REVIEW - THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF FIVE ARMIES
The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies is a film aptly named. The
majority of the film consists of wonderfully epic battles – but as if you would
expect the third installment of a fantasy franchise as expensive as this to be
anything less. It easily achieves the level of action and excitement befitting its title, but it felt it a little hollow in its lore and plot follow-up,
character development, depth and humour compared to the first two films in the
series.
The film picks up smoothly from where The Desolation of Smaug left off, plunging right back into the panic of Laketown as the dragon descends onto the fisherman's village. The entire showdown with Smaug lasts barely ten minutes - in fact it all takes place before the opening title is shown. While it is an exciting sequence, it is somewhat predictable purely because of the necessary progression of the film. In terms of pacing it seems strange that they would not have included this final battle with Smaug at the end of the second film.
Martin Freeman is the gem of this series, stringing the story together with the humility, humour and simplicity of a Hobbit’s worldview. Just when things feel like they’re getting a bit too above-our-heads-fantasy-epic Bilbo is there to bring us back to reality. Throughout most of The Battle of Five Armies Richard Armitage does a splendid job continuing to play Thorin as his sanity is tested by the taint of Smaug’s treasure. ‘Dragon sickness’ affects Thorin throughout the film, and this battle with this mental illness contributes to the dark and serious tone of The Battle of Five Armies. While this does not make the film worse than its predecessors it certainly makes it less fun. Additionally, he seems to become too serious towards the end of the movie. This culminates in an ending for the character which any Tolkien fans will probably not enjoy.
The Battle of Five Armies’ balance is not as satisfying as that of the previous films. While the first two installments are a rich tapestry of action, lore, adventure and character development, The Battle of Five Armies is aptly titled - it is really just one big battle sequence. You could not wish for a more masterfully designed and executed visual experience. The design of everything – from armor and weaponry, to war leader’s attire, the landscape, war beasts and environments – is masterful, but none of this alters the fact that a battle can only ever be a battle.
Apart from a few lines, the humour is lost and certain scenes – such as Galadriel’s battle with the Necromancer (Sauron) – are not followed up properly. This scene in particular will prove confusing to non-Tolkien-lore nerds. Another noticeable oddity was the selective use of Elvish. Although it was occasionally used, there were a handful of scenes between Legolas, Tauriel and Thranduil where they spoke in English, rather than Elvish for no apparent reason. This kind of inconsistency really stands out in epic fantasy films with such a rich lore to support them.
Visually, the film cannot be faulted. One particularly stunning piece of animation was Smaug during his final showdown. His movement and mannerisms really built up his personality – combined of course with Benedict Cumberbatch’s excellent voicing. This portrayal of the dragon as too cocky for his own good made his downfall credible. The art of the credit sequence too, was beautiful. Presumably concept art for this film, these images were a solid reminder of the artistic skill required to bring this story to life in such a visually appealing manner.
The Battle of Five Armies certainly has its share of faults, which is surprising given the quality of the previous two films in the series. However if you enjoy watching beautiful landscapes, attractive fantasy people and epically designed battles, it is a film you do not want to miss.
The film picks up smoothly from where The Desolation of Smaug left off, plunging right back into the panic of Laketown as the dragon descends onto the fisherman's village. The entire showdown with Smaug lasts barely ten minutes - in fact it all takes place before the opening title is shown. While it is an exciting sequence, it is somewhat predictable purely because of the necessary progression of the film. In terms of pacing it seems strange that they would not have included this final battle with Smaug at the end of the second film.
Martin Freeman is the gem of this series, stringing the story together with the humility, humour and simplicity of a Hobbit’s worldview. Just when things feel like they’re getting a bit too above-our-heads-fantasy-epic Bilbo is there to bring us back to reality. Throughout most of The Battle of Five Armies Richard Armitage does a splendid job continuing to play Thorin as his sanity is tested by the taint of Smaug’s treasure. ‘Dragon sickness’ affects Thorin throughout the film, and this battle with this mental illness contributes to the dark and serious tone of The Battle of Five Armies. While this does not make the film worse than its predecessors it certainly makes it less fun. Additionally, he seems to become too serious towards the end of the movie. This culminates in an ending for the character which any Tolkien fans will probably not enjoy.
The Battle of Five Armies’ balance is not as satisfying as that of the previous films. While the first two installments are a rich tapestry of action, lore, adventure and character development, The Battle of Five Armies is aptly titled - it is really just one big battle sequence. You could not wish for a more masterfully designed and executed visual experience. The design of everything – from armor and weaponry, to war leader’s attire, the landscape, war beasts and environments – is masterful, but none of this alters the fact that a battle can only ever be a battle.
Apart from a few lines, the humour is lost and certain scenes – such as Galadriel’s battle with the Necromancer (Sauron) – are not followed up properly. This scene in particular will prove confusing to non-Tolkien-lore nerds. Another noticeable oddity was the selective use of Elvish. Although it was occasionally used, there were a handful of scenes between Legolas, Tauriel and Thranduil where they spoke in English, rather than Elvish for no apparent reason. This kind of inconsistency really stands out in epic fantasy films with such a rich lore to support them.
Visually, the film cannot be faulted. One particularly stunning piece of animation was Smaug during his final showdown. His movement and mannerisms really built up his personality – combined of course with Benedict Cumberbatch’s excellent voicing. This portrayal of the dragon as too cocky for his own good made his downfall credible. The art of the credit sequence too, was beautiful. Presumably concept art for this film, these images were a solid reminder of the artistic skill required to bring this story to life in such a visually appealing manner.
The Battle of Five Armies certainly has its share of faults, which is surprising given the quality of the previous two films in the series. However if you enjoy watching beautiful landscapes, attractive fantasy people and epically designed battles, it is a film you do not want to miss.
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