Thorin promises the people of Lake-town a share of Erebor’s treasure. Despite Bard’s warnings that waking the Dragon will bring death upon the town, the people, desperate for wealth, support Thorin. The Company is outfitted with weapons and supplies. However, Kili, weakened by the Morgul poison, is forced to stay behind with Fili, Oin, Bofur, and Bombur to recover, while Thorin leads the rest to the Mountain.
The extended cut of Desolation of Smaug runs approximately 186 minutes. Those extra 25 minutes are spread across key moments involving the Elvenking, the drunken Master of Laketown, and most importantly, the dwarves of Erebor. Here is the breakdown of the most significant additions. the hobbit desolation of smaug extended edition
This reprieve makes the subsequent action feel earned. You get the stunning visuals of Smaug’s wrath, but you also get the slow-burn dread of a genius predator toying with his prey. Thorin promises the people of Lake-town a share
For fans of Middle-earth, this is the only version you should ever watch again. For newcomers, skip the theatrical cut entirely. Start here. When Smaug opens his eye and says, “I am fire… I am death,” you will actually believe the dwarves have a chance. However, Kili, weakened by the Morgul poison, is
The most significant addition is the subplot involving Thrain, Thorin’s father, whom Gandalf discovers within the dark corridors of Dol Guldur. This sequence anchors the film’s stakes in a way the theatrical version missed. By showing Thrain’s descent into madness and his ultimate confrontation with the Necromancer (Sauron), the film shifts from a simple "slay the dragon" quest to a pivotal moment in the War of the Ring. It validates Gandalf’s fear that the quest for Erebor is merely one front in a much larger, more ancient conflict.