The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Review

So we are here, I have now re-watched all of The Lord of The Rings films and now I have watched all of The Hobbit films and here is my review for the final film in the latter trilogy The Battle of the Five Armies. The premise of the film sees Bilbo & the company of Dwarves have to engage in a war with different combatants to defend Erebor. 

Main Character

One thing that has been consistent throughout this trilogy is that Martin Freeman is an absolute treat as Bilbo Baggins, again he is just so likeable and as we get to the end of this particular journey you just see how much he has grown from the first film to this film and it has been great to see on screen. Richard Armitage is given more to do as Thorin in this film and he is the one character that actually gets something residing of an arc. His character shifts upon getting to Erebor and you see how much the quest has affected him, I mean I think the change is really quick but Armitage does a great job of conveying the change in character and the relationship between the two leads is handled really well here. 

Supporting Characters

Sir Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf The Grey and I mean no surprises to hear that he is great, once he gets into the story he is good in the role and is just such a good addition to the story being told and I think they show the relationship between him and Bilbo really well. Luke Evans is back as Bard and he is great here, it is tough to talk about his character without spoiler so all I will say is that Bard plays a more important part in this film then he did in The Desolation Of Smaug. But the rest of the cast don't fair as well and I don't really think it is their fault. Lee Pace is back in a bigger role as Thranduil and it is just that I found the character quite dull, he is just a bad guy, for being a bad guy's sake, his character is given very little development and it was a missed chance. The same can be said for Orlando Bloom as Legolas, he is barely in this film and he doesn't get any action scenes that are as good as the previous film, I just wonder why to have him in this franchise if he isn't going to be used very much in this film. I thought Evangeline Lilly did a fine job in the last film but she has so little to work with, the stupid romance is back and forced even harder this time and you can tell that she isn't really up for it and it is easily the weaker element of the story. 

Story 

Honestly there isn't a huge amount of story here, but they do certain character arcs well and give them more to do here such as Bilbo, Thorin & Bard, they are the best characters here and they do have interesting things to do here. There is also the stuff involving The Necromancer which is really interesting but unfortunately barely on screen. Something that isn't great is how they treat Smaug, after being the best part of the previous film, his whole character and story is dealt with in the first ten minutes of the film, I checked the time on the Blu-Ray and it was exactly 10 minutes, including opening credits which is a joke. Also it has to be mentioned that over half of this movie is just battle scenes, now don't get me wrong I love a battle sequence but when it is over half of the film and there is no story at all, just characters fighting where the majority of them you won't care about it makes it hard to get invested. 

Script

The script is still strong, I would say this film has the darkest script in terms of dialogue, there are very few jokes and funny moments, except for Bilbo, but it felt appropriate for the film that we are watching so I think it worked well. Some of the characters are given good arcs in the film and I liked how the majority of them end up.

Style 

The film feels pretty big in scale with huge battles that rival anything seen in previous films which is pretty cool. There are some decent action scenes, mainly the ones that are closer together and with less characters and this film is easily the shortest Middle Earth film yet which makes it an easier watch then if it had been 3 hours long. Though, I also feel like this film is a bit lifeless, there is so much CGI it is unreal and all of it is terrible, the reason the battle scenes in Lord Of The Rings are so good is because it blends CGI with practical, but this film doesn't. It goes all in on the CGI and it just feels like computer images hitting each other and it makes it hard to care, also how does this CGI look worse then films that came out 20 years ago, it is absurd. 

Overall

Overall, a good final film in this franchise that falls short of being an epic ending. I mean this is a film for Middle Earth films and is worth a watch, just when you watch this film and the whole Hobbit trilogy, set your standards a bit lower and you will enjoy them. 

Rating - 7/10

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) Review

So the next film in my Middle Earth binge is the sequel to The Hobbit: an unexpected journey - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees Bilbo, Thorin & the dwarves continue their quest to the mountain while Gandalf heads on a different path towards The Necromancer. 

Main Character

Martin Freeman is back as Bilbo Baggins and he is really great in the film, he is still such a likeable character but this film shows inkling to the darkness that affects him. The film does a good job in showing how acquiring the ring in the first film is slightly affecting him, he isn't anywhere near Gollum level but it is a nice layer to his character. But Bilbo is just such a charming protagonist and you really want to see him succeed and do well because of how great Freeman is in the role. 

Supporting Characters

I'm not quite sure why but it seems that the second films in these trilogies like to side-line Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, first The Two Towers now this film. He is great when he is on screen, and his story arc is actually pretty interesting  it is just the film doesn't use him that much and that is a bit of a let down. Richard Armitage is back as Thorin Oakenshield and I thought he was better in this film, he is much more likeable and actually seems like more of a leader to the group. The relationship between him and Bilbo advances and is developed here which improves both of their characters. Orlando Bloom is back as Legolas and even though this is meant to be a prequel to Lord Of The Rings, he looks way older here obviously and it does take you out of the film for a bit, but he does a good job. He is fantastic in the action scenes and I would even argue that he does more in this film in terms of action then he did in the previous trilogy and it raises the bar so much compared to the action in the first film. Evangeline Lilly plays Tauriel and even though they take the character in some poor direction, which Lilly came out and agreed with, I thought she also does a good job here. She is also really good in the action scenes and her character is given some time to shine here. Luke Evans is here as Bard the Bowman and he is really good too, he is a really interesting character and his dynamic with the dwarves is well handled and he felt like a pretty natural addition to the cast. But then onto the show stealer which is Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, this guy is awesome and the voice is so imposing and so intimidating providing memorable moments like Gollum did in the previous film. 

Story 

The story is definitely more engaging then the last film, it is just paced faster and takes us through interesting parts of Middle Earth that we haven't seen before with a more interesting group of characters leading to a great final act. But the issue here, is that there is plenty going on here and certain elements of the film aren't really given much time to shine, it is kind of like they had a short book to adapt and they forced it into a trilogy thus adding story arcs and characters that are nowhere near the boom, plus don't get me started on the terrible romance in the film. 

Script 

The one thing that The Hobbit films have the same as its predecessor is the well written scripts and the good blend between drama and humour. This film is a more mature film and mostly gets rid of the childish humour and it makes it feel larger in scale and continues to make the main characters feel interesting and worthy of the franchise. 

Style   

The style of the film is more gritty then the previous film and definitely has more violence to it which is a welcome thing. As I said above the film moves more quickly and keeps its pace going throughout which is a vast improvement from the previous film. Though like the previous film, I thought the CGI wasn't up to scratch here, apart from Smaug who looks amazing, the rest just looks pretty poor, whether it be the gold or background it just looks like CGI which is the worst thing that you can say about CGI. 

Overall

Overall, this is a great sequel that improves most of the elements of the previous film and is more exciting. Don't expect Lord Of The Rings level of quality but if you are still on board with this franchise then give this film a watch. 

Rating - 8/10

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Review

So now The Lord Of The Rings is over and I have watched all of them, it is now time to watch the prequel trilogy of Hobbit films, starting with An Unexpected Journey and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young Bilbo Baggins go on a journey with Gandalf and a group of Dwarves to try and reclaim their homeland from a dragon. 

Main Character

When it comes to casting younger versions of iconic characters, Hollywood sometimes struggles. Here we see Martin Freeman play a younger Bilbo Baggins and he is perfect for this role and excels, this guy is so charming and charismatic in his role. You just instantly care about Bilbo, he has a very clear arc throughout the film and it is great to watch and lets be honest he is a more likeable protagonist then Frodo ever was and it really improves this film. 

Supporting Characters

Sir Ian McKellen is back, this time as Gandalf The Grey and he is great, I always thought this version of the character was more fun to watch and more charming and it is nice to see him back and enjoying himself. He has a great dynamic with Freeman which for me carries this film and is the best relationship in the film. Richard Armitage plays Thorin, the leader of the dwarves and I thought he gave a good performance, despite his character annoying me throughout. Thorin is just so angry throughout the majority of the film, but the film does a good job of explaining why he is like that and I appreciate the time and effort given to his character in this film. Andy Serkis is back as the ground-breaking Gollum and he looks and acts better then ever, the development in technology allows him to look more realistic then ever and the scenes between him and Bilbo are real highlights of the film. Though there is more of an issue in this film is that you won't care about the majority of the characters in the film, there is a large group of dwarves and they are given no distinctive personalities or reasons to make you care and the villains are pretty dull and underdeveloped. 

Story

The story in the film has some really interesting ideas, this film does a good job with the characters of Bilbo and Thorin and develops them well throughout and the quest is interesting and different enough from the quest in Lord Of The Rings. Also the film introduces an interesting story involving a character called The Necromancer, which gets developed more in the later films. But the issue here is more to do with the source material and the fact that this has to be a trilogy, there is so much filler here that dulls down the stories, there is clearly not enough for them to work with and is very clear that they are padding out the narrative in order to get three films out of 1 small Hobbit book, which is very clear. 

Script

The script is good though, the main characters are written well, and the dynamic between humour and drama is pretty good still, I mean the Hobbit is a more kid friendly book so there is a bit more childish humour but it doesn't take away from the overall feel of the script and the way it develops the two main characters. 

Style  

The style of the film still looks great, Middle Earth looks great and the film shows that, also with some really fun action scenes that will excite throughout. The issue is this film, like The Lord Of The Rings films is nearly 3 hours long and it has no reason to be, you could easily cut 30/40 minutes off the film for a more concise and much better film. There is also some poor CGI, that stands out and makes you want the poor practical style back. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good return to Middle Earth, that if you enjoy The Lord Of The Rings you will like, but there is a clear drop in quality. I would say it is still worth a watch but just lower expectations for this film. 

Rating - 7/10

The Lord of the Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) Review

So I have now made my way through The Lord Of The Rings trilogy and that culminates with The Return Of The King, one of the biggest films ever made and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees the forces of Gondor & Rohan fight to protect Middle Earth from the forces of Mordor while Frodo, Sam & Gollum get closer to Mount Doom and their endgame. 

Main Character

Elijah Wood is back as Frodo and I think he does a great job in selling just how tough the journey has been on Frodo compared to the other characters. The ring is just weighing him down and this film in particular he is really struggling with it and finding his mind on the brink. I mean Frodo isn't the most likeable character for parts of this film but I thought Wood did a great job in portraying the anxiety and torment that Frodo has gone through in this trilogy. Viggo Mortenson plays Aragorn and talking about his character is pretty funny, I mean the title of the film spoils his whole character arc but he is still great here and does well in his role and just does a great job as a protagonist. 

Supporting Characters

Sean Astin does a really good job in the first two films but this is the film where he really stands out and for me gives the best performance in the film. There is a line in The Two Towers where Frodo says he wouldn't get far without Sam and you really see it in this film, as Frodo struggles Sam gets stronger and Astin does a fantastic job in this film as the moral centre. Sir Ian McKellen is given more to do here as Gandalf The White and he is great, he gets to see more of the action and nails every moment he is on screen and just adds so much to the film. Andy Serkis is also back as Gollum and the effects are even better here, Gollum looks fantastic and the character is fleshed out here and it even better, Serkis truly deserves credit for his role here and Gollum is also a real highlight of the film. The rest of the cast also do great jobs, Miranda Otto as Eowyn gets more to do here, Bernard Hill as Theoden gets more to do, Merry and Pippin have more to do and they are all fantastic and have really good character arcs, the whole cast really do a great job in the film. 

Story

The story is epic on all levels, more of the characters have interesting character arcs and more time to shine. The story is in three plots really, Frodo, Sam & Gollum, Gandalf & Pippin and the rest of the characters at Rohan, and all of it is really interesting. The film uses its extra runtime to flesh out more characters and makes the story be more epic and have more depth to it then the previous films. It ends the trilogy pretty much perfectly and does it really well with these characters that you will have grown to love over the 9 hours that you have watched. 

Script

The script is great, the dialogue and ways the characters are written takes these larger then life personalities and makes you care about them which is no mean feat. This film knows when to focus on the drama and it knows when to have a laugh, it balances the plot arcs very well and makes the film interesting from start to end. 

Style 

This film is epic on scale, I mean it could be argued that in terms of scale this is the largest film ever, the battle scenes are huge in scale and raises the scale which was necessary for a final instalment of this epic franchise. The film has over 3 hours to tell its story and I think it does a good job of it and keeps the pacing high for pretty much the entire film which is a difficult thing to do. 

Overall 

Overall, I mean this is The Return Of The King so of course it is amazing, this whole trilogy is one of the greatest of all time and if people haven't watched it then they just need to get on it, especially while we are in lockdown. 

Rating - 10/10

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Review

So next on my list of films to watch is The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers and here is my review for it. The Premise of the film sees Frodo and Sam get closer to Mordor with the help of Gollum, while the rest of The Fellowship must stand against Saruman and his huge army. 

Main Character

Viggo Mortenson really shines in this film, he is given more to do and really gets given the shine and he is a great lead protagonist. You see how his character has taken up more of a leadership role in this film and his part of the film is great and interesting. He nails the action scenes and it makes Aragorn really stand out and shine in this film, he develops well and he gives a really great performance here. Elijah Wood is still good as Frodo, he maybe is in the shadow of Mortenson a bit in this film but he still stands out. You see how the ring is really affecting Frodo, more then the first film and the introduction of Gollum really enhances his character and makes him more interesting then he was in Fellowship Of The Ring. 

Supporting Characters

Onto the show stealer of the film and that is Andy Serkis as Gollum, this character is fascinating and a really ground-breaking character. This performance really changed the game, it really is iconic and Gollum was such a great addition to the Frodo & Sam story making it a much more interesting plot point. Lets face it without Gollum, you wouldn't have the brilliant motion capture performances that you get now, so real credit to Peter Jackson & Andy Serkis for taking the risk and knocking it out of the park. Orlando Bloom & John Rhys Davies as Legolas and Gimli are given much more to do in this film and they are fantastic and add some nice comic relief here that never feels out of place. The friendship between Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn is one of the best parts of the film and really sells the relationship, and feels like a natural progression from the first film. Sir Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf The White this time and he does a great job, he isn't in this film as much but when he is on screen he is awesome and nails this change of character. Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Bernard Hill, Billy Boyd & Dominic Monaghan  are great in there roles and prove that these Lord Of The Rings casts are probably the greatest of all time. 

Story 

The story is bigger and larger in The Two Towers and it does work, there are three story arcs going on, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli's, Frodo, Sam & Gollum's & Merry, Pippin & Treebeard and they are interesting. The Aragorn plot gets the most screen time and it adds a new dynamic to Middle Earth and these films and make them feel larger then the previous film, even the Merry & Pippin stuff, though slower is good to watch and has a great conclusion to it which makes it worth it. The three stories work really well as they all feel a bit different and add something to the film in their own ways leading to The Battle Of Helms Deep which is possibly the greatest battle in film history. 

Script  

The script is great, it has the right balance of drama and humour and it just does a great job of making these characters feel unique and interesting. This film does have a darker feeling and tone then the previous film and it shows but it knows where to find the times to lighten the mood without going against its overall feeling and it does a great job. 

Style 

The style of the film is fantastic and raises the stakes. The action scenes are bigger and better, Bloom & Mortenson in particular standout with some great action scenes, leading as I said above to one of the greatest battles of all time that feels epic in nature but very real due to great stunts and great fight scenes. The film has great CGI and Motion Cap work, whether it be Gollum or Treebeard it looks great and Gollum in particular changes the game and allowed characters like Caesar, The Hulk & Thanos to exist in the future and this was his start. The film is 3 hours long but never drags, the stories are balanced really well and keep you interested throughout and expand on the films really well. 

Overall 

Overall, just like its predecessor this is one of the greatest films ever made and is a must watch. One of the greatest second films in a franchise ever and raises the stakes in a great way and sets up the final film in the most grand way possible. 

Rating - 10/10

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) Review

So with the Lockdown back in effect I thought it was time to get started on re watching The Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit Films so yesterday I watched The Fellowship Of The Ring and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a group of companions from different races have to come together to travel to a dark land to destroy a powerful ring and stop the dark lord Sauron. 

Main Character

Elijah Wood plays Frodo Baggins a Hobbit who is tasked with carrying the ring and he is great here. You really get the feeling that Frodo is out of his depth on the quest but Wood does a good job in making him likeable and you really want to see him succeed in his quest. Viggo Mortenson plays Aragorn and he is brilliant here, he is such a physical actor here and he nails all the action scenes that he is given. He is also a really interesting character, I mean you are given bits and pieces in this film to keep you interested, but not giving you too much right off the bat. 

Supporting Characters 

There are so many characters in this film and everybody is great but I will only talk about a few of them in greater detail. Sir Ian McKellen plays Gandalf The Grey and he is awesome here, Gandalf is so wise and McKellen nails it as the wise, fun and action heavy wizard that is a real mentor figure to the rest of The Fellowship and does it effectively. Sean Bean plays Boromir and he is also a really interesting character here, he has a bit of a darker personality then the other characters but he gives a very memorable performance. Sir Christopher Lee plays Saruman The White and of course he is fantastic, he is a legend and a hue Lord Of The Rings fan so of course he is great in the role, Saruman is another really interesting cog of the film and his dynamic with Gandalf is fascinating to watch. As I said everybody is great, Orlando Bloom is great, Cate Blanchett is great, Sean Astin is great and the whole group is just so great and one of the greatest ensembles of all time. 

Story

The story is great, it brings you into this world as we follow these people come together on this epic quest. The characters and their connection together is what drives the film forward and you will end up caring about all of them throughout, it has a simple good vs evil but layers it with so much depth to make this a great journey. The film may be 3 hours long but the story stays interesting throughout and moves at a really nice pace to keep you intrigued for every minute of the film. 

Script

The script is great, it takes this fantastical world and gives us interesting and down to earth characters that we can look up to and care about. This is obviously a very dramatic film and it nails all of that but it is the humour too that makes this script legendary. You can go from drama to humour and it feels really natural and helps build the world and the characters up. 

Style 

The style of the film is amazing, the landscapes of New Zealand where it was filmed it as beautiful as ever which is advanced by some legendary cinematography mixed with Howard Shore's epic score that just brings you into Middle Earth. Even though the film is 3 hours long it is paced perfectly and as I mentioned before keeps you invested throughout with some great action scenes. 

Overall

Overall, The Fellowship Of The Ring is one of the greatest films ever made, if you haven't seen this film then find not only 3 hours but nine hours to watch all of these films, heck maybe watch the extended editions but do it whenever you can as it is a must watch. 

Rating - 10/10