Over the top action ruined the story

Rating: 7/10 (7 January 2016)

Out of all the six movies about Middle-Earth, this one is definitely the worst. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, because the plot is too good, but this movie is just so much worse than the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The action scenes were over the top, and also very predictable. In most scenes the good guys will be in grave danger, but still defeat their enemies in the last second, which is really annoying to watch. In my opinion the fights (in particular the "boss fights") should have been shorter, and the action should have been more believable.
I also dislike how much screen time is given to Alfrid, who is the most annoying character in the movie. Legolas and Tauriel could also have done with less screen time. Important characters like Bilbo and Dain on the other hand don't really have enough screen time.
The good things about this movie is the feeling of Middle-Earth. It's wonderful to see the armies of Dwarfs, Elves and Orcs, as well as seeing places like Erebor and Dol Guldur. The dragon also looks really nice.
The one who makes this film truly great is Martin Freeman as Bilbo. He is by far the most enjoyable character to watch, although Gandalf and Thorin are also well played.
The extended edition adds a LOT to this movie. Sadly, it also contains more over the top action sequences (which do look nice by the way). The Battle of the Five Armies could have been a superb movie with nice battles, but Peter Jackson failed to deliver.