The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

[JonWes]

Saw it again in IMAX. It's very good in the format. I still really enjoyed it, overall. I kind of "got" the ending for Tauriel more, though I am eager to see if the EE explains where she ends up. I guess Thranduil might have let her rejoin the wood elves, but I like the idea of her going her own way and staying amongst the people of Laketown.

A couple of things I wondered:

1.) Gandalf DID end up with Radagast's staff, right? Maybe we'll see that in the EE.

2.) Galadriel uses a phial (maybe THE phial) that contains the light of the Star of Eärendil to defeat Sauron, right?

3.) DOS set up the fact that there was a wind lance in Laketown, right? I seem to remember that. And the (very terrible) Smaug toy from TBD has Bard manning a wind lance. But they didn't have Bard use one. I'm guessing this was just a storytelling change and it works pretty well. I like the scene in the bell tower, though part of what made the wind lance seem so potent was that you presumed it had a lot more force behind the launch, not just the fact that it was shooting a black arrow. But the way it's staged, it's much more down to Bard's skill and his son helping him. So I liked the change.

 

[evenflow]

Just got out of the theater. I enjoyed it, no real complaints.

 

[Kibagami]

Spoiler:

Thorin was broken out of his spell.

Also, are those tremor worms in the book?

.

Spoiler:

Those were the sandworms from dune. Hail, house Atreides.

 

[Irvy]

My problem with these films is that they aren't sure what they want to be. The tone is all over the place, one minute we have silly songs and bunny sleds the next it's back to gritty middle earth with heads being lopped off and pointless Sauron foreshadowing (*spoiler* he returns)


It could have worked much better if they concentrated on telling just the tale of the book in one or two films with the excellent Freeman front and centre. He eventually gets lost in all the computery nonsense and ham fisted lotr references that Jackson insists on throwing at us.

 

[Adrosi]

My problem with these films is that they aren't sure what they want to be. The tone is all over the place, one minute we have silly songs and bunny sleds the next it's back to gritty middle earth with heads being lopped off and pointless Sauron foreshadowing (*spoiler* he returns)


It could have worked much better if they concentrated on telling just the tale of the book in one or two films with the excellent Freeman front and centre. He eventually gets lost in all the computery nonsense and ham fisted lotr references that Jackson insists on throwing at us.

Yup. It was much the same for me. Once Smaug died it felt very fragmented for a movie.

 

[jye4ever]

The elven army didn't really do much that I can remember, all those cool moves for nothing.

The Dwarves phalanx was cool, and yes the elves calvary jumping over them was also cool.

Bilbo pulled an Ewok and took out huge monsters with one well placed rock to their heads.

 

[DEADDACK_33]

The Dwarves phalanx was cool, and yes the elves calvary jumping over them was also cool.

One of my favorite scenes not just in this movie but in the entire ME saga. I thought it was awesome!

 

[Khev]

The elven army didn't really do much that I can remember, all those cool moves for nothing.

The number one thing I had been anticipating prior to seeing all SIX Middle Earth films was watching Bard take out Smaug. I always thought it was the coolest moment in the book and original cartoon. I couldn't WAIT to see it play out on screen. I must admit though that PJ's decision to have Bard use a jury rigged bow with an arrow balanced on his son's shoulder was, at least on the first viewing, a little weird. In the book Smaug's death was basically the original "Luke blowing up the Death Star" moment. One shot, one kill, taking him out in mid flight in the midst of raining hellfire. Bard's maneuver in the movie was still dramatic but I couldn't help but feel it was over-complicated. Just shoot the damn beast! Don't assemble a "human bow" and do a little Kevin Bacon dance-off to distract him, just take him out. Anyway, I know it might just be a case of me being taken aback because something was changed from the book which is why I'm curious as to how it will play with adjusted expectations the second time. I still LOVED the whole finale with Smaug but that one part just had a little WTH element to it.

Bilbo pulled an Ewok and took out huge monsters with one well placed rock to their heads.

I didn't see that as being any different than Merry and Pippen dropping Uruk-hai with little throwing rocks at the end of the FOTR EE.

My only other criticism against the film is that PJ devoted 15 minutes to extra scenes for the Alfrid character and only 15 seconds for Beorn. What, come on!

Otherwise I was starting to get a little worried that the whole "Battle" was just going to be a repeat of scenes we'd already seen in ROTK but the entire finale on the frozen waterfall really made the entire fight one of the coolest out of both trilogies. Loved every minute of the brutal showdowns against the two orc generals.

 

[jye4ever]

The number one thing I had been anticipating prior to seeing all SIX Middle Earth films was watching Bard take out Smaug. I always thought it was the coolest moment in the book and original cartoon. I couldn't WAIT to see it play out on screen. I must admit though that PJ's decision to have Bard use a jury rigged bow with an arrow balanced on his son's shoulder was, at least on the first viewing, a little weird. In the book Smaug's death was basically the original "Luke blowing up the Death Star" moment. One shot, one kill, taking him out in mid flight in the midst of raining hellfire. Bard's maneuver in the movie was still dramatic but I couldn't help but feel it was over-complicated. Just shoot the damn beast! Don't assemble a "human bow" and do a little Kevin Bacon dance-off to distract him, just take him out. Anyway, I know it might just be a case of me being taken aback because something was changed from the book which is why I'm curious as to how it will play with adjusted expectations the second time. I still LOVED the whole finale with Smaug but that one part just had a little WTH element to it.



I didn't see that as being any different than Merry and Pippen dropping Uruk-hai with little throwing rocks at the end of the FOTR EE.

My only other criticism against the film is that PJ devoted 15 minutes to extra scenes for the Alfrid character and only 15 seconds for Beorn. What, come on!

Otherwise I was starting to get a little worried that the whole "Battle" was just going to Fuchs be a repeat of scenes we'd already seen in ROTK but the entire finale on the frozen waterfall really made the entire fight one of the coolest out of both trilogies. Loved every minute of the brutal showdowns against the two orc generals.

I guess it was a nice father-son moment.

100% agree, what was up with all that Alfrid character and 10 seconds of Beorn. What a great entrance Beorn made though.

Goddamn Ewoks still influencing movies.

Even though 5 armies was in the title, it really came down to those personal battles, which was fine by me.

True, the battle over the frozen Niagra falls was beautiful, loved all the snowy-icy mist.

 

[Jokes & Bats]

I didn't see that as being any different than Merry and Pippen dropping Uruk-hai with little throwing rocks at the end of the FOTR EE.

My only other criticism against the film is that PJ devoted 15 minutes to extra scenes for the Alfrid character and only 15 seconds for Beorn. What, come on!

Aren't hobbits supposed to be champion stone throwers?

As for Alfrid....what a joke.

 

[Khev]

I guess it was a nice father-son moment.

Yeah. My wife who'd never read the books liked that his son was involved so maybe that's what PJ was going for. Making the downing of a great dragon a "proud parent" moment.

Goddamn Ewoks still influencing movies.

What cracks me up about PJ is that he very deliberately puts moments of very sanitized family friendly action scenes in his movies and then juxtaposes them with nightmare inducing moments that are clearly from the mind of the guy who brought us Dead Alive. I was shocked at the close-up of the dead little girl with her lifeless eyes still open. And then that utterly bizarre troll that Legolas rode at the end with it's weird peg legs and nasty chain things dangling from its eyeballs. Freaking dude was straight out of Hellraiser.

Even though 5 armies was in the title, it really came down to those personal battles, which was fine by me.

True, the battle over the frozen Niagra falls was beautiful, loved all the snowy-icy mist.

Yes, the movie made it pretty clear that the title was a last minute revision since the best parts of the film don't really involve the main "battle." But those final Bolg and Azog fights. Damn. They're still on my mind days later.

 

[Irvy]

Alfrid= Jarjar

 

[Khev]

As for Alfrid....what a joke.

I at least expected to see some satisfying "Carter Burke" type death for him as he kept selfishly running off but...nothin. I guess we'll see his fate in the EE.

 

[Khev]

Alfrid= Jarjar

No he was clearly the "Wormtongue" of this trilogy but just got way too much screen time in the finale. Should have saved most of his scenes for the EE. As it stood it seemed that for as much as they were showing Alfrid there seemed to be important things about him that were still left out. Why did he suddenly start obeying Gandalf's every command after giving him crap when he first met him? It seemed the movie was missing a scene where the wizard put him in his place.

On another note I loved it when Galadriel went all "Chinese Water Ghost" on Sauron.

 

[jye4ever]

Yeah. My wife who'd never read the books liked that his son was involved so maybe that's what PJ was going for. Making the downing of a great dragon a "proud parent" moment.



What cracks me up about PJ is that he very deliberately puts moments of very sanitized family friendly action scenes in his movies and then juxtaposes them with nightmare inducing moments that are clearly from the mind of the guy who brought us Dead Alive. I was shocked at the close-up of the dead little girl with her lifeless eyes still open. And then that utterly bizarre troll that Legolas rode at the end with it's weird peg legs and nasty chain things dangling from its eyeballs. Freaking dude was straight out of Hellraiser.



Yes, the movie made it pretty clear that the title was a last minute revision since the best parts of the film don't really involve the main "battle." But those final Bolg and Azog fights. Damn. They're still on my mind days later.

Grima > Alfrid

Hellraiser lol

I agree, while the cgi will make some vomit and cry foul, I will admit that this movie had some really incredible parts, doesn't hurt having an incredible song playing over the end credits.

Wfe and I are listening to TLG a lot.

 

[Khev]

I agree, while the cgi will make some vomit and cry foul, I will admit that this movie had some really incredible parts, doesn't hurt having an incredible song playing over the end credits.

Yep. And that last scene of Bilbo sitting with Gandalf: Pure gold.

 

[jye4ever]

No he was clearly the "Wormtongue" of this trilogy but just got way too much screen time in the finale. Should have saved most of his scenes for the EE. As it stood it seemed that for as much as they were showing Alfrid there seemed to be important things about him that were still left out. Why did he suddenly start obeying Gandalf's every command after giving him crap when he first met him? It seemed the movie was missing a scene where the wizard put him in his place.

On another note I loved it when Galadriel went all "Chinese Water Ghost" on Sauron.

I really enjoyed the WC battle with the fire cyclops and his henchmen.

Galadriel is one scary creepy *****.

 

[jye4ever]

This movie needed some Orc Goats.

 

[Khev]

This movie needed some Orc Goats.

I actually thought it was pretty smooth the way they worked Sauron into the story in such a way that the characters really would think he wouldn't be any ongoing threat until LOTR.

 

[jye4ever]

Leave Sauron to me was a great line.