All 9 Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, ranked worst to best
6) The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Usually film sagas end on a high. Unfortunately, in the case of The Hobbit trilogy, the final film feels more of a crawl across the finish line than a triumphant sprint.
The most frequent criticism of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy is that the storyline feels bloated and thin; there is somehow both too much and not enough going on all at once, a consequence of taking The Hobbit, which is a relatively short novel, and blowing it up across three movies. Jackson had to make up a lot of new storylines to fill the time, such as the relationship between the elf Tauriel and the dwarf Kili. We explore the backstory of Bard the Bowman, learn about the rivalry between Thorin Oakenshield and Azog the Defiler, and more. By The Battle of the Five Armies, it feels like there are too many storylines competing for time, and few feel particularly deep.
The title of the film is taken from a chapter from The Hobbit where our protagonist, Bilbo Baggins, is knocked out right at the start and sees none of the action. This should tell you how much the plot was stretched. And it is noticeable. Relationships simply don’t feel textured, and the big emotional beats of the story don’t hit with much force.
On the positive side, the story that follows Bilbo remains engaging (which should come as no surprise, as that is the storyline taken directly from the book). Bilbo and Thorin’s final conversation does touch you emotionally in all the ways it’s meant to. While the ending is rather messy, Bilbo is a likable character and helps to sell it.
5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
A trend you may notice as this list goes on is that The Hobbit films fall in quality as they go on. Film two, The Desolation of Smaug, fails to live up to the standards set by the first film, An Unexpected Journey, but it also holds together far better than The Battle of the Five Armies.
The Desolation of Smaug is where the bloat really starts to hurt the story. The character of Azog comes into sharper focus and the antagonism between the dwarves and elves is fleshed out, but these conflicts still come across as childish and convoluted, which can make for exhausting watching. One scene involving the dwarves escaping an elven prison in barrels goes from sublime to ridiculous very quickly, but is still funny enough that you’ll be entertained even as you roll your eyes.
There is still much to enjoy in this film. The introduction of Bard the Bowman feels natural, even if it will become overbearing in the next film. Smaug himself is rendered wonderfully, and the ending feels like a natural conclusion for the film; one arc of the story is complete, and there is a definite sense of foreboding which makes you want to tune in for Part 3.
4) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
To be blunt, no matter how hard Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy tried, it simply could not live up to the magic of his Lord of the Rings trilogy. Nevertheless, An Unexpected Journey puts up a noble fight.
Yes, some sections of this film are ridiculous. The underground goblins the dwarves meet, the stone giants fighting, the miracle of the dwarves not being crushed to death by a huge wooden bridge (complete with a gigantic dead goblin on it) falling on them, there just happening to be a secret tunnel to Rivendell next to the very place they are being hunted down by Azog…the film is littered with moments that take you out of the story.
But unlike the other two Hobbit films, these moments are brief and don’t drag the whole thing down overmuch. The relationships between characters feel real, the motivations are understandable, and there aren’t yet enough characters running around for things to feel too bloated. There is space for character arcs to develop and conclude, with Thorin and Bilbo’s hug at the end being a genuinely emotional and believable moment.
The title An Unexpected Journey has two meanings: Bilbo is swept away on a quest he did not anticipate being a part of, and the characters develop relationships and bonds they did not expect would be important to them. An Unexpected Journey features the sweeping landscape shots we have come to associate with Jackson’s Middle-earth movies, with grand music swelling in the background. We also see the homey details about everyday life in the Shire. An Unexpected Journey remembers why audiences loved The Lord of the Rings films, and does its best to honor that legacy while also telling a new story.