I'm going to miss Middle Earth. What began nearly 15 years ago has now been concluded. The original LOTR trilogy is near perfect in every way - a story that was perfect for three movies as it had three distinct acts (books) to tell. The Hobbit - not so much. What was originally planned - and should have remained - as a two film affair, was stretched to three films and the overall effort is something much less than its original trilogy.
We cut straight to the action, mere minutes after TDOS ended, with Smaug descending upon the humans of Lake Town. From there we have a pretty quick transition from one set piece to the next - Bard Vs Smaug / Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman rescuing Gandalf from the clutches of Sauron's Castle / and the Final Battle at the Mountain of Erebor. It is exciting spectacle and showcases the technical achievement we've come to expect from the Middle Earth movies. But, it's nothing we haven't seen before, and I think the original trilogy trumps any of the current trilogy's action scenes.
I will admit, I do not know the book as well as some, so I'm not sure what was added in and what is from the text. Where The Des of Smaug was too bloated and overlong, Battle of the Five almost seems truncated as a standalone film. Honestly, it feels like a 2 hour final act to Des of Smaug. I'm sure someone out there could edit to two films together, take out the unnecessary stuff, and create a truly superb "Defining Chapter" in the end. Despite the capable actors, superb SFX, and Shore's music, this is where the new films fall short of the previous ones. Each film in the LOTR could stand on its own and be enjoyed as as single film, while being part of the whole. The Hobbit films, at least the final two, depend too much on each other to truly enjoy by themselves without a feeling of missing something along the way. This isn't to say that I don't enjoy them - quite the opposite. I think An Unexpected Journey is on par with any of the originals - it's a complete film with great characters, action, and emotion. I only wish it's sequels wouldn't have been so stretched out.
There is also a big payoff between Azog the Defiler and Thorin as their paths cross in the end on a sheet of ice. Great stuff.
The Battle of Five does conclude the Hobbit story in satisfying way. All plots, original or new, are tied up by the end as Bilbo returns to where his journey began - The Shire. Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage get special praise as Bilbo and Thorin Oakenshield. They are wonderful to watch and their iterations of these characters will endure I think, as did their onscreen friendship.
As the film concludes, there is a nice link to the very beginning of the Fellowship of the Ring. It made me want to watch that film now and continue the adventure of Middle Earth started so many years ago. I'm going to miss this place.
3.5 out of 5 Khans!
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