The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the culmination of Peter Jacksons' Middle Earth saga. Everything pays off, and is wrapped up in a beautiful way. The amount of respect and care that Jackson has for Tolkiens' world is completely evident in this final chapter of the Hobbit film series.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the final installment of the Hobbit film trilogy, and is the story of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the company of dwarves, and their involvement in a war over the Lonely Mountain. While this film stands perfectly well on its own, it also brings the Middle Earth saga full circle with certain character developments and plot points. I love that we see Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) fully succumb to the sickness of Erebors' treasure, and that it is only through the help of his friends and Bilbo that he realizes his wrongdoings and is redeemed in the end. I also love the attack on Dol Guldur by the White Council for several reasons. Yes, the physical battle is intense and spectacular, but there are also a couple of key character moments in this scene. We see the dark side of Lady Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) that is completely out of control, and this serves as a prelude to her scene in The Fellowship of the Ring. We can also assume from this scene that the Necromancers' display of power is ultimately what seduces Saruman (Christopher Lee) to the dark side. After all, his last words are, "Leave Sauron to me". It seems only natural that he would follow Sauron to Mordor, and ultimately become his puppet. I also like that we see how Gandalf (Ian McKellen) gets the staff that he uses in The Lord of the Rings films, and that Thorin gives Bilbo his mythril vest. However, for everything that this film does right, it also does several things wrong. There is a sequence in the film where we see Gandalf randomly riding a horse to Erebor. The fact that he is on his way to Erebor does not bother me, but the fact that he is riding a horse does. How in the world did he come to acquire this horse?? This may sound like I am nitpicking, but I would have liked to at least seen him summon the horse by whistling or something. I also would have liked to see the news spread in a more elaborate way about the death of Smaug and the dwarves of Erebor seeking to reclaim it. It just feels like everybody randomly shows up and declares their intentions. Also, during the climactic war, Alfrid (Ryan Gage) is running and hiding, and keeping away from any violence. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he is seen being catapulted into the mouth of a troll. Granted, this is awesome, but I would have liked to have seen how he wound up in the catapult in the first place. Speaking of the war, it does not feel like there is a clear end to everything. Yes, Azog is killed, but does that automatically mean that the war is over??? It all seems terribly anti-climactic. Despite all the problems with the plot, this final Hobbit film is action-packed and overwhelmingly emotional.
Peter Jackson is the director of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. From a storytelling perspective, I love the way Jackson handles the character arc of Thorin Oakenshield. Oakenshield slips far into the dark sickness of the mountain, and his redemption is carefully done and handled with grace. I also like the way Kilis' (Aidan Turner) death is handled. Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) watches with horror as he killed and, even though no words are spoken, you can see the love they have for each other in their eyes. Naturally, the climactic war sequences are the highlight of the film. The war continuously gets more intense, and each shot is awe-inspiring to behold. The ending of the film is also quite well done, and seeing Bilbo and Gandalf part ways is enough to bring tears to your eyes. This film is a breathtaking finale to the Middle Earth saga, and Jackson has firmly cemented himself as one of the best filmmakers of the modern era.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies serves as an epic conclusion to the Hobbit film trilogy, and also beautifully leads into the Lord of the Rings films. J.R.R. Tolkien would be truly proud of what Peter Jackson has done. If you enjoyed the first two Hobbit films, you will no doubt enjoy this exciting final chapter.
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