The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
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The final chapter of the Hobbit trilogy follows the desperate struggle of dwarves, elves, and men as they clash over the treasure of the Lonely Mountain.
The story
Following the destruction of Laketown by the dragon Smaug, the survivors seek refuge in the ruins of Dale. Thorin Oakenshield, now in possession of the mountain's vast treasure, becomes obsessed with finding the Arkenstone. Meanwhile, various factions—including an army of Elves led by Thranduil and a group of men led by Bard—prepare for potential conflict. As the threat of the Orc leader Azog the Defiler looms, the alliances of the mountain are tested. Bilbo Baggins must navigate the growing tensions between the desperate factions while the shadow of an approaching Orc army threatens to engulf them all in a desperate battle for survival.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Smaug is slain by Bard, the dragon's body crushes the Master of Laketown. Bard becomes the leader of the survivors, who flee to Dale. Thorin becomes obsessed with the Arkenstone, which Bilbo has hidden. Meanwhile, Galadriel, Elrond, and Saruman free Gandalf from Dol Guldur, banishing a formless Sauron. Azog the Defiler leads a massive Orc army toward the Lonely Mountain, while Bolg leads a secondary force. Thranduil and Bard attempt to negotiate with Thorin, but his greed leads to a standoff. Bilbo secretly gives the Arkenstone to Thranduil and Bard to prevent war. When the armies of Elves, men, and dwarves converge on the mountain, a massive battle erupts as Azog's forces arrive. Thorin eventually realizes his folly and joins the fight to defeat Azog. In the chaos, several characters fall: Fíli is killed by Azog, and Kíli is killed by Bolg, who is then slain by Legolas. The Orcs are defeated by the combined forces and the Great Eagles. Thorin defeats Azog in a duel but is fatally wounded. Bilbo eventually returns to the Shire, where he is reunited with Gandalf. The film ends with a jump to sixty years later, where Bilbo celebrates his 111th birthday.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 144
- Production countries
- New Zealand; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Peter Jackson
- Writers
- Fran Walsh · screenplay; Philippa Boyens · screenplay; Peter Jackson · screenplay; Guillermo del Toro · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Ian McKellen; Martin Freeman; Richard Armitage; Evangeline Lilly; Luke Evans; Lee Pace; Benedict Cumberbatch; Ken Stott; James Nesbitt; Cate Blanchett; Ian Holm; Christopher Lee
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- Greed; Friendship; Duty
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Dark; Action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- High Fantasy; War; Adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
- Franchise connections
- The Hobbit
- Content notes
- Violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its energy and spectacle but criticized its pacing and repetitive battle scenes. It was a significant commercial success, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2014.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 59% · scale: percentage · review count: 265; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 46
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Sound Editing · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled 'There and Back Again' in August 2012.; The film's title was changed in April 2014 to better suit the focus of the film.; The film's production budget was between $209 and $300 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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