The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

MOVIE REVIEW

The Battle of Within 

By: ELIZABETH GAY

The dragon is awakening. Evil is growing in the shadows. The battle for Middle Earth is coming! The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the long anticipated conclusion to Peter Jackson’s trilogy, tells the story of hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his friends, who are on a quest to regain their homeland and who discover along the way a ravaging force that threatens to destroy their world. 

The original novel, The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, was wildly popular at its release in 1937 and was recently divided into three movies. The final film, The Battle of the Five Armies, begins with the dragon Smaug’s death during the his attack on Lake Town. Bard, the dragon slayer, saves the town with a legendary black arrow, which had previously been hidden in his spice cupboard. Meanwhile Thorin wallows in the wealth of the mountain, searching for his precious Arkenstone, and falls prey to the legendary dwarfish obsession with treasure. Refusing to honour his agreement with the people of Lake Town, he forces them to ally with the army of Mirkwood elves, who also desire a share in the gold. The greed of the elves and the desperation of the people of Lake Town drive them to plan an attack on the mountain. Orc and goblin forces are gathering and a war will certainly not be long in coming.

Free will, the unifying motif throughout The Hobbit, gives focus to the story. The film portrays the main characters in a realistic light by revealing that they too give in to temptation, greed and selfishness. Thorin betrays the people of Lake Town, and Bilbo must then sacrifice his friendship with Thorin to restore peace. In contrast to Thorin, Bilbo reveals his brave, selfless nature and emphasises his consistent love and good will. On the other hand, the selfish, stubborn nature of the dwarves causes mayhem and the orcs embody the literal ugliness of evil. The film is consistent with the Christian worldview because it shows that everyone can choose salvation, despite their past actions. 

The entire film is presented with vigour and animated acting. Unfortunately, much of the movie portrays unrealistic battle scenes in which many of the orcs die grotesquely while the “good guys” flaunt their talented swordsmanship and hardly receive a scratch. Despite this, lead characters Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and Bard (Luke Evans) are portrayed with amazing energy and skill throughout both the emotional and action-based scenes. Featured actor Ryan Gage plays the cowardly Alfrid with ease and brings comical relief after the dark and intense moments.

Middle earth is brought to life in the production of The Hobbit. Mirkwood, Lake Town, Dale and the lonely mountain are realistically portrayed and well used by the actors in the action and battle scenes that occur there. Hair-raising music, composed by Howard Shore, accompanies these sets and adds greatly to the film.

The Hobbit is an impressive production that celebrates honour and redemption, emphasizing the free will of all people and their ability to choose the good in every situation.