Read Mixed User Reviews for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

4

BaconConoisseurDec 24, 2014

The parts of the book that were actually included in the movie were done somewhat decently. However many of the added stories weren't very well written. Bard using his son as a component of his bow to kill Smaug was insulting to theThe parts of the book that were actually included in the movie were done somewhat decently. However many of the added stories weren't very well written. Bard using his son as a component of his bow to kill Smaug was insulting to the excellently done dragon. The conversation between Legolas and his father was very cringe worthy and nothing looked more awkward than Galadriel carrying Gandalfs unconscious body. The Hobbit is also not supposed to heavily tie into Lord of the Rings. They are two very different tones that clash uncomfortably.

I encourage the use of CGI in special effects but it needs to be done correctly. Including practical effects gives your CGI artists something with real light and texture to work off of. That could have helped because a lot of this movies CGI looked like it needed work or they ran out of money.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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5

Lumio_DracoFeb 8, 2015

"Too little butter spread over too much bread." That is my impression of the Hobbit series. It is a great story, however I found it to be very unnecessary to make it into three movies when I could have be much better in one four hour movie.

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4

TyranianApr 11, 2019

This is not a good film, Jackson has massacred this classic novel and undone his good work with LOTR.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

IamthejuanAug 22, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This, in my opinion, was the only decent one in The Hobbit line of movies, and I am a HUGE fan of Tolkien's Epic. But there are still some things going wrong here. First of all, I am really bothered by how you guys went through all the trouble of making the orcs look all badass, and then they act like they have never had fighting lessons in their life. Even little dwarfs and hobbits are running around killing them left and right. It really looks kind of like you're playing Dynasty Warriors or something.

The entire screenplay is written in an asinine manner. Gandalf keeps telling these morons that there is a huge army of Orcs on the way, but everyone stands around and argues with each other rather than preparing an organized defense. Thorin stands there and watches his cousin's people get slaughtered, and then without any sort of explanation snaps out of "the spell" (gold can cast spells in this movie, but Gandalf apparently cannot). But does Thorin immediately rally the troops to go fight? No, he instead makes a long melodramatic speech, and when they finally do run out it looks like maybe 15 Dwarves. What the hell are 15 more Dwarves going to do in this situation? (Let's go after the leader, we'll just easily ride right on through this army that has been destroying us for a half hour now.)

I couldn't stop laughing when the giant troll thing knocked himself out to punch a hole in the wall. But I also had to wonder why they even brought trebuchets at all just to use them for about 15 seconds.

Here you have Gandalf, now he is supposedly like the best wizard around (even before his Zen Buddhism experience), but he really doesn't do anything wizardly. I mean, these guys are surrounded by orcs and giant worms (what happened to the worms by the way; they were there for one scene then they were gone), you would expect to see him shooting fireballs and all kinds of other stuff like he did in LOTR trilogy. But no, he doesn't even bother to charge his staff with lightning or anything when he hits fully armored orcs in the face. Maybe he invested too many stat points into strength and not enough into Magicka? If he was going to play battle-mage then why was he not wearing heavy armor? Gandalf and Bilbo Baggins pretty much stand there most of the time and shout things like "fall back." I guess at some point the screenwriters remembered that Bilbo has a magic invisibility ring, because they decided to have him use it for no other purpose than delivering a message in the middle of battle that really didn't do any good anyways. He could have been running around all invisible-like killing orcs, but instead he was the mailman.

Elf chick decides to go rescue her boyfriend (not in the book), who inevitably dies saving her life. Now the funny thing here is that elf chick herself has killed countless orcs during the course of the movie, but she gets tossed around like a ragdoll by this one. But of course, Legolas (also not in the book) comes along and is able to elf kung-fu this orc who for some reason seems to be able to fight a hundred times better than any of the other obes. This after somehow jumping up a trail of falling rocks and without even appearing to have super speed. It was absolutely spectacular to witness, though I have to question the physics of this universe they are in.

Elf king tells Legolas to go find Strider (Aragorn) who, according to the timeline of the stories, was still a child growing up amongst elves. You are telling me that the elves don't know where is the human ranger in their own kingdom?

All in all, this was not a terrible movie, but it was a terrible Tolkien port. Most of the Tolkien fans are adults now. We like adult movies that also feature some form of cohesive logic with regards to how the world operates and what constitutes a wizard. This series was so obviously meant for children. 5/10, +1 for all the laughs.

Peter Jackson, retire.… Expand

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6

JPKJun 24, 2019

Hollow Finale
Battle Of The Five Armies might have impressive visuals and impressive performances, But this movie focuses WAY TOO MUCH on CGI instead of the story and an overly bloated script.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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6

PikeaxMar 9, 2019

This is based on the trilogy as a whole.
The Hobbit is a wonderful book but it simply doesn't have enough content to be spread between three movies. Each movie doesn't really tell a cohesive story on its own and while I judged the Lord of theThis is based on the trilogy as a whole.
The Hobbit is a wonderful book but it simply doesn't have enough content to be spread between three movies. Each movie doesn't really tell a cohesive story on its own and while I judged the Lord of the Rings as a whole because it improves an already amazing experience, The Hobbit has to be judged as a whole because the movies make no sense in any other method of viewing. Even still they hit middling at best and never truly great.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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5

VidyaBumDec 20, 2014

The unintended comedy with the ridiculous Legolas stunts(far worse than in any other LOTR movie) is the cherry on this action porn cake of a movie.

I appreciate that Jackson tried to spend time and effort on Thorin and some character studyThe unintended comedy with the ridiculous Legolas stunts(far worse than in any other LOTR movie) is the cherry on this action porn cake of a movie.

I appreciate that Jackson tried to spend time and effort on Thorin and some character study here and there, but ultimately it's action porn from start to finish with some really terrible decisions here and there, namely, death of Smaug 15 mins in the movie, what was the point of the huge cliffhanger of the last movie, love story between dwarf and elf which is to say the least unlikely and has the basis of the two having talked for a grand total of five minutes across prison bars in the last movie, Saruman, Galadriel and Elrond going into Dol Guldur like a ninja team to kick all of the Nazgul and Sauron's asses, going about it with martial arts move and a mix of big flash type of magic...it's silly really, all over the place.

I liked Bilbo, liked Gandalf still, liked quite a few characters, perhaps more than in LOTR which was even more of a cliche parade, but really that doesn't save this movie from being an action porn movie. If you want dumb action entertainment in an LOTR world sure, this does the trick, but by no means is it a great movie, or even a good movie, it's just an action flick in the LOTR world.

I'd give it 4 but I'll add 1 for all the laughs I had at every Legolas action scene.… Expand

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5

GuyWhoReviewsDec 26, 2014

Over-hyped, overrated and disappointing. The third and final installment in the Hobbit trilogy is disappointing for LOTR fans who have seen all the movies and read all the books. It's obvious proof that the Hobbit movies were dragged out wayOver-hyped, overrated and disappointing. The third and final installment in the Hobbit trilogy is disappointing for LOTR fans who have seen all the movies and read all the books. It's obvious proof that the Hobbit movies were dragged out way too much. I could understand two movies, but having a third movie was clearly to make more money and ended up ruining the experience. As much as I loved the book, this movie fails to maintain anything close in quality to the book. The acting is fine, but the movie itself is just a failure to the book. The fight scenes are far too long and are way too convenient. The important characters can literally fight off hundreds of orcs in hand to hand combat until the plot demands otherwise. The story is too slow and the fighting is too extensive. As much as I hate to say it, this hobbit movie is disappointing. Read the book or if you're a die hard fan watch it, but don't expect much.… Expand

5 of 6 users found this helpful51

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5

Maximus895Dec 21, 2014

Watching the final chapter of The Hobbit trilogy doesn't feel like an experience you engage with out of anticipation, excitement, or wonder. It's one you do out of obligation. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, despite their own warts andWatching the final chapter of The Hobbit trilogy doesn't feel like an experience you engage with out of anticipation, excitement, or wonder. It's one you do out of obligation. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, despite their own warts and occasionally misguided narrative decisions, are perhaps some of the most influential and emotionally engaging fantasy epics to ever be put on-screen. The hurdles jumped through to put J.R.R. Tolkein's trilogy on screen is one of the most amazing feats of creativity and ingenuity in cinematic history. But Peter Jackson, whether in frustration or in delusion, has somehow managed to completely lose course of what made those films resonate.

What we're left with is an effort to take a generally light-hearted adventure tale, and to make it an enormous, emotional spectacle filled with characters who we are told to care about because... well, we are told to care about them. For all its thousands of on-screen characters engaging in thunderous action, and the dramatic soundtrack trying to emphasize each moment as a tragic and important, very little of it comes to mean anything. The film's final action scene more or less encompasses half the movie, but unlike any of the Lord of the Rings movies, the narrative of these battles never feels clear.

The film is not without its talent. The talented cast aren't given much, but Richard Armitage's Thorin and Martin Freeman's Bilbo both manage to have atleast a handful of moments that resonate with one another and form a somewhat human core to this final act, even if it never felt as powerful as that of Frodo and Sam. The rest of the cast reads their lines well and with intent, but as with the trilogy as a whole, it all ultimately feels fake and contrived. The romance between the elf Tauriel and the dwarf Kili, and element that never existed in the books, never feels real or something we as an audience are meant to attach too. Like the actors on countless green-screen sets talking to elevated tennis balls, we are told to believe that we are staring at something real and to respond accordingly, but we just know it's a lie. Instead it just reads hollow.

As with all of Jackson's Middle-Earth films, the artistry behind the world creates some striking vistas and beautiful ornate armor and creatures. However, it still continues to be a shame that we lose so much of the tangibility in the director's increased reliance on CG instead of the beautiful (and sometimes terrifying) work created by the practical effects artists in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Moment to moment, it becomes harder to believe what any of what you're seeing is real. Billy Connolly's own character was entirely replaced by a CG representation, which tragically illustrates the lengths to which he'll allow the work of his actors and artists be replaced by hollow animated puppets.

In the beautifully put-together and extensive behind-the-scenes documentaries in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is an exceptionally poignant moment when Peter Jackson is directing the final shot with Frodo, played by Elijah Wood. Jackson, trying to fight off his tears, struggling to say "cut" and finally end the filming, and instead continues to ask Wood to try the scene again. Once he finally accepts the reality that his time with his cast is over, he embraces Wood and thanks him as the two shed tears together, ending their incredible once-in-a-lifetime journey with one another. It is a heart-breaking moment for both the crew, as well as we as the audience. I can't help but wonder what Jackson's attitude was when filming the final shot of these films. Was it the same challenge to let go? Was it exhaustion? Whatever it was, I'm sure he could add some CG tears later to make us believe it's supposed to be a sad moment.… Expand

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5

meok91Jan 1, 2015

This film is sadly all style and little substance. While I am not a huge fan, I saw and enjoyed the first two hobbit movies, they were entertaining and well executed. This film is where the cracks began to show, there is simply not enoughThis film is sadly all style and little substance. While I am not a huge fan, I saw and enjoyed the first two hobbit movies, they were entertaining and well executed. This film is where the cracks began to show, there is simply not enough source material in one book to make these three movies, at the very most two movies would have been enough. While we do get the ending to the story it is after nearly three hours of what feels like stalling, the first fifteen minutes of the movie are the best imho. This really felt like a money making exercise to me.… Expand

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6

CedarsAveDec 23, 2014

It wasn't bad. The battles (battle?) were (was?) pretty impressive, and the characters weren't devoid of emotion. In short, the film wasn't soulless, but that isn't saying much. The film's main problem comes from its conception, the fact thatIt wasn't bad. The battles (battle?) were (was?) pretty impressive, and the characters weren't devoid of emotion. In short, the film wasn't soulless, but that isn't saying much. The film's main problem comes from its conception, the fact that it's based on the third act of a single novel. That makes this film, in effect, just one big third act stretched into two and a half hours. So it starts with finale-style action (Smaug dying) and continues with it right through to the end. Because of its source material, it can't really have a beginning, middle and end; that's what the first two parts of the trilogy are. The Lord of the Rings was based on three books with their own three acts, each part of a greater story arc; Peter Jackson has his greater story arc with the Hobbit, but that's just the plot to the book. Each individual film doesn't really have its own individual story, and that really tells in the Battle of Five Armies. It feels like the end of a film and not a film in itself. That said, it doesn't do too badly at concluding Middle-earth. It's no classic, but it's still worth seeing, if just to get a sense of closure with Tolkien's universe.… Expand

12 of 16 users found this helpful124

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6

Jes1310Jan 21, 2015

Loved the second LOTR movie (the one with all the fighting in it). So I expected to like the battle of the five armies as well. But it has none of the easy flowingness that the LOTR has. Boss battles are to long and just plain stupid.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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6

LordOfTheFilmsDec 20, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I`ve really tried to stay positive to The Hobbit trilogy, but it`s easy to understand why people respond with negativity. Personally, I enjoyed the film all the way until the battle begins. And for a while, I enjoyed the battle as well. It all follows the book to an acceptable point (except from the trolls, what are they doing there?).

Suddenly, Jackson decides to make THAT turn away from the original story, and we don`t follow the battle of the five armies any longer, we follow Legolas, Tauriel, Fili, Kili, Dwalin and Thorin vs Azog, Bolg and another army. All that in an ice covered "battle arena," just to make the whole thing more epic. And suddenly, the battle is over, and now Jackson wants to focus on Bilbo, and just Bilbo, without concluding the other story lines 100%. And then the film`s over.

The book is a fine prequel to LOTR, why don`t make the movies that way? I liked this movie for the most, but mentioned plot twists makes it impossible for me to give it 10/10.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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6

runnerDec 25, 2014

This is basically a good film, it is very impressive and done very well. And I guess I could say it's fun to watch.

This third part, though, shows how unnecessary it was to split this one single book into three (!) parts, each taking aboutThis is basically a good film, it is very impressive and done very well. And I guess I could say it's fun to watch.

This third part, though, shows how unnecessary it was to split this one single book into three (!) parts, each taking about 2 hours and 40 minutes.

The Battle of the Five Armies hasn't got much story in it, as it is mostly told on the first two parts of the trilogy, and here we come to the grand finale, where, well, most of the characters mainly fight. And fight. And fight. And fight. And fight.

There were some moving moments, and some light moments, which is good, but still - most of the time I've seen only violence on the screen. There was simply not much else to show, because, as I said, there's not much of the story left to tell..
But how would we make a trilogy with each title lasting alone almost 3 hours?
Of course, let's stretch those battles on and on!

Well, that didn't work that well in my opinion folks.

And yes, technically this is still a good movie. Still, I'm really glad this is over, as making three parts for The Hobbit felt like it's going to be mainly a slight torture to my wallet and not a fully enjoyable experience.… Expand

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5

thehab86Dec 20, 2014

I preferred the other 2 by a wide margin, the start is the end of the second and after that imagine a 2 hours battle without any story developement. I should have rented it I guess.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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4

dc127Dec 22, 2014

I remember reading the Hobbit when I was a kid. I love the wonder and sense of adventure the book contained. This sense carried over to the Animated Hobbit film that I still love to this day. Watching these three movies has been more of aI remember reading the Hobbit when I was a kid. I love the wonder and sense of adventure the book contained. This sense carried over to the Animated Hobbit film that I still love to this day. Watching these three movies has been more of a chore than anything else. I entered the first movie with such hope. Instead of joy I just keep hitting scenes thinking "oh wow how can he screw up this time." This feeling extended to the final film. I don't need Thorin facing off in a duel on an icy river. I don't need an interracial love triangle with elves and dwarves. Smaug was great, but that was about it. It is sad that what could have been turned into these three drawn out stories with bad CG, horrible plot added in, and slop shod directing. I will be reading the Hobbit again over Christmas to wash the bad taste out of my mouth.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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4

mustafa18182Jan 3, 2015

The Hobbit was not even close to the standards of Lord of the Rings. How could it be? The Lord of the Rings rightfully deserved a trilogy ( one movie for each book). The Hobbit was a tiny book and they turned that into 3 movies! The HobbitThe Hobbit was not even close to the standards of Lord of the Rings. How could it be? The Lord of the Rings rightfully deserved a trilogy ( one movie for each book). The Hobbit was a tiny book and they turned that into 3 movies! The Hobbit dragged and there were way too many made up scenes. The battle took up too much time in the movie and they missed out many key factors of the book.

All in all there was too much action and straying away from the main point of the book.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

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4

intruder313Jan 3, 2015

The last film is the first bad LOTR/Hobbit film: just filled with so much stupidity that had me facepalming rather than enraptured.

I think the extra hour they are bound to "add" to the film for the DVD release is a must to save thisThe last film is the first bad LOTR/Hobbit film: just filled with so much stupidity that had me facepalming rather than enraptured.

I think the extra hour they are bound to "add" to the film for the DVD release is a must to save this monstrous mess and indeed there's at least 2 moments missing from the film that were shown in trailers.

PJ just did not seem to be arsed this time around, he's clearly had enough and chucked this one out without proper editing.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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5

Loler13grJan 28, 2015

I really wanted to like this movie but in the end I walked out of the movie theater disappointed. The first 30-40 minutes feel unnecessary and it's only a delay to the battle which is the main event of the movie and consumed about two thirdsI really wanted to like this movie but in the end I walked out of the movie theater disappointed. The first 30-40 minutes feel unnecessary and it's only a delay to the battle which is the main event of the movie and consumed about two thirds of the time. The Gandalf vs The Necromancer storyline , which is really interesting since it was not presented in the book , also feels it was shoved into the movie only to make it a little bit longer. There are scenes that gave me shivers like the final scene or the scene where Aragorn is mentioned ( his name is never mentioned ) but other than that the battle was nothing but a bunch of mediocre CGI dwarvs and goblins fighting each other with some trolls , bats and worms making short appearances. The love story ( which is not a part of the book ) is doing it's best to keep us guessing about it's end but even that fails to deliver. Finally Legolas and Thranduil are over-powered and kind of ruin the epic battle feeling since Legolas and three dwarvs take on an army of thousand goblins and Thranduil single-handedly kills hundreds of goblins too. Despite all that the things that made LOTR and the other two Hobbit movies great are there with great performances , breath-taking landscapes , an epic battle against Smaug and a great soundtrack. Also the ending was perfect with a subliminal message marking the end of the Middle-Earth movies Era ( Silmarilion takes place in the North )… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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4

traffmeisterJan 19, 2015

Where did the goats come from? This film is filled with stupid cuts, extended and thrown in sequences that go nowhere near the source material and I feel Tolkein would have been rather displeased with this OTT overly long mess of a movie. TheWhere did the goats come from? This film is filled with stupid cuts, extended and thrown in sequences that go nowhere near the source material and I feel Tolkein would have been rather displeased with this OTT overly long mess of a movie. The book did NOT need to be split into 3 parts, but as usual, the prospect of money prevailed...… Expand

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5

DartboardJan 20, 2015

Reasonably entertaining, but it feels obligatory and suffers from a lack of heart and passion. Not nearly as emotionally enthralling as any of the Lord of the Rings films, and you can only have so many fight sequences before they start toReasonably entertaining, but it feels obligatory and suffers from a lack of heart and passion. Not nearly as emotionally enthralling as any of the Lord of the Rings films, and you can only have so many fight sequences before they start to blur together. The story is thin and does not sustain a 144-minute film, so you might find it a bit dull by the time the third act rolls around. There are a few subplots interwoven throughout, but they leave next to no impact, and that's a problem with the film as a whole, I feel - it's a finale without impact. That in itself is disappointing. That said, the film is technically sound, the performances are solid (despite the occasional cringe-worthy piece of dialogue), and it's always nice to take a visit to Middle-earth. Unfortunately, none of these qualities save it from the weak writing, which is made even more unfortunate by the potential the trilogy had after The Desolation of Smaug.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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4

mariojmartinDec 26, 2014

When I read Tolkien books, It is so rich in details, customs, mythology, and deep characters that feels that you are inside. The movie presents superficial characters, cartooned overused action, childhood dialogues, unrealistic battles andWhen I read Tolkien books, It is so rich in details, customs, mythology, and deep characters that feels that you are inside. The movie presents superficial characters, cartooned overused action, childhood dialogues, unrealistic battles and unnecessary evil too evil to be credible, makes the movie BOORING! A 10 to the scenography, the rest is rubbish. This is another example of a movie that expends too much in CGI and nothing to good writers.… Expand

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5

var_starkDec 18, 2014

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Good Job on screwing a big saga PJ. The movie starts in a rush, in less than 20 minutes he just ends all the secondary storylines, and then starts preparing for the battle. This is when the movies gets its finest, comprehensible situations, tension, dignified characters, psychological dilemas, bargaging... actually feels like the old movies, you know something serious happens here. Then the battle begins, everything goes well (the company suffers the madness of thorin, Bardo tries to defend his people, the elves and the dwarves doing good fight) and then... everything becomes marvel.
A movie called the battle of the 5 armies switches into the most epic and useless 1vs1 in the middle earth.What happens with the core of the battle?, the heroes trying to defend what is important, fighting for the good and the land. Real struggles, down in the field of battle... all gone. The movie becomes a ridiculous SFX choreography between legolas, tauriel, thorin, Azog and Bolgo... just like marvel you've got serious business happening down there but wtf," we have to make a badass battle betwen the villain and the hero, who **** cares about the rest? " Well i do, and that was what made battles in LOTR great, the heros were showy, they were better than the rest but they FOUGHT with them, Would you imagine in the return of the king that Aragorn just goes to find sauron far away from the battle, have a badass fight with sauron wich you know it's totally gonna lose and forget about everyone dying in the field??? THAT's HORRIBLE.

HORRYBLE DECITIONS IMO.

Some may say, OH YEAH, THE VISUALS ARE GRAT, SO AWESOME SPECIAL EFFECTS, dude i am a VFX technitian, i **** love VFX and i tell you, if this movie were suppose to feed with VFX it would be MORBID FAT, horrible fat. It just has VFX in excess, not even necesary, nor for the plot, not for the sake of the movie. Yeah, there are some spectacular effects SO WHAT, they arn't even necessary. What happens with the totally unnecesary bell, Legolas just defying gravity, those horrible Orcs (seriously, what happend to the orcs? why do they look like a videogame?) once again, so many bad decitions.

This movie could have been very good if it just went to the point, focus on creating an actually good battle, working on the relationships and stopped inventing ridiculous stunts and scenes.

FY peter jackson… Expand

5 of 8 users found this helpful53

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5

tekkiDec 21, 2014

How i felt : Disappointed

Cons: > Movie can be summed up in 3 parts: tie up plot pieces, build up to the last battle, the last battle > bad CGI > bad editing > multiple instances of mistakes > a lot of staring > too long Pros:How i felt : Disappointed

Cons:
> Movie can be summed up in 3 parts: tie up plot pieces, build up to the last battle, the last battle
> bad CGI
> bad editing
> multiple instances of mistakes
> a lot of staring
> too long

Pros:

> its the hobbit
> large fantasy battles
> some fun moments… Expand

6 of 10 users found this helpful64

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5

SergeantSozDec 17, 2014

I was a fan of Lord of the Rings since the Fellowship. Needless to say these Hobbit movies take a huge dump on the first three movies just like the new Star Wars movies did.
PROS
I honestly can't think of much. If you liked World ofI was a fan of Lord of the Rings since the Fellowship. Needless to say these Hobbit movies take a huge dump on the first three movies just like the new Star Wars movies did.
PROS
I honestly can't think of much. If you liked World of Warcraft, this will be a movie you might like.
CONS
I can say this was the worst of the three Hobbit movies. How can the guy who gave us Lord of the Rings, which featured battle scenes so epic, they sent chills down my spine, sink to this level. The entire movie was underwhelming. They brought in too many characters that didn't need to be there and established subplots with characters I still don't know the names of. I couldn't feel any empathy for anyone, even when they died. They were just there. Everything is drawn out way too long. The beginning of the movie honestly would have made a better ending to Desolation of Smaug. I was against the Hobbit being made into 3 movies before and I stand by that. The biggest killer is that the movie relies way too heavily on CGI. It looks fake and destroys everything. The Lord of the Rings only used CGI when it was needed. Massive hordes of orcs I understand, but when you do close ups of these characters and they're animated, it just doesn't feel the same as makeup and costume. Another thing to point out, Jackson needs to cool it on the panoramic shots. The camera never sits still, its always soaring through the air. It gets annoying. The movie was just "meh". I didn't totally hate it. I've seen worse, but the whole Hobbit trilogy has been a letdown. They brought in characters like Legolas and make references to Aragorn and Gimli to satisfy our nostalgia for Lord of the Rings, but ultimately it just gets in the way. I LOVE Smaug. The one highlight in this whole trilogy is whenever Smaug is on camera. For everything else, it wasn't done the right way.… Expand

8 of 14 users found this helpful86

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6

DukeJonJan 9, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 1. film starts as the previous film should have ended. death of dragon
2. by time dragon is dead whole town destroyed anyway
3. why bard's son's head not sheared off by daddy uses him to kill dragon
4. an hour of "a war is coming"
5. thorin changes character. again
6. street fighter battle with sauron
7. battle starts. if orcs had waited an hour they would have had a far easier battle as elves would have killed dwarves by then
8. hours of cgi. orcs are really tough and well armoured by they are beaten up by men, elves, dwarves and old human women
9. suspense of disbelief violated. walking up falling debris
10. unfunny comedy turn in a dress
11. hour of mini boss battles
12. gandalf fills his pipe
13. auction in the shire

and finally

14. eagles come in at the last moment to win the battle. again.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

imthenoobJan 8, 2015

By far the best film of the series but that isn't saying much. The needless love triangle story line, The awkward bits of comedy through out...even during the more serious moments of the film, The battles were far too CGI filled and fastBy far the best film of the series but that isn't saying much. The needless love triangle story line, The awkward bits of comedy through out...even during the more serious moments of the film, The battles were far too CGI filled and fast paced...you could not enjoy them in the slightest, and a majority of the big parts of this film were very anti-climactic. Not to mention the serious over acting through out.

The Hobbit Trilogy was a serious disappointment and this one is no exception. However, It was still sadly the best film in the series and the only one even remotely worth seeing.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

InspectorJDec 30, 2014

Considering that Bilbo was knocked unconscious for the Battle of the Five Armies in the book, it is questionable that they managed to pull off a 144 minute feature based off of the battle. However, the film is so action-heavy that the wholeConsidering that Bilbo was knocked unconscious for the Battle of the Five Armies in the book, it is questionable that they managed to pull off a 144 minute feature based off of the battle. However, the film is so action-heavy that the whole film feels like a climax, eventually becoming dreary and repetitive with every battle and duel.

As such, I feel Jackson should have stayed with his original intent on creating only two Hobbit movies, to avoid this very issue, but Warner Bros. always know how to milk a franchise dry.

It certainly is a good time if you like endless action, and it is certainly a treat for the eyes to see Smaug in glorious high-definition once more, but I cannot help but feel that Jackson missed an opportunity to create another masterful trilogy. Looks like the Desolation of Smaug will be the better of the three.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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6

chesaroJan 5, 2015

I still don't understand why there where 3 movies, and this last one is the worst, nothing that we haven't seen before happens, at least on the second part smaug was very important

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

moslegend34Dec 29, 2014

Average. Billy Collony and Cate Blanchett were not handed big enough roles to justify their immense acting talent. While the battle scenes and CGI were of the top order, a lack of plot and an original ending hampered Jackson's finale. TheAverage. Billy Collony and Cate Blanchett were not handed big enough roles to justify their immense acting talent. While the battle scenes and CGI were of the top order, a lack of plot and an original ending hampered Jackson's finale. The film laboured through the first half before finally clicking into gear in the tunnel of gold. While I've always been draw to the Je ne sais quoi of both series, the lack of characterisation and sudden plot shifts and even the number of armies (were there really five?) took away a sizeable chunk of the magical lustre. 5.5 out of 10.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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5

homer4presidentMar 11, 2015

First off, I will say that the LOTR films are my favorite films of all time and the first two Hobbit films, while far from perfect, were still very enjoyable and entertaining. However, the final installment in Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogyFirst off, I will say that the LOTR films are my favorite films of all time and the first two Hobbit films, while far from perfect, were still very enjoyable and entertaining. However, the final installment in Peter Jackson's 'Hobbit' trilogy left me underwhelmed and disappointed. It's battle sequences, while thrilling in moments, felt small in scale, and the strong emotional impact that I felt reading Tolkien's novel is no where to be found here. These were not the impressions I wanted to be left with witnessing what is most likely to be the last cinematic journey to Middle-Earth.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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4

ozymandias79Jan 10, 2015

This movie is awful. It's so bad, I was rooting for the bad guys. I couldn't have cared less about any of the characters and couldn't remember anything from the previous two films. The fact that these movies get extended cuts is a joke. IThis movie is awful. It's so bad, I was rooting for the bad guys. I couldn't have cared less about any of the characters and couldn't remember anything from the previous two films. The fact that these movies get extended cuts is a joke. I want to see less not more.

The beginning should have been the ending to the last movie. Should film goers feel ripped off - YES! A theme of this film is greed which is interesting because greed got these movies made. All I can say is - DO NOT PAY MONEY TO SEE THE HOBBIT MOVIES!!!!!… Expand

7 of 15 users found this helpful78

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5

RamonGuerreroDec 18, 2014

Well... this wasn't awful, it was a Okay film, but I expected more of a future classic, than a boring plot.. This was supposed to be the king of visual effects of the year, instead it looks like a half finished video game in some sequences.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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6

NPCDec 20, 2014

A pretty fun movie. It's pretty much one big, long fight scene, with lots of things that I think were supposed to be serious, but just ended up being silly, such as the scene where all the wizards and Galadriel go to beat up the Nazgul andA pretty fun movie. It's pretty much one big, long fight scene, with lots of things that I think were supposed to be serious, but just ended up being silly, such as the scene where all the wizards and Galadriel go to beat up the Nazgul and Sauron. Lots of predictable endings to pointless plotlines, more Legolas for no reason, that dwarf/elf romance that makes NO SENSE seeing as they talked to each other for a whole 5 minutes, and pretty much everything that was wrong with the first two films is still here. But for all it's worth, it's still a pretty fun movie, though I like to think it as separate from Lord of the Rings.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

DudeUnknownJan 1, 2015

Lacking storyline. More dull than usual. Sort of worth it. Either way, it wasn't terrible so I suppose I give it a 6. The first 2 movies were better. For the length of the movie, I'm very disappointed.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

andrebarrosoDec 19, 2014

Peter, what happened?
The director took one of Professor Tolkien's best novel, and turned it apart in three movies.
Even that, he could've archived something great with this movie, but it didn't happened. Still, it's a Middle-Earth movie,Peter, what happened?
The director took one of Professor Tolkien's best novel, and turned it apart in three movies.
Even that, he could've archived something great with this movie, but it didn't happened.
Still, it's a Middle-Earth movie, and should not be ignored. You might be unsatisfied with the final result, as I was, but you should go to the movie theater and judge it by yourself.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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6

olli1992Jan 4, 2015

All you self opinionated people stop giving games/movies scores of zero. It is so stupid and irresponsible. You are corrupting the user score so much. Do u even realise this? Yeah, you probably do but just dont care....................

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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5

oDjentoDec 17, 2014

The last film announced – for the moment – set in middle earth has had a colossal amount of hype building up over it. The Hobbit may not have started off as strong as LOTR, but with The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 we saw the epic-ness andThe last film announced – for the moment – set in middle earth has had a colossal amount of hype building up over it. The Hobbit may not have started off as strong as LOTR, but with The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 we saw the epic-ness and brutality of middle earth was brewing. So with all the Hype towering above the trilogy and with the fan boys ready to write nit-pick all the little details of the film, does The Battle Of The Five Armies disappoint? No. Not completely.
The film takes flight from where we left off; the people of Esgaroth (Lake Town) are attempting to evacuate the city after they see Smaug has left the Lonely Mountain in search of vengeance upon Middle Earth. He begins burning the city in a beautiful splendour of CGI fire that eradicates large parts of the Town. With the brutality going on you can’t help but admire Peter Jackson’s knowledge of making good CGI. This scene continues for a good 10 minutes but ends rather disappointingly, as due to the ending of the second film you would be expecting a little more from a certain character.
Back upon the mountain we are reunited with Bilbo and the Dwarves. They enter they’re old home and Thorin begins to become mad, making his role the more dynamic one of the film. There is a lot of tension from these scenes due to Throin’s obsessive craving of the Archenstone, and his voice brilliantly – albeit obviously – foreshadowing Smaug’s craving for the mystical gem. These scenes play out well and offer a nice change in pacing from our fast paced introduction.
Back down at the base of the Mountain, Bard is travelling up with the people of Lake town to take refuge in Erebor. Thorin’s madness has driven him also to greed, and so forth he will not part with any gold from his dismally eerie, yet golden home. From here on, Bard meets elfs, dwarfs arrive on the battle field, orcs, Uruk Hai and goblins filter in, and the title of the film comes into full view.
The rest of the film is mainly just a battle which lasts for at least 50 minutes and for its length, it is masterfully paced. This is the main spectacle we came to see. Changing from scene to scene, with the environments being dynamic enough to make each fight feel unique, the length of it isn’t even noticeable and only once you reflect back on it you will be in disbelief you sat through a battle of that length without wanting it to come to its conclusion sooner.
The Film also provides plenty of nods to the following trilogy which are also a nice thing to revel in but along with this and all the other positives of the film, some factors do take away from our last experience of middle earth. The acting wasn’t anything that would amaze you with most characters being average or just pleasantly enjoyable, but the most stand out performances came from Richard Armitage (Thorin) and Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel). For those who weren’t fond of the framing of the last 2 films (48fps instead of the typical 24fps) you will not see any change in that. It still feels odd to watch, but you can’t bash the director for changing his own cinematic vision of how he wants people to view his film. So for that, props to Peter Jackson, yet I am still not keen on it.
Some exposition seemed a bit forced at times, which has been prevalent in the previous Hobbit films so it’s not too much of a negative but still rather disappointing. Lastly, of all the criticisms, the one that irritates me the most is how useless and unimportant some of the characters are. In LOTR, we knew everyone, they had a brilliant scene at least once or twice and we got to see their role in the lore of middle earth. However, half the dwarves still don’t seem to do or say anything. They are literally just there for eye candy so people who have read the books can say they didn’t leave anyone out. It is not only dwarfs too, some character appear just for a moment to never be heard of again; Elron, Radagast, Beorn.
In conclusion, the final Hobbit film is exceedingly pleasing in the department of action yet falling on flat notes on many other factors. The drama is racked up to ten however, with the only comparison I can make without giving too much away is saying it is on par with a mild episode of game of thrones, which some people may see as good or bad, and the word mild not meaning it is toned down. The Battle of the Five Armies is a satisfying conclusion to a brilliant trilogy, and although It may not be a classic like LOTR, it is undoubtedly an incredible action film with plenty to enjoy.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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6

analogkid280Dec 22, 2014

Overall a good movie but wow what a letdown. The first battle you encounter is so full of amazing effects and awesome sound you think this movie is going to be the best trip to middle earth ever made. Once you reach the end though you areOverall a good movie but wow what a letdown. The first battle you encounter is so full of amazing effects and awesome sound you think this movie is going to be the best trip to middle earth ever made. Once you reach the end though you are somewhat surprised how mediocre this last vision has been. A word of warning this movie is certainly a final chapter and you must see the other films to have a grip on what is going on. The Bilbo Baggins character is so spot on with his dismissive personality.He does make it more bearable while you try to figure out which orc is which and why I should care. I also loved the ending of this movie and it is great to end on a good note for such a great series. I made the mistake of seeing this in High Frame Rate and I say it ruins all the effects and make a lot of scenes look like you are watching a Land of the Lost episode from 1979. Stay away from HFR and do not put on the ring.....… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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6

SpiderPlayerMay 25, 2015

Good movie, has a history not very good, the special effects are impressive, the film is long but not as engaging, the action scenes are good, but are very exaggerated, had parts of the film in which I no longer take it anymore so action scenes.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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5

BlaKDemonaZJan 3, 2015

Dentre os 6 filmes sobre as obras de Tolkien, acho que esse é um dos mais fracos, perdendo só para o anterior. A trilogia do Hobbit em si é fraca. Além do fato de ter muita coisa diferente do livro, tem muita coisa que deixa o filme semDentre os 6 filmes sobre as obras de Tolkien, acho que esse é um dos mais fracos, perdendo só para o anterior. A trilogia do Hobbit em si é fraca. Além do fato de ter muita coisa diferente do livro, tem muita coisa que deixa o filme sem noção, personagens forçados.... enfim, o filme no geral é fraco. O que realmente se salva é o final que liga perfeitamente com a grandiosa saga do Senhor dos Anéis.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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6

nahtan1244Jul 2, 2016

As you may know from looking at my old reviews I have really enjoyed the hobbit movies. While the first was not perfect in terms of pacing it also had some unnecessary scenes like the rock fight for example it was an enjoyable from start toAs you may know from looking at my old reviews I have really enjoyed the hobbit movies. While the first was not perfect in terms of pacing it also had some unnecessary scenes like the rock fight for example it was an enjoyable from start to finish and while the second improved on pacing and was darker than the last the laketown politics put the movies pace to an annoying halt and kinda kept it from being perfect. It was not completely unnecessary to a certain extent but could have been shorter. The hobbit battle of the five armies is not a perfect but fairly satisfying conclusion to the hobbit trilogy. Lets start with the positives. The big action sequence was fun to watch. Martin freeman as always shines as Bilbo and we finally get to say good bye to Alfred. He was annoying. Gandalf shines like he always does and the dwarfs are fun to watch. The scene where smaug is destroying laketown was well done and is one of the best parts of this film. However the scene where legleos is defying gravity all I could was why peter Jackson must you do this why. Also were supposed to feel for touriel once her "love" dies but we don't because that stupid love story was completely underdeveloped. The movies run time also prevented this movie from being even more satisfying and epic than it came out to be. If it was about on par with the rest I think it would have been better. That's why you need to watch the extended addition it feels like a much more complete end to the hobbit films. This movie feels like Jackson just wanted to end the hobbit films. It is nowhere near as bad as the critics are making it out to be and feels pretty satisfying but nowhere near as good as the first two and will never feel as satisfying or as epic as the return of the king.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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4

Trev29Jul 17, 2015

How could such talented people in front of and behind the camera be responsible for such an underwhelming film? It boggles me that this is the same director of Lord of the Rings. There is no story, expect for a bunch of video game actionHow could such talented people in front of and behind the camera be responsible for such an underwhelming film? It boggles me that this is the same director of Lord of the Rings. There is no story, expect for a bunch of video game action scenes that are bad.… Expand