Epic battles in Middle Earth

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2015)

I thought I might be a little bored of the franchise but no - this is yet another excellent and enjoyable Tolkein adaptation. Sadly it's likely to be the last.
Barring a slightly rushed start (surely the dragon could have been allotted a bit more air time?), this movie develops well into an epic clash of warring armies, setting the scene nicely for the battles for Middle Earth that come in the Lord of the Rings.
The battles are extremely well done, from the large-scale army engagements, to an enthralling individual fight between Thorin and the Orc leader. (The Orcs by the way are surely one of the most expertly-crafted monsters in movie history.)
There is also a nice little dramatic scene midway through featuring Saruman, Elrond and Galadriel.
Superb stuff.