The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
review by
ANIZ FILMVALA
*****
The film begins with where it ended in ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ dragon Smaug [Benedict Cumberbatch] is on a rampage mouthing fire on the people of Lake Town in the mayhem the dragon is killed by Bard the Bowman [Luke Evans].
King Thorin [Richard Armitage] and his gang of Dwarves are trapped within the limit of Smaug's castle as Thorin alleges to posse the massive gold which was shielded by dragon Smaug, also other great armed forces want to claim their right on the castle in consequence are heading for a war to prevail.
Gandalf the Grey [Ian McKellen] is out from the prison as he battles with numerous wraiths at Dol Goldur and he is saved by Galadriel [Cate Blanchett].
Bilbo Baggins [Martin Freeman] sneaks out of Erebor to hand the Arkenstone over to Thranduil [Lee Pace] and Bard to avoid further atrocities but does not succeed.
Legolas [Orlando Bloom] and Tauriel [Evangeline Lilly] see Bolg [John Tui] with a huge Orc army and hundreds of war-bred bats planning to attack the Dwarves and the army of Erebor.As the war begins the army of Erebor and Dwarves are slaughtered by the Orc’s leaving them Vulnerable to the last attack which Azog instructs from the Ravenhill mountain.
Thorin eventually overcomes his madness and heads towards the mountain with Dwalin [Graham McTavish], Fili [Dean O'Gorman], and Kili [Aidan Turner] to kill Azog [Manu Bennett] and his group.
Legolas and Tauriel join the battle to protect Thorin from the Orc’s , in anarchy Tauriel is killed while saving Fili [Dean O'Gorman] her love interest and she departs with a emotional roller-coaster leaving Fili distraught.The film concludes with Bilbo returning to Bag End.
Director Peter Jackson leaves no stone unturned in any department of the movie making as the result are apt and noteworthy. A huge cast and illustrious characterization from the first part has kept the continuity intact and flawless. ’The Hobbit’ fans who have followed the earlier installment have a mighty dividend in store so not to be missed at any cost.
Cast
Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
Ian Holm as old Bilbo Baggins
Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield II
Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug
Orlando Bloom as Legolas Greenleaf
Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel
Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman
Lee Pace as Thranduil
Graham McTavish as Dwalin
Ken Stott as Balin
Aidan Turner as Kíli
Dean O'Gorman as Fíli
Mark Hadlow as Dori
Jed Brophy as Nori
Adam Brown as Ori
John Callen as Óin
Peter Hambleton as Glóin
William Kircher as Bifur
James Nesbitt as Bofur
Stephen Hunter as Bombur
Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
Hugo Weaving as Elrond
Christopher Lee as Saruman the White
Sylvester McCoy as Radagast the Brown
Manu Bennett as Azog the Defiler
John Tui as Bolg
Billy Connolly as Dáin
Mikael Persbrandt as Beorn
Stephen Fry as the Master of Laketown
Ryan Gage as Alfrid
John Bell as Bain
Simon London as Feren
