Originally posted on Facebook on December 12, 2013: So much to in a nutshell: Couldn't resist, here's my "short" review of "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" ;)

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"

Production year: 2013

Country: New Zealand, USA, UK

Runtime: 161 mins

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian Mc Kellen, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andi Serkis

I said yesterday that "I'm going on an adventure," and on an adventure I did go. Book purists be warned upfront: Due to many changes from the book you might not be pleased with the second instalment of Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy. All others please continue reading and let me convince you that you would miss out big time if you didn't accompany Bilbo, Gandalf and the dwarves on their thrilling quest(s).

When Bilbo states at the end of The Hobbit: Unexpected Journey: "Yes, I do believe the worst is behind us now," he could not have been more wrong. During the last stages of their perilous journey to the Lonely Mountain he, Gandalf, and the dwarves stumble from one desperate situation into another, encounters with a stern skin-changer, nasty spiders, hard-hearted elves, vicious orcs, distrustful humans, one tyrannical dragon and worse all inclusive. Still, not everyone is corrupted yet, and here and there acts of kindness and bravery are performed. So, even though all hope seems to be lost at the end, these rare moments of compassion and heroism, as well as one blooming love, make you recall one of the best lines of LOTR: "There's some good in this world [...] ... and it's worth fighting for." – Samwise the Brave

And continue to fight they will, but that's another movie...

Obviously the mood of the second instalment has become darker, reminding in some parts of the LOTR instalments. Still, the jolly-childish fun of the first part is not completely left out and lightens up the mood in many a scene (I say only Bombur).

From to Thranduil to Tauriel, from Bard the Bowman to Oh Smaug, the Stupendous, all new characters are brilliantly played. And yes, Tauriel wasn't in the book, but she is by far the best addition to Tolkien's female-devoid story thanks to Evangeline Lilly's kick-ass performance. Kudos to all the actors, old and new, and the director, Peter Jackson, who once again prove that they know exactly how to charm the audience and bring Middle Earth to blazing life.

After 161 minutes of riveting, riotous and roaring moments and one hell of a fiery cliffhanger, you will be left dizzy, dazzled, and craving for the last preciousss instalment. So betake yourself to the cinema and share in an action packed, emotional roller-coaster adventure in Middle Earth.

As a side note: Apart from the strong, independent Tauriel, a second great bonus for the female (and gay) audience is certainly that the male eye-candy (and arguably ear-candy) level in this film is incredibly high.

"Inglorious Basterds" Film Review - This is the very first film review I have ever written. ;)

"Inglorious Basterds"

Production year: 2009

Country: USA, Germany

Runtime: 154 mins

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Cast: Christoph Waltz,Mélanie Laurent, Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger

Bloody, nasty and absolutely ludicrous. These words might best describe cult director Quentin Tarantino's latest spectacle of deranged entertainment. Reinventing the end of Nazi Germany, "Inglorious Basterds" (misspelling intended) is a bloody massacre of a film, and a hell lot of fun. 

As usual the plot follows multiple storylines and is divided into several chapters. Set in Nazi occupied France during WWII, the bullet-ridden ride begins with young Jewish refugee Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) barely escaping the slaughter of her family at the hands of Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz) aka "The Jew Hunter". A few years later she is running a movie theater and is stalked by Nazi war hero Frederick Zoller (Daniel Brühl). In an attempt to win her affection, Zoller convinces propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) to hold the premier of Goebbels' latest propaganda film in Shosanna's movie theater. All top nobs will be present on this illustrious evening, including Hitler (Martin Wuttke) himself. This in turn brings Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) and his 1st Special Service Force of eight Jewish-American soldiers, also called "The Basterds", to the scene. As "The Basterds" arrive in France and prepare the assassination of Hitler and his lot, Shosanna plans her own 'little' revenge. The rest of the plot unfolds along the lines of Lieutenant Aldo Raine's order: "We're gonna be doin' one thing and one thing only...killin' Nazis."

The universe in which this mass slaughter unfolds is populated by the usual tough Tarantino cookies who spout out one cool line after the other. The French actress Mélanie Laurent stands out in particular with her compelling portrayal of the frightened but seriously pissed off avenging angel Shosanna Dreyfus aka, Emmanuelle Mimieux. Brad Pitt's hillbilly caricature Lieutenant Aldo Raine may not be as deep and impressive, but he certainly provokes laughter here and there. Still, all performances nearly pale into insignificance in comparison with Christoph Waltz's breakthrough performance as the charismatic, highly intelligent Nazi sadist, Colonel Hans Landa, who will go down in cinema history as one of the most vicious villains ever portrayed. The Austrian actor, who was up to now unknown in Hollywood, should have a great career ahead of him. As always, Tarantino tops the whole thing off with a supercool soundtrack. David Bowie's Cat People will send chills down your spine as you watch the ferocious climax building up slowly. This is not a movie for the faint-hearted. Everyone else should not miss this ingenious mess of a masterpiece.