Review: ‘The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies’

The time is upon us, the end of an era and the end of Middle-Earth… What a finale the concluding film to the Middle Earth series is! J.R.R Tolkien’s works have caught the attention of millions of people and if the books were flawless, so too are Peter Jackson’s cinematic interpretations of his works.

On the 12th December ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ was released in the UK and as an avid lover of ‘The Hobbit’ series I simply had to attend the midnight release. I have been looking forward to this film ever since ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ was released a year ago and the film did not disappoint. With such a star studded cast, the likes of Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom and Ian Mckellen to name a few, the film had very high expectations indeed but for me, it has exceeded them beyond measure.

The storyline follows on from the cliff hanger given to us in ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ where the dragon Smaug, hidden away in the mountain Erebor, flies towards the vulnerable Lake Town. The opening scene is one of destruction and incineration. After their town is burnt to the ground, the people of Lake Town head for Erebor to seek shelter. However Thorin, the new king of Erebor has fallen prey to the allure of the mountains ‘cursed gold’ which has clouded his judgement, causing him to barricade the entrance to the mountain. In the meantime, word is spreading of the incidents occurring in Lake Town and Sauron is building an army to claim Erebor, as are the Elves, who both want to lay their hands upon the precious gold. The battle of the five armies begins.

[Luke Evans and Orlando Bloom in The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies. Photograph: Mark Pokorny/AP]

Regarding the technical side of the film I can honestly say that the CGI is the best I have ever seen. With scenes such as Legolas and Bolg in combat on the bridge, you have to applaud the immense amount of work that has gone into it. The film cuts a lot between scenes which was very effective and as a viewer you were able to see the ulterior motives of each of the armies. The soundtrack is comparable with that of the previous two films with a mix of harmonious music contrasted with music that echoes war and evil. I particularly liked how they linked ‘Lord of the Rings’ with ‘The Hobbit’ when Bilbo Baggins returns to Bag End with an updated version of the ‘Concerning Hobbits’ track playing, originally produced by Hans Zimmer. This song powerfully marks the end of Bilbo’s incredible journey. Billy Boyd’s song which plays during the credits is also well worth staying in your seat for a further 4 minutes. The costume team have worked wonders in creating stunning armour and robes. Gold is the main colour used by the Elves and Dwarves, creating an image of unity between the two in the battle against the dark forces of Sauron.

To sum up, this film deserves every compliment it gets and more. It is one of the best films I have seen and Peter Jackson has managed to create a film which caters to all as through elements of comedy, war, romance and action. To write about this film in 650 words has proven very difficult, there is only so much you can do to promote a film in a review but the last thing I will say is that never before have I gone to see a film twice in the cinema but I am seriously debating going to see it again.

Film rating : 9.5/10

Henry Burkinshaw