The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" Blu-ray, available in both MVC-encoded 3D and AVC-encoded 2D formats, is stunningly detailed and vibrant. Despite minor discrepancies such as occasional shadow crush and some color anomalies due to aggressive digital grading, the visual quality is commendable. Colors predominantly feature bleak, wintry hues, with gray, blue, and purple tones dominating throughout, contrasted by rare moments of richer hues, like during Smaug's attack. Exceptional detail is evident in sharp edges and refined textures, rendering armor, fabric textures, and even complexions with lifelike precision. The high contrast ensures excellent visibility, revealing meticulous details in background objects and landscape features despite some trivial aliasing and marginal brightness inconsistencies.

The 3D rendition elevates the visual experience further, seamlessly weaving depth and dimensionality without the intrusiveness of typical 3D gimmickry. Scenes exhibit a pronounced sense of space, with battle sequences offering a breathtaking depth of field, extending fields and chaotic scenes deep into the background. Arrows and weapons seemingly pierce through the screen, enhancing the immersive battle scenes. Characters are realistically separated from their backgrounds, achieving a believable three-dimensionality. The overall 3D imagery maintains clarity without succumbing to crosstalk or aliasing issues that can compromise the viewing experience. Even during the most chaotic moments, the blend of sharp clarity and engaging depth ensures that viewers remain entirely engrossed in Jackson’s expansive fantasy world.

In essence, "The Battle of the Five Armies" Blu-ray boasts an outstanding video presentation that showcases high-definition visuals with exceptional attention to detail. Whether in 2D or 3D, the visual fidelity complements the epic scope of the narrative while retaining the artistic intentions of its creators. This Blu-ray is a testament to meticulous craftsmanship in video presentation, promising an engaging and immersive viewing experience for fans and newcomers alike.

The audio presentation of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" Blu-ray Extended Edition delivers an immersive and technically sophisticated experience with its DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track. The sound design captures every dynamic element of Peter Jackson's epic conclusion. Dragons roar, fires rage, swords clash, and arrows fly, all with remarkable clarity and weight. The auditory detail is superb, seamlessly integrating each sound effect into a cohesive and engaging soundfield. Low-end output is hearty and powerful, lending a visceral heft to every battle scene. Rear speaker activity enthralls the listener with precise directional effects and slick cross-channel pans, generating an enveloping 360° soundstage that plunges one straight into the heat of battle.

Dialogue is consistently clear and intelligible amidst the clamor of conflict, benefiting from flawless prioritization that ensures voices remain convincingly grounded. The mid-range frequencies are exquisitely defined, contributing to an expansive and engaging acoustic environment. Even minute sounds, such as the pop and sizzle of crackling fire, are rendered with distinct precision. Howard Shore's musical score benefits from appreciable bass depth, though it occasionally lacks the ultra-low-end punch found in previous installments. Despite this minor shortcoming, the dynamic range remains impressive, making every orchestral swell and battle cry resonate with thrilling intensity.

The rear channels provide subtle ambient effects that enhance the scenes of war and mayhem, delivering a satisfying and immersive auditory experience. Whether it is battle cries surrounding the listener or arrows whizzing overhead, the mix creates a stunningly realistic aural landscape. While it may not reach the absolute depths of its predecessors in terms of bass performance, this final installment in The Hobbit trilogy offers a magnificent and deeply enjoyable lossless audio track, brimming with energy and meticulously crafted sound design.

The Blu-ray edition of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" offers a comprehensive and deeply engaging array of extras that give fans a thorough behind-the-scenes look at the film's production. From in-depth audio commentaries by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens to feature-length documentaries on the creation of iconic battle scenes, Middle-earth enthusiasts will find much to appreciate. Highlights include detailed explorations of the New Zealand locations, heartfelt farewell tributes to cast members, and extensive breakdowns of the visual effects. The Appendices, spanning multiple hours and discs, stand out for their meticulous coverage of every aspect of filmmaking, from costume design to post-production. The supplemental materials effectively capture the challenges, excitement, and creative ingenuity behind this epic conclusion to the trilogy.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: Filmmaker Peter Jackson and co-writer Philippa Boyens deliver an engaging, frank dissection of the film.
• New Zealand: Home to Middle-Earth Part 3: Overview of the NZ locations used for Middle-earth.
• In the Dungeons of the Necromancer: Behind-the-scenes look at Dol Guldur's set and performances.
• Fire and Water: Making of Lake-town's destruction and Smaug's death.
• Under the Shadow of the Mountain: Challenges faced during remote location filming.
• In the Wake of the Dragon: Enthusiastic extras and on-set surprises at Lake Pukaki.
• The Gathering of the Clouds: Time crunch during the final stages of filming, with morale-boosting fun.
• Many Partings: Emotional goodbyes as principal photography wraps.
• The Clouds Burst: High spirits interrupted by an on-set fire.
• A Last Desperate Stand: Final performances by key cast members.
• Out from the Gate: The Dwarves' charge out of Erebor and Martin Freeman's farewell.
• The Last Stage: The emotional final days of shooting and wrap ceremony.
• Beneath the Thunder: Documentary on the creation of the final battle sequence.
• The People and Denizens of Middle-earth: Focus on casting and design of key characters.
• Realms of the Third Age: Construction and design work for key locations.
• Farewell, Friends!: Final reflections on a fifteen-year journey.
• Butt-Numb-a-Thon 2011 Greeting: Birthday video for Harry Knowles from Peter Jackson, Ian McKellen, and Eric Quint Vespe.
• The Real Adam Brown: Exposé on actor Adam Brown.
• Music Video: "Rivers of Gold" by Jed Nori Brophy.
• Andrew Lesnie Remembered: Tribute to the late cinematographer.

Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" offers a mixed bag of spectacle and narrative flaws in its Blu-ray Extended Edition. Though enriched with an additional 20 minutes, the extended cut tends to exacerbate the film's issues, adding slight character beats and extended sequences that do little to advance the story meaningfully. The film commences with an explosive, visually stunning attack on Laketown by Smaug, quickly shifting focus to Thorin's spiral into madness and the build-up to the titular battle. Unfortunately, the rush to resolve Smaug's storyline and Sauron's defeat diminishes their impact, resulting in an anticlimactic and hurried first act. The added scenes, such as Gandalf's extended skirmish at Dol Guldur and Thranduil's encounter with Dáin, provide more action but do not significantly improve the film's pacing or narrative coherence.

As the film progresses into its protracted second act, it becomes apparent how stretched thin the material is. The overuse of CGI creatures and expansive battle sequences, while technically impressive, lack the grounded emotional stakes that made "The Lord of the Rings" battles so compelling. Characters like Bilbo and Gandalf are sidelined, reducing their plot contributions to mere circumstantial roles. Instead, much of the screen time is devoted to Thorin's internal conflict and combat scenes that feel more like video game spectacles than integral plot developments. The climax, though filled with bombastic confrontations and decent character moments—such as Thorin’s fight with Azog—is often undercut by Jackson's penchant for cartoonish hijinks and a surprisingly high level of hyper-violence, unique for an R-rated version.

Ultimately, "The Battle of the Five Armies" is an entertaining but flawed conclusion to Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. While the Blu-ray's extended edition adds minor enhancements and intriguing battle elaborations, it simultaneously emphasizes the film’s narrative shortcomings and overly stretched scenario. It's a satisfying technical achievement but falls short of capturing the magic and depth of its predecessors.

Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" Blu-ray release, while technically proficient, fails to elevate the film's place in his Middle-earth saga. As the final chapter of both "The Hobbit" trilogy and the larger six-film series, this entry lands rather softly. The extended 164-minute cut does little to enhance the relatively uninspired script and pacing issues. The film is characterized by a series of showdowns that deliver closure but lack profound impact or originality. Nevertheless, the solid performances from the stellar cast and some memorable character moments lend it enough dignity to avoid complete disappointment.

Technically, Warner's Extended Edition Blu-ray release is impressive, highlighted by excellent video quality and a powerful DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track that deliver an immersive viewing experience. Adding to the appeal is an extensive array of special features, amassing over ten hours of content, which are arguably more compelling than the feature film itself. This bounty includes behind-the-scenes looks, production diaries, and in-depth explorations of the filmmaking process, all sure to satisfy dedicated fans.

In conclusion, while "The Battle of the Five Armies" may be the weakest installment in Jackson's epic journey through Middle-earth, it benefits from a commendable Blu-ray presentation. The technical attributes and extensive supplementary material provide substantial value, making it a worthwhile purchase for completists and Tolkien enthusiasts alike.