Same feel as the first two with tons of action and character interaction. Worth seeing in theaters, but far from perfect.

Rating: 7/10 (29 December 2014)

This, I feel, is the best movie of the Hobbit Trilogy. Almost everything that was added from scratch that I had doubts about previously turned out to be worth it in this final chapter. I, as with many viewers, was expecting this to have rather a Return of the King feel to it. But it really had more of a Deathly Hallows Part 2 feel to it with the very, very extended climatic battle as opposed to a couple of smaller battles leading up to the shorter climax. However, it switched between characters in much the same way as The Two Towers and Return of the King did, though not quite as well.
I will begin with the two main negatives. First is Alfrid. His role in Desolation of Smaug was manageable and didn't detract much. However, I felt like his comic relief role in this installment was unnecessary since Dain was already kind of a comic relief. Also, the humor was sort of lame, especially since they tried to make him the goofy Grima Wormtounge of the series. Of the twenty-ish gags they gave him, I laughed at maybe two. That's not to say that other people might enjoy his humor. The other negative is the rushed falling action. I'm familiar with the aftermath of the battle, so it didn't leave any holes for me. But in context of the modified film version, there were way too many people whose fate after the battle went unexplained. We have no idea what happens to the Arkenstone or the people of Laketown or the treasure of Erebor. Dain and Bard are untouched, and even Tauriel's status at the end feels incomplete. So maybe all of that will come in the extended version.
Aside from that, the movie was spectacular, but certainly not for everybody. If you have felt averse to the characters or the modified storyline thus far, don't bother seeing this. Dain is the one new character and he's pretty small, so there is practically nobody new to root for. Anyone thinking that this one will be more like Lord of the Rings, you will be disappointed throughout except maybe during the scene where the White Council battle the Nazgul and Sauron. However, if you're looking to compare characters, Thorin could be called the Boromir of the series, and Bard could qualify as the Aragorn character. One last thing for prospective viewers to look out for is the trailer. I would say that it's about 80% accurate to the movie, which isn't too bad considering how much stuff some trailers add that isn't in the movie. Most of the lines are included, but some aren't in the completed movie, and the same goes for the action sequences in the trailer.
Despite the battle being the main plot line of this film, it is still very character driven because there is kind of a "unite or die" issue throughout much of the first half. Bolg and Azog's approaching armies require the other leaders and forces to stop fighting each other. Thranduil and Thorin are the two people who drive this conflict because of their succumbing to the dragon sickness. This malady could have been better explained, but was well presented with Thorin's Smaug voice and distrust of everyone. The symptoms seem a bit over the top, but I think that's because it's severity was poorly explained rather than poorly presented. I really liked how Thorin decided to forsake the gold of his own accord, especially because we were able to see his thought process. After this transition we get to see Torin epitomized in battle. When he leads his charge from the mountain, he tears through the orc army with an incredible amount of fighting skill. His character is really the most notable in this movie. There are certainly other very big characters, but none of them have progression like Thorin. Bard protects his family and the inhabitants of Laketown throughout. Gandalf is in his usual position as adviser to all. Thranduil's character is a little weaker in this movie, for although his personality is retained, his actions and motives are inconsistent throughout (this is especially bad for his character because he is centuries old and probably not too whimsical). Tauriel and Kili's relationship is retained, but not developed (I was actually shocked that Tauriel didn't die). Bilbo gets more screen time than he is given in the book, but not an excessive amount. He, Bard, and Gandalf work as the separate voices of reason. There are some other small characters like Bard's son and the dwarfs. Bofur's role is toned down in this film, while Dwalin and Fili's are increased.
The action was epic, as in all Middle Earth films. There are some big clashes of armies, but the majority of the action comprises of one on one fights. The choreography of the action is solid, though the CGI is questionable apart from Smaug. Most of the fight scenes are pretty spectacular, though Legolas defying physics in running up the collapsing bridge was a lot more amusing than amazing. However, the killing of Smaug in the opening scene is wonderfully done and stays true to the book.
The visual execution could have been better, but there were no other big executional flaws and the acting was solid along with the script. Howard Shore's score was good, though not his best.
To wrap up, I would recommend it to any Middle Earth fan, because as bad as some people consider the Hobbit films, it's still Middle Earth, so it can't be that bad. It's worth seeing in theaters, but save your money and see it in 2D. So while it worked for me, it could be disappointing for some viewers. Though Lord of the Rings was better, Battle of the Five Armies is a pretty good send off to a great fictional world. Overall Rating: 9.3/10.