It works, but that's about it

Rating: Null/10 (10 March 2015)

Once again we return to Middle-Earth, this time to bid our farewells for now. The final Hobbit film improves upon the its immediate predecessor by focusing on the battle scenes and leaving much of the silliness out, but by now we've grown weary of the formula and this film doesn't quite reach the atmosphere and mood of the first Hobbit film, let alone the grandeur of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I truly think Peter Jackson tried too hard to reach the golden middle road with this trilogy. This final installment being no exception. We do get the grand battles and splendid visuals that appeal to the fans of the original trilogy, but we also get dwarfs riding battle boars and speaking with funny Scottish accents, which probably appeals to those that liked he lighthearted tone of the original book. The first film managed to juggle these two contrasting tones, at least as long as the story stayed in Shire, where there is a place for lightheartedness yet somber conversations can happen by the fire. But now Erebor has been retaken and war is brewing on the horizon. I don't think we need battle boars or Legolas doing stunts that would be more at home in an anime. And yes, The Return of the King had similar problems, which is why it's the weakest of the original trilogy. But it didn't do it to this extent.
That being said, this is substantially less ridiculous than The Desolation of Smaug, which is a huge plus in the movie's favour. When it's time for battle, the battles are suitably epic and great to look at. And when the characters need to be serious, they can be and you feel bad because the odds are stacked heavily against them. I'm also grateful that Jackson decided to stick to the original ending. I sort of knew he wouldn't be that much a sellout, but the second movie had seriously shaken my resolve. Sorry for doubting you, Peter.
I also still like the additions from Tolkien's other works, such as Unfinished Tales, dealing with the White Council. They're cinematic beyond all believe and neatly tie the two trilogies together. No complaints from me, though I know some people don't like them at all.
As a whole I'm glad this movie and the whole trilogy exist. They're still great films and they suffer only by being compared to the original trilogy, which has become one of the cornerstones of fantasy film genre. The Hobbit films have their flaws, but it's still Middle-Earth and I'd watch these over most other films there are.