The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Movie review by Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Trilogy conclusion has thrilling, violent battle scenes.

PG-13 2014 144 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 19 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 97 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the final (and most violent) installment in director Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic fantasy novel -- and, as the title suggests, it features the biggest battle sequences of the trilogy. The most like The Lord of the Rings, this finale is all about epic confrontations: between Thorin Oakenshield who has finally reclaimed the mountain kingdom of Erebor for the dwarves, the elves and humans who want their rightful share of his treasure, and Sauron's orc army that's a threat to them all. This movie has the highest body count in the trilogy; all of the armies sustain losses, and many characters -- primary, secondary, and extras -- die, either in battle (via arrows, axes, swords) or from dragon fire. Some of the death scenes are brutal and particularly sad or disturbing, but ultimately this is a must-see for any family that has already seen the first two Hobbit films.

Community Reviews

relaxedparent
relaxedparent Adult
June 21, 2020
age 18+

Tough viewing for adults

Aside from a couple of particularly graphic moments in the first two movies, we felt they were fine for our kid as long as we were watching with him and explaining things. I wish I'd read the reviews from all three movies before beginning, because we felt compelled to complete the story and honestly, it's the most obscenely graphic and horrific violence I think I've ever encountered on film. If the battle sequences were in another movie that wasn't based on a children's book and I was watching with my peers I would have loved it, but I definitely agree with an R rating for this final installment. From a values point of view, I have to say that it was mostly alright but Legolas' antics, Tauriel's forced romantic relationship and the incredible amount of damage that the main characters were able to withstand made it impossible to take things at all seriously.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
badgerz
badgerz Adult
December 19, 2014
age 12+

Extremely Violent - Disagree With 11 y/o Rating (no spoilers)

The violence in this movie could justify an R rating. It is nearly as violent as the movie "300". Decapitation after decapitation. My 10 y/o son and I read the book and watched the movies. 5 Armies is non-stop violence; more violent than the first two movies. I should not have let my son watch this. How does this film get an 11 y/o rating, while the late Harry Potter movies get a 12? Potter is extremely tame compared to this. This is one instance where the CSM editor got it wrong. I wouldn't be surprised to see them change the suggested age rating upward to at least 13. It would prevent other parents from making the same mistake I did.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 19 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES picks up right where the last installment, The Desolation of Smaug, ended: Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) flees the Lonely Mountain and unleashes his murderous rage and lethal fire on the people of neighboring Lake Town. Bilbo (Martin Freeman) implores Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) to help, but the dwarf leader is becoming mad with gold lust and is obsessed solely with securing his treasure. After Bard (Luke Evans) leads the survivors of Smaug's assault to relative safety, he meets elf king Thranduil (Lee Pace), who has brought an army to secure the elf treasures from Erebor. But Thorin, much to Bilbo's horror, refuses to part with even one coin. And as the humans and elves prepare to fight the dwarves, an even bigger threat -- Orcs -- is headed to the Mountain to destroy all of the amassed armies.

Is It Any Good?

The production design, cinematography, and music are as always, ethereal and evocative. Although it still seems unnecessary for Peter Jackson to have expanded The Hobbit into three films, this culminating installment brings on all of the drama of high-stakes battle, the heartbreak of characters sacrificing themselves for one another, and the thrill of seeing such an epic tale finally (finally!) come to an end. Purists may scoff at the added details, but for the average viewer, the inclusion of Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) -- and Tauriel's doomed inter-species romance with Kili (Aidan Turner) -- makes for a more emotional final story. Because there are so many characters converging on the Lonely Mountain -- and because Thorin is too miserly and consumed with his gold to be anything but a tyrannical embarrassment for most of the The Battle of the Five Armies -- it's the secondary characters like Thranduil and Bowman Bard who drive the drama this last time.

Whether or not you already know what's going to happen, the finale is more of a nail-biter than its predecessors, since it's clear that not everyone (well, at least those that we didn't meet in Lord of the Rings) will survive the dragon fire and Orc steel. Jackson is less adept at humor than at battle (a couple of lines lead to unintentional laughter), but it's amusing to see Billy Connolly play a wise-cracking dwarf chieftain, and it's entertaining to once again witness Legolas' over-the-top gymnastics during his fights. There are a few tender moments and a few more that are utterly heart-wrenching, which is fitting, since Bilbo's story is both hopeful and bittersweet.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how The Hobbit compares to The Lord of the Rings. How are the stories similar (a hobbit continues on a dangerous quest, deals with the precious ring), and how are they different? Which adventure do you prefer, and why?

  • Why do you think the filmmakers decided to insert romance into the story? Does it work? What purpose do you think it's intended to serve?

  • For those who are fans of the book: Do you think an adaptation needs to be 100 percent faithful to its source material? What do you think of Jackson's changes to Tolkien's novel?

  • How do the characters in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies demonstrate perseverance and courage? What about curiosity and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

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