Film: Desolation of Smaug (Extended)

I got the extended version on pre-order middle of last week and watched it twice (hence lack of posts last week), it has an additional 25 minutes of footage for the film, and again this is scattered throughout the film itself and there a fair number of discrete new scenes.

Beorn gets more of a look in, with the scene from the book of Gandalf introducing the Dwarves in pairs which is a light moment. Mirkwood also gets more air time including the river.

Thrain turns up in scenes at Dol Guldur. Again, not part of the original Hobbit book itself, but alluded to, and then fleshed out in more of Tolkein’s voluminous writings.

There are extra bits in Lake Town which are good in further establishing the Master of Lake Town as a venal preening fool, but thankfully not more stuff at the Lonely Mountain itself.

So as a film, it is better and actually more in keeping with the back history of Middle-Earth and the general plot Tolkein had, then the original cinematic release. Again it remains a film very much of its own and not a blow for blow recreation of the book as I have commented previously.

Bottom line, its worth seeing, and is good entertainment.