Movie Review: ***The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The Five Armies

This is my least favorite of the six Middle Earth Movies “The Hobbit” and “Fellowship of the Ring”.  The material in this movie, for the most part is not part of the Hobbit, and are not part of the Trilogy as written by J.R.R. Tolkien.  As a result it just seems to get lost with no real purpose.  I guess the director is trying to fill in some holes, but the movie could have been an hour shorter and not have lost anything.  It was like when a five minute fight scene would suffice, why don’t we make it a half hour just because.  As a result the film lost me and I was just hoping for it to end.  Even in ending, it took forever.  Ian McKellan plays Gandalf, Martin Freeman, Bilbo Baggins.  Orlando Bloom portrays Legolas. Richard Armitage as Thorin the King of the dwarves under the mountain.

Movie Review: ****The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.  It is much better than the first.  The relationships are more dynamic, there is much more drama, and Smaug is a scene stealer.  The special effects people did a great job bringing him to life.  This movie, like the first Hobbit, has a confrontation between Bilbo and a foe towards the end.  The first movie was with Gollum, and I had difficulty understanding anything he said.  This movie the confrontation was with Smaug, and I could understand the dragon very well.  Watching Bilbo struggle to manipulate in the pile of treasure because it was so deep, was humorous in a way.  It was like an avalanche of money and jewels.  This movie brings the orcs into the story.  They have been breeding across the lake under to watchful eye of Sauran.  However the area has been hidden through magical powers.  Gandolf breaks the hiding spell, but in the process gets himself caught.  Bilbo, and the dwarves wake the dragon under the mountain.  They make a good battle against him, but the movie ends with the dragon getting away, and on his way to seek revenge of the human inhabitants on the lake, who he assumes helped the dwarves invade his lair.  This is very entertaining.
Some of the important cast:
Ian McKellen Gandalf, wizard
Martin Freeman Bilbo, Hobbit
Richard Armitige Thorin, King of the dwarves
Orlando Bloom, Legolas, elf
Evengeline Lilly, Tauriel, elf who befriends a dwarf

Movie Review: ***Three Musketeers (2011)

 Three Musketeers was fun.  Tony and I saw this.  Tony was interested in seeing the sword play, and was not disappointed.  The story was very repetitive in comparison to other versions of the same story.  The only addition was the flying ships, which really added some fun to the story.  They had two men-of-war, which were attached to dirigibles, and had a fine battle.  This movie is worth seeing just for the battle between these two vessels.  However other than that the story has been told before.  Mathew Macfadyen stars as Athos and Milla Jovovich as Milady Winter.  Logan Lermon is the young D'artagnan.  The other musketeers are Luke Evans as Aramis and Ray Stevenson as Porthos.  Orlando Bloom plays Duke Ellington.