critic The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Review

★★☆☆☆ 2/5

Verdict

A CGI-heavy siege finale that closes the prequel trilogy with war spectacle.

By Marcus Webb · Horror & Genre Critic · July 24, 2026

Where to watch The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Streaming: HBO Max

By region: HBO Max in the United States; HBO Max in the United Kingdom

Full scores & availability on the movie page.

Guides for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Watch Order Guides Lord of the Rings Watch Order: Movies, Hobbit & Rings of Power

Is The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies worth watching?

Mostly for Middle-earth completists — 59% Celluloid Score. Following Smaug’s attack on Laketown, Bilbo and the dwarves try to defend Erebor’s mountain of treasure from others who claim it: the men of the ruined Laketown and the elves of Mirkwood. Meanwhile an army of Orcs led by Azog the Defiler is marching on Erebor, fueled by the rise of the dark lord Sauron. Dwarves, elves and men must unite, and the hope for Middle-Earth falls into Bilbo’s hands.

Directed by Peter Jackson, the film sits on Celluloid’s Lord of the Rings / Middle-earth watch order alongside the Jackson trilogies and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Verdict

A CGI-heavy siege finale that closes the prequel trilogy with war spectacle — uneven, but the Erebor climax delivers franchise scale. Pair it with our full franchise watch order and where-to-watch notes on the movie page.