Should you watch this in 3D? You can pass on that.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? Yes!
Secret ending? No, but the credits are worth staying back for.
Running time: 144 minutes (~2.5 hours)
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is a fantasy film, the last in “The Hobbit” trilogy. After Bilbo fulfills his quest to find ancient treasures guarded by Smaug the dragon, he finds five armies converging on his prize. The cast is expansive, starring Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Orlando Bloom (Legolas Greenleaf), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Luke Evans (Bard the Bowman), Sylvester McCoy (Radagast the Brown), Manu Bennett (Azog), and Benedict Cumberbatch (the voice of Smaug and the Necromancer/Sauron). Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, and Christopher Lee also reprise their roles as Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman, respectively.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings closure to the entire series by serving as a finale, and a prequel to “The Lord of the Rings.” It ends by leading into the second scene of “The Lord of the Rings” (the first scene was a prologue that explained the premise of the One Ring, remember?), giving us both a nostalgic reminder of the film that started it all, and also closing on that memory.
As a fantasy fan, this film had me stoked. It has everything – grand set piece battles, individual duels, wolves and trolls and monsters galore, a vast treasure, bouts of magic, an ancient fortress, and of course, a dragon. If you’re a medieval fantasy fan, you have no excuse to skip this movie. None at all.
Highlights
Tense confrontations
You would think that before the inevitable battle begins, we’ll have to suffer through lengthy exposition scenes establishing why so many armies are fighting. Nope. Instead, we’re treated to a series of powerful character conflicts, as the leaders of the various factions find their ideals, goals, and aspirations for the future clashing in every which way. Each confrontation ramps up the tension and keeps it high, such that when the fighting begins, it acts as a physical expression of their ideological differences.
Non-stop action
As mentioned, the clash of five different armies is as gloriously chaotic and awe inspiring as the title would have you envision. Each character also gets his or her moment to shine as the fight pitched battles atop fantastic locales. Once the fight begins, the battles keep coming, keeping your nerves on edge as you root for your favourite heroes to win.
References and continuity with “The Lord of the Rings”
The movers and shakers of “The Lord of the Rings” – Galadriel, Saruman, and Elrond – return to help forge a stronger link to the previous trilogy. We’re treated to a spectacular battle which reminds of the greater, darker conflict that is at stake – that of Sauron’s return. This helps draw greater irony to a fact that none of them know about – namely, that Bilbo has the One Ring. If you’re a LOTR fan, these scenes will have you stoked.
Martin Freeman rises to the occasion as Bilbo Baggins
Even without watching the previous two films, you can tell how much Bilbo has grown over the trilogy. He is the heart and soul of the film, the moral compass that provides the emotional resonance to underscore the massive conflict in the film. Even if we don’t particularly fancy any of the factions, we still empathise with Bilbo because he is the most genuine of the characters. Martin Freeman does an excellent job bringing this aspect of Bilbo to life, while showcasing his character development.
Letdowns
Tauriel is constantly helpless
Much as Tauriel is appreciated as one of the few female leads in the film, it’s difficult to see her purpose there. While all the other characters contribute valiantly to their causes, Tauriel is in constant need of rescuing from her beaus. This diminishes her strength and our regard for the character, leaving us wondering – would they have won faster without Tauriel?
Many unresolved threads
There being so many factions involved, it’s inevitable that the denouement has a lot of ground to cover. Unfortunately, the fate of so many objects and people are left hanging. Some of it is covered in “The Lord of the Rings,” but there’s just no resolution for many of the characters. We’ll have to wait for the extended cut in the DVD for this one, but surely a passing comment or a short scene would have sufficed to explain what happened to our protagonists in the end.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” presents a fitting finale to the “The Hobbit” series, satiating us emotionally with strong character conflicts, and physically with exciting and imaginative battles. Even if you’re not a fantasy fan, this is still a masterpiece worth watching.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” opens in cinemas 18 December, 2014 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore.
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