Review Roundup: THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES, Hitting Theaters This Week

From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The film hits theaters in the U.S. this Wednesday, December 17, and the reviews have started to come in!

"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.

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.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," provides a passably satisfying ending to a franchise that has always seemed a little like a bonus DVD...Once "Battle" finally launches into its roughly one-hour war between humans, Orcs, Elves (led by Lee Pace's wonderfully campy Thranduil), Dwarves (led by Richard Armitage's mini-majestic Thorin Oakenshield) and other fantastical creatures, we get the usual mechanical pleasures of the action-spectacle: swords clashing, edifices crumbling, a white-knuckle showdown between Thorin and Azog (Manu Bennett) that features some thrillingly tricky camera work...As in the last film, the dwarfish Romeo Kili (Aidan Turner) and his elven Juliet, Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), are particularly moving. "Battle" could have used more of this emotional impact. It's what makes the difference between mere entertainment and a genuine treasure.

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The studio flackery advertises "The Battle of the Five Armies" as "the defining chapter" of the series, which is true if you define the word "defining" as a synonym for "least interesting"...by the second hour of "The Battle of the Five Armies," the visual approach becomes a paradox: monotonously dynamic epic storytelling. One too many lines of dialogue ("We have a long march ahead") are like thought balloons for those in the audience who aren't sufficiently in love with J.R.R. Tolkien's world to justify three movies pulled, taffylike, out of a single modest book, with interpolations from yon and hither and back again.

Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News: ...Jackson's final bit of Tolkien tinkering ends on a high enough note, giving fans of the author and director what they want: Middle-earth showdowns, sweeping spectacles and distressing deaths. Unlike both predecessors, "Five Armies" doesn't sag in the storytelling. It starts with a thrilling opening, loads up the screen with a destructive dragon, evil Orcs, immortal elves, brave dwarves and concludes with a bravo ending...As a bonus, "Armies" is armed with one of the best performances in the entire Jackson Middle-earth series...As Dwarf Lord Thorin Oakenshield, Richard Armitage...taps into his character's "dragon-sickness" -- coveting riches at the expense of the soul -- and does it with a mad glint in his eye one instance, a conflicted expression the next...Some puritans might argue the entire three-film series adds nothing. And while it's true that none of the "Hobbit" films was as good as any in the "Rings" trilogy, "The Five Armies" at least comes closest to capturing Tolkein's essence.

Kerry Lengel, The Republic: After nearly five hours and 45 minutes of buildup - and that's not even counting Jackson's previous "Lord of the Rings" trilogy - fans pretty much know what to expect from the finale: more, more, more...Unlike the "Lord of the Rings" movies, which brought the books to life with a mix of grand spectacle and intimate heartache, Jackson's bowdlerized version of the "The Hobbit" has always been more amusement-park ride than cinema...The real problem with any roller coaster is that with each screaming descent and gut-churning loop-de-loop, the ride loses momentum. So even though "Five Armies" is the shortest "Hobbit" movie, it also is the least thrilling as it chugs toward the finish line weighted down with all the added characters and confusing subplots that have been tacked on along the way...For filmgoers who pay attention to such niceties as character development, the saving grace of the trilogy is the performance of Martin Freeman in the title role of Bilbo Baggins...Freeman brings a gentle charm to the role, at once spritely and down to earth, that carries the spirit of Tolkien's book like a fragile flame through the maelstrom of digital excess.

Visalia Times-Delta: After six films and nearly 20 hours of screen time, fans will know what to expect from Jackson's now familiar fantasy formula: Epic battles, gorgeous scenery and elaborate special effects. In a purely action movie point of view, "Battle of the Five Armies" delivers...There's enough sword play, lethal archery displays and ax swinging to make even the most blood thirsty members of the audience leave the theater satisfied. But there is something missing in "Battle": A compelling emotional story. What made "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy so special was that the relationships were as strong as all the special effects and battle scenes...In "The Hobbit" the attempts to pull heartstrings with the relationships isn't as effective. Sure, Martin Freeman gives a terrific performance as Bilbo, but the screenplay never quite makes his friendship with Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) all that convincing...While "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" may not be as complete success as "The Lord of the Rings," it still delivers enough spectacle to make it worth seeing on the big screen, where epics deserved to be seen.

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