REAGAN FITZKE

By now, most Lord of the Rings fans should have seen the second movie in The Hobbit trilogy at least once or twice. Being me, I have seen it two times thus far and both times were extraordinary experiences.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is the sequel to An Unexpected Journey, which came out in 2012. Although I loved both of the movies equally, Rotten Tomatoes actually rated Desolation of Smaug with a 75% rather than the 65% An Unexpected Journey received.

The movie continued the storyline of Bilbo Baggins traveling with Gandalf and a group of dwarfs who were on a quest to take back their homeland, Erebor, from Smaug, a dragon who seized the land long ago due to the vast riches buried in the mountain.

The film is packed with action and adventure, not to mention a love story forming between two unexpected characters. The movie lasts about three hours but it is so engaging that the time flies by while sitting in the theater. It ends with a compelling cliffhanger that leaves the viewers in complete awe as the credits roll across the screen.

After seeing Desolation of Smaug in theaters twice, I honestly believe I would go see it time and time again. It is definitely worth the time, and I most definitely am anticipating the third and last movie which is scheduled to come out later in 2014.