Like most who have read and loved Tolkien, I had mixed emotions going into The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: I was both tired of and frustrated by the exploitative expansion of a short book into three long films, but still a bit sorry knowing that this would be the final chapter and I’d have to say goodbye to some of fantasy’s greatest heroes. I had those same emotions leaving the theater.

This ultimate episode begins exactly where the last one left off, with Smaug wrecking fiery havoc everywhere he flies. There are no catch-up scenes or explanation whatsoever, and while avid followers don’t need that, I think Peter Jackson could have thrown less zealous movie goers a bone by helping them out a little with a brief recap. There are those who will watch the prior movie again and have the legend and lore memorized, but why not make it more accessible to everyone?

Besides, there are so many new characters and situations that were added for the sake of extending the franchise that even some of the most devout get confused. The beginning is almost unbearably bloated with explosive conflicts all over Middle Earth. At the point where Cate Blanchett, as Galadriel appears to be doing battle with what looks like a giant flaming vagina, I just wanted to close my eyes and make the whole movie go away.  Later, a Tolkien enthusiast explained to me that that particular scenes was an attempt at a summary, origin, and bridge leading to the The Lord of the Rings, that it never happened in the books, and it was a fiery eye, not a vagina. But she conceded that it did indeed look like one. I’m still kind of disturbed by it.

But once the film settles down and starts getting into the promised Battle of the Five Armies, it becomes enthralling again. Peter Jackson’s fight scenes are often fun, imaginative, thrilling and unpredictable. Special effects, art direction, costumes, sets, etc. are a pleasure to see. By the time the foes are beaten, some heroes have died, and others live to fight another day in the next trilogy, we are returned to the shire where it all began. And even after all that, we are sorry to see it end. Goodbye, old friends. While you stayed a bit to long, perhaps, we regretfully and poignantly bid you adieu.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours 20 Minutes