Director Peter Jackson asked us to fight against Okumo, the orcs and Shi Maoge, the biggest villain.
Fighting is heartfelt, physical and sometimes interesting. They showed the best technical advantages of this film: the imaginary creature came alive, the dreamy world came true, and the amazing sequence proved that a versatile action director Jackson had become.
Shi Maoge looks incredible, and benedict cumberbatch's voice adds horror and fear. Of course, the monologue between Shi Maoge and Baggins is a bright spot, although the film spent nearly half an hour in monotonous and insignificant action before it ended hastily.
For fans who like special effects and high-quality action scenes in fantasy scenes, The Hobbit: The Battle of Shi Maoge is a perfect choice. But compared with any chapter in The Lord of the Rings's trilogy, it seems a bit empty.
The The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is not just about actions and events. It tells about friendship and courage, and the characters in it often capture our hearts. The Hobbit lacks in characterization and story development, and does not provide a real reason for us to care about the success of Baggins and the Dwarf.
In other words, The Hobbit: The Battle of Shi Maoge is better than The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I hope the last chapter of next year can come up with something really spectacular, otherwise the Hobbit trilogy may only be remembered as a footnote to one of the greatest film achievements of our time.