How befitting that Jackson and Co. would go out with a bang in entitling the last installment of the The Hobbit trilogy (and the final movie of the entire Lord of the Rings Saga), “The Battle of the Five Armies.” For as much as “The Return of the King” delivered a massively epic finale to the first filmed trilogy, the very name of the last Hobbit movie promises to deliver a movie of huge scope and spectacle.
Regardless of the myriad critiques and opinions of “The Desolation of Smaug,” the second movie of the Hobbit trilogy was quite an action-packed, eventful ride, leaving many plot threads wide open and ripe for a big conclusion. We have Gandalf watching with ominous eyes as the first of Sauron’s budding armies departs to make war against Middle-earth; there’s Legolas, whose bloody matchup against the orc warrior Bolg ended with our determined elf hero chasing after him upon horseback; and, of course, we have the giant and terrible dragon himself – Smaug – flying toward Lake Town, intent on nothing less than its fiery destruction in the name of revenge upon the dwarf company of Thorin Oakenshield, who dared disturb him in his slumber.
“The Battle of the Five Armies” is a bold name, a forewarning of an epic conclusion to what is becoming an epic trilogy on its own. One can recall that even the animated incarnation of the Hobbit imbued the viewer with a sense of dread and desperation as the armies of goblins and orcs and men and dwarves clashed upon the face of the Lonely Mountain and its surrounding fields. Add in the plight of Bilbo, and the inclusion of the shapeshifter, and it would seem that no character’s destiny shall be left unshaped by the events to come.
“There and Back Again” was originally perceived to be this final feature’s name, but it was decided that the title better suited the story as a whole, perhaps naming the trilogy’s box set when all is complete. With “The Battle of the Five Armies,” Peter Jackson cuts right to the heart of what is at stake, for middle-earth, and for its millions of fans. Strap yourselves in, and prepare for a mighty conclusion. The trumpets of war have been blown, the standards have been set high, and battle awaits, at the box office, and in the viewer’s and reviewer’s eyes!
Bring on “The Battle of the Five Armies!”
See the announcement HERE!
I’ve heard of some people wanting to start up petitions to change who dies in the movie…I know we don’t want any of the characters to ever die, but I will be really annoyed if a certain dwarf king doesn’t die while speaking those immortal Tolkienian words about food, cheer, and song—you know the ones—I expect to weep copiously and will be severely disappointed if I don’t get that chance.
Jackson didn’t hold back with any characters in Lord of the Rings… I don’t see him stopping now.