The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Movie Review

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Movie Review

• Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett,Christopher Lee, Evangeline Lilly, Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Orlando Bloom, Richard Armitage

Summary: Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

Review: Thirteen years on from the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, Peter Jackson completes his journey through Middle Earth with action-packed and satisfying finale, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). Proceedings open in the depths of night in Lake Town in the midst of chaos; the town's inhabitants scream and panic as the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) looms overhead, belching fire. Jackson spares no time to re-cap the events of the previous chapter, preferring to get audiences' hearts racing with a sky-high duel between the barrel-toned fire-drake and Bard (Luke Evans), who, whilst doing his best Strider impression, stumbles through a plethora of dud lines.

Back atop the mountain stronghold of Erebor, the dwarves, led by Thorin (Richard Armitage), stare down on the destruction in the town below. Since reclaiming their subterranean kingdom, Thorin has become possessed with the 'Dragon-sickness,' - which is in essence a madness in the mold of Denethor - causing him to abandon all sense of honour in his quest to reclaim the Arkenstone. In a pleasing touch, Armitage's voice echoes that of Smaug, and even a touch of Gollum, consumed with protecting his endless fields of gold. It is Armitage's performance, encompassing themes explored in Jackson's first trilogy, that elevates this final adventure. The same can be said of the return of Martin Freeman as Bilbo, who is provides the tale with its diminutive moral core.

When allowed queit in which to breathe, the pair exercise their acting chops to great effect, even though Freeman seemingly has little screen time. These moments cut through all the impressive technical wizardry, and baggy subplots, to the very heart of the story. For the most part, however, the focus is upon creating a whirlwind of sword swinging and Orc-bashing - the ongoing battle involving every race of Middle Earth is a spectacle to behold. Armour-clad Dwarfs sit astride bristly war-hogs and cliff-hoping battle-rams, and a few familiar faces joining together in an Avengers of Middle Earth action-sequence that, whilst visually dazzling, appears to only serve the purpose of linking the plot to The Lord of the Rings. There is, in fact, a great deal of structural similarity to The Return Of The King (2003), not least in a seemly never-ending series of battles and climaxes.

Somehow it seems churlish to attack the film for being too action-packed when it bears the title The Battle Of The Five Armies. One of the most entertaining and touching moments come at the conclusion of the film, and for fans this will be warmly received like an open fire in Bag End after a trip to Mount Doom. The six films tot up to nearly twenty hours (by Shire reckoning), and it is impossible not to admire and appreciate the world Jackson has so carefully, and lovingly, lifted from Tolkien's tomes. Jackson's efforts have peaked and troughed, but this final chapter will undoubtedly satisfy fans, and kindle a sense of sadness as this hobbit's tale finally draws to a close