Not believable

Rating: 5/10 (26 December 2014)

When you have unlimited cash (or so it seems) to make a movie, is it too much to demand that some of it be spent in getting things "right" so that the viewer isn't jarred out of the immersive experience by things that don't make sense, or things that assume you're stupid? Apparently, for this final Hobbit movie, the answer is yes. In addition to that, there were a number of scenes where rapid cuts left the 3d viewer bewildered.
Of the "unblievable" elements, three stood out: first, there was a CGI of a beast being ridden, but there was no natural "flow" to the creature, and instead the movement looked like a claymation rendering. Second, there were several instances where masses of soldiers performed actions in unison. The result was extremely robotic and totally unlike a real military formation. Further, the soldiers were deployed with no apparent chain of command -- no platoon leaders, sergeants, captains, etc. -- no logistical support (how do they eat?), and no archer units (who would have totally destroyed the bad guys). Jackson would have done well to have reviewed actual historical armies, such as those of Ancient Rome. Finally, the love interest plot line simply didn't work for me and seemed contrived. The final remark at the end of this plot line -- "because it was real" -- could have been a moving testimonial to the wretchedness behind the elfin outer elegance, but instead fell flat.
I was also disappointed that there was so little personal connection between the characters. For me, there was a sense that the actors were speaking their lines in front of a blue screen, without other actors actually being there.
In short, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was, to reference Shakespeare, full of sound and fury, but at the end of it all, leaving the viewer bloated and unsatisfied.