By Zach Schanzenbach

Senior Staff Writer

RATING: 4/5 Paws

Peter Jackson’s three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” has overall proven to be less than what it could have been.  The first installment, “An Unexpected Journey” was a nice adaptation.  The next installment, “The Desolation of Smaug” was not quite so much. Now we have “The Battle of the Five Armies,” the long-awaited conclusion that lives up to the hype surrounding it.

It picks up immediately where the second one left off, showing us why the magnificent Smaug is so feared.  Of course, that only lasts for the first five minutes, as he’s shot through that hole in his armor.

With the dragon dead and winter quickly approaching, Bard, now leader of the townsfolk, places his hope and trust in the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield. However, Oakenshield is obsessed with finding the Arkenstone, a precious gem that drove his fathers mad.  The greed that now infests his heart drives him to break his promise to the townsfolk.

But the townsfolk aren’t the only ones who want something from the mountain.  The elves from the previous film also have a stake: bright gems made of a certain material. Also, Azog, an evil Orc-lord and Thorin’s archrival, is leading a considerable force of Orcs on the mountain in order to take it for the reviving Sauron as a strategic point.

And who is caught in the middle of it all?  Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), who once again shows us why he is the title character.  I’ve always enjoyed the moments with Bilbo in these movies. He’s the only one of his kind in the mix: a hobbit whose life used to revolve around trivial things like doilies.  Whenever he does something heroic, we’re reminded of how far he’s come since he left Bag-End.

The first part of the film does a very nice job at its assigned task.  While the other two films involved a blend of main plot and subplots, this one has only to build up to the battle that we’re already anticipating.  Everything we see throughout this first part, whether it’s main plot or subplot, is geared toward this climactic battle.  The battle itself takes up the bulk of the rest of the film, ranging from clashing armies to rallies to victory, and then, at long last, Thorin and Azog meet and have their long-awaited final battle.

While the results of said-battle are just what I expected, the actual battle itself was more original than what I’m used to.  I’m not sure why there was snow and ice around them, but Bard did say that winter was coming, so it’s not out of place.  And how did it end?  Thorin killed Azog, and Azog killed Thorin.

There were two things, and two things only, that majorly disappointed me in this movie.  One of them, brought back from the last movie, was the once-implied romance between Kili the dwarf and Tauriel the elf.  They should have left it as “implied,” but they didn’t.  Nope, they just had to let the romance bloom.

The other majorly disappointing thing about this movie was the ending, by which I mean everything following Azog’s death.  I remember well how Thorin passed away in the animated version of The Hobbit from before I was born: it was long, somber and a heart-jerker.  Here?  Just a few last words to make amends with Bilbo before the hobbit weeps for his dead friend.

The end of the main story has Bilbo returning to his home, only to find the hobbits in the village auctioning off his stuff, as he is presumed dead.  An indignant Bilbo makes things straight and returns home a changed hobbit.  You’d think he’d settle down, but instead his focus is on the ring.  Next thing we know, it’s sixty years later all over again.

I would have been more satisfied if there was a sense of resolution to this story.  Sure, you can give a nod to the future adventure that Frodo will embark on, but here, everything exists to point to that adventure.  It’s almost like Peter Jackson is using these movies to say, “Go watch The Lord of the Rings!”

On the whole, I can’t complain too much.  “The Battle of the Five Armies” is a satisfying third film; it’s a good conclusion overall.  But why is it called the defining chapter?  Because it’s the last film that involves an official story from Middle Earth?

Yeah, right.  I know how Hollywood is nowadays: they always try to milk every last drop out of a franchise. And I’ll have you know right now that Tolkien’s Middle Earth is FAR from out of content to work with (see The Silmarillion).

The Battle of the Five Armies is definitely epic.  But is it the defining chapter in the Middle Earth saga?  I highly doubt it.