Alison Rowat
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (3D) (12A)
four stars
Dir: Peter Jackson
With: Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ian McKellen
Runtime: 144 minutes
WHEN Peter Jackson began bringing Tolkien's tales to the screen it was said that all of society stopped what they were doing and rushed to catch the latest instalment. Children would climb down chimneys, Dickens would hurl his fountain pen across the room, and Queen Victoria herself would skedaddle back from Balmoral to see how Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf were faring against the dark forces of Sauron.
Okay, so it was not that long ago that the first Lord of the Rings appeared - 2001 in fact. But it has felt like it sometimes as the Lords trilogy led on to the Hobbit trilogy/prequel, of which The Battle of the Five Armies is the third part. Confused?
Regardless, what it comes down to is that Five Armies is it, the end. And by Gandalf does Jackson go out with a fair old bang. If the special effects are not enough to persuade you down Middle-earth way one last time, there is on offer the magnificent sight of one Billy Connolly Esq rocketing into battle on a hairy pig. Even by Tolkien standards, that is a rum, bordering on hallucinogenic, do.
Jackson goes out on a high by giving fans what they want - a dirty great battle with the forces of good lined up against battalions of evil Orcs. No ifs, buts, or maybes, and with only a quiet moment here and there for the issuing of cod Shakespearean portents of doom (another fan favourite), Jackson's film is an end-to-end clash, bang, wallop rammy. After last year's snooze-worthy Desolation of Smaug, The Battle of the Five Armies finds the franchise back to fighting form in every sense.
The picture begins precisely where Desolation of Smaug left off, with the titular dragon about to lay waste to Lake-town. As the horror unfolds the eye slowly becomes accustomed to Jackson's 3D, the effect of which is to make the viewer feel as if they are in the front row of a theatre watching a play. If you can see Battle of the Five Armies in an Imax, do.
The vanquished hordes flee towards the Lonely Mountain, and its vast reserves of gold, only to find the dwarves, led by Thorin and with Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) in tow, are already there. Driven mad with his lust for treasure, Thorin (Richard Armitage) is in no mood to share the gold with anyone. Thus the stage is set for the titular battle of dwarves, orcs, elves and assorted others too numerous for anyone other than a Tolkien-head to keep tabs on. Look carefully and you may even spy a few Black Friday bargain hunters in there as well.
It takes a rare talent to tear into such mayhem and near enough steal the picture, but that is what Mr Connolly, playing Dain, does as he rides to his cousins' rescue. As he regards the massed ranks of the enemy afore him, Dain utters the immortal battle cry, "Will ye consider just sodding off?" Funny, I don't recall that line being in The Art of War.
Jackson's films have been at their best when they find the right balance of humour and high drama, triumph and calamity, beauty and ugliness. Battle of the Five Armies succeeds on all these fronts. Even though the film is basically one long battle (and at 144 minutes it will be far too long for some), several fight sequences stand out for their daring, imagination, and balletic flair. As for the Orcs, even so many films in they still have the ability to scare the bejeezus out of a body.
As Tolkien did on the page, Jackson has succeeded in creating entire worlds on the cinema screen. He has brought the author's fussy, often impenetrable books to life, mostly in a triumphant fashion, and always with affection, respect, and an eye for the spectacular. The story of the ring had to come full circle one day, and with Five Armies, Jackson has supplied a singularly satisfying full stop.
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