‘Smaug’ Alert! ‘The Hobbit’ is in the House!

The middle chapter of Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit arrives on home video with a flourish worthy of the massive saga of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Warner Bros., $28.98 DVD, $35.99 DVD, Blu-ray and UV digital copy, $44.95 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and UV digital copy, $105.45, limited edition 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and UV digital copy) picks up the story as Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman, takes his quest into the heart of the lair of Smaug, the massive dragon voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. The effects by Weta Digital are top-notch, and will help whet your appetite for the final chapter, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, due in theaters Dec. 17.

Also out this week is the indie feature Guardian of the Highlands (Vivendi, $14.93), featuring the voice of Sean Connery.

Little girls can thrill to Sofia the First: The Floating Palace (Disney, $19.99), Bella Sara: Emma’s Wings (eOne Entertainment, $14.98), Lalaloopsy Ponies: The Big Show (Lionsgate, $14.98) and Pound Puppies: Perfect Match (Shout! Factory, $9.98). Boys will surely be into Ben 10 Omniverse: Duel of the Duplicates (Warner Bros., $14.97)

And for anime fans, there’s Naruto Shippuden: Box Set 18 (VIZ Media, $44.82). Gotta keep up!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug