Grade: A-

Like many other “Lord of the Rings” geeks, I have been waiting for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” to come out ever since I watched the first of the three “Hobbit” movies a year ago.

I am very happy to report that I was not disappointed at all. The Dwarves in the movie were just as funny and personable as the first movie. They had their happy, sad and funny moments as the movie progressed. And let me tell you, the action was worthy of all the other “Lord of the Rings” movies, showing epic Legolas action on the bow and arrow.

I have to say one of my favorite parts of the movie was watching Gandalf actually use his magic. In the other movies, the viewer doesn’t get to see that much action come from his staff. However, when Gandalf goes to Dol Guldur, he displays a little of his magical skill when he fights with the dark lord.

Another part that I absolutely loved was how Smaug was portrayed in the movie. I didn’t get a chance to see it in 3-D, however I’m sure it was amazing. Smaug the dragon is terrifying and I found myself scared of him just as much as Bilbo seemed to be when they encountered. He is so big and his voice just seems to suit the dragon. It makes the fear that the villagers and Dwarves have of him seem very real.

There were only a few drawbacks that I found in the movie. One was that I found many of the characters to be very one-dimensional. When I say characters, I mean all the Dwarves. Bilbo and Gandalf show changes and seem to grow as the adventure continues in the second movie, but the Dwarves seemed to have one personality and stick to it. I almost felt like I was watching “Snow White” with the very predictable behaviors of the seven Dwarves. Even Thorin Oakenshield, who had shown a change and growth in the first movie, was very predictable in his behavior and seemed to only have one tone.

Despite that, I still have my crushes of the Dwarves. Kili, one of the two brothers who are nephews to Thorin, showed a romantic side and even seduced an Elf in the movie. Call me a girl, but I already had a crush on Kili from the first movie, so seeing him like that was like music to my ears.

The kicker that I must warn people about is the final scene, where Smaug takes off for the village and leaves Bilbo staring after him. All I had to say was, “can it be next year now?”