The Hobbit 2 Review: Today marks the official opening of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" in theaters nationwide. Last year's installment "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" was hugely successful despite the lame reviews about the movie however, its sequel may have proven otherwise.

The sequel is based on bits from J.R.R. Tolkien's original novel in addition to the "Lord of the Rings" franchise, as it continued to tell the story of Bilbo's (Martin Freeman) adventures in Middle-earth, as they attempt to stop the evil dragon "Smaug" to help the dwarves reclaim its kingdom.

Peter Jackson, who directed every other installment of "Lord of the Rings" and the first installment of "The Hobbit," directs the sequel.

Here are 5 things about the movie that could help you decide whether this film is worth watching or not:

1. The Beginning Of The Movie Is Set Before 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

Unexpectedly the wondrous opening scenes of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" are staged from the events prior to its prequel, "An Unexpected Journey." Gandalf played by none other than Sir Ian McKellan is seen visiting Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) to propose a quest to reclaim the kingdom, which was taken over by the evil dragon "Smaug."

1. The Movie Focused In The Chase Rather Than Developing Characters Who Were Mostly Forgotten Otherwise, Plus It's Shorter Than The Prequel!

The first installment of "The Hobbit" was said to be boring, focusing much on how they would develop the characters, this time Jackson made it more thrilling, focusing in the chase rather than some none-sense sequence trying to introduce its characters.  

"The characters are more fully defined, mostly by action instead of ponderous sequences of washing dishes and whatever the hell else they did the first time, and the set pieces bristle with wild imagination. This is a big-time upgrade. Don't listen to the trolls (in Middle-earth or on the Internet)," as told by Drew Taylor of moviefone.com.

2. This Movie Is Full Of Old-School Peter Jackson

The monstrous black bear, giant spiders, and the ghostly scenes, where Gandalf is in the ruins of a haunted, full of monster castle, incorporated in this sequel remind us of Peter Jackson's previous works, "Dead Alive" and "The Frighteners."

"It's nice to see that the horror-loving ways of that young director haven't gotten lost amongst all the big-budget, heavily computer-assisted nonsense."

The Hobbit 2 Review & Spoilers: Footage Featuring 'Beorn's' (The Human Who Can Transform Into A Monstrous Black Bear) House

3. The Barrel Ride Is Absolutely Fantabulous!

When Bilbo and company were taken captive by the elves, Bilbo managed to find a way to escape (with the help of the magical ring perhaps?), riding in barrels down the river where they were chased by the angry elves and orcs along the way. "To describe it in any more detail would be to lessen the fun; as it stands, it's one of the greatest action set pieces of the year," Taylor revealed.

4. Familiar Faces Make a Return While An Unexpected Actor Plays A Pivotal Role In The Movie

The extraordinaire elf archer from the "Lord of the Rings" franchise, Legolas, is back in the middle-earth (well technically he did not come back from "Lord of the Rings" as "The Hobbit" trilogy is supposed to be a prequel to the "Lord of the Rings"), with a reference to his future best friend Gimli. While the elf queen Cate Blanchett was supposed to be shown in the movie, but eventually did not make the cut.

Who would have noticed that Stephen Fry played the deceitful leader of the water kingdom? He's disguised in a phony-looking wig with a bad teeth, but he played the role with such composure that could make him move forward to the third installment of the franchise.

5. Finally You Get To See The Smaug In Action, Plus The Cliffhanger Ending Will Make You Want To Watch The Third Sequel ASAP

After the teaser from the first movie, fans were too eager to see the Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) in action. Finally, Jackson brings the evil dragon in action and it talks! In a deep monotonous voice that will scare you to bits.

The scene where Smaug and Bilbo were engaged in a philosophical debate while Bilbo is running for his life, is definitely worth noting.  

The best is when Smaug and Bilbo engage in a kind of philosophical debate as Bilbo is running for his life. It's reminiscent of the "Riddles in the Dark" sequence from the first movie and plays like gangbusters.

And the cliffhanger ending? It's great! It will make you want to see the third installment whether or not Jackson would direct the third sequel.

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