The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Theatrical Release Date: 2014 12 17 (USA - 3D) / 2014 12 17 (USA)

UPC: 883929477142

Studio: New Line Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence]

Summary: Peter Jackson takes cues from the appendices of The Lord of the Rings to expand New Line Cinema's Hobbit adaptation with this third film completing the epic tale of Bilbo Baggins, as played by Martin Freeman. The story opens to find the vengeful dragon Smaug (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch) decimating the peaceful hamlet of Laketown as Bilbo, Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the rest of the dwarves lay claim to the Lonely Mountain. But their celebration is short-lived as Thorin grows obsessed with finding the Arkenstone. Meanwhile, Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) Elrond (Hugo Weaving) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) battle the Nazgul in an attempt to free Gandalf (Ian McKellen), and get some unexpected help from eccentric wizard Radagast (Sylvester McCoy). Unfortunately for all involved the struggle has only just begun, because as armies of dwarves, elves, orcs, humans and goblins converge at the base of the Lonely Mountain, the fight for the future of Middle Earth begins. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Awards: Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Sound Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Visual Effects – British Academy of Film and Television Arts

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Format: Blu-ray

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Tim Holland

Peter Jackson's equally exhilarating and exhausting Hobbit trilogy comes to a rousing, if not totally satisfying, conclusion with The Battle of the Five Armies, a war-ravaged adventure that is by turns breathtaking, beautiful, brutal, and boring.

The movie gets off to a great start with a pre-title sequence that picks up where The Desolation of Smaug ended, as the malevolent dragon Smaug (voiced with great menace by Benedict Cumberbatch) descends upon Lake-town and sets it ablaze. As the residents attempt to flee the burning carnage, Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans) confronts the swooping dragon, who now has his sights set on incinerating Bard's young son. Thankfully, he finds the dragon's weak spot and brings him down. With the village in ruins, Bard leads the townspeople to find shelter at Erebor, the Lonely Mountain.

Unfortunately, the mountain is now controlled by the greedy Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage), the dwarf prince who is the presumed heir to Erebor's throne. Thorin is obsessed with keeping its treasure trove of gold and the power it brings, even if it means going to war. Of course, everyone else wants his or her share of the riches as well, including the dwarfs, Dark Lord Sauron and his battle-ready orcs, the woodland elves, and General Dain Ironfoot's contingent of Iron Hills dwarves. The story bogs down a bit as we wait for the armies to descend upon the mountain for the climactic battle, and then it's all-out war for the last hour.

No one does CGI warfare quite like Peter Jackson, but one gets a sense of déjà vu watching the action unfold in The Battle of the Five Armies. Jackson's craftsmanship is undeniable, yet it feels like a rehash of the fiercer combat in The Return of the King. Also, the orcs and most of the other warriors, while terrifying to look at, collapse like building blocks if struck but once with a sword or a mighty blow. One never gets a sense that these monsters will ever be a match for our heroes, which saps the action of any real suspense. The highlight of this clash comes when Thorin decides to "cut off the head of the snake" by facing the merciless orc commander. Their duel, fought on an ice-covered river, is thrilling, unpredictable, and emotionally jarring. If only Jackson could have brought the immediacy of their small-scale fight to his larger canvas.

And what of Bilbo Baggins? He's reduced here to a supporting player, spending most of his time secretly guarding the precious Arkenstone and making sure Thorin doesn't get it. But, as always, Martin Freeman is superb as the "master thief" who provides the movie's heart and soul. Another standout is Armitage, who plays Thorin with Shakespearean majesty. Blinded by the lure of great wealth and power, Thorin is a raging king willing to sacrifice his own honor and the friendship of his closest allies to gain the throne. He's the only fully developed character on display, and Armitage takes full advantage of his screen time to make Thorin both repulsive and relatable. Whenever he's offscreen, the movie suffers.

Appearing once again, in reduced but still rich roles, are Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Lee Pace as Thranduil, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, and Christopher Lee as Saruman. Also returning are composer Howard Shore, whose ever-present but never intrusive score proves to be timeless and energizing, and cinematographer Andrew Lesnie, whose darker-than-normal lensing fills the screen with frightening and majestic images that are truly awe-inspiring.

All in all, The Battle of the Five Armies delivers enough bone-crunching action to please devoted fans, and like its two predecessors, it looks to reap huge profits for Jackson and company. But as his monumental but bloated vision finally comes to an end, even die-hard fanatics will likely be glad that Jackson's unexpected journey is over. ~ Tim Holland, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Peter Jackson  Director 
Peter Jackson  Executive Producer 
Peter Jackson  Producer 
Peter Jackson  Screenwriter 
Howard Shore  Composer (Music Score) 
Guillermo del Toro  Screenwriter 
Carolynne Cunningham  Producer 
Fran Walsh  Executive Producer 
Fran Walsh  Producer 
Fran Walsh  Screenwriter 
Toby Emmerich  Executive Producer 
Zane Weiner  Producer 
Philippa Boyens  Executive Producer 
Philippa Boyens  Screenwriter 
Alan Horn  Executive Producer 
Ken Kamins  Executive Producer 
Carolyn Blackwood  Executive Producer 
Martin Freeman  Actor 
Ian McKellen  Actor 
Richard Armitage  Actor 
Elijah Wood  Actor 
Ian Holm  Actor 
Cate Blanchett  Actor 
John Callen  Actor 
Stephen Hunter  Actor 
Mark Hadlow  Actor 
Peter Hambleton  Actor 
James Nesbitt  Actor 
Adam Brown  Actor 
Aidan Turner  Actor 
Graham McTavish  Actor 
Bret McKenzie  Actor 
Dean O'Gorman  Actor 
Lee Pace  Actor 
Stephen Fry  Actor 
Orlando Bloom  Actor 
Luke Evans  Actor 
Benedict Cumberbatch  Actor 
Evangeline Lilly  Actor 
Barry Humphries  Actor 
Ken Stott  Actor 
William Kircher  Actor 
Jed Brophy  Actor 
Hugo Weaving  Actor 
Christopher Lee  Actor 
Mikael Persbrandt  Actor 
Ryan Gage  Actor 
John Bell  Actor 
Peggy Nesbitt  Actor 
Mary Nesbitt  Actor 
Manu Bennett  Actor 
John Tui  Actor 
Benedict Cumberbatch  Actor 
Billy Connolly  Actor 
Mark Mitchinson  Actor 
Kelly Kilgour  Actor 
Sarah Peirse  Actor 
Nick Blake  Actor 
Simon London  Actor 
Conan Stevens  Actor 
Allan Smith  Actor 
Miranda Harcourt  Actor 
Thomasin McKenzie  Actor 
Erin Banks  Actor 
Brian Hotter  Actor 
Timothy Bartlett  Actor 
Merv Smith  Actor 
Martin Kwok  Actor 
Dee Bradley Baker  Actor 
Olof Johnsson  Actor 
Jon Olson  Actor 
Otep Shamaya  Actor 
Debra Wilson  Actor 
Sylvester McCoy  Actor 

Country: New Zealand,USA