Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) by Matthew C — 12 Oct 2017

I'm going to come right out and admit that I enjoy the world of Middle Earth and its characters so much that it's fairly difficult for me to be all that critical of these Hobbit films. Any bias you detect is certainly accurate. I will, however, begrudgingly concede that Bilbo's story probably did not need to be scattered across three movies. This decision by Warner Bros. is both a blessing and a curse. I love that I get to feast my eyes upon many beautiful realizations of classic literature, but I sigh a momentary sigh of disappointment when this enduring narrative is sullied by clumsy, meandering screenwriting.

The final installment of this franchise is a sight to behold. It contains some great sequences, visual effects, and even some touching character moments. As usual, Martin Freeman is charming, humorous, and affable, and makes one constantly bemoan the fact that he doesn't get big roles like this more often. Though, admittedly, he's often sidelined in favor of the Dwarves, Gandalf, and the Elves. Perhaps this slight is by design, but the trilogy may have benefitted from a more clear-cut leading character.

Okay, on with the negative. Strangely, this installment of the Hobbit trilogy seems to be the least complete as a story. One would imagine that the added benefit of a real conclusion would set this film apart from the previous two. Alas, it does not. The narrative picks up the last thread from the second film, the inevitable battle with Smaug, and then forges new territory with an impending battle between the Dwarves and...everyone else. These events don't connect well enough for me and make the film feel a little disjointed. Perhaps Smaug should have been completely defeated in "part 2?" Yes, that would just leave the "Battle of the Five Armies" servicing an entire film on its own, but that's pretty much how the narrative looks in the end anyway.

(Possible Spoilers Below).

Secondly, while I like big, climactic battles as much as the next guy, this one loses points for ending on a bit of a whimper. The sheer length of the fighting itself isn't nearly as off-putting as how unceremoniously everything just...ends. Yes, there are dramatic deaths that mark the conclusion with solemnity and personal closure, and there's even a bookended scene with Ian Holm's old Bilbo to tie things up. But the turning tide in the ultimate, collaborative battle against the Orcs amounts to little more than the dues ex machinas of Middle Earth known as the Eagles (no, not the band, actual, giant eagles) swoop down and...umm...fix everything. Yes. Unless I dozed off for a second and missed a scene (quite possible), that's how the last Tolkien battle we will ever witness on the big screen again concludes.

Ultimately, just like when I watched Return of the King or the final Harry Potter film, there's a bittersweetness to seeing the book close again on Middle Earth. Regardless of what people think about the Hobbit Trilogy's merits, no one can deny that Peter Jackson has taken audiences on some visually rapturing journeys through Middle Earth over the last thirteen years.