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| English: Thorin Oakenshield in his forge Français : Thorin « Écu-de-chêne » dans sa forge. Česky: Thorin Pavéza ve své kovárně (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Okay Ringers, it seems that it isn’t really all that long before we finally get to see the long awaited second installment of The Hobbit film trilogy, Desolation of Smaug. The trailer is already out in theaters and fans can only fawn and drool over what they’re going to see in December once the film finally rolls around. Examples include everything from the company of Bilbo and the dwarves finally running into the elves of Mirkwood which include that of Legolas, played by Orlando Bloom, Tauriel, played by Evangeline Lilly and Thranduil, played by Lee Pace. There is also the scene in Lake Town where the dwarves finally meet the Men of Dale along with Bard the Bowman who is less than enthusiastic about awakening the dragon Smaug. And then finally, there’s Bilbo’s fateful meeting with Smaug himself when he enters the Wicked Wyrm’s lair.
However, Peter Jackson has gone on to confirm that The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug will not be as light-hearted as its predecessor and has gone on to cite that the film will be somewhat darker and less joyful than the first. This can come surprising to some fans, as the original novel was marketed as a children’s story during the 1930s. Of course, J.R.R. Tolkien would probably understand as some of the darker themes and elements probably come from some of his experiences as a soldier in World War I, perhaps the darkest of the world wars due to their toll on the spirits of those who fought in it.
Well, for starters, as is shown in some of the sneak-peeks of Desolation of Smaug in Peter Jackson’s video blog, they will show the lands of Dale in the dead of winter. Before Smaug came to the lands, all fire and ravaging claws, Dale had been a prosperous land with Erebor, the kingdom of the dwarves which is the main objective of Thorin Oakenshield and company and mentioned often in An Unexpected Journey, its wealthiest landmark and pride and joy of the dwarven race. As a matter of fact, actress Evangeline Lilly has gone on to note that Dale somewhat resembled some cozy and wonderful city in Europe before the arrival of the Wicked Wyrm. Now it will be shown to viewers the kind of damage that Smaug has done to the otherwise scenic countryside and that it has become a cold wasteland of misery and foreboding as those that dwell there live in constant fear of the dragon awakening and destroying the surviving inhabitants.
Then we have the characters. For all you arachnophobes, the giant spiders will finally be revealed in this film in all their glory. While everything about them is yet to be revealed one can note the kind of work the film crew has put into bringing them to life and will surely get all those fearful of creepy-crawlies shrieking helplessly. Then we have the mighty Beorn, the shape-shifting bear man who, despite being one of the good guys, is a violent and dangerous individual who is perhaps only on the side of the protagonists through Gandalf’s diplomacy and the fact that he has great hatred for orcs.
