The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Review

And so our second visit to Middle Earth has come to an end. With that comes a sort of gleeful melancholy; the Lord of the Rings trilogy is inarguably more vast in terms of both story and scope than that of The Hobbit, but it's been a fun ride nonetheless. The question is: can this final instalment conclude yet another epic Peter Jackson saga? At times, the answer is definitely a resounding 'yes'. 

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman)

The Battle of the Five Armies begins immediately with the consequences of Bilbo's actions from the previous film. Smaug is destroying Lake Town. Thorin is becoming rapidly unhinged. Gandalf is in peril. It's a beginning which quite literally throws you in, and so newcomers to the franchise might want to do a little background reading before the title appears. Once the immediate danger is resolved, The Hobbit: TBOTFA turns into a film resembling something that portrays the Cold War. The dwarves have possession of the mountain, but their leader, Thorin, is not satisfied. He demands that they find the precious Arkenstone which belonged to his Father, therefore meaning it belongs to him. It's difficult to divulge much of the plot without spoiling the first 30 minutes of the movie, so I won't explain how the battle in the title actually comes to be. I will however, say that the battle itself is as entertaining as you'd expect from a film taking place in Middle Earth, even if it's a little drawn-out. 

It might just be because I've read the book (which is only 300 pages, hence why most people don't think it needed a trilogy), but many of the scenes within the battle go on for just a little longer than necessary. There's definitely some thrilling moments littered throughout, and some which rival previous events such as the Battle of Helms Deep, but overall things begin to feel slightly monotonous. In fact, the first half of the movie and the build-up to the fighting was far more enjoyable than the combat itself. 

Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage)

Regardless of this, it's still a pleasure to see Bilbo and Gandalf and all the regulars back for one last time. Gandalf's moments in particular carry a real weight to them, which most fans of the franchise would probably expect. The most surprising character though, would be the recently appointed king, Thorin. It's as much Thorin's story as it is Bilbo's, and the movie does a really great job of conveying how power and wealth have corrupted him and skewed his perspectives on loyalty and honour. By the time the credits roll, you really feel like you've been on a journey with these characters. In the end, the flaws seem comparatively less important. 

Verdict

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a satisfying final visit to the world created by Tolkein. It contains some subtle nods to the other trilogy which provide great fan-service, and is a film which very nearly achieves the epic nature of Return of the King, even though not quite. If you haven't seen any other films set in this universe, then I highly doubt The Hobbit: TBOTFA will do anything to persuade you. If you are a fan of Tolkein's world however, then you've no doubt seen this already. If you haven't, then definitely go and see it, even though it's probably the weakest of the trilogy...but only because it's such a strong trilogy to start with. 

"Will you follow me...one last time?"