“Taking
with them a young Hobbit for
his guile and a wise old wizard for
his magic, the Dwarves press on to
their homeland of Erebor in The Lonely
Mountain, where they will take on the
might of the terrifying dragon Smaug
in order to reclaim their land in the
second Hobbit movie The Desolation
of Smaug...”
URGED ON BY THEIR FEARLESS LEADER Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and
accompanied by the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm; and also Martin Freeman as
Young Bilbo) and the wizard Gandalf The Grey (the great Ian McKellen), the thirteen
Dwarves are now closer to the end of their epic quest — to reclaim their
lost kingdom of Erebor in The Lonely Mountain from the ferocious dragon Smaug
(Benedict Cumberbatch) and to rid Middle Earth of the evil that threatens all
living creatures.
In the second part of The Hobbit trilogy, Bilbo continues his fantastic
adventures; and right from their meeting on the edge of the Shire at The Prancing
Horse in Bree there is a sense of danger and menace. Twelve months on, having
survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, they strike out East for
The Lonely Mountain.
“The
Hobbit:
The Desolation of Smaug
retains the magic with
spell-binding scenery,
well-choreographed fight
scenes, and all the thrills
and excitement of an
incredible tale...”
Ahead
of them is danger from the bloodthirsty Orcs on their dreaded mounts, who are
still pursuing the Dwarves. The Orcs are growing in numbers and terrifyingly
they have formed an alliance with the evil Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch).
Having
sought refuge from the Orcs, the Dwarves encounter the skin-changer Beorn (Michael
Persbrandt) before heading through the dark and dangerous forest of Mirkwood.
Gandalf deems the way through the forest necessary and, before setting off on
another mission, warns the Dwarves not to stray from the path and not to enter
the Lonely Mountain without him.
Bilbo is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring with strange powers
that will help the hobbit out of danger. His fears of the treacherous and deceptively
dead and decaying Mirkwood are founded when, deep into the forest, giant spiders
trap the friends in their living larders, bound with unyielding web and unable
to move.
Captured by the hostile woodland elves led by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the
lovely Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), the Dwarves brave raging waters and unforgiving
terrain as they try to escape. Killi (Aidan Turner) is forced to leave Tauriel
behind, despite his growing attraction to her. At Laketown they need to find
friends, but spies watch their every move and their greatest hurdle is yet to
come.
As Bilbo risks the wrath of Smaug, the self-styled King Under The Mountain,
and searches for the Arkenstone — a fabulous gem sought by the elves
as well as coveted by the Dwarves — amidst the mountains of gold
he is keenly aware that all those who cross the dragon suffer dire consequences.
Bilbo and the Dwarves are facing a creature more terrifying than any other;
testing not only their courage but the limits of their friendship —
and they begin to question the wisdom of undertaking such a perilous journey.
In common with Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit trilogy never fails
to surprise and entertain; The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug retains
the magic with spell-binding scenery, well-choreographed fight scenes, and all
the thrills and excitement of an incredible tale.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug benefits from an international ensemble
cast that also includes: Sylvester McCoy as Radagast The Brown; William Kircher
as Bifur; Graham McTavish as Dwalin; Mary Nesbitt as Tilda; James Nesbitt as
Bofur; Ken Stott as Balin; Stephen Fry as Masterof Laketown; Cate Blanchett
as Galadriel; Lee Pace as Thranduil; Luke Evans as Bard/Girion; Manu Bennett
as Azog; Lawrence Makoare as Bolg; Adam Brown as Ori; John Callen as Oin; Jed
Brophy as Nori; John Bell as Bain; Mark Hadlow as Dori; Peggy Nesbitt as Sigrid;
Michael Mizrahi as Thrain; and Brian Sergent and Peter Vere-Jones as the Spider
Voices.
Music is by Howard Shore; I See Fire Performed by Ed Sheeran; Orchestrator
is Conrad Pope; Cinematogrphy by Andrew Lesnie; Writers: Screenplay by: Fran
Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro; Producers are:
Carolynne Cunningham, Peter Jackson, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh; Directed by
Peter Jackson (who also plays Albert Dreary).
*
A
production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is released on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD
and Digital Download from Warner Home Entertainment on 7 April 2014. Number
of Discs: 2 | Running Time: 161 Minutes Approximately.
Special Features — New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth, Part 2 | Hobbit:
Desolation of Smaug, Trailer 1 | Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, Trailer
2 | Live Event In The Cutting Room | Production Video | Introduction to Pick
Ups Shooting | Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 1 | Recap of Pick-Ups, Part 2 | Music
Scoring: Scoring The Desolation of Smaug in Wellington | Peter Jackson
Invites You To The Set | Lego Hobbit Game Trailer | Kingdoms of Middle Earth
Trailer | Ed Sheeran: I See Fire Music Video.
"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug retains the magic with spell-binding
scenery, well-choreographed fight scenes, and all the thrills and excitement
of an incredible tale" —Maggie Woods
“Taking
with them a young Hobbit for