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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
A Perfect Ending.
Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy has been pretty troubled so far. And though Desolation of Smaug was a HUGE improvement from An Unexpected Journey, it still lacked the magic and excellence of The Lord of the Rings. However, after seeing Battle of the Five Armies, I can say that PJ definitely upped his game. It was a brilliant, fitting way to end the Middle-Earth saga, and is easily the best in the trilogy. It seemed much more thought out than the previous too and had great emotional depth throughout. As for the battle itself? It may be long, but let me tell you, it is EPIC. After Helm's Deep, I didn't think Peter Jackson would be able to get any better. I was pleasantly surprised. Though a lot of it is CGI, the battle is carried out perfectly. The fighting, effects and acting are brilliant and everyone who worked on the film deserves a big pat on the back. BOFA is also very emotional, and had me biting back tears (Those who have read the book will understand why). Peter Jackson and his team really did themselves proud with this one, and deserve all the praise they are getting. It is a beautiful, touching and completely EPIC way to end the series. Goodbye, Middle-Earth.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Wow.
After seeing Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I was very excited when I heard a sequel was being made. And let me tell you, it does NOT disappoint. This is quite possibly one of THE greatest films I have ever seen. It is a huge improvement from the already amazing first film. Caesar has to be one of my favourite fictional characters now. Andy Serkis deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of him. There is enough action, emotion and epic special effects to keep anyone amused. The whole thing was just so perfectly put together. I really wouldn't be surprised if this wins Best Picture at next years Academy Awards. Whether your into sci-fi/action or not, this will not disappoint you. I strongly urge everyone to go and see this film. Trust me, its worth it.
War Horse (2011)
Beautiful, moving and well acted.
Being a HUGE fan of the book, I was anxious to see how Spielberg's film adaption would pan out (camera pun). I wasn't disappointed. This in my opinion has to be one of Stephen Spielberg's greatest films. It is simply beautiful. There are many new faces as well as some more well known actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch and David Thewlis. Jeremy Irvine plays the part of Albert brilliantly and gives a very convincing performance as a young farmers boy from Devon. His friendship with Joey the horse really is moving, and its Joeys dedication to Albert that really keeps the film going. You will really come to love him as he is raised by Albert, bought by a British cavalry officer (portrayed perfectly by Tom Hiddleston) and even captured by the Germans. With some truly heartbreaking and inspirational moments, this film is perfect for everyone. A really well made, decent war film. Well done Stephen Spielberg.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
An Unexpected Improvement.....
When you consider how brilliant the Lord Of The Rings films were, the first Hobbit movie was a bit of a let down. I was half expecting its sequel, The Desolation of Smaug to have the same flaws, as well as those classic 'middle chapter' issues. I was however, wrong. Although it did have some of the flaws seen in An Unexpected Journey, it was a huge improvement. Starting where the last film left of, we see Thorin Oakenshield's company running away from evil Azog's Orc pack. Unlike AUJ, Desolation Of Smaug gets going straight away. Within the first twenty minutes the Company are sprinting over fields and hills, desperately trying to get away from Beorn, a shape changer, who turns out to be neither friend or foe. As usual, the settings in this film are incredible, as are the costumes, makeup and prosthetics. Mirkwood was a particular favourite of mine. It was a perfect adaptation of how Tolkien described it in the book. Speaking of books, there was a few changes in DOS that weren't exactly popular. I understand translating a 300 page book and numerous appendices into a 9 hour trilogy must be hard, but even so, there was no need (in my opinion) to add Tauriel. Although I enjoyed her actions scenes, there really isn't any point of her being there. All she does is create an unnecessary 'love interest' for Kili and mess up the original story even more. The apparent love triangle between her, Kili and Legolas (who also shouldn't of been there) put a tiny bit of dampener on the whole thing. Negativity aside, Ian McKellen's faithful performance as Gandalf was as good as ever. Luke Evan's also did a fantastic job playing Bard, capturing the character exactly how I had imagined him. Stephen Fry also put in an admirable performance as the Master of Laketown. However the thing I love most of all was Smaug. Benedict Cumberbatch was perfect for the role and really deserves all the praise he gets. Not only was he terrifying, he was convincing. Overall it was a HUGE improvement on the first chapter, with plenty of action and near misses to keep you amused during the almost 3 hour run time (Goodness knows how long the Extended Editions are going to be). With this in mind, I have high hopes for the defining chapter, The Battle Of The Five Armies (Unless Jackson has changed it again....)which is being released this December.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
The Mona Lisa Of Films.............
It may be over 10 years old now, but Return Of The King definitely hasn't lost any of its shine. After a lucky victory at Helms Deep, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and there new friends from Rohan set out to Isengard to rescue Merry and Pippin. We also see Sam and Frodo bravely continuing there journey to Mt Doom, with the 'aid' of Gollum. The acting throughout this film is brilliant, with more amazing performances from Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) and of course, Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee). Andy Serkis (Gollum) also deserves a lot of credit. He did a fantastic job of playing Gollum and really put his heart and soul into creating such a memorable character. And with two major battles, this really is the icing on the cake for the Lord Of The Rings series. With stunning backdrops, impressive effects and a brilliant ensemble cast, this is a must see film for any fantasy fan. It also has the perfect balance of action, fantasy, romance and fighting. Looking back, its no wonder this film won 11 Oscars, and Peter Jackson deserves all the praise he gets for adapting Tolkiens wonderful stories onto the big screen. Whether you watch the original, or the extended edition, this film will NOT disappoint you.