When J.R.R. Tolkien’s son accused Peter Jackson of missing the point of the Middle-earth books two years ago, he was far from alone in his distaste for the director’s emphasis on spectacle above all else. If such disapproval bothers Jackson, the action auteur doesn’t let it show. In fact, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” which caps the trilogy, finds Jackson doubling down against his detractors by inserting a 45-minute battle sequence into his adaptation of the anti-war children’s book.
Growing tension between the Tolkien estate and Warner Brothers has all but guaranteed that “Five Armies” will be Jackson’s last time in Middle-earth, so this prequel to the “Lord of the Rings” is the filmmaker’s final opportunity to vindicate his thrill-seeking, special effects-heavy, more-female-friendly vision.