The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: Book vs. Movie

Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) continues his adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel. Bilbo and the dwarves travel through Mirkwood and Lake-town toward the dragon occupying their mountain.

PollBook or movie, which was better?
Do you recommend the book?
Do you recommend the movie?
About the book and the movie
Book
The Hobbit cover
Author
J. R. R. Tolkien
Year
1937
Pages
320Buy book
Audiobook length
11 hr 4 minGet audiobook
Narrator
Rob Inglis
Series
The Hobbit

Bilbo Baggins has no experience of burglary when Gandalf recommends him for a place in a company of dwarves seeking a dragon’s treasure. Far from his comfortable home, he has to negotiate encounters with trolls, goblins, and creatures that cannot simply be fought. As the dwarves come to depend on his ingenuity, Bilbo finds that helping them does not always mean agreeing with them.

Movie
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug poster
Director
Peter Jackson
Writer
Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Guillermo del Toro
Year
2013
Runtime
2 hr 41 minWatch on Amazon
Cast
Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott
Genre
action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDb
View on IMDb

With Gandalf pursuing a danger elsewhere, Bilbo and the dwarves must cross Mirkwood without his protection. Spiders, imprisonment by the Wood-elves, and a difficult passage through Lake-town threaten their chance of reaching the Lonely Mountain in time. Thorin’s claim to the kingdom ultimately depends on Bilbo entering its treasure chamber, where Smaug is still waiting.

Every movie of this book

  1. The HobbitThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey · Movie · 2012
    Details
    The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey poster
    Director
    Peter Jackson
    Writer
    J. R. R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Guillermo del Toro
    Year
    2012
    Runtime
    2 hr 49 min
    Cast
    Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott

    Gandalf recruits Bilbo Baggins to accompany thirteen dwarves on a journey to reclaim their mountain home from the dragon Smaug. Their leader, Thorin Oakenshield, doubts that the sheltered hobbit can survive the road, let alone help him regain a kingdom. Pursued by an orc with a grievance against Thorin, the company heads into mountains where Bilbo becomes separated from his companions.

  2. The HobbitThe Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug · Movie · 2013You are here
  3. The HobbitThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies · Movie · 2014
    Details
    The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies poster
    Director
    Peter Jackson
    Writer
    Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, Guillermo del Toro
    Year
    2014
    Runtime
    2 hr 24 min
    Cast
    Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott

    Smaug turns his fury on Lake-town while Thorin takes possession of the treasure beneath the Lonely Mountain. As survivors and elves demand a share, Thorin’s growing suspicion leaves Bilbo trying to prevent a war between people who should be allies. An approaching orc army makes the dispute more dangerous, with the mountain becoming the focus of a much larger attack.

The Hobbit: Book vs. Movies — one vote on all 3 at once

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