Throughout the Hobbit saga, there has been a lot of doubt on Jackson if could stretch this short book into three pretty long features.
For me, I felt that he has managed to put in sensible additions, that help push the story along and gives us interesting sub-plots around the big picture.
However, for this one I think we finally saw Jackson having to scrape the barrel for those final few drops. Thankfully, that does not mean that I was disappointed by it. If there is one man that can stretch source material, it is Jackson. He would properly marry the books and grow old with them if he could.
It's definitely an ambitious one for Jackson to complete as like the others it has to stand-alone, be a fitting end to the trilogy and has to flow into The Lord Of The Rings.
We literally begin where we left off which is what I expected. Everything is setting us up nicely for the main event. To say that this film is one battle scene is an under-statement.
For people who want a well structured plot and development, this may frustrate you. But if you want battle scenes, then this is film for you and Peter Jackson knows how to orchestrate battles. There are many moments that honestly looked so beautiful, that they should be on a medieval tapestry.
Despite not this being a character-driven finale, there are still some notable performances Richard Armitage definitely shines in this film along with Martin Freeman. Their chemistry on-screen does hook you in and even makes you all emotional inside. Also, even though these are motion capture performances, I felt the performances by Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare gave us a great finale for the evil characters of Azog and Bolg.
I know I should not mention this as it does not need praising even more, but the visual effects were just glorious. Jackson's team are surely at the front of this technology and made everything look so breath-taking that really made me say "wow" in a deliberate way during the screening.
I have been picky in the previous two for these films to be far too digital-looking. But I think the effects seem to have improved and have that genuine feel about it.
Now, I'm afraid there are clear holes and negatives that I must mention. We got introduced to one new character that was quite pleasing, but we never saw what happened in the end which was a shame. We also got that with a few characters we have met before. It was frustrating as I know we would not see them in Lord Of The Rings.
Also, even though I was impressed with the battle itself, there were parts of it we never saw get settled. Jackson decided to concentrate too much on what was happening away from the battle.
As for the over-stretched scenes, this film definitely showed us why this franchise should have been two films. But what frustrated me the most is that I think Jackson stretched the wrong points. If he closed the gaps that I had mentioned before, I think this would still have flowed well like parts one and two managed to accomplish.
At the end, I was expecting to feel highly emotional as this was the last time we would see Middle-Earth on the big screen. But I think the abrupt and rushed ending for me meant that it just came and went. However, I did like the fitting song during the end credits.
I think after seeing all the over-stretched moments, I think it is the safe to say that this should have definitely have been two films. This will never be seen as a stand-alone film, unlike its sister trilogy. The best experience you will get from this trilogy is to watch it one go.
Despite that problem of opening too many doors and not closing enough, there are so many positives that mask the negatives to make this a fitting finale. But I can safely put this as the weakest of the franchise.
It was never going to emulate that same success Lord Of The Rings, but it has still been a highly enjoyable experience that continues to show how much Peter Jackson has elevated film-making.
I will never forget my cinema visit to watch The Fellowship Of The Ring. It is still to this day the best cinematic experience I have ever had. Like many, I have fallen for this world Jackson has put on from paper to the big screen. I love the source material and how Jackson has used it. There is no question he has changed the face of the fantasy genre and I do not think there will be another franchise like this.
Rating: 8/10
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