Rating: 3 stars

Director: Peter Jackson

Cast: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly

In the spirit of continuing an ongoing saga, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug begins where its predecessor ends.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and his band of dwarves continue to be pursued by the hulking Orcs up till the Carrocks and beyond.

This necessitates a brief flashback: Thorin is the heir to the throne of Durin, forced into exile by the fearsome dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). Bilbo is recruited as a 'burglar' to help the group of aforementioned characters retrieve the Arkenstone, a cherished heirloom of the Durin's folk, while they reclaim their rightful land from the dragon.

And thus, as they have in the earlier film, the motley group of adventurers journey on to the Lonely Mountain, which holds the stone and the riches of the Dwarves in the vault guarded by Smaug. On the way, they brave the uncertain hospitality of the skin-changer Beorn, come across the perils of the Mirkwood Forest, escape Orcs (again), flee the kingdom of Elf king Thranduil (Lee Pace) and his son Legolas (Orlando Bloom) before reaching the impoverished Lake-town and finally, their formidable destination. Phew!

Do not hold your breath on whether or not they accomplish their mission. The final installment of the trilogy, titled There and Back Again remains to be released in 2014. And going by the events that will set your heart racing in this outing, the stage has already been set for a spectacular showdown.

Director Peter Jackson teams up yet again with writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro to adopt JRR Tolkein's epic novel into a film that fares much better than the prequel in terms of scale and narrative. Whether it stays true to the source material or improves upon it is best left to the staunchest fans of the series.

The most incredible scenes are those including the spine-chilling Mirkwood and the climactic encounter with Smaug. An additional track involving the beautiful elf guard Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), Legolas and dwarf Kili (Aiden Turner) add some sizzle to a story that is otherwise devoid of romance and female presence.

While all the cast members provide solid performances, it is the Sherlock duo of Freeman and Cumberbatch who deserve to take a bow. The latter, in particular, is deliciously wicked as he slithers and stalks elegantly across mounds of gold towards the end.

That being said, the special effects department has done a remarkable job painting every scene with a texture that is exclusively their own. The 3-D is wonderful and will keep the young uns especially enraptured. Watch out for the Mirkwood spiders, if the standard garden variety sends you squealing.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is an engaging, magical extravaganza, possibly your best bet for the weekend. Hop on to the rollercoaster ride. Don't forget to bring your family along.