With the arrival of the Christmas holidays, this week's releases are brought forward to Wednesday, and this has also led to the publication of last weekend's box office figures earlier. Spanish box office. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second installment of the saga directed by Peter Jackson, is number one for the second consecutive week.
The film grossed €2,5 million in the same period, bringing its total in Spain to over €9 million. Globally, the collection of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has already reached 295 million euros and continues to rise, consolidating its position as a box office success.
Spanish box office position
In the second position of the Spanish box office last week is Frozen the ice kingdom, a Disney film that has been a real success both in Spain and in the rest of the world. With a accumulated collection in Spanish cinemas for almost 9 million euros, the animated film is demonstrating continued interest among families, which has been reflected in its impressive figures.
Rain of meatballs 2 takes third place on the list, while the Spanish comedy Three too many weddings remains strong in fourth place. Thanks to half a million euros more in earnings, the film starring Inma Cuesta has reached a cumulative total of 3,2 million euros in almost three weeks.
The TOP 10 of the Spanish box office
Then the TOP 10 of the Spanish box office last week:
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- Frozen the ice kingdom
- Rain of meatballs 2
- Three too many weddings
- 12 years of slavery
- Football
- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
- Free Birds
- Words are unnecessary
- The counselor
As the weeks go by, the new releases on the billboard promise to make the Spanish cinema scene more interesting. This coming Wednesday, December 25, several films will be released on the big screen, such as La vida secreta de Walter Mitty, The doctor, 47 Ronin and the long-awaited premiere of N, which will likely move the box office rankings.
Analysis of the success of 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'
Success 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' It is not a coincidence. The film, directed by Peter Jackson, is the second part of the triptych based on the classic work of JRR Tolkien. After the first installment, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, expectations were extremely high for this sequel.
One of the most striking aspects of this film is the Incorporation of new characters While not all of them are present in Tolkien's book, they have been added or redesigned to make the story more cinematically appealing. Among the most notable are Tauriel (played by Evangeline Lilly) and the reappearance of Legolas (Orlando Bloom), who does not appear in the original book, but whose presence links to the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo, the dwarves and Smaug
The plot revolves around the mission of Thorin and his group of dwarves to recover the Lonely Mountain, the ancestral home of the dwarves, which has been captured by Smaug, a gigantic dragon voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Bilbo (Martin Freeman), who accompanies the dwarves as their designated “raider,” plays a crucial role by infiltrating the mountain and coming face to face with Smaug. This scene is one of the most impressive in the film, both for its visual spectacularity and its dramatic impact.
The special effects work for the creation of Smaug was critically acclaimed, with many claiming it was some of the best digital dragons that had never been seen on screen.
Criticism and reception
While 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' While the film was praised for its spectacularity and faithfulness to Tolkien's universe, it also received some criticism. Many fans of the series pointed out that the tone of the film contrasted with the lightness of the original book. While The Hobbit It is a lighter story and aimed at a young audience, Peter Jackson chose to give it a more epic tone to connect it with the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings.
The main criticisms were directed towards the length of the movie, which many considered excessive. At over two and a half hours long, some viewers felt the story was unnecessarily drawn out. However, Jackson defended these choices, arguing that they were necessary to offer a complete and enriched vision of the world of Middle-earth.
Additions not present in the original book
'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' It also includes several additions not present in the original book. A prominent example is the relationship between the elf Legolas and Tauriel, which was a romantic subplot designed specifically for the film. Although it was criticized by Tolkien purists, many viewers enjoyed this addition, as it balanced the central plot with moments of emotional tension.
The role of visual effects in the success of the film
Without a doubt, one of the reasons for the success of 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' was its impressive display of visual effects. The technology used by Peter Jackson and his team at Weta Digital is cutting edge and was instrumental in bringing characters like Smaug and fantasy settings like the Lake CityThe details in the dragon's skin, its fluid movement and its interaction with Bilbo captivated the audience.
Another key moment in terms of effects is the sequence of escape in barrels down the river, a fast-paced scene that combined live action with CGI. Although this addition was not in Tolkien's book, it was welcomed by big screen fans due to its dynamic and visual spectacularity.
Global box office performances in the face of criticism
Despite the criticism received, 'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug' managed to maintain its success at the global box office. The film grossed €295 million in its second weekend and continued to increase its numbers in the following weeks. Although it did not achieve the same level of critical reception as the films of The Lord of the Rings, was viewed more favorably than its predecessor, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
With a mix of positive and negative criticism, this second part of the Hobbit did not deter audiences from going to the cinema, reflecting the power of franchises and the production value that Peter Jackson brought to the big screen.
The film also benefited from the extended format, which subsequently released additional scenes for more demanding audiences. This added several extra minutes that helped the narrative and character development.
With success already guaranteed, and despite the detractors of the trilogy model, The Hobbit demonstrated once again that Middle Earth continued to be an irresistible place for millions of viewers around the world, who did not hesitate to immerse themselves in the adventures of Bilbo, the dwarves and their fights against the imposing Smaug.
We can say that The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug It was a film that, despite the criticism, managed to find its place both at the box office and in the hearts of fans. The visual display and fidelity to Tolkien's universe ensured its success. Peter Jackson proved, once again, to be the perfect director to carry out this ambitious undertaking and close another fantastic chapter in cinema.