Some of the major highlights from An Unexpected Journey include Bilbo’s scene with Gollum ( Andy Serkis) in the Goblin caverns where they engage in a game of riddles.
Common criticisms of the film included the overreliance on CGI (which is a huge departure from Jackson’s previous Middle-Earth outings) as well as the 48 frames-per-second framerate, which caused a lot of audience confusion, but otherwise, this film is an exciting return to the Shire, Rivendell, and journey towards some new places on the map. The first Hobbit film introduced us to a young Bilbo Baggins ( Martin Freeman), who takes Gandalf ( Ian McKellen) up on his offer to join Thorin and his company of Dwarves on an adventure to retake Erebor. The Battle of the Five Armies might have been a little underwhelming compared to its predecessors, but it’s certainly a heartfelt last goodbye. Speaking of combat, the actual battle sequences in this film are fantastic, with men, Orc, Elves, Dwarves, and a single Hobbit all engaged in unspeakable bloodshed. Thorin, who also experiences some crazy hallucinations, is unhinged here and ends up engaging in excessive mortal combat with his nemesis Azog the Defiler ( Manu Bennett). The Battle of the Five Armies also does some interesting things with Thorin Oakenshield ( Richard Armitage), who quickly loses his mind in his obsessive search for the Arkenstone. The opening act sees Bard ( Luke Evans) take down the dragon in a battle that doesn’t seem to last nearly as long as we were promised, but it’s still an epic conclusion to the last film’s cliffhanger. The film opens where the second left off, with Smaug ( Benedict Cumberbatch) descending from the Lonely Mountain onto Laketown. “I keep Glamdring in my hatstand and the pointy hat in the basement, often worn by visiting youngsters,” he said.While this may not be the best of Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, there are still some wonderful moments in The Battle of the Five Armies that make this final trip to Middle-Earth an exciting adventure.
In a 2017 interview with Empire, McKellen revealed that he frequently lets young fans try on one of his most prized souvenirs from the Lord of the Rings set. There’s also the added bonus that Ian McKellen’s Gandalf, seems to embody some of the wizard’s Santa-like qualities in real life.
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He then spends the rest of the series journeying to deliver a prized possession before time runs out, protecting his hobbit companions at all costs, and firing off inspirational quotes. When we first meet Gandalf the Grey in Fellowship, he treats the hobbit children of the Shire to a delightful firecracker show despite some sidelong glances from a few hobbits who aren’t too fond of his magic. Gandalf may not have the ability to deliver presents to every child in Middle-earth all in one night, but as far as kindly magical beings with long white beards go, he’s right up there with ol’ Saint Nick. And it’s increasingly becoming a part of many holiday traditions. But the three-movie quest to destroy the One Ring is in a category all its own. Classics like It’s a Wonderful Lifeand How the Grinch Stole Christmasare all well and good. Think about it: Instead of settling for the same old holiday viewing options, you could be hunkering down for nine hours (or 12, if you go for the extended editions) of J.R.R. It’s only been 19 years since The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters, but even diehard fans might be amazed to discover how perfectly December calls for an annual Lord of the Rings rewatch. At face value, there’s nothing about The Lord of the Rings trilogy that screams “Christmas movies.” Truly, what does this high fantasy adventure through orc-ridden Middle-earth, presented without a hint of holiday cheer, have to do with actual Earth’s end of the year festivities?īut what Gandalf muses about hobbits while trying to remember the way through Moria is just as accurate when considering these now classic films, “You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month and yet, after a 100 years, they can still surprise you.”