7.5/10

The final film in this middle aged trilogy serves as a faithful send off to any fan of the Tolkien novels. The 3rd film in this trilogy brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having taken back their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the dwarves have 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 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 to unite or be destroyed. “Five Armies” might not be the best film in Peter Jackson’s trilogy. Mainly because it’s stretch of three films from two novels does feel a bit forced mainly at the beginning of this film. The fast paced nature of “Desolation of Smaug” seemed to end out of nowhere, and after seeing “Five Armies”, i don’t quite understand why. I will be one of those people who feel two movies of two and a half hours could’ve easily told this story exceptionally. However, this film combines some of the best cinematography i have ever seen with 3D that can’t be contained by any kind of screen. The result of these custom built 48 frames per second cameras have made this series the most beautifully produced trilogy in fantasy film. There were so many times in the movie where i felt like i was fighting alongside Gandalf or Thorin with many objects flying in my face, and so many jump scares as a result of this. This movie isn’t just great effects though, as the acting is top notch again by many of the film’s main team. Martin Freeman (Bilbo) has taken the role to new heights as the “rise above fear” mentality leaps off of the pages through the film’s main protagonist. Freeman has his least amount of on screen time in this film, but he makes the most of every scene with heart and a comedic timing that gives the fight scenes it’s exhale from the nonstop action. If i had a couple problems with the film, it’s mainly in the battle scenes for the lonely mountain. When you see this film, count how many times a character is in danger only to be saved by someone else. I know it seems like a common thing you see in every film, but it just takes away from the suspense of this movie by the 10th or 11th time it happens. Many of you know i have never been a Legolas (Orlando Bloom) fan, and this film does nothing new to help me cure that dislike. His character does the most unbelievable things even for the fantasy genre. It’s weird to me that a character who wasn’t in the novels was given so much screen time in this story. The biggest problem i have with his character is that i don’t know why he can’t just fight these armies by himself. It’s been presented on more than one occasion that he can kill more than one person at a time, so why not? The problems aren’t too big of a deal to drag this film down, and i’m sure they will be irrelevant to the fanboys of this franchise. One more notable praise with the film comes from the breathtaking score composed by the master, Howard Shore. The man’s filmography reads as a musical yearbook of some of film’s best in time. However, it’s been his work in all six of the Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit films that lifted him to new heights. The background music overpowers every fight scene or long shot of the cold, lonely landscape. It almost feels like the music never stops playing because it’s such an important part of this series and the scenes it engulfs. Overall, this film is definitely recommended. I will do one better that you never hear from me; SEE IT IN 3D. I don’t ever recommend 3D viewings, but you just won’t be doing this film justice if you see it from a 2D perspective. There are plenty of on screen effects to give you the bang for your buck. For me, the opening fight scene of Smaug reigning terror on the town as a continuance from last film is a visual fantasy for anyone waiting for 3D to finally pay off. “The Battle of the Five Armies” isn’t the best possible closure that the fans can receive, but it doesn’t have to be. The three Lord of the Rings films will always complete any fan’s wishes of this series continuing long beyond the goodbyes of these characters.