One Last Time.
When it comes to Peter Jackson's Middle Earth movies, I may show a little bit of bias. I truly believe that no other movies in the history of cinema are crafted with such love and awe as the Middle Earth movies. The original "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy happens to be my favorite trilogy, saga, and flat out cinema experience of all time(Sorry Star Wars, I still love you though).While I truly love what Jackson has done with his adaption of The Hobbit, it does not compare to the original. That being said, Jackson is still able to create one of the most awe inspiring and truly heartbreaking conclusions to a wonderful film saga. Hold back the tears, hold back the tears.
The Hobbit:The Battle of The Five Armies starts off right where Smaug left off, which happens to be none other than Smaug. Not much time is spent on that though, as the real plot comes from different factions wanting control of riches and wonders of The Lonely Mountain. In this we see Jackson being Jackson. A Grand, epic, battle ensues, heads are sliced off, Dwarfs are flying, and CGI is all over the place. Truthfully I wouldn't want it any other way. This battle is rich and fulfilling. Its jaw-dropping and admiring. But its with this battle that this movie falters at parts.
Remember The Return of The King? The battle was simply put amazing. But what was it that made us care about that battle so much? The heart and soul and emotional pull of all the characters drove us to care about everything that happened in The Return of the King. We wanted to see them succeed. In The Battle of Five Armies I didn't get that as much.
Don't get me wrong. I truly love and adore the characters of The Hobbit. Martin Freeman as Bilbo is spot on perfection again like we all knew he would be. Ian Mckellan is of course a bad ass as Gandalf for the sixth time in a row. And while there's virtually no reason for him to be there, I cherish every time I get to see Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The real star of this entire trilogy though is of course Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. This story might be called the Hobbit, but let it be known that it is Thorin Oakenshield's story nonetheless. His performance in this movie is marvelous, in a truly stand out kind of way. These characters bring this story to life vividly and emotionally.
Still I can't get over the fact that this particular movie feels like one half of a whole. IT feels like it the last and final act of a different movie. This of course is just me complaining that there shouldn't take three movies to make The Hobbit, but then again its more time I get to spend in Middle Earth, and that my friends is a very good thing.
What else is there to say? This is a Peter Jackson movie. Great Cinematography? Check. Marvelous sound? Check. An incredibly satisfying score? Check. Absolutely kick ass characters? Check. An over abundance of CGI? You betcha.
I told myself before writing this review that I wouldn't let my bias get the best of me. I wouldn't let my love for Middle Earth and Jackson stop me from reviewing this movie like any other. Than I thought to myself. These Middle Earth movies deserve to be judged differently. They've earned it. This saga will forever be remembered in film history. "One film saga to rule them all"
An 8 out of 10
+More of Jackson's signature film-making
+Rich and satisfying conclusion
+Characters
-One half of a whole
-A little to much CGI
When it comes to Peter Jackson's Middle Earth movies, I may show a little bit of bias. I truly believe that no other movies in the history of cinema are crafted with such love and awe as the Middle Earth movies. The original "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy happens to be my favorite trilogy, saga, and flat out cinema experience of all time(Sorry Star Wars, I still love you though).While I truly love what Jackson has done with his adaption of The Hobbit, it does not compare to the original. That being said, Jackson is still able to create one of the most awe inspiring and truly heartbreaking conclusions to a wonderful film saga. Hold back the tears, hold back the tears.
The Hobbit:The Battle of The Five Armies starts off right where Smaug left off, which happens to be none other than Smaug. Not much time is spent on that though, as the real plot comes from different factions wanting control of riches and wonders of The Lonely Mountain. In this we see Jackson being Jackson. A Grand, epic, battle ensues, heads are sliced off, Dwarfs are flying, and CGI is all over the place. Truthfully I wouldn't want it any other way. This battle is rich and fulfilling. Its jaw-dropping and admiring. But its with this battle that this movie falters at parts.
Remember The Return of The King? The battle was simply put amazing. But what was it that made us care about that battle so much? The heart and soul and emotional pull of all the characters drove us to care about everything that happened in The Return of the King. We wanted to see them succeed. In The Battle of Five Armies I didn't get that as much.
Don't get me wrong. I truly love and adore the characters of The Hobbit. Martin Freeman as Bilbo is spot on perfection again like we all knew he would be. Ian Mckellan is of course a bad ass as Gandalf for the sixth time in a row. And while there's virtually no reason for him to be there, I cherish every time I get to see Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The real star of this entire trilogy though is of course Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. This story might be called the Hobbit, but let it be known that it is Thorin Oakenshield's story nonetheless. His performance in this movie is marvelous, in a truly stand out kind of way. These characters bring this story to life vividly and emotionally.
Still I can't get over the fact that this particular movie feels like one half of a whole. IT feels like it the last and final act of a different movie. This of course is just me complaining that there shouldn't take three movies to make The Hobbit, but then again its more time I get to spend in Middle Earth, and that my friends is a very good thing.
What else is there to say? This is a Peter Jackson movie. Great Cinematography? Check. Marvelous sound? Check. An incredibly satisfying score? Check. Absolutely kick ass characters? Check. An over abundance of CGI? You betcha.
I told myself before writing this review that I wouldn't let my bias get the best of me. I wouldn't let my love for Middle Earth and Jackson stop me from reviewing this movie like any other. Than I thought to myself. These Middle Earth movies deserve to be judged differently. They've earned it. This saga will forever be remembered in film history. "One film saga to rule them all"
An 8 out of 10
+More of Jackson's signature film-making
+Rich and satisfying conclusion
+Characters
-One half of a whole
-A little to much CGI