About 80 years ago, when English author J. R. R. Tolkien wrote "The Hobbit," he might not have known that his art of symbolism would become reality on the other end of the Eurasian continent. He might not have known that the phantom of his imaginary dragon would loom over the world's largest population. Yes, since last weekend, Beijing residents have been seeing and living "The Desolation of Smaug".

To those careless viewers, Peter Jackson's adaptation of Tolkien's children novel, "The Hobbit," is a trilogy of fantastic films, the second installment being slightly better than the first entry. The scenes are better paced and the action is better choreographed. There is even room for a little romance to grow between one of the dwarves and an original female elf character played by Evangeline Lilly. The "Lost" heroine's smooth action in this film makes her a very memorable part of the story.

Another eye-opener is the fierce dragon Smaug, brought to life by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. His first encounter with the Hobbit is amusing to watch, although you may find it hard not to think of similar scenes on BBC's modern version of Sherlock Holmes, where Cumberbatch as Sherlock constantly teases Martin Freeman, a.k.a. Doctor Watson.

In lieu of good quality acting, there is actually a shift of focus from characterization to the story, with moderate success. By success, we've noted the improved pacing and action, and by moderate, I mean there is still the urge to push a skip button, even in the well-acted first encounter scene. The dragon simply won't stop showing off his high-end British accent. I suppose it is one of the sad truths about life that years of slumbering would inevitably turn a lethal beast into a chatterbox.

A little devotion on the part of the producers have helped create a more entertaining movie, perhaps too entertaining for viewers to realize what Tolkien was trying to tell us. Well, the Chinese people are now in a better position to identify with the author, because they are right in the grip of the titular dragon.

It is not by pure chance that the name Smaug sounds so much like "Smog." The English writer has always been against industrialization, the dragon is only one of its many evils he tried to warn us about. But unfortunately, his warning came a bit too late: we Chinese have not yet finished building a magnificent Erebor, but the greedy behemoth "smog" has already cast its shadow upon us.

For that reason, I will not complain about the length of "the Desolation of Smaug" this time: Peter Jackson and his dwarves would slay the dragon soon enough, sooner than China's own land-loving Hobbits.