Well, we have at last come to the Mountain, to the final great battle, to the end of the road for both Bilbo and his band of dwarves, and for the Peter Jackson era of the Middle-earth saga.

We have gone there and back again, and this, being Jackson’s sixth film in his series, has brought us full circle in his renditions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved stories. As the third and final installment, The Battle of the Five Armies movie does not fail in giving action, war, and fighting as well as a moving plot line.

The story literally picks up right where the second movie left off and we see the enormous, fearsome dragon named Smaug glowing in flames and terrorizing the town of Lake-town and setting it ablaze.

Honestly, I have never seen a more beautiful dragon. With his glowing golden eyes and armor scales, Smaug is one of the most terrifying, yet entrancing CGI dragons I have ever seen in film. Not to mention, the silky voice behind the fangs, Benedict Cumberbatch, made Smaug even more haunting.

However, to my dismay, Smaug is quickly slain by Bard, who nearly impossibly strikes Smaug with the last black arrow. With the dragon’s threat eliminated, the responsibility falls on Bard to take care of the people of Lake-town. He leads them to the Mountain in hopes of finding refuge with Thorin, the newfound King of the Dwarves.

With the news of the great dragon’s death, it is only predictable that armies would start mobilizing in order take control of the mountain.

Thranduil, the Elven King and his army soon arrives to reclaim Elvish jewel heirlooms that were once guarded by Smaug. Bard tries to make a deal with Thorin to keep the Elves at bay and to receive the payment the future king once promised in hopes to help the people of Lake-town rebuild their lives.

However, in his desperation to reclaim his home and his throne, Thorin has succumbed to Smaug’s “dragon sickness,” which causes him to become obsessed with power, gold, and finding the Arkenstone, a precious stone that is the symbol of the Dwarf King’s power. He rejects Bard’s offer and prepares for war. Soon enough a raging war breaks out: the army of dwarves, elves, and men versus the Orcs army.

Just as in The Lord of the Rings films, we are treated to scene after scene though this film of this lovely world of Middle Earth. Whether it is a shot of the vast landscapes, the view when Thorin is standing on the frozen waterfall, or sweeping shots of the battle itself, this film is nothing but visually beautiful accompanied by an equally beautiful score.

Peter Jackson makes the point of tying the story of The Hobbit to the larger War of the Ring by incorporating a brief return of Sauron, the infamous red fire “All Seeing Eye” from The Lord of the Rings films. Gandalf was being held prisoner and it is when Galadriel, Saruman, and Elrond fight of the Ring Wraiths and Galadriel banishes Sauron in a display of rather creepy Elf magic. This is just a reminder of the evil, wars, and quests that will arise later in the story.

Another instance of Jackson tying this part of the story to the next is at the end of the film, when Thranduil sends Legolas off to find Strider, later known as Aragorn, who plays an essential part in the Lord of the Rings series. This also helps provide some origin to their later companionship. Furthermore, Thorin gives Bilbo the silver armor vest, which makes fans remember that later in the story Bilbo gives that vest to his grandson, Frodo Baggins.

J.R.R Tolkien, himself did not create particularly deep characters when writing The Hobbit as he did writing his other series, however Peter Jackson successfully writes and portrays compelling and moving characters as well as relationships such as the friendship between Thorin and Bilbo. That being said, Jackson has definitely created a story that deviates from Tolkien’s original tale, for it was merely an adventure, not an epic quest and war. Nevertheless, regular moviegoers and fans alike can enjoy these films as separate experiences from that of the book.

The casting is part of why this movie worked so well; Martin Freeman is the perfect Bilbo, Richard Armitage is powerful and fierce as Thorin, and of course Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett are spectacular as well as the majority of the cast.

As an avid Lord of the Rings fan, I will forever love the epic, fantastical, and medieval world of Middle Earth presented in the original series and Jackson’s new renditions are wonderful additions. This last Extensive battle scenes, gorgeous cinematography, and a tragic ending that beautifully tied these stories to the Lord of the Rings, all wrapped up in a tidy two and a half hours.

Despite being teary-eyed, the last scenes of this movie were hopeful and I was left with a strong desire to go home and marathon The Lord of the Rings movies, which I did.