and Bofur. Bilbo discovers the hidden entrance in the Lonely Mountain and is sent inside to retrieve the Arkenstone. However, he accidentally awakens Smaug, who reveals his knowledge of both the dwarves' plot and the return of Sauron.
In Laketown, it is revealed that Bard is a descendant of the last ruler of Dale and possesses the last black arrow capable of killing Smaug. Bard attempts to bring the black arrow to the town's launcher, fearing what may happen in the mountain. However, he is arrested by the Master, charging his son to hide the arrow. Bolg and his Orc party infiltrate the town and attack the four Dwarves, but Tauriel and Legolas arrive and quickly dispatch them.
Meanwhile, Gandalf infiltrates Dol Guldur alone after sending Radagast to warn Galadriel of their discovery at the tombs. He finds and cures Thrain before they are ambushed by Azog. The Necromancer overpowers and defeats Gandalf and reveals himself as Sauron. Gandalf watches helplessly as Azog and an Orc army march from Dol Guldur towards the Lonely Mountain.
Inside the mountain, during a long chase, Bilbo and the Dwarves rekindle the mountain's forge using Smaug's flames and melt a large golden statue, hoping to bury Smaug alive in the molten gold. They do so, but Smaug emerges from the gold, stumbles out of the mountain and flies off to destroy Laketown as Bilbo watches in despair.
Additionally, Peter Jackson makes a cameo appearance in the film, reprising his role as the man eating a carrot in Bree, his daughter Katie portrays Barliman Butterbur's wife Betsy, Philippa Boyens's daughter Phoebe and scale double Kiran Shah appear as a waitress and a Hobbit in the Prancing Pony, James Nesbitt's daughters Peggy and Mary portray Sigrid and Tilda, the daughters of Bard, Stephen Colbert and his family along with WingNut Films' assistant Norman Kali and producer Zane Weiner appear as Lake-town spies, and editor Jabez Olssen appears as a fishmonger. Brian Sergent (who portrayed the Hobbit Ted Sandyman in the extended edition of Fellowship of the Ring) and Peter Vere-Jones (a frequent voice actor collaborator of Jackson's) provide the voices of the spiders in Mirkwood. This was the final performance of Vere-Jones before his death in January 2021.
Most of the filming was finished during 2012, ending in July 2012. During May 2013, additional shooting for the film and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies began in New Zealand, lasting 10 weeks.[18][19][20] Unmanned aerial vehicles or drones were used for some shots in the film.[21]
The musical score for The Desolation of Smaug was composed and conducted by Howard Shore in association with local New Zealand writing teams. It was performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. The original motion picture soundtrack album was released on 10 December 2013. It received positive reviews, especially for its new themes.
Peter Jackson provided the first details about the second film in the series at a live event held on 24 March 2013.[24] The access code was attached to the DVD editions of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.[24] The live-broadcast event revealed some plot details; Jackson said that the role of Tauriel, acted by Evangeline Lilly, is a part of the elven guard and a bodyguard of the Elvenking, Thranduil.[24] In addition, he revealed a scene from the film in which Gandalf and Radagast the Brown search for the Necromancer fortress and discover that the Ringwraiths have been released from their graves.[24] The first trailer for the film was released on 11 June 2013.[25] On 4 November 2013, an extra long three-minute trailer/sneak peek was released and revealed new footage and major plot points.[26]On 4 November 2013, a special Desolation of Smaug live online fan event, hosted by Anderson Cooper in New York, was held across eleven different cities with participants including Peter Jackson, Jed Brophy, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage.[27][28]
Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lilly, Peter Jackson and, to a lesser extent, Orlando Bloom and Ian McKellen, took part in the press tour, appearing on talk shows and giving interviews before the film's release.
The film premiered in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre on 2 December 2013,[29][30] and was released internationally on 11 December 2013 and in the United Kingdom and United States on 13 December 2013.[31]
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was released on DVD, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray 3D on 7 April 2014 in the United Kingdom[33] and on 8 April 2014 in the United States. Three different versions were released: a Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD, and digital download combo pack; a Blu-ray 3D combo pack; a Blu-ray combo pack, and a two-disc DVD special edition. Extras include three making-of featurettes, 4 production web videos, and a music video for "I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran.[34] The film's home video sales earned a revenue of $95.1 million with 4.7 million copies sold, making it the fifth best-selling title of 2014.[35]
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