A bit more enjoyable than the second movie

Rating: 7/10 (11 December 2014)

If you have accepted the direction the trilogy has taken the Hobbit, then this movie will entertain. The Battle of the Five Armies (TBotFA) fixes some of the problems of the previous titles, but introduces a few of its own.
The movie starts with the scene that should have been the ending of the second movie. TBotFA has no introduction, no flashback, not a single word on the story of the trilogy: it jumps straight into action. This type of opening works only if people have watched the second movie very recently.
With a bit over 2 hours, the movie sits at a much more comfortable length than the first two. TBotFA does not focus on irrelevant details, but sticks to the main story, resulting in a more satisfying pacing.
Now that the Dwarfs are stuck in the Lonely Mountain most of the time, the movie relies on many new characters. Because these characters were introduced in the second or even in the third movie, it is difficult to care about them. Several of the newer characters are just plain unlikable. A few fan-favorite characters do return, but sadly they only get between 5 seconds and 5 minutes of screen time.
With so few female roles, the focus on Tauriel is understandable, welcome even. But the Dwarf-Elf romance continues to feel forced, uncomfortable and now even childish. This would not have been a problem if the relationship was not so prominent in the movie, but unfortunately it is.
The acting is not the problem here, the performances are top notch and are often a joy to watch. That is until the characters make unlikable decisions, giving the scenes an uncomfortable undertone. Often one does not know who to root for in the film. Although that may have been the purpose, it can be unsatisfying.
As for action, the bar has been further raised with TBotFA, basically turning the main characters into super heroes. For some viewers it may have reached the point where the action is unrealistic, unbelievable and therefore not enjoyable. Dwarfs killing armored Orcs with simple head-butts, or defeating whole battalions single handedly. Legolas' scenes are very guilty of this (and the question begs if he really deserves to be in 5 of the Tolkien films, one less than Gandalf). The one-on-one fights manage to make a huge deal of very little content.
The actual Battle in the second half of the movie is definitely fun to watch. 'Sit back and enjoy the show' seems to have been the idea here. Some scenes do tend to get messy, illogical and stretched out; new races and whole armies are introduced, but then hardly do anything of effect. With the movie named after the Battle, it seems the producers had to use a lot of filler material to keep it going for a while.
Once again the movie features breath-taking sceneries and everything looks gorgeous in HFR 3D. Finding a cinema that runs the movie in this quality is recommended.
Like the previous movies, TBotFA tries hard to be like Lord of the Rings. Sadly they still could not make it work. The decision to stray so much from the Hobbit tale that has proved itself for over 75 years will probably stay a topic of debate during the coming years.
If Lord of the Rings rules king, then its son The Hobbit is not the prince it should have been. It tried too hard and then barely made it to knighthood.