The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

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The name Battle of Five Armies refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Battle of Five Armies (disambiguation).


The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy. It is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit, although some elements are taken from the story and The Apprendices of The Lord of the Rings. The film premiered in London on 1 December 2014, and saw release in most of Europe on 10 December and North America on 17 December of the same year. It was preceded by An Unexpected Journey in 2012 and The Desolation of Smaug in 2013.

Synopsis

“From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

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.
Warner Bros. Press Release[4]

Plot

Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves watch from the Lonely Mountain as the Dragon Smaug destroys Lake-town. Bard breaks out of prison and kills Smaug with the Black Arrow (brought to him by his son Bain), whose falling body crushes the fleeing Master of Lake-town. Bard - chosen as the new leader - and the people of Lake-town seek refuge in the ruins of Dale. Upon learning of her banishment from the Woodland Realm, Tauriel travels to investigate Gundabad with Legolas (having previously tracked Bolg there).

Upon arriving at Erebor, Fíli, Kíli, Bofur, and Óin are informed by Bilbo that Thorin has been inflicted with Smaug's "dragon sickness" as he searched for the Arkenstone. It is revealed that Bilbo actually stole the Arkenstone from Smaug, but knows it should be hidden from Thorin, who orders the entrance of the Lonely Mountain be sealed off.

Meanwhile, having become a prisoner in Dol Guldur, Gandalf is saved by Galadriel. She carries an unconscious Gandalf into a more open area while being taunted by the Necromancer. Elrond, Saruman, and Radagast arrive to help rescue the Grey Wizard. Gandalf is saved by Galadriel and given to Radagast while Elrond and Saruman hold off the Nazgûl. Sauron appears to them with the Nine at his side. Using the power of Nenya and her Phial, Galadriel takes on the Dark Lord and the Ringwraiths, banishing them out of the fortress. Galadriel falls back fainting as Elrond supports her, realizing she has used her full strength in order to cast him away. Though Elrond believes they must warn the Free peoples of the enemy's return, Saruman tells him to take Galadriel to safety while he deals with Sauron.

Radagast provides Gandalf a horse and his staff before riding to Dale. At that time, Azog the Defiler approaches the Lonely Mountain with his vast Orc army while learning from Bolg that an Elf army under the lead of Thranduil is also approaching. Azog tells Bolg to head to Gundabad and ready their other army. Following Bolg to the fortress of Gundabad, Legolas and Tauriel see Bolg with another army of Orcs and hundreds of war-bred bats. They decide to return to Lake-town to warn the others.

When Thranduil's army arrives in Dale, he forges an allegiance with Bard to claim a necklace of white gems from Thorin's treasure. Though Bard attempts to reason with Thorin to avoid further bloodshed, the stubborn Dwarf refuses to listen, much to his Company's dismay. As they prepare for the battle, Thorin gives Bilbo a mithril vest. Thorin begins to talk like Smaug, telling Bilbo that he will never share the treasure with Bard and Thranduil, not wanting to part with a single coin.

After Gandalf arrives at Dale, Bilbo sneaks out of the Lonely Mountain to hand the Arkenstone over to Thranduil and Bard. Inside the camp, Thranduil reminds Gandalf that he is the one who started all this and he will finish it. The next day, the Elf army and the armed people of Lake-town gather at the entrance of the Lonely Mountain to confront the Dwarves. Thranduil and Bard ride at the front, where Thorin threatens to kill them if they get any closer. Bard unveils the Arkenstone at the gates of Erebor and Thorin learns of Bilbo's actions and almost kills the Hobbit. Luckily, Gandalf approaches at the front with Bard and Thranduil, telling Thorin that Bilbo is his to keep. The other Dwarves hold back their leader so Bilbo can escape down the wall to Gandalf. Then, a Dwarf company under Dáin Ironfoot arrives and attacks the Elves, but Azog's Orc army unexpectedly arrives through underground tunnels created by were-worms.

Thus, the Battle of the Five Armies begins as Azog sends one half of his army to attack the Lonely Mountain with Dáin's force defending it. While Thranduil assists Dáin, Azog sends the rest of his forces to attack Dale with Bilbo, Gandalf, Bard, and the other Elves coming to its defense. Gandalf, Thranduil, Bard, and Dain do the best they can to hold off the Orc armies as more and more come, killing more Dwarves, Men, and Elves. Meanwhile, Alfrid takes a pile of treasure and hides in an abandoned catapult, which flings him into a troll's mouth, killing both of them.

Inside the Lonely Mountain, Thorin eventually overcomes his madness after a lengthy hallucination. Thorin and Company burst out of the Mountain and join the battle, much to Dáin's delight. While the others aid what remains of Dáin's forces, Thorin, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, and Kíli ride to Ravenhill in a Dwarven chariot, killing numerous Orcs, Wargs and Trolls in the process. At the same time, Legolas and Tauriel set off for Ravenhill with Bilbo following to warn the Dwarves of the second Orc army. Azog captures Fíli and stabs him in the back before throwing him off of a cliff. Bilbo is knocked out, while Bolg stabs Kíli in the chest. After Legolas kills Bolg, the Great Eagles arrive, led by Radagast and Beorn, to assist in the battle, quickly decimating the Orc army. When Bilbo regains consciousness, he finds that Thorin has killed Azog but was mortally wounded in the process and dies soon after making his peace with the Hobbit. Sometime after, a disillusioned Legolas decides to leave his father's Realm. Thranduil urges him to go North to meet with one of the Dúnedain, a Man who goes by the name of "Strider". Thranduil, after seeing Tauriel kiss Kíli's dead body, finally accepts Tauriel's love for Kíli and agrees with her plan to bury the Dwarf.

Bilbo bids farewell to the surviving members of Thorin's Company, telling them they are welcome to join him for tea whenever they are in the Shire, to which he returns with Gandalf. As they part on the outskirts of the Shire, Gandalf reveals that he knows of the Ring that Bilbo found in the Goblin tunnels (though unaware that it was the One Ring) before they part ways on good terms. Bilbo's story ends when he returns to Bag End and finds the townspeople are auctioning off his belongings and are about to sell his house. The scene transitions to Bilbo on the day of his 111th birthday when he receives a visit from Gandalf, ending where The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring begins.

Scenes

  1. Fire and Water
  2. Bard the Dragon-slayer**
  3. Dungeons of the Dark Lord
  4. Shores of the Long Lake
  5. Not at Home
  6. "Others Will Now Look to the Mountain"
  7. Legions of the Defiler
  8. The Mark of Gundabad
  9. Attack on Dol Guldur**
  10. "Summon Our Friends"**
  11. The King's Jewel
  12. The Ruins of Dale
  13. Erebor Fortified
  14. The Elven-king's Aid**
  15. The Gathering of the Clouds
  16. A Token of Friendship
  17. The Shadow of Gundabad
  18. "The Last Move in a Master Plan"
  19. Bolg of the North
  20. The Night Watch*
  21. A Thief in the Night
  22. An Honest Burglar**
  23. Dáin Ironfoot**
  24. The Clouds Burst**
  25. The Battle at Dale
  26. The Darkest Hour**
  27. Dragon Sickness
  28. The Return of Thorin Oakenshield
  29. Sons of Durin
  30. "To the King!"**
  31. A Call to Arms**
  32. Thorin's Plan**
  33. The War Chariot*
  34. Courage and Cowardice**
  35. The Fifth Army
  36. Scouting Ravenhill
  37. Blood of the Eldar
  38. An Unforeseen Remedy*
  39. The Fallen
  40. The Battle at Ravenhill**
  41. To the Death**
  42. Parting in Friendship
  43. The Sorrow of Elves
  44. Eyes That Fire and Sword Have Seen
  45. King Under the Mountain*
  46. The Return Journey
  47. The Last Stage
  48. Credits

* denotes a scene only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.
** denotes a scene which includes extended content only available in the Extended Edition cut of the film.

Cast

See also: The Hobbit (film series)#Main cast
Actor Role
Ian McKellen Gandalf
Martin Freeman Bilbo
Richard Armitage Thorin
Ken Stott Balin
Graham McTavish Dwalin
William Kircher Bifur
James Nesbitt Bofur
Stephen Hunter Bombur
Dean O'Gorman Fíli
Aidan Turner Kíli
John Callen Óin
Peter Hambleton Glóin
Jed Brophy Nori
Mark Hadlow Dori
Adam Brown Ori
Orlando Bloom Legolas
Evangeline Lilly Tauriel
Lee Pace Thranduil
Cate Blanchett Galadriel
Hugo Weaving Elrond
Christopher Lee Saruman
Ian Holm Old Bilbo
Benedict Cumberbatch Smaug
Mikael Persbrandt Beorn
Sylvester McCoy Radagast
Luke Evans Bard
Stephen Fry Master of Lake-town
Ryan Gage Alfrid
John Bell Bain
Peggy Nesbitt Sigrid
Mary Nesbitt Tilda
Manu Bennett Azog
John Tui Bolg
Benedict Cumberbatch Necromancer
Billy Connolly Dáin
Mark Mitchinson Braga
Kelly Kilgour Soury
Sarah Peirse Hilda Bianca
Nick Blake Percy
Simon London Feren
Conan Stevens Keeper of the Dungeons
Allan Smith Ragash
Miranda Harcourt Olga
Thomasin McKenzie Astrid
Erin Banks Lobelia Sackville Baggins
Brian Hotter Otho Sackville Baggins
Timothy Bartlett Master Worrywort
Merv Smith Tosser Grubb
Martin Kwok Voice of Ragash
Dee Bradley Baker, Olof Johnsson, Jon Olson, Otep Shamaya, Debra Wilson Creature Voices

Deviations from the source material

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies covers the final seven chapters of The Hobbit with a few elements added from the Appendices from The Lord of the Rings. While it generally follows the story, a number of liberties were still taken:

  • There is no thrush telling Bard of Smaug's weak point while trying to kill him (having been replaced by the legend that Girion had loosened a scale on the Dragon's breast in the previous film). Also, his son Bain assists Bard by bringing him the last Black Arrow.
  • Smaug directly confronts Bard after several of the Bowman's arrows deflect his hide, whereas the Dragon was unaware of him and was shot down while airborne in the book.
  • The Master of Lake-town dies by Smaug falling on his boat while trying to escape Lake-town instead of starvation in the desert.
  • The storyline concerning Legolas and Tauriel (who is an original character) both riding to Gundabad where they discover a second Orc army - led by Bolg - is headed to Erebor (along with thousands of bats) is invented for the film. It's this army that is designated as the fifth army in the film's eponymous battle instead of the Warg army, as in the book.
  • Also at Gundabad, Legolas divulges to Tauriel that his mother had been killed there, though there is never any mention of her in Tolkien's writings.
  • As all of the members of Thorin and Company reached the Lonely Mountain together in the first place; in the books, Óin, Bofur, Fíli and Kíli are not later coming to the Mountain alone.
  • Galadriel does not free Gandalf in Dol Guldur in the books, as he never got captured in them, and he is not told to be too weak to actively participate in the Attack on Dol Guldur. Also, the Extended Edition shows an Orc attempting to take Narya from Gandalf at Sauron's command, although Sauron never exactly knew where the Three Rings were or who carried them. Furthermore, it is said that only Ring-bearers are able to see the Rings while they are worn by other Ring-bearers.
  • In the books, there is no hint that the Nazgûl were present during the Attack on Dol Guldur launched by the White Council.
  • Sauron says "The Kingdom of Angmar [shall] rise," yet the source material gives no hint that Sauron intended to restore the Kingdom of Angmar.
  • In The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf points out at the Council of Elrond that the victory was thanks to the devices of Saruman. In this film, however, it is chiefly Galadriel who expels Sauron with her phial.
  • The members of the White Council don't realize that Sauron has returned until they encounter him in Dol Guldur, but the books have Gandalf tell the other members this fact already 90 years prior to the Attack on Dol Guldur.
  • In the Extended Edition, Radagast gives his staff to Gandalf, since Sauron destroyed Gandalf's staff in their fight in the previous film.
  • Thranduil wishes to claim a particular Elven necklace of white gems from the Lonely Mountain. A deleted scene was meant to reveal that they were originally for his wife.
  • When Bilbo sneaks out of Erebor at night in the film's Extended Edition, Bofur is at watch instead of Bombur. Bilbo does not offer to relieve Bofur, but Bofur rather appears to somewhat understand Bilbo's motives and knowingly lets him go.
  • Gandalf says that Sauron wants to conquer the Lonely Mountain because of its "strategic position." In the books, Gandalf indeed fears that Sauron could ally with the Dragon, but the Dark Lord isn't concerned with the Battle of Five Armies or Erebor.
  • Azog isn't present at this point in the books, as he was killed during the Battle of Azanulbizar.
  • The huge animals called "Were-worms," which burrow tunnels to Erebor through which the Orc armies travel, never appear in that capacity in any of Tolkien's writings.
  • The Orcs have a watchtower on Ravenhill - which is overseen by Azog - that gives semaphore signals to the rest of the army.
  • Instead of a red axe, Dáin Ironfoot wields a red war hammer.
  • Since Bilbo is unconscious for most of the battle in the book and Tolkien offers only a few retrospective details of what happened, most things in the film's battle are invented, such the presence of Trolls, Ogres, war machinery, and battle rams.
  • At one point in the battle, the women of Lake-town decide to take up arms and fight alongside the men.
  • Instead of dying while defending their mortally wounded uncle, Fíli and Kíli are slain by Azog and Bolg, respectively, on Ravenhill before Thorin ever receives such injury.
  • Legolas returns Orcrist to Thorin during the battle by throwing it at (and stabbing) an Orc that Thorin was combating at that moment. In the book, it is in Thranduil's keeping until he lays it on Thorin's tomb at his funeral.
  • Instead of Beorn killing Bolg, it is Legolas who does so.
  • Thorin kills Azog after the Pale Orc mortally wounds him.
  • Thorin dies on Ravenhill without Beorn ever taking him to safety (though he still makes peace with Bilbo before doing so).
  • When Legolas informs his father he will not be returning to Mirkwood, Thranduil urges him to find a Man known as "Strider". Thranduil had little to nothing to do with the Rangers of the North in the books, and, during the events of The Hobbit, Aragorn is a mere 10 years old in legendarium (but was said to be 87 in the Extended Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers due to the omission of the 17-year gap between Bilbo's Farewell Party and Gandalf's return to the Shire in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring).
  • As in the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated film, most of Bilbo's return journey is omitted, as is Gandalf and Balin's subsequent visit to Bag End years later. The scene of Bilbo's belongings being auctioned off upon his return, however, remains.
  • The film ends with a callback to Gandalf's arrival at Bag End for Bilbo's Farewell Party at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Gallery

See also: Category:Images from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Pictures from The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Bard and Legolas  
Gandalf and Bard  
The Company inside Erebor  

Trailers

See also

External links

Reviews

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Titles and Release Dates Announced" dated 31 May 2011, The Hobbit Blog (accessed 21 December 2011)
  2. "Andy Serkis to serve as Second Unit Director" dated 8 April 2011, The Hobbit Blog (accessed 21 December 2011)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Peter Jackson, "Production begins in New Zealand on The Hobbit" dated 20 March 2011, Facebook (accessed 21 December 2011)
  4. "THE Hobbit 3 fact sheet: everything we know about The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", Warner Bros. (accessed 19 July 2014)
Licensed screen adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's works
Animation The Hobbit (1966) · The Hobbit (1977) · The Lord of the Rings (1978) · The Return of the King (1980) ·The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024, upcoming)
Live-action The Lord of the Rings film series The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) · The Two Towers (2002) · The Return of the King (2003)
The Hobbit film series An Unexpected Journey (2012) · The Desolation of Smaug (2013) · The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
TV series Hobitit (1993) · The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-present)


The Hobbit film series
Source material: The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
Films An Unexpected Journey (extended editionThe Desolation of Smaug (extended edition) · The Battle of the Five Armies (extended edition)
Music An Unexpected Journey (Special Edition) · The Desolation of Smaug (Special Edition) · The Battle of the Five Armies (Special Edition) · "Song of the Lonely Mountain" · "I See Fire" · "The Last Goodbye"
Tie-in books An Unexpected Journey Official Movie Guide · Visual Companion · Movie Storybook · Annual 2013 · Chronicles: Art & Design · Chronicles: Creatures & Characters · The World of Hobbits
The Desolation of Smaug Official Movie Guide · Visual Companion · Movie Storybook · Annual 2014 · Chronicles: Art & Design · Chronicles: Cloaks & Daggers · Smaug: Unleashing the Dragon · Activity Book · Sticker Book · Ultimate Sticker Collection
The Battle of the Five Armies Official Movie Guide · Visual Companion · Movie Storybook · Annual 2015 · Chronicles: Art & Design · Chronicles: The Art of War · Activity Book
Video games Kingdoms of Middle-earth · Armies of The Third Age · Lego The Hobbit
Characters Bilbo · Thorin · Gandalf · Balin · Fíli · Kíli · Dwalin · Dori · Nori · Ori · Óin · Glóin · Bifur · Bofur · Bombur · Smaug · Radagast · Elrond · Galadriel · Saruman · Azog · Bolg · Thranduil · Legolas · Tauriel · Bard · Bain · Tilda · Sigrid · Master of Lake-town · Alfrid · Dáin Ironfoot · Necromancer · Bert · William · Tom · Beorn · Thráin · Thrór · Goblin King · Gollum · Frodo