THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES TWO-DISC SPECIAL EDITION DVD (2014)

SYNOPSIS: Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland but now face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon Smaug upon Lake-town. Meanwhile, Sauron, the Dark Lord has sent forth legions of Orcs to attack the Lonley Mountain and Bilbo Baggins finds himself fighting for his life as five great armies go to war. As darkness converges, he races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide - unite or be destroyed.

MOVIE REVIEW:

It’s not a surprise The Hobbit trilogy has more haters than fans. It’s basically a repetitive Middle-earth affair stretched from a thin children’s literature book.   

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies continues with the journey of the thirteen dwarves whose sole aim is to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and their gold. Of course, the movie wastes no time in tying up loose ends from the second instalment such as the death of Smaug before unleashing plenty of CG spectacle and sprawling fights.

On one hand, The Battle of the Five Armies proceeds more like a studio-demanded affair. Loud, fast and ultimately empty. On the other hand, you might like to ask just how much more material Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens can squeeze and imagined for the prequels despite their genuine nods to the much loved Lord of the Rings.    

Old friends such as Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Saruman (Christopher Lee) and even Gandalf (Ian McKellen) appear briefly to remind audiences the evil power of Sauron still exists. Young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), the obvious central character is left with the pathetic task of protecting the Arkenstone from the “dragon-sickness” suffering Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage). The gung-ho female elf, Tauriel (Evangeline Lily) has some brief superfluous romance moments with dwarf Kili (Aidan Turner). Fan favourite Legolas (Orlando Bloom) showcases some swift, gravity defying moves in the end. But what happens to Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans)? Apparently nothing much after he killed Smaug.  

Yes, Sir Peter Jackson still delivers an epic experience worth watching on the big screen. The battles, which involve practically every race, creatures and weaponry in Middle Earth are often bad-ass and visually arresting. It’s Jackson’s big fond farewell to six movies, which spanned almost 15 years, and he is going out with a bang. If you think The Hobbit trilogy lacks in the story department, there’s always the extended editions to look forward to. 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Recruiting the Five Armies is a segment dedicated to the hundreds of extras as they rehearse and wait patiently days after days for their scenes.

Completing Middle Earth has Peter Jackson and his teammates talking about completing the trilogy and the original LOTR.

"The Last Goodbye" Music Video including a making of featurette which shows us how original LOTR star Billy Boyd prepare himself for the recording of the musical number.

New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth Part 3 is a tourism promo spot which takes viewers to the various breath-taking locations seen in Five Armies.

The extra features also consist of two Trailers. 

AUDIO/VISUAL:

The Hobbit continues to deliver stunning imagery and impressive color palette mostly courtesy of aggressive digital grading. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is a dynamic listening experience with plenty of flawless sound effects (rear and front) and clear dialog.  

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee