‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ vs. ‘The Two Towers’

December is upon us, which means its time for the next installment in Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jacksons second Middle-earth trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (read our review).

Jacksons decision to adapt J.R.R. Tolkiens fairly straight-forward Hobbit novel into a sprawling fantasy/adventure movie trilogy featuring additional plot material that serves as a prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy continues to divide film buffs, as evidenced by the range of critical reactions and general feelings towards the first chapter, An Unexpected Journey (read our review), and to a lesser extent with The Desolation of Smaug.

Sidestepping that debate how does The Desolation of Smaug compare to the middle-chapter in the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers? One is a rousing fantasy adventure, while the other is a grandiose fantasy war epic but does one achieve what it sets out to do better than the other?

Well, in keeping with our comparison between An Unexpected Journey and Fellowship of the Ring, well examine The Desolation of Smaug and The Two Towers with regard to five different aspects: the characters, story, world, action/effects and direction. (Of course, if youre already decided which one you feel is better, feel free to jump ahead and cast your vote in the comments section of this article.)

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Thematically, the first installments in Jacksons Hobbit and Rings trilogies examine flip sides of fate choosing your destiny vs. accepting the destiny you are given which are elaborated upon in the second chapters of each respective series, through the collective experiences of the many, many Middle-eartheans that populate both films.

In The Desolation of Smaug, we get the pleasure of watching Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continue his evolution as a character, gaining more courage and sharpening his wits but remaining a polite and pleasant (if bumbling) Hobbit at his core. Meanwhile, the film better establishes why Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) is perceived by his dwarfish peers as a king-in-waiting and great leader, yet it doesntskip addressing the dangerous consequences that his actions bring (nor how Thorins stubbornness can be as much a strength as a weakness).

As a result, Bilbo and Thorin continue to make for compelling leads in The Desolation of Smaug, since we are shown heretofore unseen shades of their moral fiber and personality; including, a darkness glimpsed in Bilbo brought out by The Ring of Power (which becomes a great metaphor for how Bilbos newfound bravery/cunning is a double-edged sword) and Thorins questionable motives, as his(Noble? Selfish?) desire to reclaim the Lonely Mountain brings out the cracks in his armor (which is overtly, but still effectively, symbolized with the Arkenstone).

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‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ vs. ‘The Two Towers’