Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny that Peter Jackson’s sprawling fantasy sagas anchored in Tolkien’s Middle Earth aren’t grandiose spectacles. They’ve come to define the season – winter – and spruce up the dreary, cold months with much-needed adventure. So, for many fans, the next week will be a poignant affair, as the last instalment, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies, hits theatres. For those who are less in tune with the intricate plots, characters and battles, then this final trailer might be of some use.
Serving as a recapper, it delves back into Middle Earth’s history, bringing us all up to date on what’s happened in the trilogy so far. As pointed out rather astutely by The Playlist, if anything it serves to remind us that what’s essentially a Tolkien pamphlet didn’t require three overlong movies to do its story justice. With that in mind, there will still be the obligatory extended cut hitting home video next year – because we need more footage of dwarves – and Ian McKellen has even stated we haven’t seen the last of Jackson’s Middle Earth. But for now, this is still the final chapter in Bilbo’s journey, which you can catch in full on the big screen very soon, indeed.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies opens in the UK on December 12th, and in the U.S. on December 17th.
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.
Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. 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.