THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES & SONG OF THE SEA

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} There's a bit of OCD that goes along with genre film fandom -- once you've signed on to a franchise, you're kind-of obligated to follow it wherever it will take you, for good or ill. Thus the sullen air hanging over screenings of REVENGE OF THE SITH or any of the Wolverine spin-offs -- it really does sap the energy out of an auditorium when attendance is more dutiful than enthusiastic. THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMS is the final installment of Peter Jackson's latest J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy, and to say it's long-awaited is to say that fans of fantasy have been eager to get this bloated, unnecessary epic over with and move on to better things. I give my thoughts on how Jackson wraps up this prequel tale in my review for Jim Freund's HOUR OF THE WOLF, and also give my verdict on the much more engaging, Irish animated fantasy, SONG OF THE SEA. Click on the player to hear the segment, or right-click the link to download.