Released in Australian cinemas on Boxing Day is the third and final instalment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit Trilogy. Titled The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, we pick up the story with Bard slaying the dragon Smaug and the Dwarves having reclaimed Erebor and the enormous treasure.

Set at Lonely Mountain in the year 2941, Thorin Oakenshield orders his thirteen dwarves to withhold the riches they captured for themselves, creating further agitation amongst the numerous combatants in the land. Learning of Smaug’s death, and in an attempt to claim the treasure for themselves, armies from the surrounding areas including the Misty Mountains and the Grey Mountains.

Previous grievances between the Goblins, Wargs and the Bats were put aside as they all sought the same outcome. Arranging their armies strategically the battle begins. Bilbo Baggins sits invisibly out of the battle on Ravenhill watching as Gandalf also withdraws to a safer position. Full scale battle now includes the fifth army of the Giant Eagles, initially spotted by the inconspicuous Bilbo.

The toll is high on all fronts in this final film, where action and emotion is abundant. The fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in is Cinemas now.

If you are a fan of J.R.R Tolkien’s works, this site with interactive maps of Middle Earth, Timelines and much more, may be of interest to you. Check it out here