The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

So much average

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The best of three, I managed to watch it in one breath, but I'm still not thrilled. The whole trilogy leaves the impression of a pale copy of the "Lord of the Rings".8/10

I feel many user reviews have been unfair to Jackson as they seem to summarily dismiss the Hobbit series altogether as one monumental redundancy. I've watched both the LOTR trilogy and The Hobbit series with equal delight, but I loved the latter more. I found the premise of LOTR too abstract and surreal giving a hint to the over imaginative mind of Tolkien. I felt the same with Rowling after the sixth part of Harry Potter was out. It seems painfully fantastic. What with the sinistrously powerful ring which is hell bent on reaching its benevolent master, the hideous eye constantly guarding Mordor, and poor Frodo constantly overwhelmed and under prepared for the herculean task he has undertaken, his life tottering on the brink of his grave- the film gets altogether depressing as it progresses and ends with a rather predictable climax. The final part is a whopping four hour long of ass numbing misery. I just wanted it to end. Even the Orcs in LOTR are predictable and stupid. Like petty toy soldiers they are prolific in numbers but lacking in wit, fighting other people's battle unlike in Hobbit where they appear sinistrously ghastly and macabre. They also had a leader with brains. Hobbit is beautifully directed in three parts. First is a nail biting adventure which keeps you hooked throughout. In the second, we've the inimitable Benedict Cumberbatch playing Smaug, the most fearsome dragon, who is nothing short of being brilliant, and in the final part we get to see the Dwarf King Thorin Oakenshield played by the versatile Richard Armitage in his full element. The scene where the dwarves decide to join in on the battle is a classic. It pumps my adrenaline everytime I see it. "Will you follow me for the one last time?"Since I watched the Hobbit first, I missed terribly the presence of dwarves in LOTR although Gimli was brilliant. Battle of the five armies is a pure nail biter. It moves with a swift thrilling pace, and is definitely not clichéd. Technically, it precedes LOTR, and however much Jackson may have experimented with the adaptation, it all unfolds wonderfully making it an instant classic.

Picking up after Hobbit 2, the dragon has been tricked into giving up his gold and he is very angry. Therefore, he decides to punish Laketown again and burn it to the ground, killing all. However, Bard (Luke Evans) has a magic arrow and one chance to fell the fire- breathing beast. He does so, hooray! But, some have been killed and part of the town lost. Now, however, there is a new threat. Thorin (Richard Armitage), the leader of the dwarfs, does NOT want to honor his promise to share the treasure. This leads to a great battle of five armies, including the cretin-like Orcs, dimwitted but strong. Gandolf cannot immediately help, as he has been captured by a powerful necromancer. Yet, the eagles free him and the armies begin fighting. Which army will prevail? Who knows, but Bilbo just wants to go home. This exciting "last chapter" has some strong scenes of violence, which may not be suitable for the youngest viewers. Especially impressive is a battle on an icy, mountainous terrain. In general, good defeats evil and it is a joy to watch Bilbo (Martin Freeman) return to his meadow home, only to find he must stop the auctioning of his possessions, as the town gave him up as lost forever. Having seen the world, Bilbo rests peacefully in his rocking chair, with a special memento from his journey, a memento which will be important later. Again, actors, scenery, costumes, story, and direction are entertaining. No, these fantasies are most likely not the "cup of tea" for all but don't miss out if you get the chance to view it.

After the events portrayed in 'The Desolation of Smaug' the dwarfs, under Thorin Oakenshield, have taken control of the mine under the Lonely Mountain and searching for the 'Arkenstone', not knowing that Bilbo Baggins has already found it. Meanwhile the dragon Smaug has attacked and destroyed Lake Town before being slain by Bard the Bowman. After this Bard becomes the leader of the survivors as they head to the Lonely Mountain expecting the dwarfs to help them. Thorin, affected by Dragon sickness, refuses and barricades the entrance. Soon a force of Elves turns up hoping to retrieve their own treasure from the mountain; they ally with the human forces and prepare to attack. Just as they are about to strike a large army of dwarfs arrives to help those in the mountain. That is the least of their worries; Orcish forces are also attacking and soon men, dwarfs and elves are fighting side by side.This is a solid enough conclusion to the Hobbit trilogy which goes some way to link this trilogy to the 'Lord of the Rings'. The story is pretty simple and there are few real surprises… just lots and lots of action. This action is pretty good for the most part although occasionally the CGI is a little obvious. The characters are mostly 'more of the same' with familiar characters battling the evil orcs. Alfrid Lickspittle, a character who lives up to his name, was a fun addition as the cowardly sidekick to the late ruler of Lake Town… although why Bard trusted him for most of the film is a mystery as he shows his true colours at every possible opportunity. The cast does a solid job bringing the characters to life and the various CGI creatures look believable. Overall this film provided plenty of action although I'm not sure it was really necessary to turn a short book like The Hobbit into three films with lots of new material.