The best of The Hobbit Trilogy, this is the one that most embraces the books episodic storytelling, realising not everything needs to be setting up Sauron (that element is here, but it feels like it applies to only certain part of the film) and that a sense of pace is all that's needed to gloss over larger issues. Of course, the pervasive problems with the trilogy - quiet moments become mind-numbing action spectacle, The Lord Of The Rings characters returning for protracted cameos - are present, but theyre at their least egregious here. After retracing the Fellowships steps in the previous film, its so refereshing to see the dwarves go in their own direction. Even a sub-fan-fiction, cross-species romance cant bring down a film that feels much more confident in itself. This is best seen in the movie's pivotal sequence; after so many iconic moments (troll freezing, barrel riding) fell flat, just having the bumbling Bilbo and an incredibly designed Smaug come face to eye with such assurance is a treat. There may be another cartoony action sequence not in the books thrown in, but that's forgiveable thanks to the unforgettable showdown. The Desolation Of Smaug has sadly been hurt a little by the resolution of The Hobbit Trilogy. Ending the Smaug fight halfway through provides a great hook for the final film, and its speedy resolution in The Battle Of The Five Armies gifts that movie with a sense of direction, but when these moments are put together it's clear the sudden cut-to-black was only done to cynically motivate the diminished audience to come back one last time. Retroactively, Desolation has one of the worst cliffhangers in cinematic history.