The Hobbit - The Battle Of The Five Armies (Blu-ray + DVD)

I have read the books, all of them, many, many times. Someone bought me the full set when I was a teenager in the late 80s or early 90s. I wore them out I read them so much. I have the illustrated hardback of The Hobbit. I have the original BBC radio theatrical version on CD from Great Britain. I have all the audio books. I won't go as far as to say I am a fan... but I am at least familiar with the writings. So, when I first started watching the Peter Jackson adaptation of the story, when The Hobbit first came out, I stopped within the first 45 minutes or so. The characters were all wrong. The story was all wrong. I have read and listened to so much of the story, this version was just wrong. I came back to it years later... now that I am teleworking, I can sit and watch a movie, pause it when I need to, and pick it up whenever. I entered the series, again, with a clear mind. I have the first of The Hobbit trilogy on DVD, so I watched it. I found it fascinating. It's not THE original story, but it is still pretty good. Yes, the dwarves are not who they are in the book, but whatever; the basic story is still there. I believe the film takes away from the imagination images created by the book, but one could say that about any book made into a movie. I really wish there was more ebelishement during interaction of Bilbo and Gullom as I believe this is a crucial part of the story; especially later in the the Lord of the Ring series. Okay... Second in the trilogy, nothing to really say other than what was the deal with the arrow in the knee?? I get the joke outside of the series, but it took way too much from the story later... Bard was not really focused on in the book... follows the book for the most part, but I really wish the dialog between Bilbo and Smaug was preserved... the film made Bilbo out as scared and cowering, but in the book he is more bold because of the Ring... even the animated original did this. Regardless, did not take away too much from the story. I do agree with a lot of folks that complain about the relationship between the dwarf and elf... no where in the book and has no place in the movie. Didn't add anything and took away from other points that could have been focused on. Moving into the third of the trilogy-- Seemed that Lake Town got way more attention than in the book, but whatever, have to fill time somehow. Not at all how in the book anything happens, but again, this is an adaptation and the scenes in the movie are certainly that. I wasn't necessary a fan of how the conflict happen. Seemed that major points were glossed over. The addition to the entire story of the Orc general took away from the focus on the Bilbo and the journey itself. Wasn't needed. Did not add anything but another antagonist to the story. Whatever. Overall-- I will always love this series. Yes, the Peter Jackson movies are what they are, but they hit the main points and don't stray too far from the original story. Great cinematics. Good characters. Will certainly watch again and probably buy the discs to finish off my collection.

The movie that close the curtain on the second trilogy inspired by Tolkien works. Among the 3, is probably the best one; the most emotional too. After watching the LOTR trilogy, this movie offer very little surprises; mostly it is like watching any movie from Michael Bay...you know what you will find, you know the kind of shots that you will see, and you know that there will be explosion, plenty of them. With Jackson,you know that there will be gore, there will be Legolas doing stunts (even if he was not even supposed to be here), there will be a strong female character (in this case 2 of them, one of the 2 did not even exist in the lore), and of course, you will have plenty of battles among a ton of people. But this does not mean that is necessarily a bad thing after all. The movie is paced very well; it does not take you to the tedious of the first, nor to the extreme action of the second, where things never slow down. Here you get a good mix between action, slow moments and most of all, you get good development of the characters, which is another trademark of the works of PJ based on Tolkien. The action sequences are marvelous; you can get lost on the big screen, at the orgy of gorgeous visuals; but watch it in SD, and the movie show all its limits and CG mashup. In some cases the difference is pretty pronounced, but considering the amount of work done, it can be forgiven. The novelty of the first trilogy just went away, so now the viewer look at things and is able to see the difference. Can't compare it with one single movie, since the work needed to make 3 is much more, but that goes to the nitpick. The emotional parts are in between and very touching; I was not the only one to shed tears when it came out, and watching it again moves me in the same way. There is friendship and other feelings that we often forget about, there is loyalty and respect; and the movies build up the friendship between Bilbo and the rest of the company, to the point where he is respected and treated as equal, in comparison to the first movie, where he was basically a liability. The ending is touching, and is different from the movie, but I really enjoyed it, because it add something to the story that we all know. The romantic story, didn't have the same impact; was mostly put there because FW need to have this stuff in the movie; she need to put the pink ribbon in a product that otherwise is 99% dominated by male, violence and such. I was OK even without the romance, although it saved itself in the end, when we see how Thranduil in fact, show how he really is, while talking with Tauriel. Love cause suffering at times, and people try to fix it, forgetting how to love, to not suffer again. One thing that was not in the book, but that I enjoyed, was the battle between the white council and the nine at the fortress; pure fiction galore there; but it was done with such taste that it fits perfectly; and it is a pleasure to see how Galadriel help Gandalf (revealing also their mutual feelings for each other), and how Saruman and Elrond put a fight against the ring wraits (obviously it was not CL that dd the fight scene, but it was a great way to show how powerful the white Maiar was, before getting corrupted). This is the only time that something was made out of the blue, and I really enjoyed it. The Smaug fight was disappointing, but considering that Smaug had most of his time in the second movie, it is understandable. In the end, the movie is a great piece of work; it put a sad end on the trilogy, but it is most likely the best of the 3. I suggest it if you like PJ works; I may not suggest it if you are a purist of Tolkien, since this is loosely based on the original story; I heard people bashed it badly for all the changes made, but you must look at it for what it is, not for what you were hoping that it would be. 5 stars more than deserved; now I wait patiently for the release of the extended edition trilogy, so it can take place beside the first extended edition trilogy, and be passed on to future generations.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an incredible way to cap off the trilogy. The action sequences are huge, intense, and beautifully shot — from sweeping battlefield clashes to close-quarters combat that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The stakes feel real, and the emotional moments hit just as hard as the fight scenes. The characters we’ve followed throughout the journey get strong payoffs, and the visual effects and world-building are absolutely stunning — every frame feels rich and immersive. It’s the kind of fantasy epic that makes you want to watch it again right away. If you’re a fan of Middle-earth, big battles, and storytelling with heart, this movie delivers spectacularly. Highly recommend!

I love all three of these movies! Definitely worth watching and buying!

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies was claimed to be the defining chapter of Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth saga, and, in my opinion, it very well proves to be. It definitely caps off the Hobbit trilogy in a performance that exceeds expectations. The film is basically nonstop, intense action, with little time for a breather. The battle sequences push you to the edge of your seat and take your breath away, while the dramatic sequences are so well written, filmed, and acted, that it's not hard to imagine that these events really occurred! The Battle of the Five Armies might be the best of the Hobbit trilogy, though The Desolation of Smaug cuts it close. I'm not a purist by any form of the word, even though I am a HUGE fan of Tolkien's works. All of the changes made in this film (and changes continued from The Desolation of Smaug) didn't detract from the story even one bit. While the Hobbit book and the Hobbit movies are both not near as good as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, they are still some of the highest achievements in literature and filmmaking alike. The acting (notably Richard Armitage's stellar performance as the disillusioned King Thorin Oakenshield) is magnificent, the cinematography is powerful, the dialogue is moving, and the music by Howard Shore is amazing. Yet one of the best aspects of this film--and of all of Jackson's other Middle-Earth films--is the overall design and look of the movie. The battles are epic, made so by the skillful design of weapons, armor, etc., and the landscape chosen for the film almost tells a story in itself, whether harsh, beautiful, or mysterious. And, as always, the special effects are neither overdone nor cheesy. ***Spoiler Alert*** The Desolation of Smaug left us off with a cliffhanger, and the opening scene picks up right where it left off. When the dragon Smaug is killed by Bard, the people of Laketown are left with no home. Coming to the Mountain for shelter, they find that Thorin and his companions are still alive--yet unwilling to share their treasure. The Elves meet the men and women of Laketown in Dale, there to offer them their aid. Thranduil, the Elf-king, is wanting a part in the treasure, and is willing to fight the stubborn dwarves for it. And to add to the confusion, the orcs of Dol Guldur--led by Azog--are marching towards the Mountain in hopes of securing its strategic position for the Kingdom of Gundabad. This results in the climactic Battle of Five Armies with the dwarves, the elves, the people of Laketown, the orcs, and...not sure...in the book, the Wargs were the fifth army, yet there are no Wargs in this film. :( Anyway, these armies converge in a massive 45-minute battle which I am sure you will enjoy. The only scene I was disappointed with was the one where the White Council drives Sauron from Dol Guldur. Sure, the videogame-style Nazgul zipping among the stones was an eye-pleasing addition, but a little weird for me. And then the final showdown between the witch-like Galadriel and the not-creepy-enough Sauron was, to me, a little repulsive. Not horrible, though. ***End of Spoilers*** All in all, I feel that The Battle of the Five Armies was an awe-inspiring ending to the story of Middle-Earth, and I am disappointed that it really is the ending. Nevertheless, I do suppose that the Road goes on and on...

Excellent, enjoyed the movie

Unlike many fans of 'The Hobbit' and 'Lord of the Rings,' I have never read Tolkien's books. I did try back when I was in college but, honestly, I found the prose too dense and the narrative unnecessarily complicated: A cross between Tolstoy and Marvel comics, if you will. That heresy said, I have thoroughly enjoyed Peter Jackson's epic attempt to make Tolkien accessible to those of us who are perhaps not as intellectually gifted as our friends and neighbors who swoon at the mention of Middle Earth and can - and will - quote obscure passages from the books at the drop of a hat. For me, 'The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies' was a fitting conclusion to a wonderful six-film set that has made a mostly incomprehensible series of books easily understood by us plebes. It has everything that I look for in a high-quality film: Strong characters, excellent pace, great writing, acting at a very high level, amazing technical wizardry and action. Loads and loads of action. Beyond that, all of the movies in this thoroughly enjoyable series give us a look inside the value system that existed in upper-class Great Britain during the twilight of the Empire. Tolkien was a product of his class and, because that is so, we see how he incorporated its values into his books: Honor is important, as is loyalty and fidelity to duty regardless of the odds stacked against you, for example. A man gives his word, he is expected to live up to it and the willingness to die in support of a great cause is not only worthy but also expected. Tolkien, who was born in South Africa and later became a professor at Oxford, is also convinced that mixing the races is, if not wrong, at least distasteful. When an Elf falls in love with a Dwarf in 'Battle of the Five Armies,' for example, we are pretty sure that one of them will have to die. When, in the 'Lord of the Rings' an Elfin princess falls in love with a human she must make a terrible sacrifice in order to be with him. This is not meant, however, to be a dissection of British values in that tumultuous period from 1937 through the mid-Fifties but a review of this sixth and final movie in the series that began with 'The Fellowship of the Ring.' That said, while I enjoyed all the performances I especially liked Richard Armitage's portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield, the Dwarf who would be King; Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, and Lee Pace as Thranduil, the leader of the Elvish army. Pace, who I first saw in the American television light comedy 'Pushing Daisies,' brings a cold intensity to his role that perfectly balances the emotional outbursts that Armitage brings to his. All in all, an excellent six-film series that is capped off with this final installment in fine form. I highly recommend it.

THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR--(personally, the only movie I bothered to go to the theatre to watch on the big screen, everything else was awful! This past year was a desert wasteland for movie entertainment--a point driven solidly home by the contrast of the Sound of Music special at the Oscars--compared to that God-awful "American Sniper." The Golden Age of Movies, contrasted with Sniper, makes most of this past year's movies seem like so much rust! No, I did not even bother to watch Sniper in the movies, nor do I intend to watch it for free on television--I have better things to do with my valuable time, like reread Tolkien or Baum or Beagle or Weis.) As others have said, this movie was faithful to the legendary novel by the wondrous J.R.R. Tolkien we all grew up reading! I'm glad Smaug didn't die so easily, and appreciated his conniving evil, demoralizing his foes who were quite obviously out to kill him. ("Is that your child? He will DIE while you watch...Bow-MAN!") Smaug coated briefly in molden gold was a marvelous idea and a spectacular special effect. I'm also glad Jackson decided to make the "black arrow" an oversized iron projectile meant to be fired from a windlass, instead of the puny looking thing in the cartoon of my childhood. Obviously, Bard had to improvise, and lure Smaug into firing range--far too close for comfort--when he used his hastily rebuilt longbow, although I was looking forward to him using the windlass. The one or two mistakes I noticed would be nitpicking. But, I suppose I should mention them: in the second movie, a big deal was made of using Kingsfoil, which had been done before, in Lord of the Rings. Far better would've been the female elf ranger using elf-magic to cure Killi instead. Also, in the movie, the small thrush had a larger role. It was supposedly a magical creature, that could speak a language Bard could understand; in the cartoon, it carried a message from Bilbo to Bard: "Aim for the missing scale in Smaug's chest!" The other item is that these movies never should've been made into three movies; two long ones would've been just fine! When--not if, but when--Spielberg or Jackson decide to make the Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Dragons of Winter Night, and Dragons of Spring Dawning--I hope that it's half as well done as the Hobbit! Other movies I'd love to see made into live versions: The Last Unicorn, Ariel, Elminster and Drizzt. (If you don't know these books and characters, shame on you! Go to your library or buy them on Amazon, and READ!)

Amazing gift for a fan of Hobbit.

Avec sa double trilogie Tolkien, Peter Jackson a fait mieux qu’entrer dans l’histoire du 7ème art, il a fait l’histoire. Jamais avant lui aucun artiste n’avait écrit, développé, produit et réalisé une telle œuvre. Plus proche challenger aux côtés de Max Pécas, malheureusement oublié par les académies des cinq continents, Georges Lucas, qui n’a ni écrit ni réalisé la première trilogie de sa Guerre des Étoiles n’a jamais eu la maestria spielbergienne qui a permis au Néozélandais de poser sur la cheminée de son trou de Hobbit les Oscar, Golden Globe, British Film Academy, Director Guild Award et Critics’ Choice Award du meilleur réalisateur et scénariste. Seul autre prétendant au titre, James Cameron a depuis des lustres lâché son Terminator pour se consacrer au modélisme aquatique. Pourtant prometteuse, sa trilogie Avatar, annoncée depuis huit ans, n’a toujours pas décollé des tiroirs de son bureau. Comme (et après) Lucas avec son ILM, Jackson a révolutionné l’industrie des effets spéciaux avec son WETA. Autant l’écrire une bonne fois pour toutes, sans Jackson et sa double trilogie, il n’y aurait eu ni Avatar, ni Planètes des Singes, ni Tintin, ni Batman Vs Superman, ni Wolverine II, ni Iron Man III, ni King Kong … ni le dernier Fantastic Four et sa chose façon Monsieur Hankey de South Park (ok, ils auraient pu nous l’épargner mais, d’un autre côté, c’était tout de même furieusement drôle). Avec son Hobbit, Jackson proposait un double défi : transformer une œuvre littéraire Bibliothèque Verte plutôt rosée réservée aux enfants en un film s’adressant au public plus adulte (ou post ado) du Seigneur des Anneaux tout en développant une trilogie à partir d’un matériau pouvant largement tenir dans une seule bonne grosse bobine de trois heures. Prétextant qu’ils avaient piscine, Sam Raimi et Guillermo Del Toro ont jeté l’éponge devant la difficulté du turbin, le second restant au générique comme porteur de crayons. À l’origine du projet, Jackson l’a donc ramassé. A-t-il réussi son combat ? Après visionnage de l’ensemble de la version (relativement) courte des trois films passée en salle, les avis restent partagés. Après un premier opus plan (mais alors vraiment plan) plan puis un second volet grouillant d’idées et de morceaux de bravoure à ne plus savoir qu’en faire, le dernier épisode, débutant curieusement là où aurait dû s’achever le précédent, semblait, bien que mené tambour battant, bancal. Si visuellement et acoustiquement, la copie était comme d’habitude sans faute avec sa réalisation, ses décors, ses effets, son montage et sa bande son hors normes, point de vue montage, il y avait quelque chose de pourri au Royaume d’Erebor. Il fallait donc bien cette dernière version longue en blu-ray pour donner un avis définitif tant sur cette « Bataille » que sur la qualité globale de l’œuvre. Longue, enfin pas tout à fait puisqu’avec ses 2 heures 24, la version ciné de ce dernier volet était déjà plus courte que la version ciné des deux précédents opus (2 heures 41 et 49). Avec ses 164 minutes top chrono, soit un peu plus de 20 minutes de rabiot, cette version longue est elle aussi la plus courte des versions longues. Elle est désormais aussi la plus efficace. Sans grande surprise en effet, c’est la bataille qui bénéficie à elle seule de tous les rajouts. Et le résultat dépasse toutes les attentes. Au programme des inédits : un affrontement entre les troupes de Thranduil et celles de Dain, de nouveaux combats intermédiaires mettant en scène les nains, les elfes, Thranduil, Gandalf, et de nouveaux trolls en armures et chaines ; la fin tragique d’Alfrid et une course de chariot à béliers façon Ben Hur On Ice sans Candelorot ni Pechalat mais avec Balin, Dwalin, Kili, Fili, moult Wargs et surtout Bofur en Puppet Master déchainé. Nettement plus clair que dans sa version salle, l’affrontement des cinq armées est maintenant non seulement plus lisible mais aussi mieux rythmé. Deux bémols cependant. On attendait tout d’abord les Funérailles de Thorin et le couronnement de son cousin. Les deux scènes sont bien là mais durent à elles deux moins de quatre minutes. Ensuite, on aurait aimé un peu plus de temps d’antenne pour Beorn dont la revanche sur les Orcs promettait. Avec 30 secondes de présence, on reste légèrement frustré. Il reste au final que malgré tous les bons points qui surpassent largement les petites déceptions, le résultat sera sans doute décevant pour beaucoup. Avec ce dernier opus, Jackson confirme en effet qu’il a rencontré depuis un petit bout de temps les limites de son projet. En allongeant le livre originel qui était parfaitement équilibré, il a introduit des éléments de déséquilibre qu’il n’a jamais réussi à intégrer parfaitement. Si cette version étendue est bien meilleure que la version cinéma, elle n’en reste pas moins limitée à deux scènes : le raid de Smaug sur Lacville et l’affrontement des cinq armées. Les scènes intermédiaires, dont l’évasion de Gandalf reste sans grand intérêt. Dès lors, pour ceux qui n’ont pas aimé la version salle, cette nouvelle version ne sera pas plus satisfaisante. En revanche, pour les inconditionnels de Tolkien et de Jackson, dont je suis, c’est évidemment un must à ne pas manquer. Les bonus sont quant à eux toujours aussi copieux et intéressants et permettent, si quelqu’un en doutait encore, de prendre conscience de l’ampleur du boulot réalisé par toutes les équipes. Quant à la statuette de Bilbo Baggins et Gandalf, d’une excellente facture, elle vaut largement à elle seule le prix du coffret. Plus en tout cas que la version de nos voisins anglais et allemands comprenant un cahier Clairefontaine imitation carnet de Bilbo. Bref, une édition limitée à posséder par tous les cinéphiles. Au côté de la version courte désormais à un prix plus qu’abordable, version essentielle pour la comparaison.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quattro anziché cinque stelle solo per l’imprecisione nell’indicare le lingue ed i sottotitoli del film. Non recensirò il film, in quanto è risaputo essere un capolavoro della produzione firmata P. Jackson, già dopo il precedente capolavoro de Il Signore degli Analli. Entrambe pellicole che chiudono un ventennio di lavori per concretizzare sul grande schermo i libri di J.R.R. Tolkien. Il cofanetto arriva in perfette condizioni con la bellezza di 4 DVD: 2 dischi per schermi 3D, 2 dischi per schermi tradizionali. Non sono in grado di recensire i dischi per schermi 3D, in quanto non ne posseggo uno. Tuttavia gli altri 2 dischi mostrano una risoluzione 1920x1080 (circa) con audio e video perfetti. Una piccola precisazione in merito alle lingue e sottotitoli mostrati sul retro della copertina, rispetto a quelli del menù dei dischi. Ho acquistato questo cofanetto, in quanto possedevo già il secondo film (La Desolazione di Smaug) che mostra le stesse inesattezze (v. sotto) e speravo di non acquistare un'edizione sbagliata. Mi è andata bene! LINGUE: esattamente sono: INGLESE, INGLESE narrazione descrittiva, FRANCESE, ITALIANO, CINESE (verificare per correttezza l'immagine allegata) SOTTOTITOLI: esattamente sono: INGLESE non udenti, FRANCESE, ITALIANO non udenti, OLANDESE, CINESE (verificare per correttezza l'immagine allegata) Spero che aver specificato con precisione le LINGUE ed i SOTTOTITOLI del film, ti possa essere UTILE.

Classic movie, love the whole series, must own for all fans of the series

Movie just as described by seller - very happy with the product.