Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The (3/24/2015)

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images

Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Lee Pace, Ian Holm, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly

Directed by Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings, King Kong)

The final installment lives up to the previous films in the series and is definitely worth seeing.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.

Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain.

As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.

TODD’S WORD: Counting The Lord of the Rings films, this is the sixth Peter Jackson directed epic movie based on Tolkien’s classics. So chances are… if you saw the last five, you’re probably not going to bail out on this one. I am a fan of Tolkien and I’m also a fan of Peter Jackson…so there was never any doubt that I would see and love the final installment.

JONATHAN’S WORD: Yeah, my family went to see this one on opening day. We weren’t gonna miss this.

TODD’S WORD: Did you think it delivered?

JONATHAN’S WORD: I guess I’d have to put that question in perspective. Was this film as good as the films before it? Nope. The Lord of the Ring’s films were so amazing it was hard to even compare. All three Hobbit films didn’t measure up. But fans of the first three are so vested in the characters that they probably came into The Hobbit trilogy a little more forgiving. Good thing. Especially with this last one.

TODD’S WORD: Didn’t you like it?

JONATHAN’S WORD: Again, perspective. As a stand-alone film… it was just alright. Probably a “rental.” But it was the last of the series we all love so much… so we had to watch it and probably did so with a little more grace than a brand new film with new characters.

So what about you?

TODD: I really enjoyed it. Like the other films, there are some epic scenes, plenty of humor and very compelling characters. And while the second film definitely had a slower pace, The Battle of the Five Armies has way more action and feels way more intense.

JONATHAN: It might have had a little more action, but it just seemed a little more corny. It was probably my least favorite of the six films.

TODD: You’re not alone. In fact, those who are hard-core Tolkien fans will most likely complain about how far this film strayed from the source material, but I have to say I enjoyed the new characters and some of the history of Middle Earth that is not found in the book, “The Hobbit”.

JONATHAN: I haven’t read the book since jr. high, so I don’t remember.

TODD: I didn’t even know you read.

JONATHAN: I didn’t even know you went to jr. high.

TODD: Nice. Well, there is no doubt in my mind I will be adding this film to my collection… It is “worth buying.”

JONATHAN: And I won’t go that far. It was enjoyable to watch, mostly because we already loved the characters (and because Legolas proved himself to be boss once again), but I would probably have a hard time calling it “worth buying.”

TODD: So will you buy it?

JONATHAN: I’ll take the 5th amendment on that one.

TODD: You will buy it, won’t you!

JONATHAN: It’s the 6th film in the series. I have to!!! But it’s not “worth buying.”

TODD: But you’re going to buy it.

JONATHAN: Shut up.

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Once again if you and your children have seen the other films, then you will know exactly what to expect with this one. There is no sex or nudity and the language is very mild, but the action and intensity will most likely be too much for younger viewers.

CONVERSATION STARTER

1. Describe what happens to Thorin when he walks into the treasure chamber.


2. If you discovered that much money, what would be the first thing you would do?


3. What was the first thing he did?


4. How did his wealth change him and his relationships with his friends?

Read I Timothy 6:10

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.


5. How do we see this passage come to life in Thorin?


6. What are some things you can do to protect yourself from falling into the same trap?