Let the Battle Begin: Watch the First Trailer for "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

There will be war in Middle Earth, at least according to the first trailer for "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies."

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Say what you will about Peter Jackson and his admittedly questionable decision to split the 300-page Hobbit into three two and a half hour-long movies—the guy knows how to shoot epic battles.

Hence my elevated excitement for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and its first trailer, which Jackson revealed at Comic Con over the weekend. Gone are the "unexpected journeys," and in their place is all-out war with Middle Earth's fate hanging in the balance. All the usual players—Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Gandalf (Ian McKellan) are returning—and Legolas' (Orlando Bloom) hair has never looked better.

If Jackson was able to duplicate a fraction of his magic from The Two Towers, then this extravagant trilogy may have actually been worth it. Then again, maybe not.

[via YouTube]

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