The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

Title: The Battle of the Five Armies

Series: The Hobbit

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage

Released: 2014

Personal Rating: 3.5/6

Oscars: Nominated for 1

Plot: Bilbo and Company are forced to engage in a war against an array of combatants and keep the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of a rising darkness.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mostly A Battle Sequence
Now I didn't mind that this was mostly a battle sequence as the two previous movies were all about slow build up. So when I reached this point in the trilogy I was glad for a huge change of pace. The movie did give you enough about the characters so that you felt satisfied by their individual storylines. I have heard that scenes that were cut that give better closure to the story and should be available upon home release (or an extended edition).

Just For Money But I Had To See it in Theaters
I know The Hobbit being spread into three movies is nothing but a cash grab. Even worse, it's a shameless cash grab. However, I can't help but go see it in theaters. I loved seeing this movie in theaters and would suggest you do too as it's one of the movies that needs to be seen in theaters to get the full effect. However, those of you with more self-control than me shouldn't feel ashamed of waiting for the home release of the movie.

Ending Credits
I like how the song during the ending credits is a good-bye song. There probably won't be another movie set in Middle Earth, so having the final thing you hear in the movie being a good-bye song is beyond fitting. Plus it is an awesome song.

Final Thoughts
The movie wraps everything up and all the fights are done beautifully. I was sad to see Smaug go but that's to be expected. Even if you haven't read the book, the fact that Smaug dies is a given. So just treasure that beautiful dragon while you can. Since it's most likely that you'll see this at home, comment below about any deleted scenes that are on your copy.