The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit (Martin Freeman), still gets top billing, but his role is dwarfed(pardon the pun) by other action. The fire-breathing dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch) rampages through a city, but the real dread comes from the curse of the dragon’s treasure: A dwarf (Richard Armitage) becomes obsessed with the riches, as two armies of Orcs prepare to attack, with men, dwarves and elves on the defensive. Other fighting animals join in the fray.

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No sex and very little profanity here (about 4 instances). The PG-13 Battle of the FiveArmies challenges ClearPlay mostly with – you guessed it – violence. Battle scenes abound, with scary dragon mayhem leading the way. ClearPlay cuts some of the intense battle stuff (beheadings, piercings, impalings), but hey, “battle” is still in the title, and fighting makes up a large part of the movie. Young viewers may be scared by all the fighting, but teens and above should be okay.

Is this Hobbit a Battle Royale?...

As a big fan of the Tolkien books, I’m sorry to say I’m ready to leave Middle Earth. There’s lots of filler here to draw the story out, and though the action is very well done, there’s an overall feeling of been-there-done-that that kept me from completely caring about the characters.

Marty Nabhan, ClearPlay Mayor of Hobbiton

Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images; 144 min; Directed by Peter Jackson