The showdown with Smaug, the final boss of Part 2, was surprisingly brief. It was resolved early on, and the protagonists weren't even involved in the conclusion. But what really feels unsatisfying is Thorin’s character. The noble character we saw in Part 2 suddenly turns arrogant as soon as he gets his wealth back. There’s no real psychological build-up. Thorin doesn’t even defeat Smaug himself. The moment he gets his gold, he becomes arrogant. It feels out of character for the main hero. Why? That question sticks with you. The reason given is “dragon sickness.” So it really was a sickness? But the film never clearly shows how he got sick or how he overcame it. As soon as he recovers, he rushes straight into a massive orc army. It feels more reckless than heroic. It doesn’t have the same bold energy Aragorn showed when he led the Ringwraiths to the rescue in the earlier film. This last film left me feeling uneasy.

The stunning scenery and exciting new battle scenes, especially the river escape, kept me on the edge of my seat. Legolas’s appearance in this film brought a wave of joy and nostalgia for fans of The Lord of the Rings. Both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have truly fascinating stories. Even though the film is over two hours long, its careful craftsmanship keeps it engaging and enjoyable throughout.

This film comes after Peter Jackson's 2002-2004 Lord of the Rings trilogy. Watching it reminded me of that world. I liked seeing familiar characters again, but the enemy monsters seemed too silly and not very threatening, which sometimes made the movie feel more like a comedy. That wasn't very pleasant.