Nice aesthetics, not much else

Rating: 5/10 (23 December 2014)

After a disappointing first installment, and a much better second one, I was hoping this last middle-earth voyage would at least be average.
Sadly, it didn't deliver.
First of all, while I understand that the book needed some plot "adjustments", this really goes way too far. There are moments when Jackson seems to have completely forgotten Tolkien's work.
But my main concern isn't the story itself. It's the overwhelming feeling of cheesiness one can feel throughout most of the film's runtime. Everything just feels goofy, like trying to shove standard spec go-to movie feelings and clichés into an average film. The dream sequences are awful and seem to be straight out of an 80's horror flicks. The dwarf-elf love story would make a 12 years old girl want to hurl. Some shots would make a 90's remake of the ten commandments look classy and polished.
The only things left to save this movie are New Zealand's landscapes (already seen a million times), and some OK fights.
Ultimately, that's just not enough.