The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies is the third and final instalment in Peter Jackson's epic trilogy.

Counting the Lord of the Rings series, the New Zealand director has spent over a decade bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's vision of Middle Earth to life. Finally, we have reached the long-awaited, climactic moment of Bilbo Baggins and the battle.

Or maybe it's the battle and Bilbo. In this telling, the title character is "pushed to the background in favour of combat scenes," says CBC's film reviewer Eli Glasner.

On the upside, we get "the pleasure of watching Bilbo grow a spine," he says.

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

Watch Eli's full review in the video above.