A fitting capstone to an epic franchise.

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2014)

On December 17, 2003, The Return of the King ended perhaps the greatest film trilogy of modern times, culminating in a practical Oscar sweep, tying only two other films for the record number of awards. Almost 11 years later, The Battle of the Five Armies closes another film trilogy.
However, don't expect The Return of the King when going to see this.
The tag line for this film, One Last Time, is fitting, and sets the mood for the whole film, as it serves as a big good-bye from Middle Earth. As the title suggests, Thorin, having reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, has to face many different armies in order to protect the dwarfs' home.
Bilbo Baggins, on the other hand, sees through Thorin's mask of righteousness to another battle raging inside Thorin: whether to keep his word or protect his gold.
At 144 minutes, it will feel like this film is not as long as the other films in the franchise, which may disappoint people who come to see three hours plus of Middle Earth action. Others may be let down by the seemingly disappointing ending, which ends where An Unexpected Journey began.
Nevertheless, with all of its warts, this movie is worth seeing if only to experience a Lord of the Rings movie one last time.