A good but not great end to the Middle Earth saga

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2014)

It's been emotional. After 6 films, we presumably leave Middle Earth for good. However, while The Lord Of The Rings is the best trilogy of all time, after 3 exhausting prequels I think that's for the best. The first Hobbit film is a long slog punctuated by some exciting adventure sequences, while the second overcompensates with loads of big set pieces. This one is half character study, half epic battle. I'm not the biggest fan of the Hobbit films although I respect certain aspects of them. Battle Of The Five Armies is a good conclusion, although the second film is better. It's still too long and suffers from pacing problems, likely as a result of the blatant padding out of the source material. While the drama in the original trilogy felt well rounded and real, here some of the dramatic stuff such as Thorin's character arc is only powerful some of the time, while at other times feels constructed from clichés. There is definitely a sense that 2 films would have been absolutely fine.
BATFA is weighed down by a going the motions script, but some of the character deaths are still emotional. Special effects are mind blowing as usual, and few can film chaotic fantasy action as well as Peter Jackson. The film is desperate to get to the event of the title, but it delivers on the orc smashing, barn storming, scenery destroying, blazing battle we were all expecting. Other elements are neglected, but that doesn't harm the film. It finds just enough emotion to anchor the sweeping spectacle, and therefore this tale is an emotional one as well as a thrilling one. It's a poignant farewell to Middle Earth, and this time at least it doesn't take 45 minutes to end. The first half is slightly slow, but the second half delivers on the promise of the story. A good send off overall, though not a great one. The acting also elevates it. Ian McKellen isn't as striking as he was before, but Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman are great and Orlando Bloom manages to get away with his lack of acting ability. Despite its flaws, BATFA ends the trilogy on a high note.
7/10