Slightly idealistic but visually pleasing

Rating: 7/10 (4 January 2015)

As the final chapter of the prequel to The Lord of the Rings, I find this movie satisfactory. It was fairly faithful to the original fiction, though of course Tauriel was added to appease the audience who longed to see friendship-love between the feuding Elves and Dwarfs. As expected there was lots of fighting which was realistic but the bloodshed wasn't overwhelming. I have reservations at the idealistic victorious outcome, which should have been impossible given the state of matters. The coming of the Eagles, so essential in turning the tide, should have been more stunning and powerful. Otherwise it could convince no one that the latter would win a battle between two swarming armies of fighter Orcs against an assorted alliance of dwindling armies consisting of untrained villagers, reluctant Elves under a selfish Elvish Lord and biased mercenary stubborn Dwarfs. The sudden change of mind of the King of Mirkwood felt staged; so true love between a subject he banished and disliked due to Legolas' infatuation would convert the cold and hardened Thranduil to a loving and feeling Elf like that? The awakening of Thorin Oakenshield was much more natural, perhaps because Tolkien wrote the transformation. The little twist in the tale when Bilbo returned home to find his belongings being auctioned off as he was missing presumed dead provided the comic relief one needed from the heavy hearted farewells from the battlefield. Fortunately, despite all the fabricated bits, there remains the main theme unaltered - true friendship and never-ending resistance against evil.