And now, we shall come to the conclusion of the Hobbit trilogy, this third one, which will be reaching its ten-year anniversary this year. So now, let’s dive into The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies.
Plot: After Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), his dwarf clan, and Bilbo (Martin Freeman) have reclaimed the dwarf kingdom in the Lonely Mountain, as well as Smaug the dragon (Benedict Cumberbatch) getting defeated by Bard (Luke Evans), the new leader of Lake Town, Thorin, and company, with the help of the citizens of Lake Town, and other dwarf clans, must face a new threat, as Azog the Defiler (Manu Bennett) summons his Orc army, and other creatures of Mordor to try to rid the Lonely Mountain of the dwarves. It is up to Thorin, and the gang to defeat Azog once and for all.
Well, what is there to say for this Hobbit film? Well, first of all, this was most definitely one of the strongest, along with likely the second Hobbit film. Again, did we need three parts for The Hobbit? Probably not! Still, what we got in this third film was awesome. Starting with the characters, we got the following:
Smaug the dragon: We see this very briefly in the beginning of this film. For those of you who have seen this film, you know why. For the time he has in this film, he still has his devious, and cunning nature, and will try to do anything to discourage others from getting done what needs to be done.
Azog the Defiler: Wow, what a menacing Orc villain, especially for a character that didn’t even possess magic powers. He’s sneaky, and clearly would not give up on his hatred for the dwarves, or anything, or anyone that served a good cause.
Bard the Bowman: What’s not to like about Bard? He’s always willing to do what’s right, and is always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. And another thing! How could you not appreciate that he was willing to step up, and be a leader, after the citizens of his town suffered greatly from what Smaug the dragon did to their town? Also, after rewatching this film recently, something that I think a lot of people can appreciate about his character is that he won’t repay evil for evil, but to be willing to repay evil with good, even when certain cruel characters may deserve just punishment, so to speak. Also, how could you not care for his kids?
Alfred Lickspittle: Oh man, what a coward this guy was. He was also very greedy, and, unlike Bard, cared only for riches, rather than other people. Tragic!
Gandalf the Grey: He is most definitely a great voice of reason. He definitely has great words of wisdom, and will do whatever it takes to avoid war of any kind.
Tauriel & Legolas: Both were willing to do what’s right, even if it sometimes meant having to go against orders of elf leader Thranduil.
Thranduil: Not exactly the best elf leader, but you could probably tell that he was trying to do what he thought best especially for his kind.
Bilbo Baggins: Bilbo most definitely cared about the dwarves, but also could sense that Thorin Oakenshield was not being the best leader. One of the more impressive things about him for this third installment was that he was willing to defy orders from characters like Thorin in order to save him, and his dwarf clan, and Bard, and the others for going to war with each other. He was also willing to do whatever it took to help, and save the lives of others that needed it.
Thorin Oakenshield & the Dwarves: Thorin had a really great character arc throughout this third film. Also, I loved the symbolism that occurred as his character progressed throughout this movie. Still, at least you know that deep down, he had a good heart that needed to hopefully resurface at some point. And at least the other dwarves had more of a conscience than him at least at first.
As for the other aspects, there’s Howard Shore’s score. Man, did he do a great job. In fact, though maybe not quite on the level of say Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, it was still very good, and helped carry the emotions of this film. The battle scenes were surprisingly phenomenal as well, from Lake Town’s battle with Smaug, the battle that involved the dwarves, Bard, Gandalf, and their armies against Azog, and the Orcs near the end, and more. Additionally, it was great how Peter Jackson did his best to keep as much of the spiritual, and symbolic elements of the Hobbit book incorporated in this film, and in the previous two Hobbit movies. From the lessons of doing what’s right, to letting the love or riches corrupt you, and more, there are probably more lessons that can be taken from this film. Finally, the ending can potentially make you feel bittersweet, happy at the same time, and maybe some other feelings as well.
And that’s my review for The Hobbit: The Battle Of Five Armies. Overall, even if we didn’t need three films, maybe two at most, The Hobbit: The Battles Of Five Armies was an excellent way to end this film series. It also may have served as an excellent setup for the Lord Of The Rings trilogy. It has excellent actions, great visuals, has very emotional moments at times, and is one that you will overall be glad that you saw. Definitely give this film, and the previous Hobbit films a chance when you can. The first may not be as good as the second, or third films. Still, for what we got, definitely worth checking out. So yeah, see it, and see what you think!
Final Grade: A+
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 