The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Movie, 2013, The Hobbit, Set in T.A. 2941
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is #5 of 9 in release order and #5 of 9 in chronological order in the Middle-earth.
The story
The Dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf have successfully escaped the Misty Mountains, and Bilbo has gained the One Ring. They all continue their journey to get their gold back from the Dragon, Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug recap
Hunted by Azog's orcs, the company shelters with the skin-changer Beorn and enters Mirkwood, where Bilbo uses the ring to fight off giant spiders. The Wood-elves of King Thranduil, his son Legolas and the captain Tauriel capture the dwarves, and Bilbo frees them in empty barrels down the river. Tauriel and the dwarf Kili form a bond, and Kili is wounded with a poisoned arrow. Bard the bargeman smuggles them into Lake-town. Gandalf goes to Dol Guldur and finds that the Necromancer is Sauron, who imprisons him. The dwarves open the secret door into the mountain on Durin's Day, and Bilbo goes in alone to steal the Arkenstone, Thorin's royal jewel, and wakes Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug ending explained
The dwarves fight Smaug through the forges of Erebor and try to drown him in molten gold, but the dragon bursts free. Furious, Smaug flies out to burn Lake-town. Bilbo, who has quietly pocketed the Arkenstone, watches him go and says "What have we done?" The film cuts off there, and The Battle of the Five Armies opens with the attack.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 74%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, before The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
- Chronological order: after The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, before The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
What to watch before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
In release order, the essentials before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012).
Cast
- Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
- Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
- Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug / Sauron
- Orlando Bloom as Legolas
- Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel
- Lee Pace as King Thranduil
- Luke Evans as Bard / Girion
- Stephen Fry as The Master of Laketown
- Ken Stott as Balin
- James Nesbitt as Bofur
- Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn
Directed by Peter Jackson.