I remember seeing "The Fellowship of the Ring" with my mother back in 2001, I was six years old at the time. I was so captivated by it and quickly become obsessed with the film. Two years later I recall sitting in the theatre with my father watching "The Return of the King" and getting tears in my eyes at the end of the film. Realizing the trilogy was over and done with. Being eight years old and having a set of movies make you feel that way was a truly amazing thing looking back on it. Now eleven years later I'm nineteen years old and have just completed my journey through Middle Earth. I can honestly say that I have been 'There and Back Again.'
Peter Jackson took on a challenging task consisting of taking a children's book and turning into two films. Oh, scratch that, let's make it three. While I understand the decision both financially and creatively, it wasn't until about an hour ago that I realized it should have stayed at two films. The first two films were so dragged out, that this final installment seemed too rushed and hurried to wrap things up. Like Jackson and company couldn't find anything else to put in the film; which is the shortest out of the bunch. But I still love the idea of two trilogies and will blindly defend the decision even though I know it shouldn't have been that way.
I'm going to get my biggest complaint out of the way first, so I can end this review on a positive note. For me "The Battle of the Five Armies" doesn't pack a very emotional punch the way the other films have and this being the last film makes that an even bigger problem for me. While it doesn't make the film bad, I just wanted to feel a lot more than the film actually made me. I wanted to literally be balling with tears, but they never came. The only reason I can think of that could be to blame is the story should have been two films. It could've been a tighter package therefor making Jackson cut a lot of the unneeded things and focus on character. Which the "Rings" films did so well. Another reason could be that Jackson simply wasn't trying to make this a sad ending, but merely to bridge the gap between trilogies in a happy way, putting aside character deaths and the moodiness of the film. Either way or whatever reason, I couldn't help but feel disappointed.
My next problem with the film is its beginning. It literally just starts. While Smaug completely destroying Lake Town was a great sequence it would have been an even better climax for the previous film, instead of Smaug against the Dwarves. Again, it all goes back to the decision to split the book to three films, when it could have honestly been one movie.
The CGI here is way less noticeable than the previous two flicks. Everything looks great and very detailed and is the best CGI of the series. But you still can't help to wish it was done a bit more practically like the original trilogy.
Performances in these films have never been a problem and nor is it. Most characters get their time to shine and are perfect for their rolls. I wish all the dwarves would have gotten a spotlight, but most just blend into the background.
Don't let all my complaints fool you into thinking I didn't like the film. I loved it in fact. But I can't lie to you or myself and have to say this is the worst of all six films. It doesn't fully deliver on everything you've come to expect from a Peter Jackson Middle Earth film. But in the same breathe it does give you everything you've come to expect. Either way if you're a fan of the series you will enjoy the film. Don't let all the negativity bring you down. Go see for yourself. I have all the respect in the world for Peter Jackson and how much joy he has brought me through "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" films. I can't fault him for wanting to give the fans more of what they want, he succeeded in every way even if the last film wasn't exactly what I was looking for to tie everything together.
