A melancholic end Krawumm

Even the beginning is impressive. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the first of six Middle-earth movies that does not begin with a flashback prologue but einsteigt directly into the action, where Desolation of Smaug ended abruptly. Smaug attacking Esgaroth speak is the intro of the film and leaves the viewer with consistently back runtergeklapptem jaw. The violence with which sweeps away the dragon over seaside town, is extremely dramatic and reminiscent of the staging somewhat of films about the air raids in World War II, when people anxiously look to the sky in the distance only the rattling motors are first heard ( in this case, a deep rumble) and then suddenly flares up a firestorm. Benedict Cumberbatch may again give everything and lets Godzilla like a harmless lizard appear. Overall, Peter Jackson seems to be inspired in the staging of the finale of several war films, which is also quite appropriate when you consider that even JRR Tolkien in the war portrayals his own experiences from the Battle of the Somme in World War I with has incorporated leave.

After the destruction of the city, the refugees gather on the banks of long lake and a new leader is needed. Interestingly, Alfrid, the adviser to the mayor, in the upcoming action an important supporting character whose fate is discussed again and again and which is embodied so convincingly by Ryan Gage, that one quickly forgets that the character in the novel so directly developed yes did not exist.

But before the eponymous Battle of Five Armies can finally be unleashed yet another chapter to be completed. Dol Guldur. There is namely an epic encounter between Sauron including henchmen (pronounced Nazgûl) and the White Council, represented by Galadriel, Elrond, Saruman and Radagast. And finally it becomes clear why Peter Jackson has not staged the attack on Dol Guldur as battle with same warriors and orcs. This fight takes place namely from on a whole other level. It seems the old legends sprung and there are godlike powers unleashed. Here Maiar, Istari and the most powerful of all the same princes compete against each other, and you get a quick idea of ​​how a film version of the Silmarillion could look. Christopher Lee shows up the way for his age of 92 years still extremely agile. Well, although there probably was some trickery, it's nice to see that he has again got a really big show.

Once the two chapters are completed with Smaug and Dol Guldur, Peter Jackson is dedicated entirely to the staging of the Battle of Five Armies. And so they degenerate not only in a hollow saber rattling and Blechgeschepper from the computer, he linked the course of events very closely at the characters, led by Bilbo Baggins, and especially Thorin Oakenshield. From now on, the king under the mountain dominates the film. Richard Armitage makes the Gold ruined dwarf king with such force that it knocks one almost from the cinema seat. Finally it becomes clear why Peter Jackson has dispensed with him and some other dwarves to elaborate prosthetics on his face. Armitage has an acting range that a tear almost the heart of emotional roller coaster ride. And Martin Freeman plays as opposed to a naive genius by surrounding him greed, madness, despair and war that you would prefer to take it easy on the arm and hugging.

And the battle itself? After even one or the other CGI effect from time to time has been a disruptive factor in the first two films, Weta Digital now seems to have ascended tenfold resources for the final. Rarely the deployment of an Orc army was as threatening as in the Battle of the Five Armies. The fight with all its various skirmishes is not less convincing staged as for example in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or Braveheart, though because of the age rating less explicit. It seems Peter Jackson and his team never to be lacking in creativity, impressive example, as dwarves and elves, Attending in perfect coordination, but each according to their people with never seen maneuvers. Moreover, Weta Workshop has dug deep into the creature box and even the legendary Werwürmer from the eastern deserts, which are mentioned only briefly in the first chapter of the novel, get so impressive showing, that even dwarf king Dain notes: It's now not true, or ?

But not by the creatures, but above all through the characters and the many simple inhabitants of seaside town gets the horrors of war a face. And soon will be clear: people are dying! As the battle finally developed step by step, seems designed by Peter Jackson at the Games Workshop tabletop board, because he always delights us with clear air views and comprehensible maneuvers and movements, so you threatened never to go down as a spectator in the din, but always reasonably has the overview of what is happening. Keeping track is in fact otherwise not so easy with all the different parties involved in the battle. At this point dwarf king Dain Ironfoot must be mentioned that for the first time appear on the scene and let us participate in various dwarven battle maneuvers with all his army from the Iron. The Scottish cult actor Billy Connolly is under the guise of Dain Ironfoot Although barely visible, but impressed by his crazy insult Elvish people and in the original version by a urschottischen dialect. Opposed the plays Lee Pace Woodland King Thranduil delightfully arrogant and condescending. What already look immortal elves humans and dwarves with their limited lifespan? That he at the end of the action finally realizes what Tauriel tried him from the beginning to say, and of his high horse (or Moose Hirsch) comes down, is attributable to the horrors of war, where even the elven king can not close. Even Bard, as leader of the people and constantly worried father, provides a decent performance from, but is in its righteousness and purity almost a bit too boring as a character - a real, true hero precisely.

The emotionality of the story is carried in addition to the tragic decline Thorin mainly by the relationship of Tauriel and Kili, and even the most stubborn opponents of this liaison will feel at least a small lump in my throat at the dramatic events. Without Tauriel would the strong empathy, which is developed over time to Kili, was probably not possible. One of the absolute highlights is the struggle between Azog and Thorin on the ice lake at Rabenberg, which at this point is no longer to be betrayed. But so beautiful would never balances on ice floes. And will probably have to pull out one or the other his handkerchief at the end of the fight

But there are also a few downer: Skin changer Beorn can be seen only a few moments in the film and at the end it comes with farewells just a little too fast. For many months that Bilbo with the Dwarves (and even longer with the cinema audience) has traveled, he passed too quickly from the remaining troops. Or maybe he is just not a fan of long goodbyes, maybe Peter Jackson has taken the criticism to heart that the return of the king of many final scenes would have had. For sworn fans had Battle of Five Armies definitely the end still can celebrate a little more detail, in which case, of course, all the hopes of the Extended Exdition are that yes again to be more than 30 minutes longer.

Encouraging and should be stressed in the end it is the way that the final film can come in spite of the almost completely created on the computer battle scenes with a surprising number of real landscapes, whether the refugee camp at Long Lake, Gandalf's ride across the plain or Fili and Kilis march to Erebor. Especially at the beginning and end of the film there is again a deep bow to New Zealand. And so the audience leaves Middle Earth finally with a smile and a tear in the corner of your eye when in the final scenes of the arc is struck to those events with which the Lord of the Rings begins.

Conclusion

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies manages unlike the other two parts of The Hobbit trilogy to exist and more than the other parts capture the spirit of Tolkien's work (the extent possible in Peter Jackson's interpretation completely as an independent epic in Tolkien's universe is). Finally it does not need any more bonds to THE LORD OF THE RINGS, no reminders that this is a prequel, plate allusions as one-to-one copies of scenes or even slapstick. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies creates what many fans have been waiting for: he plays at par with Lord of the Rings trilogy. And so the final film comes full circle and completes the work. A worthy conclusion and a bittersweet farewell from Peter Jackson's visionary implementation of JRR Tolkien's Middle-earth.