A satisfying conclusion to The Hobbit trilogy.

Rating: 9/10 (12 December 2014)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies continues with the story of Bilbo Baggins(Martin Freeman). After the events of the previous film, the dragon Smaug(Benedict Cumberbatch) wreaks havoc on Lake Town. Thorin Oakenshield(Richard Armitage) and the rest of the dwarfs reclaim Erebor. There is a lot of gold in Erebor. The people of Lake Town, led by Bard(Luke Evans), demand to get their share of gold as promised to them by Thorin & due to the damage done to Lake Town. The elves led by Thranduil(Lee Pace), also claim some treasure that belongs to them. Now, it is up to Thorin, to either comply with their requests or to wage a war against the humans, the elves & the Orcs led by Azog(Manu Bennett).
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a mind blowing movie! The opening sequence involving Smaug destroying Lake Town is tense & thrilling & looks even better in 3D. The battle sequences towards the end of the film have been beautifully choreographed & the 3D has also been put to good use during this major war. The locales are beautiful. New Zealand has been portrayed magnificently in the Middle Earth movies. However, I liked The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug(2013) better. I consider that film to be the best of the trilogy. Though The Battle of the Five Armies is a close second, it got slightly dull in the middle. I also didn't like the fact that Martin Freeman's role was substantially reduced in this movie, compared to the previous two movies. Martin Freeman is outstanding as Bilbo Baggins. Ian McKellen is brilliant as Gandalf. Richard Armitage is spectacular as Thorin Oakenshield. Benedict Cumberbatch is terrifying as Smaug/Necromancer. Luke Evans is great as Bard. Evangeline Lilly is amazing as Tauriel. Lee Pace is mind blowing as Thranduil. Orlando Bloom is awesome as Legolas. Aidan Turner & Dean O'Gorman are good as Kili & Fili respectively. Cate Blanchett is impressive as Galadriel. Manu Bennett is menacing as Azog. The supporting characters are impressive as well. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a must watch for all The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit fans.