download the new for android The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Ar

But in less than 15 minutes it’s all tied off and the next logical chapter begins. Events pick up immediately after the unexpectedly abrupt final shot in The Desolation Of Smaug, which would have been fine if the dragon attack and consequent face off had formed a substantially long addition to The Battle Of The Five Armies. If there’s one element that works against this third and much shorter (comparatively for Peter Jackson anyway, as it runs to two hours and 24 minutes) part of the story, it’s that the conclusion to Smaug’s tale feels simply as if it ended up on the wrong film. I really can’t say enough good things about Armitage’s work here – from the moment he first arrived in Bag End he managed to immediately capture what makes Thorin such a compelling and charismatic leader and his work in The Battle Of The Five Armies is excellent. In a film with universally strong performances and one that is supposed to focus on the titular Hobbit, the now complete trilogy is dominated by the mesmerising presence of Richard Armitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, whose story arc finally sees the heroic leader get his big moments in the spotlight. With jealousy and greed at the centre of the conflict, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies needs the purity of love between Kili/Tauriel and Bard and his children to keep us engaged during a time when it seems that no one is capable of doing the right thing.

If there’s one thing above else to love about Jackson’s adaptations of Tolkien’s work, it’s the heart with which he enriches the characters relationships, not least those that have been created or elaborated on by himself, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. What’s important then is the way in which Mr Jackson sends off his Middle Earth cinematic opus and (just in case there was any doubt) he does so with power and spectacle.

But there’s no such comfort this time (even if The Silmarillion does come in for adaptation, as it’s hardly a beloved narrative, despite its merits). At least when Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King’s credits rolled, there was always hope that director Peter Jackson and his team would return once more to the realm of Middle Earth. After all, if you’re watching the final chapter, then chances are you’ve already invested heart and time into the story somewhere along the line. Reaching the conclusion of an epic series of films is always such a bittersweet moment. So here we are once more, at the end of all things.

Download the new for android The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Ar