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

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Peter Jackson

Country

USA  | New Zealand

Cast

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Sylvester McCoy, Manu Bennett, John Tui, Billy Connolly, Mikael Persbrandt, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Mitchinson, John Bell, Peggy Nisbitt, Mary Nesbitt, Simon London, Ian Holm

Plot

Enraged, Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch) rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin (Richard Armitage) sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo's (Martin Freeman) frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead.

Opinion

The Hobbit trilogy started out wonderfully - not as great as the Lord of the Rings trilogy though -, but the closing chapter is far from being wonderful. 

Visually stunning, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a tedious, shallow and unsatisfying conclusion.

A ongoing problem with this new trilogy has always been the running time; although this film is not as long as the others, the disrespectful plot hasn't been able to fill the 144 minutes of it: there is so little left to say and more than a stand alone story it seems like a long, never ending closing paragraph. 

I thought the title implied there was going to be a real and epic battle, you know, mayhem, arrows flying, swords clashing, dead bodies everywhere, but instead we got some sort of battle filled with unrealistic duels and a love story between she-elf Tauriel and dwarf Kili. Then, five armies are way too much, and who the heck are the Wereworms? 

I did like some of the characters development, especially the inner conflict of Thorin, the magnificent relationship between Thorin and Bilbo, and the opening scene with Smaug is breathtaking but that's it. Smaug, the primary antagonist of the trilogy, dies, and so the film with it.

On the other hand, the performances are good. Martin Freeman grows along with Bilbo. Richard Armitage delivers his best performance of the trilogy. Orlando Bloom brings a good performance. Aidan Turner well plays Kili. Ian McKellen knocks his role as Gandalf. Luke Evans has more screen time, and uses it properly. 

Quotes

Bilbo Baggins: You are changed, Thorin! The Dwarf I met in Bag End would never have gone back on his word! Would never have doubted the loyalty of his kin!

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Peter Jackson

Country

USA | New Zealand

Cast

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Lee Pace, Stephen Fry, Orlando Bloom, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Cate Blanchett, Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Manu Bennett, Lawrence Makoare, Anthony Sher, Craig Hall, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Ben Mitchell, Robin Kerr, Dallas Barnett

Plot

After successfully crossing over the Misty Mountains, the thirteen dwarves commanded by Thorin (Richard Armitage), the hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, the dwarves homeland, from the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch).

Opinion

Out there is plenty of people saying that fans of Tolkien will be disappointed with the new trilogy, and there are way too much differences between the book and the films. That's pretty much normal since Jackson made three films out of a 300 pages book.

Having said that, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a terrific middle chapter filled with tons of action, emotions and fun from the first frame to the last.

The film is exciting all the way through and more engaging than An Unexpected Journey, although I did enjoy its slow pacing.

I particularly loved the giant spiders sequence, and the way they talk to each other when Bildo puts the ring on, even though they sound like Gollum. The arachnids are visually stunning and scary. Legolas comes back and, although I'm pretty sure he wasn't in the book, he brings some fun. New creation Tauriel is enjoyable. Bilbo's encounter with Smaug is tense and brilliantly written. Gandalf's encounter with Sauron is visually stunning. Ed Sheeran's 'I See Fire' is perfect.

However, the film has a big issue: the script. They talk, talk and talk, but, at the end of the day, they don't really say much.

The acting is good. Martin Freeman keeps on doing a perfect job as Bildo Baggins. Ian McKellen is still perfect as Gandalf. Richard Armitage succeeds in showing Thorin's worse qualities. Orlando Bloom has some charm. And Ken Stott stands out among the dwarves.

Quotes

Thranduil: Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads. A shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was. So will it always be. In time all foul things come forth.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Genre

Adventure | Fantasy

Director

Peter Jackson

Country

USA | New Zealand

Cast

Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, Ken Scott, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Sylvester McCoy, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Manu Bennett, Lee Pace, Benedict Cumberbatch, Barry Humphries, John Rawls, Bret McKenzie, Kiran Shah, Jeffrey Thomas, Michael Mizrahi

Plot

Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen), Bilbo (Martin Freeman) finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum (Andy Serkis). 

Opinion

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is simply beautiful. The film is a spectacular and thrilling combination of adventure, drama and fantasy, and it managed to left me with the same 'wow' the original trilogy did.

Director Peter Jackson successfully managed to craft a good prequel to the best saga ever. The film has some great scenes; the run in with fighting stone giants and the escape from the goblins' mountain are definitely the highlights. I particularly loved the scene in which Bildo runs into Gollum, firstly because I wasn't expecting it at all, and secondly because I've always liked the character - which, by the way, is even more 'realistic'. The score by Howard Shore is spectacular and touching.

The actors give great performances. Ian McKellen is absolutely stunning as Gandalf, and seems to be born to play the character. Richard Armitage plays Thorin in a very fascinating way. British Martin Freeman is absolutely perfect to play Bildo. Andy Serkis still does an amazing job with Gollum.

Quotes

Bilbo Baggins: Good morning.

Gandalf: What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?

Bilbo Baggins: All of them at once, I suppose.

Bilbo Baggins: I have... I have never used a sword in my life.

Gandalf: And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.