Ten Things We Did Like About Battle of the Five Armies

Following last week’s blog entry, here is our list of ten things we did like about BotFA.

1. The battle

Whilst we didn’t like the way the battle ended, we did like the structure of it as a whole. It was an exciting battle with plenty of cool moments (including the moment the elves leapt over the dwarf defence wall). And, as always, the CGI was exemplary.

2. Legolas running out of arrows

We were somewhat undecided on this one (would Legolas really not know he had used up all his arrows?) but generally thought it was a nice, fun addition to the film.

3. Thranduil

Perhaps one of the best things about the film. The mention of the aloof, elegant, dangerous elf is usually met with enthusiasm among the group (and jokes about elvish parties). Lee Pace’s Thranduil is brilliantly conceived and fun to watch; a great take on Tolkien’s Elven King.

4. Fili’s death

Without meaning to sound morbid, we all loved Fili’s death. The suddenness with which it happens and the brutality of it were quite moving. There was no long drawn out goodbye; it was instant and shocking. Fans are not used to seeing key heroic characters go in this way, so it was quite startling to see our young dwarf thud to the ground, lifeless, before a shocked Kili.

5. Bilbo

Bilbo seemed to fade into the background somewhat in The Desolation of Smaug, so it was nice to see him come into his own again in BotFA. It’s hard to imagine anyone else as Bilbo now.Two moments stood out, both courtesy of the equally magnificent Ian McKellen: one, when Bilbo boldly tells Gandalf that he does not require his permission to act; and two, when Bilbo sits silently beside a smoking Gandalf in the aftermath of the battle. The latter scene is a good (but sadly solitary) example of when the screen-writers chop in mediocre dialogue for a poignant, wordless scene.

6. The Opening Scene

Yes, we did have the opening scene in the things-we-didn’t-like-list, but not everyone agreed with the argument put forward. It was pointed out that Smaug’s attack did provide an exciting opening, throwing us straight into the action. The case was also made for the compelling interaction between Bard and his son in this scene; Bard’s solitary act in the book becomes father and son teamwork in the film and we liked this deviation.   

7. The Last Goodbye

Billy Boyd’s song is brilliant, a perfect song for the credits, with the poignant last line ‘I bid you all a very fond farewell’.

8. The soundtrack

Howard Shore’s soundtracks for all the LotR and Hobbit films have been outstanding. We particularly like the Laketown and Thorin themes and the way they introduce us to new cultures beyond LotR. The incidental music was also mentioned, including the horn played at Thorin’s funeral which tied in so beautifully with his theme music.

9. Thorin’s dragon sickness

Whilst we were not so sure about the idea of making the dragon sickness a literal sickness, we did like the hallucinogenic moment when it took Thorin over in the great hall of Erebor, bringing him to the brink of madness. Very cool visual effects, well-acted and a dramatic portrayal of inner turmoil.

10. Christopher Lee

We were glad to see Lee return for the final film and looking less frail than he did in An Unexpected Journey. We particularly liked the ‘leave Sauron to me’ line, its delivery, and the way it links events from The Hobbit to LotR.