What’s important then is the way in which Mr Jackson sends off his Middle Earth cinematic opus and (just in case there was any doubt) he does so with power and spectacle. If there’s one thing above else to love about Jackson’s adaptations of Tolkien’s work, it’s the heart with which he enriches the characters relationships, not least those that have been created or elaborated on by himself, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. With jealousy and greed at the centre of the conflict, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies needs the purity of love between Kili/Tauriel and Bard and his children to keep us engaged during a time when it seems that no one is capable of doing the right thing. Indeed, when the time comes for some members of the company of Thorin to face their destiny is when the film is at its most impactful. I don’t mind admitting that even when surrounded by the professional atmosphere of a press screening, I found certain moments really very moving. It was just something in my eye, of course. In a film with universally strong performances and one that is supposed to focus on the titular Hobbit, the now complete trilogy is dominated by the mesmerising presence of Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, whose story arc finally sees the heroic leader get his big moments in the spotlight. I really can’t say enough good things about Armitage’s work here – from the moment he first arrived in Bag End he managed to immediately capture what makes Thorin such a compelling and charismatic leader and his work in The Battle Of The Five Armies is excellent. Still: at least that the slight shortchanging of The Desolation Of Smaug here is a criticism that won’t make the slightest difference when the extended versions of all three Hobbit films are being watched back to back in years to come. And that is, after all, what it’s all about. It’s a strange thing to review a film knowing full well that it’s an abridged version of what was shot and to know it was a planned part of one large story. After all, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers was markedly improved in its extended form, especially having lost the books’ emotional first and last punch. The Battle of the Five Armies shares most in common with Return Of The King though in terms of its cinematic structure as, after the brisk start, it’s not long before all hell breaks loose. The film then remains consistently action packed until the fighting ends and things are wrapped up in good time (you can insert your own ‘multiple ending’ jibe here). The Battle Of The Five Armies is a satisying ending to the saga, thankfully. And as we say farewell to Middle Earth on the big screen, at least this final instalment of The Hobbit ends things on a high note, and with an emotional force that matches its visual power. The Hobbit‘s arguably not been as successful a trilogy as Lord Of The Rings, but this is a strong final chapter to end on. Job done, Mr Jackson… Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
title: “The Hobbit The Battle Of The Five Armies Review” ShowToc: true date: “2025-07-25” author: “Laronda Shannon”
What’s important then is the way in which Mr. Jackson sends off his Middle Earth cinematic opus and (just in case there was any doubt) he does so with power and spectacle. If there’s one thing above else to love about Jackson’s adaptations of Tolkien’s work, it’s the heart with which he enriches the characters relationships, not least those that have been created or elaborated on by himself, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. With jealousy and greed at the centre of the conflict, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies needs the purity of love between Kili/Tauriel and Bard and his children to keep us engaged during a time when it seems that no one is capable of doing the right thing. Indeed, when the time comes for some members of the company of Thorin to face their destiny is when the film is at its most impactful. I don’t mind admitting that even when surrounded by the professional atmosphere of a press screening, I found certain moments really very moving. It was just something in my eye, of course. In a film with universally strong performances and one that is supposed to focus on the titular Hobbit, the now complete trilogy is dominated by the mesmerising presence of Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, whose story arc finally sees the heroic leader get his big moments in the spotlight. I really can’t say enough good things about Armitage’s work here – from the moment he first arrived in Bag End he managed to immediately capture what makes Thorin such a compelling and charismatic leader and his work in The Battle Of The Five Armies is excellent. Still: at least that the slight shortchanging of The Desolation Of Smaug here is a criticism that won’t make the slightest difference when the extended versions of all three Hobbit films are being watched back to back in years to come. And that is, after all, what it’s all about. It’s a strange thing to review a film knowing full well that it’s an abridged version of what was shot and to know it was a planned part of one large story. After all, The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers was markedly improved in its extended form, especially having lost the books’ emotional first and last punch. The Battle of the Five Armies shares most in common with Return Of The King though in terms of its cinematic structure as, after the brisk start, it’s not long before all hell breaks loose. The film then remains consistently action packed until the fighting ends and things are wrapped up in good time (you can insert your own ‘multiple ending’ jibe here). The Battle Of The Five Armies is a satisying ending to the saga, thankfully. And as we say farewell to Middle Earth on the big screen, at least this final instalment of The Hobbit ends things on a high note, and with an emotional force that matches its visual power. The Hobbit‘s arguably not been as successful a trilogy as Lord Of The Rings, but this is a strong final chapter to end on. Job done, Mr Jackson… Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
