With director Peter Jackson’s second film in his The Hobbit trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, opening in a week, Warner Bros. has provided us with five clips and fourteen minutes of behind-the-scenes footage.  The film continues the adventures of Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and the band of dwarves as they move forward on their quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, all the while Gandalf (Ian McKellen) investigates a disturbing presence that may be returning to Middle Earth.  Smaug introduces a host of new characters like Bard (Luke Evans), the Master of Lake-town (Stephen Fry), and the elves Thranduil (Lee Pace) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lily), but the film also sees the return of Lord of the Rings favorite Legolas (Orlando Bloom).  Moreover, Benedict Cumberbatch brings to life the dragon Smaug and he delivers a great performance.

I saw a screening a few days ago and am happy to report it's fantastic.  The film is almost non-stop action and I think the people that had issues with first film are going to love this one.  In addition, the film features some unbelievable set pieces, with one sequence causing my theater to erupt in applause when it ended.  Get ready for a great ride that you should definitely see in 3D.  Hit the jump to watch the clips and behind-the-scenes footage.

Movie Clips

Behind-the-Scenes Footage