The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Ar instaling

Of course, some will be quick to point out that Thorin (Richard Armitage) is largely to blame since his gold lust and obsession for the Arkenstone blinds him from peaceful negotiations for promises made to the Bard (Luke Evans) and the people of Laketown.

Then there's also an unexpected desire to have the whole affair simply come to a close as personalities clash over who has a rightful claim to the share of the gold Smaug guarded. Part of the problem can be a sudden loss of interest with the many characters involved and several key moments feeling rushed while others linger for longer than necessary. In spite of the wild imagination and thrilling visuals on display, the clash between the dwarves, elves, humans and eagles against a terrifying horde of goblins and orcs doesn't quite measure up to the encounters seen in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Even the battle sequences, as stunning and magnificent as they are to witness on the big screen, digital characters, monsters and landscapes that look spectacularly lifelike thanks to the talented folks at Weta Digital and the skillful direction of Jackson, fail to truly captivate and immerse the viewer.

Not sure if it's from a feeling of exhaustion, after spending so much time in this epic fantasy world, or because the previous two entries were honestly tepid starters leading up to this, raising expectations higher than could be achieved. Walking into it largely from an obligation to see the entire Middle-earth series come to a full, complete circle, Peter Jackson's film is neither a total disappointment nor is it the overwhelmingly gratifying conclusion initially imagined. That may sound more negative than positive, but that's only because this final installment seems content to exist right at the cusp between a shoulder-shrugging meh and an adequately mediocre accomplishment. It's not so much that the movie is bad - though it's not great or quite as good as the previous two - as there is a general sense and feel of liberation, that it's finally over after three years and three films imagined from one book. Or better yet, once the dust and smoke settle from the nearly hour-long battle to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, audiences are likely to exhale a sigh of relief than applaud with satisfied enthusiasm. Tolkien's prequel to the battle for Middle-earth saga, 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,' arrives more with a whimper than as the exciting conclusion to the grandiose adventure it originally set out to be. The final chapter in the massive and needlessly overlong adaptation of J.R.R.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Ar instaling