Flawed, But This Last Foray Into Middle-Earth Does Not Disappoint!

Rating: 8/10 (20 December 2014)

When making a trilogy out of a children's novel, it's important for the audience to remember that there will be add-ins, changes, and things you're not OK with. But what's also important to remember, when going into any adaptation, is that you have to see it as a film first and an adaptation second.
The film was a success. The final chapter in the Middle-Earth saga brought me to chills and tears. As a longtime fan of Tolkien's work, I could not appreciate it as much as I'd like to, but even that did not deter me from having a good time.
First, the acting. Martin Freeman takes a surprising backseat here. He is still the Bilbo we know and love, but for the first half of the movie, he is not that important. His turn as Bilbo in this film is wonderfully realized, appropriately emotional and yet maintaining the sting of levity that is necessary to hold the dark events unfolding around him together. One thing in particular to look for, to the end of the film, when he is back in Bag-End, he removes the Ring from his pocket, and in a chill-inducing split second, his expression turns to outright evil, most easily describable as a "Gollum face". He is spectacular in every rite of the word.
Ian McKellan continues to amaze. His turn as Gandalf is the mark of a well-seasoned actor completely disappearing into a character. McKellan simply IS Gandalf; no substitution will do. His facial twitches and line delivery are exactly what this film needed, and he stands comfortably in the supporting role he is in. One especially good line to look for involves a wonderful interpretation of the line "To cut the head off the snake."
Richard Armitage is the true star of the film. Thorin Oakenshield could not be better played by Olivier. The effects of avarice are especially well played here, as Thorin's character spends the first two-thirds of the film completely consumed by greed. Every nuance of the character is right in place.
Other standout roles include Aidan Turner as Kili, Evangeline Lily as the made-up-but-oh-so-enjoyably Tauriel, Ryan Gage as Alfrid Lickspittle (gotta love that name), and Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman.
Now to the quality of the film itself. There is little to be said for the effects, as it has all already been said. Cutting edge, crystalline clear graphics permeate the movie and almost overwhelm at times. The music is perfect, especially the credits song by Billy Boyd.
Where the movie falters is the script and story. I made no boons about how disappointed I was with how they ended the second film, and that disappointment sadly carries on here. When the second film ended, what everyone was looking forward to was the death of Smaug in this last film. Smaug's death is sadly glossed over and finished before the title of the film shows. Furthermore, the film feels disjointed and jumbled at times, like they were just going through the story scene by scene. The movie does not hold well together in the beginning-middle section. Thankfully, they were able to pull it all in together by the middle-ending for a truly memorable movie.
One of the things I was happy about was the tone of the ending. One of my big worries was that they would end it too happily. What most people need to remember is that this is only the halfway point. The Ring corrupts, and its corruption is the cause of the Lord of the Rings. I really did hope for the correct emotion going from Battle of the Five Armies into Fellowship of the Ring, and I was not disappointed. As mentioned previously, you can see, in a completely haunting millisecond, the effects of the Ring already taking their toll on Bilbo.
Memorable scenes include the Dragon's death, Thorin's Insanity On the Gold, the Battle at Dol Guldur, the Earth-Eaters, and the Fight on the Ice. You will not want to miss these excellent scenes.
Overall, the movie is flawed, but those flaws do not stop the film from being immensely enjoyed by all!