The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition

Directed by Peter Jackson
Starring Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Luke Evans, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Billy Connolly, Ian Holm, Aidan Turner, James Nesbitt, Ryan Gage and Stephen Fry

by Joanna Orland

You’ll note from our original The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies review that we love a good Middle-earth epic.  Now that the finale of The Hobbit Trilogy comes with deleted scenes, there is even more epicness to love!  More scenes means more battles, and how can we not get caught up in Peter Jackson’s grandiose vision?

The most notable scene in the extended edition is the funeral of Thorin, Fíli, and Kíli.  This is a very touching moment in the film and gives the viewer a sense of closure after the dwarves’ lives are lost in battle.  In addition, this scene also includes Dáin’s coronation as the new king of Erebor.  Both elements are hugely important moments in the trilogy’s narrative, and after seeing them in this edition, it’s truly surprising that this wasn’t included in the original cut.

You’ll also note from our The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies press conference coverage that we love to get the scoop from behind the scenes.  The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition does not let us down with its bonus features.  In these, Peter Jackson discusses how taking over The Hobbit from Guillermo del Toro at such a late stage left him no time to prepare for production in the same way he did for Lord of the Rings.  He even began filming The Hobbit with most of it not even prepped at all.

Released just in time for Christmas, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition makes the perfect present for any Tolkien-Jackson fan who needs one more Hobbit fix.