It was perhaps foolish to expect much of an appearance by Sauron, but the Hobbit as an extended film experience was sold as a bridge between Tolkiens original text and the Lord Of The Rings films. Even when the idea of a single bridge film to fill in the 60 years after the Battle Of The Five Armies was scrapped, Jackson still seemed to promise a prequel to The Fellowship Of The Ring. In some respects he delivered - Legolas being sent to see the young ranger was a nice touch - and so too was the lead in to Bilbos 111th birthday party, but the single most intriguing element was brushed aside all too quickly. With Christopher Lee brought in as Sarumon there was always a hint that we might get to see the white wizards temptation by Sauron, but ultimately that only amounted to a mysterious twinkle in his eye and a promise that he should be the one to deal with the rising threat. There was no build to it, and little more than a flash of that now iconic flaming eye, and then that was it done. That still feels like a missed opportunity to tell a part of the story that genuinely deserved to be told, and while a lot of loose ends were tied, that barely hinted at question hangs heavy in the air at the end. Have you seen The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread and read our full review of the film here.
