13 Problems That Almost Ruin The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies
5. Its An Endless Commemoration Rather Than A Celebration
As Peter Jacksons almost sombre presentation at the London premiere of the film confirmed, this final film wasnt just an event movie but also a full-stop on a film-making experience that had lasted since the mid-90s. As the director offered his melancholic reflection that everything was over, you really got the feeling that he had felt the end in very real terms. Unfortunately that has bled into the film in a big way. Rather than being a balls-out celebration of the Hobbit story and the climactic battle, the film is haunted by the fact that this is where the journey ends. Everything is over-shadowed by an almost maudlin sentimentality: as if the ceremony of the film was more important than the actual substance, and its hard not to feel like its a bit of a gravestone that came before any actual death. Some have read that tone as a reflection of the grimness of the story, and perhaps there is some of that, but the endless slow motion and the portentous moments and fan service muddy the waters a little too much.
