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Bottom Line:  The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is an exciting finale to the previous two films in the franchise.  Viewers who enjoyed the previous films should be prepared for battle violence on a larger scale and a more emotionally intense mood throughout the film. 

MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence and frightening images.
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Age recommendation: 11+
Runtime: 144 Minutes
Starring: Ian McKellan, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbach, Luke Evans
Release Date: December 17, 2014

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies- Overview

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is Peter Jackson’s final installment of his epic series which began with: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.  The film opens as the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbach) breathes his fiery wrath on the people of Laketown.  Although the dragon is successfully destroyed by Bard the Bowman (Luke Evans), it is not until the town is ruined and many of its inhabitants are wounded or killed.  The survivors seek refuge in the town of Dale at the foot of the Lonely Mountain.

Up in the mountain, Thorin Oakensheild (Richard Armitage) has become entranced by the gold and slowly descends into madness and paranoia.  Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the other dwarves try to reason with him, but Thorin refuses to listen.  When Bard and the Elf Army arrive at the Lonely Mountain to request their share of the gold in payment for their help, Thorin refuses and pledges to go to war to protect what he deems is his.

Meanwhile, Gandalf (Ian McKellan) is imprisoned by the Orcs.  He is rescued by Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Radagast (Slyvester McCoy), and Saruman (Christopher Lee).  They discover that the treachery behind Gandalf’s imprisonment was caused by Sauron; Saruman follows Sauron to defeat him, leading into The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

Thorin’s cousin Dain Ironfoot (Billy Connolly) brings his dwarf army to support Thorin in battle.  However, the arrival of the Orc army forces the dwarves, men, and elves to unite forces in the great battle.  Loyalties are tested as the fight for survival overpowers the desire for gold.

The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies – Review and Information for Parents

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies naturally follows the previous two Hobbit films and audience members who have seen the first two will be pleased with the final outcome.  The major difference with this third installment is that fighting and confrontations are seen on a much grander scale.  Much of the film is fantasy war between a variety of creatures with massive battle scenes.  Although there isn’t a lot of blood, characters are seen getting decapitated, being stabbed, and being chased by other creatures.  However, I didn’t feel that the violence was gratuitous and many of the scenes are cut so quickly that the brutality is implied.  There is more of an emotional response to the violence as audience members have developed relationships and empathy with the characters over the previous two films.

 The theme of greed, especially Thorin’s dragon sickness for gold, is a strong discussion topic for tweens and teens.  The power of this greed blinds him to his promises and loyalties and he questions those around him.  Although this greed is seen in a fantasy element, the concept is one that can be very clear to young adults; they may be able to relate to the greed peers have for not only material items but also coveted positions on sports teams or other activities.  Tweens and teens may wish to discuss what leads to such an obsession in others and how to help those afflicted return to a sense of reality.

The theme of honor is always a prevalent one in fantasy films, but The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies shows not only a king’s honor to those who serve him, but also the honor of a father and a friend.  Some of the characters must choose to do something that is difficult but honorable.  A character asks another “does your word mean nothing?” Parents can discuss with their tweens and teens how making a right choice is often not the easy choice.  This is a similar theme seen in the Harry Potter series and tweens and teens who are familiar with both film franchises will note similarities between the two.

A final theme that is prevalent is that of home.  A character comments that if “more people would value home” then the world would be a better place.  As there are many different concepts of home presented, tweens and teens can discuss what qualities are essential in any home and how different places can represent a home.  As tweens and teens become more independent and spend time away from their family home, they may want to discuss what qualities they seek out in other types of homes and families, i.e. sports teams, church groups, musical clubs, etc.

Finally, as this is the end of the storyline, there is loss.  Some characters that tweens and teens have become attached to die.  Tweens and teens who have read J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit will enjoy discussing the similarities and differences between the film and book.  Those wanted to know “what comes next” may be inspired to watch The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

*Read a teen review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

The Hobbit:  The Battle of the Five Armies - Content Overview

Violence (High):  The majority of the film is an epic battle.  There is stabbing, sword and ax fighting, beheading, and hand-to-hand combat.  Although there isn’t a lot of blood, many bodies of dead creatures are seen.  As the dragon blows his fiery breath on the city, people are seen catching fire and homes are destroyed by the flames.

Scary Scenes (High):  The battle scenes are intense.  The dragon destroying the city and the fear of the people as they escape the flames may be frightening to some younger viewers.  Three wizards battle ghost-like warriors; the flashes of color and shadows may be unsettling to some viewers.  A character is seen floating dead under the ice.  A character is seen captured in a cage hanging over a cliff.

Sex/Nudity (None): There is no sex or nudity.

Drugs and Alcohol (Mild): Characters are seen drinking wine and a character prepares a pipe for smoking.

Language (Mild): Nothing noted.

Disrespectful/ Imitable Behavior (Medium): One character is seen stealing gold and hiding cowardly to save himself.  A character becomes consumed by greed.

Sad/ Unsettling Scenes (High): The emotional toll of the battle is very intense.  Some major characters are killed and the audience feels their loss through the grief of the characters on screen.  During the battle, there are times of hopelessness and futility.  Some characters leave and must say “good bye” to friends.

Movie Topics Kids Might Have Questions About: honor, loyalty, greed, family, mythical creatures, war

If your family enjoyed The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, then you might also enjoy other movies based on books for tweens and teens.