It’s been thirteen years since The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001. Now, Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth saga has finally come to an end. This series brought Tolkien’s detailed world to life and is a massive achievement in film history.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is not just the last part of the trilogy—it also acts as an essential link to The Lord of the Rings.

Relationship to the Original Work: How Tolkien’s World Was Visualized

The original novel, The Hobbit, came out in 1937 as a children’s book. Later, Tolkien wanted to retell it as part of a more serious, adult world connected to The Lord of the Rings.

Peter Jackson didn’t try to match the children’s tone of the original book. Instead, he made the film fit right in with the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This approach aimed to bring the whole Middle-earth world to life, which is close to what Tolkien wanted.

In the original Hobbit, The Battle of The Five Armies is described only briefly, and Bilbo is unconscious for most of it. The film expands on this battle significantly, showing it from different characters’ points of view and building to a big climax.

Furthermore, the inclusion of characters not in the original novel, such as Legolas, and film-original characters like Tauriel, strengthens the connection to The Lord of the Rings. Notably, settings drawn from Tolkien’s other works—such as the “Appendices” and “Unfinished Tales”—are woven in. Examples include Gandalf’s confrontation with the Necromancer (Sauron) at Dol Guldur, fostering a deeper understanding of Tolkien’s world.

The Entire Film is a Climax—A Feast of Action

This film stands out for its nonstop action scenes. Because the last movie, The Desolation of Smaug, ended in a way that left some viewers unsatisfied, this one keeps the action coming with hardly a break.

The opening scene with Smaug’s attack is a real highlight. The dragon, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, is terrifying, Lake-town is in flames, and Bard’s fight is intense. The first 15 minutes alone felt like a whole movie.

And then there is the main event, the Battle of the Five Armies. The epic battle scene, where elves, dwarves, humans, and a vast army of orcs clash, is the culmination of Peter Jackson’s action direction. Awe-inspiring was the scene where the elf soldiers leap over the dwarves’ shields and charge. It was clearly an homage to director Akira Kurosawa, and it was a brilliant fusion of period drama, stylistic beauty, and modern action direction.

The final one-on-one duels are also great. The film features two big showdowns—Thorin versus Azog and Legolas versus Bolg—each of which wraps up its story. When Thorin defeats Azog on the ice, it’s a key moment in his redemption and hits hard emotionally.

A story of corruption and redemption woven by the two main characters

What really makes this film stand out is the human drama between the two main characters, Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield.

Bilbo Baggins – The embodiment of the “heart” of the story

Throughout this series, the most commendable casting is undoubtedly Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. His carefree demeanor, occasional sharp gaze, and even his movements in battle are exactly like Bilbo himself.

Bilbo is portrayed as the only character in this grand adventure who is not blinded by power and treasure. What he values most are his bonds with his companions and his belief in doing the right thing. His actions in hiding the Arkenstone and trying to avoid war show that even a small being can make big decisions.

The relationship between Bilbo and Thorin is especially memorable. As Thorin becomes obsessed with treasure and starts to lose himself, Bilbo quietly but firmly tries to help him. Freeman does a great job showing the mix of friendship, disappointment, and their final reconciliation.

The scene near the end, where Bilbo talks with Gandalf, is also excellent. Gandalf’s look at Bilbo while smoking his pipe shows genuine affection. As viewers, we understand why Gandalf thinks so highly of Bilbo—because we feel the same way.

Thorin Oakenshield—The Tragedy of a King Corrupted by Power

In contrast, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) embodies another crucial theme of this film: the corruption of humanity by power and wealth.

He changes the moment he reclaims Erebor and possesses the mountain of treasure. Buried in gold, consumed by suspicion, and unable to trust even his companions, Thorin’s descent mirrors that of Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, and even those ensnared by the One Ring.

The idea of corruption and redemption runs through all of Tolkien’s stories, and Jackson handles it carefully. Thorin’s madness isn’t just about turning evil—it’s about how his good wish to reclaim his home slowly turns into an obsession with treasure.

One of the best moments is when Thorin finally comes to his senses and decides to fight with his friends. His last words to Bilbo—“If men could live more like you, this world would be a happier place”—really sum up the message of all six films.

What Two Contrasting Characters Reveal

Bilbo and Thorin. The contrast between these two is masterful. The Hobbit, who clings to his humanity without obsessing over power or wealth, and the Dwarf, torn between his pride as a king and his fixation on treasure, who ultimately reclaims his humanity. The intersection of their stories elevates this work beyond mere action spectacle into a profound human drama.

Their final conversation scene is impossible to watch without tears. The dying Thorin grasps Bilbo’s hand, acknowledges his mistakes, and expresses gratitude for their friendship. It is precisely because of this scene that we can draw a closure to the 13-year journey.

Imbalanced Story Development

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies has some clear structural problems. Even with all its action and drama, the story feels unbalanced, and some things aren’t explained well, which hurts the film overall.

Fundamental Questioning of the Trilogy’s Necessity

First, you have to wonder: did this story really need to be a trilogy?

The Hobbit is much shorter than The Lord of the Rings. Since it was initially planned as just two movies with Guillermo del Toro, it’s hard not to think that turning it into a trilogy was about money.

While watching, I often thought, “Isn’t this just the second half of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug?” The last film ended suddenly, and this one starts right where it left off. It really feels like one movie split in two. The division, with Smaug heading to Lake-town at the end of the last film and the attack starting this one, feels forced. It would have worked better as one story.

If it had been a two-part series, the first film could have focused on gathering the company and the journey of adventure, while the second could have covered the confrontation with Smaug through to the Battle of the Five Armies in one go. That approach might have resulted in a more balanced story.

The Pros and Cons of Original Elements in the Film

The film adds many elements that weren’t in the original story. The most debated is probably the romance between Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) and Kili (Aidan Turner).

A romance between an elf and a dwarf is an interesting idea, but here it feels unfinished and interrupts the main story. The time spent on this romance takes away from other characters, especially the 13 dwarves. Many of them are essential in the book but end up forgettable in the film.

Legolas (Orlando Bloom) also does some over-the-top things, like running up falling stone steps, that ignore physics and look fake because of too much CGI. If you’re going to add new characters, they should feel like they really belong in the story.

Some new parts do work well. The “White Council” scene is fantastic. Gandalf, Saruman (Christopher Lee), Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), and Elrond (Hugo Weaving) facing Sauron at Dol Guldur is a key moment that ties into The Lord of the Rings. Galadriel’s display of power is especially stunning and shows the true strength of a Ring-bearer.

Lack of Explanation and Rushed Pacing

This movie also feels rushed and leaves out essential explanations. At 144 minutes, it’s short for this series, and it seems like a lot of key scenes were cut.

For example, after the Battle of the Five Armies, the film does not explain at all how the compensation issue between the people of Lake-town and the dwarves was resolved. While the original novel provides a proper description of this point, the film cuts it out entirely. Consequently, when we suddenly see the people of Lake-town attending Thorin’s funeral, we are left confused, wondering, “Wait, what happened to that conflict?”

Thranduil (Lee Pace) is also confusing. He was cold and selfish in earlier films, but here he suddenly becomes emotional toward Tauriel. There’s no scene showing why he changes, so his actions don’t make sense. Someone so cold just hours before suddenly acts differently, and the film doesn’t explain it.

The aftermath of the battle also feels rushed. Thorin’s funeral is barely shown, and we don’t really see how the dwarves feel about their loss. A struggle with such a high cost deserved more attention.

The Magic of Music: Howard Shore’s Legacy

When discussing this work, one cannot overlook Howard Shore’s music.

Throughout the series, Shore gives every region, race, and character its own theme. These themes play at key moments, instantly setting the mood and stirring emotions.

For example, the “Theme of the Shire” plays during Bilbo and Gollum’s scene, the “Fellowship Theme” comes in when Legolas decides to go north, and a sad but beautiful tune plays during Thorin’s last moments.

This music isn’t just background—it helps tell the story. Without Shore’s score, the emotional impact of all six films wouldn’t be the same.

In this film, especially, the music during action scenes is fantastic. As the battles get bigger, the music swells and really pulls you in. It is what great film music should do.

The Achievements and Challenges of Filmmaker Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson changed fantasy movies with The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It’s fair to say that fantasy films were never the same after him.

But watching The Hobbit trilogy, you might wonder if Jackson got too caught up in Middle-earth. His earlier films, like Bad Taste, Braindead, and The Feast of the Goat, were bold and took risks.

The Hobbit trilogy looks fantastic, but it also feels a bit too safe. Couldn’t it have been more daring and adventurous?

I really hope Jackson tries new things outside of Middle-earth. His talent shouldn’t be limited to just fantasy.

Summary: What I saw at the end of the journey

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies left me with a lukewarm impression. There are certainly flaws to point out, such as the questionable need to make it a trilogy, the poor balance of the story, the excessive reliance on CGI, and the lack of explanation for certain developments.

Still, this film is worth seeing. It has a touching story between the two leads, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage, great action, Howard Shore’s beautiful music, and, most of all, it’s the end of a huge story that took 13 years to tell.

I still remember how excited I was when I first saw The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001. Thirteen years have gone by. We’ve traveled a long way with Bilbo and Frodo, and now that journey is ending.

Thank you to everyone who loves these films, and to Peter Jackson and his team for their 13 years of work.