I’ve liked the first two entrants in the “Hobbit” trilogy, more so than the three “Lord of the Rings” movies, but this third Hobbit movie — serving as the bridge between the two series — is disappointing to me because it is more like the Lord of the Rings films.  Too much fighting, not enough Hobbiting.  My chief objection to the Rings trilogy concern the interminable battle scenes and the lengthy preparation for those interminable battle scenes.  Now, instead of “There and Back Again,” Peter Jackson has chosen to emphasize “The Battle of the Five Armies.”

I understand the temptation to fill the screen with dragon attacks, Orcs marching around, giants smashing their heads through brick walls and bloodless decapitations, but with so much slaughter it’s a wonder there is anyone left to populate Middle Earth.  For me the appeal of the Hobbit films is not the action but the interaction, especially between Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and the dwarves with whom he shares this particular adventure.  But Bilbo Baggins is barely in this movie, which focuses instead on Thorin’s (Richard Armitage) obsession with treasure.

Fans of the Rings trilogy will undoubtedly like this one more than the previous two Hobbit films.  Its style, tone, griminess, emphasis on battle and lack of humor definitely emulates the Rings films.  That’s fine, but it saddens me somewhat that the Hobbit adventure could not sustain its own lighter, enjoyable spirit.  At this point, I’m just glad the darn thing is finally over.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  7 January 2015.