Movie Review: The Hobbit The Battle of Five Armies

So here we are, the end of the second Middle Earth trilogy, and what can I say?  If you loved the previous films, this one will be right up your alley, but if you didn't, there are plenty of other things you could go see at the theatre this weekend.

Taking place almost entirely in the last few chapters of the book, the film has almost 45 minutes of straight combat (which depending on the reader may entice or warn them away from the film).  The image is spectacular, the story works by moving back and forth from the epic (a battle with five armies) to the personal (a friend trying to help another) seamlessly and paying close attention to all the little moments fans will be hoping for.

Was it as good as Return of the King?  Yes and no, the original film worked on a much grander scale, but this film only has one ending.  Much praise must be given to the actors, as they humanize (or hobbit-ize, drwarf-ize, or elf-ize, whatever the case) the story and really draw the audience in.

If you plan on seeing it, absolutely attempt to do so in theatre as the story works best on the big screen.

Now all I have to figure out is what my Christmas movies will be for the next three years...