My Review

Rating: 9/10 (20 December 2014)

After much anticipation, I finally got to witness what is possibly the last film of Middle Earth from Peter Jackson. It was definitely a bitter sweet experience. While the Hobbit trilogy has its flaws, it has also been an entertaining ride thus far. I went into this film with high hopes and much anticipation, but was also worried that it may not deliver (especially after reading the mixed reviews on it). Really glad that I came out of the theater absolutely impressed and satisfied.
One of the things that stood out for me was that for the first time in this trilogy, Peter Jackson nailed the pacing. I thought both An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug dragged on some of its scenes way too long (i.e. in Bag End, in Laketown etc). For this one, I never once thought any of the scenes overstayed its welcome. Yes, there was a bit of filler and deviation from the book, but anyone who has been following Peter Jackson's work should come to expect that from now. If you want a carbon copy version of the book, then his films are not for you.
For anyone who has seen Lord of the Rings, they know that battle scenes are Peter's specialty. He has the ability to minimize battle fatigue - you never feel tired of watching random minions attack each other, and Peter does a good job at forming a story for his battles. Yes, there are tons of over the top action sequences (looking at you Legolas), but I personally am a fan of 'video game sequences. I want to be wowed by action pieces (I am paying money to see a blockbuster film). I find such scenes very entertaining - just don't take it too seriously and you will have fun too! That said, I do agree with most reviewers that the scenes with Alfred dragged on a bit too long - Peter tried a bit too hard to add some comedy into this film to break up the tension. I also found myself rolling my eyes at the shoe-horned love story of Tauriel and Fili - it was not necessarily, but fortunately it made up only a small part of the film. Rest of the plot was fine in my eyes.
I also read a lot of concerns over Peter's reliance on CGI. After seeing some of the trailers, I too got worried that there may be some spotty CGI. I watched this film on IMax 3D, and I thought the film looked fantastic for the most part. From the burning of Laketown, to the armies converging towards Erebor, the vision of Peter Jackson's team was breathtaking. Certainly a feast for the eyes! Yes, there is a ton of CGI, but this is a fantasy action film. I personally thought the CGI for this film was less jarring and distracting than its predecessor - definitely more polished for the most part.
Finally, I just want to talk about the superb acting from the main cast. Martin Freeman and Sir Ian McKellen once again nailed their roles as Bilbo and Gandalf perfectly. Martin and Richard Armitage showed great on-screen chemistry in some of the most critical and emotional scenes of the film. Truly the casting and acting for these films is what separates it from the rest of the other fantasy films, or the Star Wars prequels for that matter.
The highlight of the film for me was the ending. The Hobbit to me was always a metaphor for going out on an adventure and leaving one's comfort zone. How often do we come back home from a vacation only to feel withdraw and sadness? When Bilbo says goodbye to Gandalf and returns to his empty home, you can't help to feel the same emptiness that he is feeling - our adventures in Middle-Earth have now too concluded. "The Last Goodbye"- sang wonderfully by Billy Boyd just did it for me in terms of emotions. Thank you Peter Jackson and crew for making these amazing films. I can't wait to watch the Extended Edition!