The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

(**1/2 out of five)

     As the final chapter in the series, I was thrilled and saddened to see the voyage of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) finally coming to an end.  With a cast that I truly enjoyed, and a large battle, I should not have compared it to The Lord of the Rings.  For those that have seen the others, the Hobbit did not match up to the epic proportions of its predecessors.  It was definitely worth the watch for fans like me, but don't expect to be on the edge of your seat.
     The last of the Hobbit films focuses on a war between several armies.  Bilbo is not only forced to be a burglar, but he also becomes the voice of reason.  Even though Gandalf knows that Bilbo has the ring, he knows that Bilbo's heart will allow him to have self control.  Bilbo wants to prevent conflict, but he knows the war is inevitable.  As a dragon sails to destroy towns, Bilbo has to keep the elves and the dwarfs from destroying each other, all while other armies are marching to the same mountain and killing anyone in their path.
     What I didn't expect was for Legolas (Orlando Bloom) to become such an important character.  He spectacularly fights off Orcs and other large creatures, while Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) takes a disappointing step back in the third film.  Tauriel was definitely the solider the of the second film, but in the Battle of the Five Armies, she seems to lose her strength as fighter.  This lasts only until she begins fighting for her true love, a dwarf named Kili.  Legolas and Tauriel know they will be banished from their kingdom if they chose to fight a battle that is not theirs.  They are willing to make the sacrifice, sealing their fates to the end of the movie.
     The action and story keep the audience focused to an extent.  There were times when I felt bored and maybe even nodded off for a few minutes in the theater.  While it is definitely a film for fans, I am not sure a general audience would truly enjoy it.  The film does end with a nice little transition into the Lord of the Rings.  I went home and immediately wanted to start the trilogy.  The graphics are easy to watch, but the film truly lacked an emotional connection between the audience and the characters.  If you aren't a fan, wait to rent this one.  If you are, you'd better go see it while it is still in theaters.