Watch The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a 2014 epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson which serves as the final installment in his adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The movie stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and Richard Armitage in lead roles. It is an action-packed adventure film that serves as a fitting finale to the epic journey that began with the first movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The film opens with Smaug the dragon, who was awakened in the previous film, attacking the lonely mountain of Erebor and the Dwarf city of Dale. Bard the Bowman, who was introduced in the second film, manages to kill Smaug by shooting him with a black arrow. With the dragon defeated, the Elves lead by Thranduil and Lake-town dwellers led by Bard meet to claim the treasure within the mountain, only to end up at conflict with Thorin Oakenshield and his fellow dwarves, who are sitting on the precious Arkenstone.

As things start to escalate, Gandalf the Grey, who was captured by the Necromancer in the previous movie, is rescued by Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman. The four of them fight together to defeat the Necromancer, and Galadriel uses her mystical powers to send the evil spirit of the Necromancer fleeing back to the depths of hell.

Meanwhile, the mountain is surrounded by Orcs who believe that Erebor belongs to their fallen master, Sauron. Overwhelmed, Thorin refuses to share the Arkenstone with the others and prepares to go to war against the armies of Orcs, who are joined by giant bats and giant trolls. Dain, Thorin's cousin, brings an army of dwarves to help the defenders of the Erabor.

As the Orcs advance, a great battle between the dwarves, elves, men of Lake-town, and orcs commence. The battle is intense and filled with moments of despair and glory. Tauriel, an elf, who was introduced in the second movie develops a close relationship with Legolas, and a dwarf called Kili, but the love is short-lived.

Throughout the movie, we see the characters we have grown attached to risk their lives to protect each other and fight for their home. Moments of triumph are undercut by tragedy in a war that is as messy and difficult as it is epic. The action is relentless, the emotion is intense, and the stakes are high, as the armies fight for the future of Middle-earth.

As the battle rages on, it starts to become apparent that there is an even wider battle afoot, one that will stretch beyond the borders of Erebor and engulf the entirety of Middle-earth. The Five Armies will not be enough to win this war, and the fate of the world may rest in the hands of a few brave hobbits who must go on a journey to rid the world of an unspeakable evil.

In conclusion, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a satisfying conclusion to Peter Jackson's trilogy of The Hobbit. The movie features great performances, stunning visuals, heightened action, and a powerful sense of adventure. It's an emotionally satisfying and thoroughly engaging epic that will leave you satisfied and fulfilled. Fans of Tolkien's work will enjoy this final chapter in the story of Bilbo Baggins and his companions, and newcomers will be swept up in the epic battles and thrilling adventure.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is a 2014 action movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 24 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 59.