Movie Breakdown: The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing led us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

Peter Jackson concludes his bloated, but entertaining adaptation of The Hobbit with The Battle Of The Five Armies.  The film looks like an action-heavy time.

The Reality:

Naturally, whether or not you should rush out to see The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies greatly depends on you.

If you’re like me and happen to be a diehard fan of what Peter Jackson has done with J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, then you’ll find that The Battle Of The Five Armies is an epic experience that’s a more than fitting end to The Hobbit Trilogy.  Hooray!

On the flip side of that, if you haven’t been particularly enamored with Jackson’s take on The Hobbit, then you should know that The Battle Of The Five Armies is not a marked improvement over previous entries An Unexpected Journey and The Desolation Of Smaug.  Just like those two films, it’s riddled with too many shoehorned Lord Of The Rings tie-ins, a gluttony of CG, a slew of oddly timed jokes and numerous side stories that never really go anywhere.  Bummer!

So, in other words, super fans will find a lot to enjoy in The Battle Of The Five Armies, but those of you who’ve long been on the fence in regards to Jackson’s super-expanded adaptation of The Hobbit probably won’t be too impressed.

The Lesson:

Hey Pete, I liked it.