The books that make up the The Lord of the Rings brought us three of the most amazing action-adventure films of all time. The first film in Peter Jackson’s new Trilogy based off The Hobbit has not received the near unanimous approval the first trilogy received. The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug will be a make or break movie for the series. It’s nice to think that this one will be good, so here’s three things to like about the trailer:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPVWy1tFXuc&w=420&h=315]

1. Peter Jackson really wanted to work with Orlando Bloom

Legolas Wasn’t in The Hobbit book but it was decided that he should be in the movie.  As evidenced in the photo collage above, Peter Jackson and Orlando Bloom enjoyed working together during LOTR. It seems obvious that Jackson was craving the nostalgia of being on set with Bloom even more than we’ve been missing the character he portrays on the big screen.

Is it worth it to make this frivolous addition? When we consider that majority of the people going to see the film will be fans of the movies and not the books, it is. Jackson and Bloom are a proven dynamite duo and have provided many memorable moments. Legolas surfing an Orc shield (shieldboarding) down a set of stairs still holds the official title of coolest moment in a movie ever.  Even if hardcore Tolkien fans are upset by this discrepancy, they will cheer along with the rest of the audience when Legolas arrives on screen riding an oversized white tiger while playing an Elvish folk song on his lute.

2. Dragons talk in The Hobbit

With Game of Thrones and Reign of Fire perpetuating a modern fantasy stereotype that dragons can’t talk, the Hollywood dragon population has been having a tough time finding speaking roles recently. This unfortunate fad is keeping us away from dragon characters such as the Eddie Murphy-voiced Mushu in Disney’s Mulan and Haku, the water dragon that can transform into a person from the anime epic Spirited Away. Having Smaug voiced by the currently trending Benedict Cumberbatch will give dragon characters a chance to return to the deeper roles they once filled. As these youtube comments indicate, the general population agrees with this notion that talking dragons are ready for a comeback.

3. The film has a better shot of being likeable

The first film in The Hobbit series received mixed reviews. Some were annoyed that not enough happened during the film, while others were happy just to be taken back to Middle Earth. Critics should have their minds changed by The Desolation of Smaug. In addition to getting viewers through the awkward “getting to know characters” phase, The first film also bore the same burden as a television episode following a big reveal from the previous week: plot setup. This time we’re guaranteed Goblins, Dragons, Treasure, and the all important ring of power to keep us entertained. Audiences should expect the same enthralling world of Middle Earth, but from the perspective of a small band of travelers more similar to the adventures in the The Fellowship of the Ring than the epic battles of the second and third films. Now that the ball has gotten rolling, this next chapter should bring to life the world painted by Tolkien in ways that the others did not have an opportunity to.