Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) by Paul E — 05 Oct 2015

As sad as it is, there is no surprise that the Hobbit Trilogy series feels stretched. That feels especially true in the first and now last movie. The initial movie is a long dry buildup. The second movie achieves a perfect balance.

The final movie is one enormous action-filled battle. Expanding the Hobbit story two movies would probably lead to a higher level of quality that may rival the JJ Abrams Lord of the Rings Trilogy. This movie wastes little time in getting into the action.

The wrath of Smaug, the dragon, is on full display right off the bat. That scene is the true climax of the three movies, and it is very exciting. Afterwards, things get murkier; it becomes a battle between five armies all pursuing a cut of Smaug's treasure horde.

The dwarves fight a rather unjust fight between, orcs, elves, men, and another clan of dwarves. This battle lasts a long time. As good the action is, it is so scatted and there are so many parties involved it loses momentum even during the first viewing.

I imagine the re-watch value of this is low. The visuals and detail of the battle are fun for nerds like me, but it is a long tread to wrap the series up. Casual watchers may be in over their heads and will most likely struggle to keep up who is who and why they are even fighting.

Through all of my disappointments, it still has a great cast, solid characters, and quality visuals. It supports, compliments, and ties into the superior Lord of the Rings very nicely. There is still a strong story in there, even with the stretching and there is many positive things to say in favor of it.