SUE’S REVIEWS: THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” is a 144 minute PG-13 Rated Action/Fantasy/Adventure directed by Peter Jackson starring Lee Pace (Thranduil), Evangeline Lilly (Tauriel), Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaug), Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield), Luke Evans (Bard), Martin Freeman (Bilbo Baggins), Ian McKellen (Gandolph), Kate Blanchett (Galadriel) and Orlando Bloom (Legolas). This movie is the final screenplay adaptation of the three- part series of the fantasy novel, The Hobbit, written by JRR Tolkien in 1937. The previous movies were “An Unexpected Journey” (2012) and “The Desolation of Smaug” (2013). The movie opens where the previous one ended with the awakening of the dragon Smaug and his fiery destruction of Laketown. It then focuses on Thorin Oakenshield’s willingness to sacrifice friendship and honor to lay claim to the gold treasures in Erebor. He is interested in obtaining the Arkenstone despite the objections of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. The villainous enemy, Sauron, dispatches an army of Orcs to Lonely Mountain to mount a surprise attack. The Dwarves, Elves and humans must decide whether they want to join together to fight the Orcs - or perish. I did not like this movie for several reasons. Although it is the shortest in the Hobbit franchise, it is still too long at 144 minutes. The main plot is confusing, as are the numerous subplots. I wish they had included a prologue or recap of the last film to set the stage for this one. My main criticism, however, is that the film seems more interested in showcasing its CGI and 3D effects than in telling a good story. The characters are interesting but unemotional and vapid. The only one who shows real passion is Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The relationships seem secondary to the overall cinematic spectacle. Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, hardly appears in the movie and only has one pivotal, heroic moment. Most of the movie features loud, annoying battles with spectacular CGI but little else. I am not even sure who comprises the 5 armies. I enjoyed the last 15 minutes (maybe because I knew the film was ending) because they demonstrate real emotion among several characters in the absence of battles or special effects. The closing credits feature Neil Finn’s catchy, original song, “Song of the Lonely Mountain” and everyone in the theater stayed to hear it. Fans of the book and the previous movies will undoubtedly see, and probably like, this film but I do not think anyone else will. I give “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” a 5.5 on the ABBONDANZOMETER (Scale of 1-10).
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:48:24 +0000
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