A Great and Satisfying Conclusion to a well-done Fantasy Trilogy!

Rating: 9/10 (28 September 2019)

(This is a review for the Extended Cut)
I don't know why some people don't like this film. Saw it in theaters, and I loved it. Watched the extended cut, loved it even more. I do have to mention that I think that the studio taking the film away from Peter Jackson and 'beefed it up' was unfair, especially since he is such a great director. However, I actually enjoyed the Kili-Tauriel romance and I think it works for the story.
Having read the book (The Hobbit) several times before watching this film (and seeing the animated film several times as well), I knew what would happen at the end in regards to certain characters, especially Thorin. Yet the way the film was shot and scripted, it gave me the (albeit brief) idea that Thorin and his nephews would survive, adding extra emotion to the film for me. I thought that Smaug was also killed off too soon, especially after his spectacular iconic performance in the previous film. But his performance is still pretty brilliant.
While Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen are great, as usual, in their swan songs as Bilbo and Gandalf, Richard Armitage is fantastic as the tormented and troubled Thorin Oakenshield. I felt bad for Balin, though, since if you have read the books or seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy, you know what his fate is. But he kind of wraps his role up with a blaze of glory in the Extended Cut. Orlando Bloom gives his character of Legolas much needed depth in this film with his performance as well, while Lee Pace is thoroughly detestable as the arrogant Thranduil. Evangeline Lily is great and kicks butt as Tauriel, and the story-arc with her and Kili is a nicely-done tragic love story. Luke Evans is enjoyable as Bard the Bowman, who gets a few great action scenes. Billy Connolly is, like Smaug, woefully underused in his performance...especially since he looks so freaking awesome as Dain Ironfoot.
The titular battle of the film is incredible. As other reviewers mention, it is a little similar to the Battle of the Pelannor Fields/Siege of Minas Tirith sequences in Return of the King, but it fortunately is able to stand on its own as well. After a couple of times watching, I think the Extended Cut's R-Rating is justified with the iconic battle. There is a lot of gruesome blood splatters and arterial sprays. Especially when those goat chariots come out.
Besides the battle itself, the other action scenes are breathtaking, most prominently the Rescue Mission to save Gandalf at Dol Goldur. The Nazgul are quite terrifying and demonic in appearance with their awesome-looking armor and it is a great choreographed battle. I enjoyed the climatic clash between Azog and Thorin, as well, despite knowing how it would end. I kind of wished Bilbo would have had more action scenes in the film, though...
At any rate, this film is a great conclusion to the Hobbit Trilogy. I hope that the upcoming Amazon Middle-Earth series will live up to what Peter Jackson has accomplished, also, since there are so many other stories in the History of Middle-Earth to be told either in a streaming format or a cinematic format.