THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES

What began with An Unexpected Journey (2012) and subsequently brought upon The Desolation of Smaug (2013), will conclude in epic fashion with The Battle of the Five Armies. Bilbo Baggins and the band of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield lay siege to the Lonely Mountain and all the gold contained within. But Thorin must put aside greed and ally with the displaced people of Lake Town, the elves of the Woodland Realm and the dwarves of the Iron Hills and rally together if they are to defeat the orcs of Gundabad and Moria hell-bent on claiming the Lonely Mountain for their master.

Needless to reiterate The Hobbit Trilogy uses the identical formula of story-telling as in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This isn't completely a bad trait, but it isn't a good one either. Begin with an impossible quest in the first film, take this from bad to worse in the sequel and then finish with a colossal battle where good prevails over evil in the third movie. The tone in the third instalment is considerably darker than its two predecessors. The script and film are paced brilliantly; one could barely notice the running time of two hours and forty minutes. The story doesn't lag but flows smoothly and keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Absolutely no complaints in the acting department. This is the sixth film where Ian McKellen has played Gandalf and Orlando Bloom has played Legolas; needless to say these guys do justice to the characters once again. The scenes between Martin Freeman's Bilbo and Richard Armitage's Thorin are particularly noteworthy and filled with subtle nuances. All the other actors who played the supporting dwarves, humans and orcs give worthwhile performances and helps to bring Middle Earth back to cinematic life.

The highlight of this film is its cinematography, special effects and actions sequences. Each featured location is a unique character and emphasizes the myriad landscapes of Middle Earth. The special effects aren't obviously noticeable which is a good thing but the action scenes are noticeable for all the right reasons. The battle scene incorporates all manner of orcs, dwarves, elves, humans, trolls, goblins, bats, eagles and were-worms. The Battle of the Five Armies is a true visual spectacle and definitely worth the price of admission.

As entertaining and visually appealing as this film is, it does contain a few snafus. The biggest mistake is that it has recycled characters from the Rings Trilogy. Thorin is similar to Boromir, Alfrid is comparable to Wormtongue and Bard's character arc is akin to that of Aragorn. The romance between Tauriel and Kili is pointless, the characters of the other dwarves are hardly explored while insignificant characters like Alfrid get more screen time and the giant eagles sweeping down to rescue our heroes at the eleventh hour has been exhausted. These blemishes aside, this particular film is the best of the three Hobbit films and brings the tale to a fitting climax and conclusion. The return to Middle Earth has been fun and is appreciated.

Rating: 8/10

S. V. Fernando