Superb - Warning - Spoiler Alert

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2015)

Having seen and enjoyed the three Lord of the Rings films, I was,keen to see this trilogy but somewhat dubious of it being a credible adaptation of the book in question; and that has to be remembered, it as based on the book and does not claim to be an exact copy. Despite my initial doubts,it was shaping up to be an enjoyable trilogy Myself and my 12 year old son had watched the first two parts, and for us,this topped them both.
The beginning, with the death of a certain Dragon, catapults you into the film headfirst, and works beautifully.
The battle scenes are all they should be - and more - and Thorins battle with himself is handled well.
There are odd moments of levity, some real sadness and the film never feels overlong. I repeat, if you are looking for a faithful adaption of Tolkiens book, you'll perhaps be disappointed. But if you are looking for two and a half hours of real entertainment, you'll not regret it.