It starts off slowly again, making me almost groan in the theatre. Now, I enjoyed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey probably more than 80 percent of the population, but it cannot be denied that it’s slow parts were almost agonizing to sit through. So when The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug begins by depicting Thorin and Gandalf meeting for the first time, it is the very definition of extraneous. Amazingly though, such an opening remains an anomaly in this film, which manages to use the rest of it’s three hour running time to expert use. This is where things get really interesting in Middle-Earth ladies and gentleman, and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug gives us all we could hope for out of a Lord of The Rings film and so, so much more.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) has been on his epic quest for quite a while now, making him a little braver in the face of danger. Still, aside from the magical ring he recently discovered, he’s pretty much the same burglar that the Dwarves need to help reclaim their homeland. However, things get more and more complicated as they advance on their journey, with Elves and the citizens of Laketown crossing their paths and providing obstacles of all shapes and sizes. All of this, plus the gigantic dragon that is guarding the Dwarves home. Quite an adventure for a Hobbit!

I’ve had mixed feelings with Director Peter Jackson’s filmmaking in the past, as his Lord of The Rings movies were fantastic, but his King Kong felt like the ultimate vanity project gone haywire. Yet, it cannot be denied that he is in his element here in Middle-Earth, with all of the creatures (for some reason now done completely in CGI), characters and locations coming to dazzling life under his supervision. But while his eye for visual splendor is well known, he deserves praise for also getting a great cast assembled here to carry out this monumental journey. Martin Freeman remains a great protagonist, while Ian McKellen handles Gandalf’s vulnerability nicely. Evangeline Lilly, as Tauriel, gets some of the film’s best action moments, while the marvelous Stephen Fry makes for a perfectly repulsive Master of Laketown.

The best piece of casting comes in the title character though, a creature who, done wrong could have damaged the entire film. Benedict Cumberbatch, in the middle of a truly astounding year, is just perfect as Smaug, with the villainous critter being terrifying every single second he steps on screen. The best part about him though is his interesting juxtaposition; while he looks like (and is) a rampaging monster, he acts and talks like someone from high society, with a large vocabulary and a calm demeanor constantly emerging from his lips. While in someone else’s hands this could have come over as merely amusing, it actually shows what kind of power and ego Smaug has created for himself over all these years. Truly, to quote Mr. Baggins himself, the tales and songs fall utterly short. This here is a villain that is unforgettable.

While the sequences involving Smaug are the film’s best, the rest of the adventure also features some spellbounding stuff. That’s thanks to the fact that the movie keeps going at an excellent pace, that opening scene aside. It also helps that the characters are given more depth this time around (we actually get to know some of the Dwarves too which is nice) and a complex relationship between Tauriel and Legolas provides one of the rare looks at realistic emotions in Middle-Earth. In fact, it’s kind of nice that Peter Jackson, while at the same time providing scenes of exponential scope, is also providing scenes of characterization. Now, our journey truly has both stakes and wonder to spare, and it makes this film a riveting voyage through Middle-Earth. Needless to say The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is fantastic cinema that only this cast, crew and world could create.

Oh, and trust me, after the excellent cliffhanger ending for this movie, you’ll want to see the final Hobbit film immediately. It’s a great finale that leaves one eager to revisit the wondrous adventure of Bilbo Baggins,