Review Detail

No edit could fix this one, but this cut does its best to try. Jackson himself stated, in the making ofs, he had no plan what to film when he shot the battle scenes and you see and feel it in every moment. Instead of focusing on Thorin and his descend into madness, the recovery from which comes quite quickly and unconvincing. You have a SW prequelesque battle with two parties showing up out of nowhere, unnoticed. What makes it even harder, because the "good" guys spend half the movie being assholes and try to kill each other for what amounts to no reson at all. You end up not really invested in or rooting for them, you just wait until its all over. And ask yourself if the UN can get involved in middle earth, maybe they have greater succes there.
Still DK did his best with quite a lot of skill to at least make this mess bearable and in that he succeeded.