It is, after all, called "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies."

So, why should it be surprising that about one-third of the nearly two and one-half hour latest installment of "The Hobbit" seems to be taken up with fighting and battles?Right from the start of "The Battle of the Five Armies," Smaug, the dragon monster, is laying waste to Lake-town. The film picks up where "The Desolation of Smaug" (2013), sequel to "An Unexpected Journey" (2012), left off.No spoiler alert here: Smaug is slain early on. Where can the film go from here?Battles.And more battles.There are the orcs.There are the dwarves.There are the elves.They're all fighting.Along the way to the credits, Azog and Bolg (not to be confused with the other nemesis, Blog), seeking revenge on Thorin, dominate the landscape. They are huge, so that figures.The battle scenes are epic. Most of the time, it's unclear who is battling whom. Fans of "The Hobbit" books and the movie series should have no problem understanding what's going on.The settings for the battles are also epic. The Lonely Mountain. The boulders. The battlements. It's all here. And quite impressive it is, even if you know it's mostly computer generated imagery.While there's lots of death and mayhem, there is little blood to be seen, and only a few graphic slayings. There are several death scenes involving several of the heroes.To make sure the audience connects, some of these are depicted in slow-motion, or what seems like slow-motion.The setting of the films is Middle-earth, approximately 60 years before

J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord Of The Rings."Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), the titular Hobbit, has been summoned by Gandalf The Grey (Ian McKellen), aptly named by the way, to go with 13 dwarves, led by Thorin (Richard Armitage), to take back Lonely Mountain from Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch with enough electronic alteration as to be unrecognizable), who is a really hideous dragon."The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" screenplay was written by Frank Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro (who was to direct). Jackson, who directed the three "Lord Of The Rings" trilogies, directs "The Hobbit" trilogies. The screenplay is based on "The Hobbit," a 1937 novel by Tolkien, and also his "The Return of The King."Jackson films the battle scenes with the pragmatism of a general. Fortunately, he also allows time for character development during the non-battle scenes.Freeman is particularly good. With just a tilt of his head, Freeman brings enormous humanity to the film and storyline. We see the story through his eyes.McKellen also has some nice moments. He gives the story a larger than life aspect, imbuing the film with a sense of inspiration and destiny.Armitage plays a crucial role. Thorin's obstinacy and change of heart is one of the film's key plot elements. Armitage manages his character's change of heart well.The cast includes familiar faces, including Cate Blanchett (Galadriel), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), Luke Evans (Bard), Christopher Lee (Saruman) and Hugo Weavng (Elrond)."The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" is a fan's film. If you're a fan of "The Hobbit" books and film trilogy, it's a must-see.Otherwise, this is a battle for another day.It's said that the third installment is to be the last in "The Hobbit" trilogy.Farewell, Bilbo Baggins.Elvish has left the movie theater."The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies": MPAA PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.) for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images; Genre: Adventure, Fantasy; Run Time: 2 hrs., 24 mins., Distributed by Warner Bros.Credit Readers Anonymous: Drawings of the main characters again accompany the end credits of "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," as was the case with the final installment of "The Lord Of The Rings."Box Office, Dec. 26: Weekend box office results were unavailable because of the New Year's holiday.Box Office, Dec. 19: "The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies" fought to the top, opening at No. 1, with $54.7 for the weekend and $89.1 since opening Dec. 17, keeping "Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb" opening at No. 2, with $17.1 million, and "Annie," opening at No. 3, with $15.8 million, and knocking "Exodus: Gods And Kings" from No. 1 to No. 4, with $8.1 million, $38.9 million, two weeks;5. "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1," No. 2 with $7.8 million, $289.3 million, five weeks; 6. "Wild," $4.1 million, $7.1 million, three weeks; 7. "Big Hero 6," $3.6 million, $190.5 million, seven weeks; 8. "Top Five," $3.5 million, $12.4 million, three weeks; 9. "P.K.," $3.5 million, one week; 10. "Penguins Of Madagascar," $3.4 million, $64.1 million, four weeks.Unreel, Jan 2:"The Woman In Black 2 Angel Of Death," PG-13: The haunting of a London house continues. Tom Harper directs the horror film."A Most Violent Year," R: J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call," "All Is Lost") directs Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac in a crime thriller set in 1981 in New York City.Read Paul Willistein's movie reviews at the Lehigh Valley Press website, thelehighvalley-press.com; the Times News website, tnonline.com; and hear them on "Lehigh Valley Art Salon," 6 - 6:30 p.m. Mondays, WDIY 88.1 FM, and wdiy.org, where they're archived. Email Paul Willistein: pwillistein@ tnonline.com. You can follow Paul Willistein on Twitter and friend Paul Willistein on facebook.Two Popcorn Boxes Out Of Five Popcorn Boxes