The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the 3rd movie in The Hobbit trilogy, was released on December 17. As the shortest film in the trilogy, the movie lasts 2 and a half hours, and has been number 1 in the box office for 3 consecutive weeks as of the second week in January.

After seeing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the 2nd film of the series, I thought that spreading the story over 3 films was a mistake. I felt that the ending should have been completed during that film. The obvious reason why there are three movies is to make more money, which is upsetting for a fan like myself. I was disappointed that the story was not wrapped up earlier, because the ending could have been finished quickly in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

However, Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, does an exceptional job depicting the last few chapters in the book in this final film.

 The acting is excellent. Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins, does an outstanding job of portraying Bilbo’s character. The film truly shows that Bilbo is a compassionate and loyal person to the group. In the other two movies, I do not think that his character is described as well. In the book, Bilbo is the protagonist, but in the movie, it does not seem that way. There are not many scenes with Bilbo, and even when he is pictured, he is a timid person.

Unfortunately, the movie does not stay true to the book. Legolas, who is not a character in the book, is a minor character  in the film.

Additionally, the movie shows how the group functioned together through the ups and downs of the battles. My biggest fear was that the movie would not show the relationship between the characters in the group, because I noticed a lack of this aspect in previous films. Fortunately, my fears were unnecessary. The acting does, in fact, convey strong connections between characters.

With the ending of the novel version of The Hobbit being mostly action, almost the entire movie is comprised of action scenes. The emphasis on the battles and the realism of the violence distinguishes this film in the trilogy. Thorin Oakanshield, played by Richard Armitage, looks exactly like a dwarf. The graphics and special effects are stunning, with realistic battle scenes sure to please any viewer.

But unlike most “war” films, the battles are not gory. I was glad that the movie did not focus on the carnage and blood of the war, because I do not think this is necessary. Instead, the director focuses on the decisions and actions made by the characters.

With the high intensity, strong acting, and quality graphics, I believe that this movie is by far the best in The Hobbit trilogy. Unfortunately, this movie falls short of any of the Lord of the Rings films, which have better acting and graphics.

Admittedly, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies can be confusing without full context. But if you have read The Hobbit, or have seen the previous movies, I would recommend this action-packed movie to you.