A gripping finale to the trilogy which will benefit with an extended version

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2014)

I thoroughly enjoyed the Lord of the Rings and two previous Hobbit installments, but this was a truly compelling finale. The film is particularly successful in the captivating acting of the cast. Armitage and Freeman present a beautifully moving relationship that brings back the essence of their relationship in AUJ, only to finish it in a profound bond of friendship. While the lighter previous installments felt like an adventure, this film allowed the audience to engage with it's emotional atmosphere. Touching moments include (SPOILERS AHEAD) Thorin's death and Bard comforting his son during Smaug's attack on Laketown. The battle may not have lived up to the realism of LOTR battles but it was still very entertaining. Filler aspects of the film such as Tauriel, Legolas and Dol Goldur felt more welcoming this time round as they were expected. It was interesting that there was no prologue to the film like the other five middle earth films, but the opening Smaug scene set the mood for the movie.The only problem I had with the film was that the ending felt rather abrupt. However the extended edition will fix this minor issue. The lack of iconic aspects of the novel such as Beorn will be shown in the extended version. Also the CGI felt rather excessive, but this did not stray away from the heart of the film. This was the one film in the trilogy that would have benefited by being longer. Even though it had the least source material left to use the perfect tone established in the movie would have worked well to summarize each significant character at the end. The presence of LOTR connections fitted nicely into the movies and contributed to making both trilogies feel like one epic six film series. The emotional and significantly darker tone of this third installment, along with Character portraits ans Billy Boyd's "The Last Goodbye" gave the Hobbit Trilogy a more weighty and meaningful impact. The cinematography was amazing, but it would have been nice to see some more wide-scape location shots like in AUJ. This was a superb ending to the Hobbit Trilogy and Middle Earth saga that ought to be treasured for years to come.