‘This was the last move in a master plan. A plan long in the making.’

PETER JACKSON delivers his final stroke as Bilbo, Thorin and the dwarf company encounter dragons, elves, orcs, and every single nasty being we have previously seen on Middle Earth. This is an epic close to a truly immersive world.

The first two films of The Hobbit trilogy firmly established these films as fundamentally different to The Lord of the Rings. The films appeal to a predominantly younger audience hence the obvious and frequent use of slapstick humour, the clear CGI created monsters and ghouls and Martin Freeman, a socially awkward actor who manages to provide comic relief during any emotional scene. Nonetheless, Peter Jackson has elongated (severely) Middle Earth’s life span and he has done this to great effect, holding on to the formidable battle scenes, the emotional interjections delivering an aesopian message, and the heart pounding speeches that we have now come to associate with Middle Earth.

Although an 8 and a half hour trilogy that takes longer to watch than to read the actual book demonstrates how Jackson might have got carried away with his Middle Earth love affair, ultimately who cares? Middle Earth is iconic, immersive and utterly brilliant when brought to life by Jackson.

Martin freeman unfortunately doesn’t deliver in this film, being unconvincing and awkward during particularly emotional moments of the film; however, luckily he is propagated by good direction, the breathtaking set, and other big-name previous Lord of the Rings cast members such as a more wise, chiselled, blue-eyed (he is brown-eyed in The Lord of the Rings) yet younger Legolas, played by Orlando Bloom. Thorin played by Richard Armitage rallies his band of dwarvish men with a coarse voice and a big fucking sword in a performance worthy of a Dwarf king. And guest appearances contribute to the comedic effect, consequently rendering this trilogy as one not eyeing up any oscar or award, but being content in delivering another film about a hobbit who has walked really far…and back again.

Ultimately, this film sets out to satisfy a longing audience. Tears, laughs, anger and non-stop action, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the best of the three. No doubt, you will all go and see it.