The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

ACTION/ADVENTURE, SCI-FI/FANTASY

Into the Fire

7.75 out of 10 | Rental

---

Rated: PG-13 Frightening images and fantasy action violence

Release Date: December 13, 2013

Runtime: 2 hours 40 minutes

---

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Cast:  Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aiden Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Luke Evans, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly

---

Watch Trailer

SYNOPSIS:  The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.

REVIEW: Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Lovely Bones, returns to the reins of the story that made Jackson such a premiere and acclaimed director of our time. Writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson reunite to delve back into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and the realms of Middle-Earth.

Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), his dwarf company, Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) and Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) narrowly escape from an Orc ambush. Still being pursued, the company of dwarves, a hobbit, and a wizard make their way ever closer to the Lonely Mountain. On the road they travel through more Orc infested hills, the giant spider infested Mirkwood, elf guarded forests, and an ailing fishing town at the base of the Lonely Mountain under the keep of men. During their travels Gandolf the Gray must say goodbye to the company in order to prove his own worries of a darkness that may becoming back into the world. With the evils of Orcs, the threat of the dark Necromancer, isolated Elves, and the greed and sloth of Men, Oakenshield, Bilbo and the rest of the company of dwarves may never reach the secret passage to the Lonely Mountain in time to face Smaug the Dragon.

Picking up immediately after the end of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug serves as the heart of The Hobbit trilogy of films. Using the same formula as Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy, hobbits, dwarves and wizards spend much of their time running toward their final destination, being captured and imprisoned, fighting off all manner of evil menace, and dealing with close minded and isolationist kings and kingdoms. Most return to the second film, and some new characters are introduced or pulled from the The J.R.R. Tolkien source materials.

Martin Freeman's Bilbo Baggins finds himself better prepared for the task of this adventure. He found something in the Goblin mines - namely his courage and an odd little ring. The company of dwarves, led by Thoren Oakenshield's Armitage, continue their venture as well looking more haggard and weary than Bilbo. McKellan's Gandalf is as enwizened and curious as ever, still able to wield a powerful staff and sword. Luke Evans plays Bard, a barge operator barely making a living in the small town of Laketown at the foot of the Lonely Mountain. Alan Cumberbatch lends his voice to the centuries old Smaug. Evangeline Liily is a new She-Elf name Tauriel, a captain of the guard of the Wood Elves. Orlando Bloom returns - for the first time - as Legolas the prince son of the Wood Elf king Thranduil (Lee Pace).

Peter Jackson's second installment of The Hobbit is as epic as ever, coming in at two hours and 40 minutes. With impressive vistas and long rolling shots of the hills and dales of the world of Middle Earth, the tale seems to have lost some of its urgency and magic. WingNut worked overtime to create more elaborate and epic CGI sequences. From the extended escape in the barrels from the Wood Elves and Orcs to the elaborate and gorgeous rendering of Smaug in his stolen under mountain treasure vaults, most of the effects are wonderful. And while the effects get better the repetitive nature of the film's storyline makes some of the quieter moments stale. Tauriel walks a fine line of repeating some of the same work that Liv Tyler's Arwen did in LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring. Even Stephen Fry's Master of Laketown is in possession of a wormy servant name Alfrid (Ryan Gage) a la a certain pale apprentice to Saruman in LOTR: The Two Towers.

Fans of the stories will appreciate all the love and care that Jackson, Walsh and Boyens put into The Hobbit. Newcomers to the franchise may be unprepared for the film's length or that it is the centerpiece of a three part single story. Beautiful and epic, Jackson makes fantasy as real as possible.

---

The World's End

ACTION/ADVENTURE, COMEDY

The Golden Mile

8.25 out of 10 | Movie or DVD

---

Rated: R Sexual references and pervasive language
Release Date: August 23, 2013
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

---

Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan 

---

Watch Trailer

SYNOPSIS: Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival.

REVIEW: Edgar Wright has made a name for himself with brilliant and off-beat genre comedies, starting with the zombie/romantic/comedy he wrote with star Simon Pegg - Shaun of the Dead. Following that, Wright, Pegg and actor Nick Frost returned with the buddy cop flick Hot Fuzz. Now, the trio returns with the last bookend of their film trilogy with the flick The World's End. 

Gary King (Simon Pegg, Paul) ruled the town of Newton Haven as a young man. On the last day of his high school career, Gary decides to take his friends on the local pub crawl. Steve Prince (Paddy Considine, The Bourne Ultimatum), Peter Page (Eddie Marsan, Jack the Giant Slayer), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) and Andy Knightley (Nick Frost, Paul) all join Gary, making the night the best of Gary's life. Flash forward twenty years and Gary tires of regaling that night, deciding to get all of his old friends back together to finish the pub crawl at The World's End instead of three bars short during the attempt in the summer of 1990. But this time around, the quintet is surprised at how different the town, ultimately making the discovery that some of the towns citizens have been replaced by robots versions. Desperate to survive, Gary comes up with the plan to continue with the Golden Mile to finish the pub crawl at The Worlds End - even if it the last thing he and his friends do.

Gary King's Newton Haven Golden Mile Pub Crawl List

1. The First Post
2. The Old Familiar
3. The Famous Cock
4. The Crossed Hands
5. The Good Companions
6. The Trusty Servant
7. The Two-Headed Dog
8. The Mermaid
9. The Beehive
10. The King's Head
11. The Hole in the Wall
12. The World's End

Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost did not plan to create a trilogy of films. Shaun of the Dead, a brilliant addition to the zombie genre, made the trio household names in the industry. The film quickly became a cult favorite, allowing Wright, Pegg and Frost to come back to riddle another genre full of bullet holes - Hot Fuzz. They even referenced action flick DVDs in the film itself. For fans of these creative visionaries, the police shoot-em-up became the second must-have DVD to add to the collection. Now, with some theaters planning to show all three of Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's films in a row, The World's End may becomes the possible must-have bookend to the 'triliogy'.

The World's End… The elusive holy grail that Gary King is searching for. Questing after the pub as if he was King Arthur of Camelot. While his friends have found their footing in life with jobs, families and homes, Gary lives his life of freedom, imprisoned by the fact that his best days are most likely behind them. While the group's fearless leader when they were younger, the reality of modern day is too hard on Gary. His friends still join him, though, in spite of their better judgment.

What starts off as an effort to recapture ones youth turns into a cross between The Stepford Wives, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Village of the Damned. To Gary it is obvious why nobody remembers the 'King', because they are all robot versions of the people he remembers. Once the melee ensues between human and nonhuman, Jerry and his drunken band of friends soldier on to finish the pub crawl and survive the night intact.

Taking a serious look at yet a third genre, Edgar Wright and Simon Peg look at a small town turn alien proving ground at a different level. Snarky and witty as Simon is want to do, The World's End doesn't treat itself like a comedy. Instead it takes a serious note on the story, while maintaining an air of humor with Simon at its center. Like Shaun of the Dead before it, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg do not try to make their efforts slapstick for the sake of it. They just take a different slant and keep all of the characters on the straight and narrow.

What makes The World's End so fun is the over-the-top, but 'dim' performance of Simon Pegg as Gary King. We all know individuals from our adolescence whose life peaked in high school. Gary is somebody to be pitied and felt sorry for, while still being charming enough to get old friends to along with his insane schemes. Gary King may be trying to find his elusive past, but his friends are also trying to recapture something lost as well.

Edgar Wright has come along way from Shaun of the Dead, more wise and seasoned in his film making and putting together a solid cinematic experience. The story and its progress are chaotic and "all over the place "but for me that just works in it's favor. Admittedly I am a Simon Pegg fan through and through, so I enjoy how he tackles every roll with a different persona but the same timing and wit.

Simon Pegg's merry band of misfits consists of straight laced businessmen needing a night out. Nick Frost returns in a role contrary to the stoner freeloader we expect. Martin Freeman's Oliver has a career but has forgotten how to let loose. Eddie Marsan's Pete, settles into a subservient role to his father at work and his wife and kids at home, shaped by a childhood filled with bullying and cowardice. Paddy Considine's Steve also holds a long standing issues, resenting Gary for his freewheeling life that he thought he deserved. Even though he follows Gary back to their hometown, Steve is quick to point out the failures of their youth.

The World's End is a little dodgy and a little drawn out in spots, but classic in terms of expectations of what Wright, Pegg, and Frost are known for. If you are an existing fan, then you will get a kick out of this flick. If not a fan of British styled sci-fi dramedies, then maybe you'll want to skip this pub crawl.

---

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

How It All Began

★ ★ ★ ★ out of 5 buckets | Friday Night and DVD

---

Rated: PG-13 - Extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.

Release Date: December 14, 2012

Runtime: 2 hours 49 minutes

---

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Cast:  Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Dean O'Gorman, Aiden Turner, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Jed Brophy, Mark Hadlow, Adam Brown, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Sylvester McCoy, Barry Humphries

---

Watch Trailer

SYNOPSIS: Content Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is asked to join a company of dwarves at the request of wizard Gandalf the Grey on a quest to help the dwarves regain their kingdom from Smaug the Dragon.

REVIEW: Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Lovely Bones, returns to the reins of the story that made Jackson such a premiere and acclaimed director of our time. Writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Jackson reunite to delve back into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien and the realms of Middle-Earth, with help from Guillermo del Toro who had spent two years on the project as writer and director before he relented the project back to Peter Jackson.

The unassuming and content Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman, What's Your Number?) is thrust into an unexpected journey when traveling wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellan, Apt Pupil) chooses the diminutive hobbit to join a company of dwarves led by Prince Thorin Oakenhield (Richard Armitage, Captain America: The First Avenger) set out on a quest to regain their kingdom lost sixty years earlier to the fire-breathing dragon Smaug. Passing out of the familiarity of the Shire and of Bag End, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves find themselves battling orcs, goblins, and wargs on their way to the Lonely Mountain, forced to take help from the elfs Elrond (Hugo Weaving, Captain America: The First Avenger) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett, Hanna), and finding themselves face-to-face with unexpected old enemies from years past. And Bilbo Baggins must muster enough courage to rise to the challenge that the rest of the company find themselves in, as well as deal with an unexpected rising evil in the form of a paranoid and possessive creature named Gollum (Andy Serkis, Rise of the Planet of the Apes).

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey comes from the first J.R.R. Tolkien book that visits Middle-Earth, halflings, dwarves, elves, goblins, wizards, and quests to be taken. Sixty years before Frodo (Elijah Wood, Happy Feet Two) inherented the One Ring, a younger Bilbo Baggins is enlisted by Gandalf the Grey to aid a clan of dwarves to take back their rightful kingdom taken by force by a fire dragon named Smaug who hoards the dwarves gold and treasure. In this, the first of three films to tell the tale of Mr. Baggins and his newfound band of wandering miners, Bilbo and the collection of farmers, metalsmiths, toy makers, a couple aging warriors, and a displaced prince, set out with the wizard toward the Lonely Mountain with only their gear, a key, and a map that none of them can hope to decipher. With lurking darkness and evil creeping back into the world, and old foes hunting down the dwarves, it does not take long before their quest to reclaim their birthright home is threatened.

The writing and directing team that brought to life J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy in an acclaimed and award-winning fashion return from the Wilderness, like the Ranger Aragorn, to the small book that started a young hobbit in the bloodline of Took on an adventure that would change him forever. Instead of rangers, warrior men, a troupe of hobbits, elves and a single dwarf, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey focuses on Bilbo, Gandalf, and Thorin's loyal dwarves who heed the call to reclaim their kingdom of Erebor. Sure, a few characters returned in the form of Elrond, Galadriel, and Saruman the White (Christopher Lee, Dark Shadows), but there are many new characters to get acquainted with. Personal council Balin (Ken Stott, One Day) and warrior brawler Dwalin (Graham McTavish, Colombiana), close relatives of Thorin, follow the prince with unwavering resolve in his quest. Fortune seeker dwarfs of the West Bofur (James Nesbitt, Coriolanus), his brother Bombur (Stephen Hunter, Spirited), and cousin Bifur (William Kircher, Hold-Up) comes along on Thorin's quest for gold and the promise of free beer. Fili (Dean O'Gorman, Kawa) and Kili (Aiden Turner, Being Human), the youngest of Thorin's company, have been raised under the leadership of Thorin himself and are both skilled fighters with a love for music. Brothers Oin (John Callen, Love Birds) and Gloin (Peter Hambleton, The Last Tattoo) are Northern Dwarves and distant kin to Thorin, with heavily investment to the success of Thorin's quest. Finally, brothers Ori (Adam Brown), Nori (Jed Brophy, The Warrior's Way), and Dori (Mark Hadlow, King Kong) seem unlikely additions to the company, but do their best to look out for each other and the rest of the company.

Jackson and company pump up the thin 'The Hobbit' book with additional threats not used in the original narrative. Using characters from Appendix A of 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, the richness and depth of myth that Lord of the Rings offered is also included in this first installment of The Hobbit. Azog the Defiler, an Albino Orc, is a long-standing nemesis of Thorin from the campaigns where Thorin and his kin attempted to reclaim the mines of Moria from the Orcs and Goblins. Although Azog is a major villainous character in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, another threat in the form of a shadowed man only known as the Necromancer may become even more of a threat as the trilogy progresses.

The return to Middle-Earth has been highly anticipated, and Peter Jackson and company do not disappoint. We are treated to familiar and brand new characters alike. Martin Freeman, taking over the role of Bilbo Baggins from Ian Holm, is a delight to watch. Armitage's Thorin is steely and his presence gravitating. Gandalf returns in all his gruff, pre-White, wizarding ways. And Gollum returns, in all his CGI splendor, even more detailed and bi-polar than ever. From LOTR, we may have witnesses the capture of the One Ring by a hobbit named Smeagol, but we were never given the opportunity to see the game of riddles between Gollum and a younger Bilbo. Aside from the attention to detail to the characters, Jackson continues to lay out exact inspired Middle-Earth landscapes. With dramatic ariel camera shots of rolling plains and mountain peaks, detailed miniatures coupled with live-action and CGI insets, and intimate settings throughout, the mythos of Tolkien's vision comes to life in grand fashion - yet again.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a beautiful film with a story that speeds by. Knowing that this film is indeed the first of a trilogy, we must prepare for an ending that is an abrupt cliffhanger - unsatisfying for those who want the entire trilogy's story presented in marathon fashion. It is difficult to not compare the prequel The Hobbit with the original LOTR. We know the ultimate ending of the story, so we know some of who will continue on the quest and eventually return home. LOTR's Aragorn and the company of the Fellowship of the Ring setting out from Rivendell was a diverse group of species working together for a common goal of good versus evil. The Hobbit does have a quest of good versus evil, as well, but may not live up to the grand epic that LOTR was. As a minor fantasy epic, I think most will rightfully enjoy Bilbo's adventures.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is a glorious return to the creatures and adventures of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. Even if the quest is not as epic as the destruction of the One Ring, all great quests begin with the smallest furry-footed Hobbit step!

---

The Pirates: Band of Misfits 3D

Laugh Your Booty Off!

---

Rated: PG Mild action, rude humor and some language
Release Date: April 27, 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 28 mins

---

Director: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt
Writers: Gideon Defoe, based on his books 'The Pirates! in an Adventures with Scientists' and 'The Pirates!  in an Adventure with Whaling'
Cast: Hugh Grant, Brendan Gleeson, Martin Freeman, David Tennant, Imelda Staunton

---

---

SYNOPSIS: Trying again to win the coveted Pirate of the Year award given out annually on Blood Island by the Pirate King, the Pirate Captain travels the high seas in search gold booty and notoriety to clinch the first place trophy.

REVIEW: Peter Lord, director of the 2000 Chicken Run, takes a break from the drudgery of producing various Walter and Gromit films and Arthur Christmas to return to the wheel to rudder in a new animated kids movie based on the works of Gideon Defoe. Based on elements from Defoe's 'The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists' and 'The Pirates! in an Adventure in Whaling', director Peter Lord takes us on kid-friendly adventure on the high seas.

The Pirate Captain (voiced by Hugh Grant, Did You Hear About the Morgans?) has the adoration of his crew, with weekly Ham Night dinners and upbeat attitudes. Since he hasn't yet won the coveted Pirate of the Year award, he believes he is a shoo-in to win this year. Traveling to Blood Island where the annual event is held, he realizes that he doesn't have the ruthlessness of Cutlass Liz (voiced by Selma Hayek, Puss in Boots) or the gold booty of Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven, Entourage) to stand out from the pirate crowd to win. Laughed off the island, the Pirate Captain vows to return with chests full of treasure to win the entire competition. When the Captain and his crew come across Charles Darwin (David Tennent, Fright Night), Darwin makes a discovery that could led the Pirate Captain to win the Scientist of the Year award in London and have enough gold to get back to the Pirate of the Year ceremony to win!

The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a silly, high-seas romp following a group of scurvy pirates with only hope in their hearts and cutlasses in their hands. Following their Pirate Captain into any adventures are his Number 2 man, the Pirate with a Scarf (voiced by Martin Freeman, What's Your Number?), the Albino Pirate (voiced by Anton Yelchin, Fright Night), the Pirate with Gout (voiced by Brendan Gleeson, The Raven), the Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (voiced by Ashley Jensen, Arthur Christmas), the Pirate Who Likes Sunset and Kittens (voiced by Al Roker, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa), and more. With formidable names like that, the Captain and his crew are certainly pirates not to be trifled with. Add in a big boned parrot named Polly, and you have a formula of adventure and high sea hi-jinks.

The Wallace and Gromit type of animation has come such a long way. Still a little choppy and 'stop-action-y', the world that the Aardman Animation studios created is so intricate and detailed. From the opening panning shot of 1837 London that flies over the town, through windows, and chandeliers hanging in Queen Victoria's (voiced by Imelda Staunton, Arthur Christmas) dining chambers, the film has more depth and weight than any of it’s style of film produced before. Director Peter Lord is quick to point out the importance of the 300 plus crew members in all aspects of the films design and production. From the beautiful ebb and flow of the CGI ocean tides to the fog banks of Victorian London, The Pirates! Band of Misfits approaches true CGI production quality without sacrificing the three dimensionality of stop action artistry the studio is known for.

What thumps within this pirate's chest of a movie is heart, not gold trinkets. Of course, the Pirate Captain is not that successful in plundering for ample treasure for his crew, but he makes up for it with his crew with fun and planned events. From water skiing behind the ship to the weekly dance-filled Ham dinners, the Captain and the crew are a close-knit family. No matter what obstacles come their way, this seafaring group will stay united. Even Polly the Parrot is considered the heart of the family! The Captain may stray off course with visions of trophies and awards from time to time but we hope, with a little bit of support from his mates, that he comes through in the end.

In the tradition of Walter and Gromit, Flushed Away, and Chicken Run, Aardman Animation studios bring a silly, salty, sea worthy whale of a tale to the silver screen. Hugh Grant voice transforms itself from his usually stuttering, unsure self to a confident cutlass-toting man of the sea. Gleeson, Yelchin, and Freeman are endearing as part of the crew. Gleeson emotes his typical gruff self, Yelchin is as innocent as he was in The Smurfs, and Freeman remains ever even and faithful to his commander. On the other side of the sea, Imelda Staunton commands notice as Queen Victoria. David Tennent plays both sides as the evolutionist Charles Darwin.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a funny, creative and daffy look at a life at sea. Full of action and adventure, both on the ocean and on solid ground, the film will delight children and adults alike. Like a captain following the North Star, this animation holds true in its course of humor and message. There may be better and more ruthless pirate captains out there on the ocean, but this Pirate Captain is worth dropping anchor for.

---

WORTH: Matinee or DVD