The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Movie, 2014, The Hobbit, Set in T.A. 2941
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is #6 of 9 in release order and #6 of 9 in chronological order in the Middle-earth.
The story
Following Smaug's attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor's mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo's hands.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies recap
Smaug burns Lake-town until Bard shoots him down with a black arrow, and Bard leads the survivors to the ruined city of Dale. Galadriel, Elrond and Saruman rescue Gandalf from Dol Guldur and drive out Sauron, and Saruman says he will deal with him. In Erebor, Thorin falls into dragon sickness, obsessed with the gold and the missing Arkenstone, and refuses to share the treasure promised to the people of the lake. Thranduil's elves join Bard, and Thorin's cousin Dain arrives with a dwarf army. Bilbo secretly hands the Arkenstone to Bard to force a deal, and Thorin nearly kills him for it. Then Azog's orc armies attack, and elves, men and dwarves fight together.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ending explained
Thorin shakes off the gold sickness and leads a charge. On Ravenhill he kills Azog but is mortally wounded, and he makes peace with Bilbo before he dies. Kili and Fili are killed too. Bilbo goes home to find his possessions being auctioned. Sixty years later, Gandalf knocks at Bag End on Bilbo's 111th birthday, which leads directly into The Fellowship of the Ring.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is streaming on HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 59%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, before The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Season 1).
- Chronological order: after The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
What to watch before The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
In release order, the essentials before The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012), and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013).
Cast
- Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey
- Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins
- Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield
- Orlando Bloom as Legolas
- Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel
- Luke Evans as Bard
- Lee Pace as King Thranduil
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug / Sauron (voice)
- Ken Stott as Balin
- Aidan Turner as Kili
- Dean O'Gorman as Fili
- Billy Connolly as Dain Ironfoot
Directed by Peter Jackson.