Love isn't just limited to the screen--there are lots of songs about it, too. We gathered up several members of the Initiative to talk about our favorite love songs.

Amanda Horn

1. One of my favorite love songs is "The Scientist" by Coldplay. It's not a happy song by any means, but it's a lovely and tragic song. It also reminds me of Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Lewis from Lost. Daniel loves her so much and I think this song accurately conveys his thoughts.


2. I'm a big fan of musical theatre and one of my favorite songs from a little-known musical named Side Show is called "I Will Never Leave You." Side Show is the story of a pair of conjoined twins in the 1920's. They sing this song near the end of show, when they realize that though other people may leave them, they will always be there for each other.

Izzy Stevenson

When I think about Valentine’s Day, my memory takes me back to the very first day I became interested in boys. That, of course, was the day the holiday first made sense to me on any kind of level, and I still remember it well. It was right near Valentine’s Day, in fact. 15 years ago, and I was around nine or ten. The same song kept playing over and over on the television as part of a special Valentine’s Day commercial. Today I still associate that song with the excitement of young love.


As much as we love our OTPs, I think we can all admit that the best kind of romances are the ones that take place in the real world. My favorite thing about the song “My Idea of Heaven” is the music video, in which the singer, Leigh Nash, has some of her personal married friends write on cards about what their idea of heaven is.

Jaime Heller

There are many songs I like to listen to that invoke a sense of “love” or romance. From Disney songs (yes, cheesy but adorable) to mainstream music (if I can find any that are good enough) to even old classics, there are plenty for me to enjoy and daydream while listening to.

Here are a few I’d like to share with you:

“The Bird and the Worm” by Owl City: This song—and many of his others—are just cute and whimsical. Owl City is the perfect artist to listen to if you’re in a daydreamy mood and want an adorable playlist to listen to. Specifically, “The Bird and the Worm” is beyond cute with the play on words and the energetic melody.


“Laughter Lines” by Bastille: I happened upon this song by accident via my tumblr shenanigans. I was immediately smitten and poured over the lyrics trying to figure out what it meant. I decided it had to be about love in some matter. Overall, I think the song is beautiful and has a story to tell.


“Let Me Call You Sweetheart”: This one is an oldie—like 1910 old. But I cannot help but love it. The lyrics are so… romantic and there’s just something about old music that cannot be matched with new tunes of today. In addition, it was used as the song Anne and Gilbert Blythe danced to at their wedding in the Anne of Green Gables movie. :)

Mirriam Neal

Superheroes – The Script

This is one of my favorite songs. (I don’t think any of these are exactly ‘love songs,’ but to me they’re highly romantic. Bonus points since I can apply them to my OTPs.) This song is about two people struggling to become better people and working together. Every day, every hour, turn the pain into power – if lyrics are going to turn me on, this is the way for them to do it.


King and the Lionheart – Of Monsters and Men

This song is beautiful, and is also one I’m planning on playing at my wedding. I adore songs about two people taking on the world together, and this is a particularly gorgeous example.


Can’t Hurry Love – Dixie Chicks

This is a song about love, but it’s a song about waiting for the right person. Whenever I’m feeling lonely or missing that certain someone, I turn on this song, kick back, and realize that you can’t hurry love, no; you’ll just have to wait.

Rica Wiersema

     There are sappy hopeless romantics who listen to Celine Dion while stuffing their mouths full of chocolate.

     There are bitter people who reject cliché love stories with every fibre of their being.

     And then there are the select few people like me who fall under both categories at the same time.

     I had the blessing of being raised by two parents who were (and still are) very much in love. They just celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary, and my mother’s parents before them reached over sixty anniversaries. Watching those relationships function and blossom has taught me for years about what real love is — not just romantic love, but parental love and family love and sibling love and beyond. I’ve learned that you need more than just roses and chocolates to support your relationships… but I also know that a little happily-ever-after isn’t so impossible as modern skeptics might think.

     That said, allow me to present my top three favorite love songs. I of course have a whole iTunes playlist of Footloose and Howard Shore… but these are at the top.

     1. “Love is a Good Thing”

Artist: Andrew Peterson

Album: Resurrection Letters: Volume II

     Peterson is not only one of my favorite authors, but seeing as I have every album he’s ever made, he’s also my favorite musical artist. This song is his gentle, acoustic reminder that half of love is the passion that makes the promises, and the other half is the resolve to see those commitments through no matter how feelings change.


     2. “What Are Words”

Artist: Chris Medina

Album: What Are Words

     If you haven’t heard the story behind this hit single yet, you need to get onboard already; this song was written by American Idol contestant Chris Medina, after his fiancée received permanent brain damage in a car accident, just two months before their wedding: instead, she was in a two-month coma. Now she needs 24/7 assistance, and he became her caretaker.


     3. “Gone, Gone, Gone”

Artist: Phillip Phillips

Album: The World From the Side of the Moon

     This song just makes me want to dance, and I’m hoping to use it in a friend’s wedding video very soon. Even though, when you reeeally listen to the lyrics, the relationship is conditional (“Give me reasons to believe that you would do the same for me, and I would do it for you,”) it’s still a nice modern version of the sappy romance that we all know and love… and makes me start reaching for the chocolates.

Sarah Munson

So Close by Jon McLaughlin: I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it in the movie "Enchanted" and it feels magical to me every time I listen to it. I think it's beautiful how it blends both love and loss in the lyrics. Not every relationship works out, and the words, "So close, so close, yet still so far," really capture that for me. Sometimes we love but experience loss, but it's an essential part of life. this song also reminds me of an almost-couple in the novel I'm writing, so I've listened to this song several times writing their scenes.


A Thousand Years by Christina Perri: No, I do NOT like Twilight. I've never read or watched it, and have no plans to. However, this song came on my Pandora station one day and captured my heart. I think the melody is captivating, and the lyrics are so sincere and heartfelt. It's the sort of song that would be perfect for a wedding, if only people didn't think of Twilight first. Ignoring that last fact, it's also a song that fits with several of my favorite OTP's. It fits a couple from my own novel, two pairs from the River of Time series, Captain America and Peggy... I could go on and on. :)


All About Us by He is We with Owl City: I'll admit, I tend to gravitate towards soft, melodic, somewhat melancholy songs of the heart. This is not one of those. All About Us is such a fun, upbeat, yet heartfelt song. It makes me want to dance and laugh, and reminds me of bright smiles and summer days. If I actually knew how to dance, I would seriously consider this for a wedding song. Since I can't dance, and I'm not planning on getting married any time in the near future, I'll just keep blasting it while I clean my room. As for OTP's, it reminds me a bit of Flynn & Rapunzel and also of Adam & Belle.

Sky Destrian

1. Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran.

This is one song that never fails to make me blush, but in the best kind of way. The pure innocence of it is so beautiful and it tells a story in my mind every time. (However, Ed Sheeran is the king of love songs in my opinion. Runners-up include "Thinking Out Loud," "Shirtsleeves," "Give Me Love," and "Kiss Me.")


2. Be Okay by Oh Honey
This isn't explicitly a love song, but it's got such an upbeat tune and makes me feel so happy. And, I might argue, it is a love song, because it's a song about being in love with life.


3. I See the Light by Mandy Moore & Zachary LeviThis hearkens back to our Disney OTP collab, but I couldn't leave this one out because it's made me tear up on many occasion. As we've discussed here, Flynn and Rapunzel's love is real and innocent and true. And it's very, very strong. This song reminds me of their bond with each other and the potential bond I'd like with someone else. It's so gorgeous. 
4. Shut Up and Dance with Me by Walk the Moon
I'm cheating by adding a fourth, but this is honestly one of my favorite love songs of all time. There is no way to listen to it and not smile. Also, I believe this one tells a story as well, and songs like that are just beautiful. But don't take my word for it:


Honorable mentions: On My Way Home by Pentatonix, Wake Me Up by Avicii, and Stay with Me by Sam Smith.

What are your favorite love songs?

2014 was a good year in fandom. Character development, announcements, and new content made this year a blast. However, it was also a hard year. Character deaths, painful moments, and cancellations made this year difficult. Between the highs and the lows, 2014 was jam-packed with things that affected our fangirl hearts. Today I've gathered together the Fangirl Initiative team to highlight the good and the bad. We also have high hopes for 2015, so we're presenting our wishlists for our fandoms in the coming year. 2015, here we come!

Note: Spoilers, such as major character injuries or deaths, are blanked out. Highlight them to read, like this: Hello!

Amanda Horn

Favorite Moments of 2014: 

• One of my favorite moments in any of my fandoms this past year was on the show NCIS: Los Angeles when Deeks and Kensi FINALLY decided to be together. After way too much, “We can’t be together because of reasons,” they just decided, “So it’s crazy? Let’s be crazy!” Also it happened on Christmas, which just makes it a million times better.
• But I also seriously loved that Natasha and Steve in the Marvel Universe are basically best friends now. It is the best ever.

Hardest moments of 2014:

The hardest moment? Seeing Fili, Kili and Thorin die in The Hobbit. I knew it was coming, but I didn’t want it to happen. I’m still in mourning. Way, way too many feels.

Wishlist for 2015: 

What do I want to see in 2015? I don’t have a huge list for this (I try to take stuff as it comes in my fandoms.). But I’m really excited to see some more Clint and Natasha adorableness in Avengers: Age of Ultron. They are the best.

Andrea Wiesner

Just to be clear, I haven't gotten through all of my shows from 2013-present. But I'll try my best to use what I have seen, for this post!

Best moments of 2014:

Hmm, probably that there were so many awesome new shows! Girl Meets World, Gotham, The Flash, Scorpion, and The Librarians... just to name a few! ;) Of course, the awesomeness doesn't end with those, nor does it cover all the good from returning stuff! But I think, between that and being introduced to older stuff (new to me, like Sherlock) or getting back into old favorites has been fun.

In terms of music, the band Breath of Soul having a new album finally, makes me extremely happy. (but I'm kinda biased, lol)

Worst moments of 2014:

Anytime there was a missing person (here's looking at you, Castle!), or death (Under the Dome, for example) on one of my shows. Or when I learned one or more were cancelled (The Tomorrow People, especially)

Wishlist for 2015:

More excitement and rollercoaster emotions (mostly excitement) for me. Some happiness for the characters that are hurting, and an upshake (evil of me, I know) for the comfortable ones... it's what makes us see them tick. (which is the most fun, for us writers) :P And... getting caught up on all of my stuff, while delving into wonderful new ones.

Bailey Bastien

Favorite moments of 2014: 

Okay. It didn’t actually happen in 2014 since the movies were released several years ago, but I introduced my family to Harry Potter in the fall and it’s been pretty cool watching them enjoy and get really into both the books and movies.
(Other favorites that actually happened last year: Divergent, Mockingjay Part 1, and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.)

Hardest moments of 2014: 

Ooh, so many hard moments. I’d have to say that the scene in Captain America: The Winter Soldier where Bucky’s wiped after recognizing Cap on the bridge and Fili/Kili/Thorin dying in The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies are tied as the absolute hardest. Also Dean becoming a demon. That was completely awful and hurt my feels.

Wishlist for 2015: 

I’m really looking forward to seeing how Uriah is portrayed in Insurgent. That’s probably my biggest wish: that they don’t completely butcher his humor and how he interacts with Tris.

Izzy Stevenson

Favorite Moments of 2014:

• Oswald. 
• Just Oswald in general. 
• Oswald rising in power. 
• Oswald and Jim. 
• Oswald and his mom. 
• And the time Oswald stole the show in THAT scene. You know which scene I'm talking about.

(Source: gerperdy.tumblr.com)

Hardest Moments of 2014:

• Honestly, 2014 was pretty great. The only thing bad I can think of was thinking about Eddie eventually going bad. Just thinking about it.

(Source: Geoff Berkshire/zap2it)

Wishlist For 2014:
Of course, my wish list is made up entirely of Gotham wishes -

• Season Two being announced as Eddie’s season (please happen, please happen, please)
• A scene with Eddie and Oswald
• More interesting scenes with Oswald and his mother
• Bruce meeting his other future nemeses

Jaime Heller

Favorite moments of 2014:

• When the Flash and the Arrow worked together to defeat the villain plotting to bomb Starling City. 
• When Sam Wilson joined Steve Rogers’ ragtag team of rebellion against Hydra. 
• When Hiccup rode dragons with his mother. 
• When Finnick Odair was reunited with Annie Cresta
• When the eagles arrived at the battle of five armies (with Radagast along for the ride)
• When Legolas did anything in The Hobbit. 
• When Chris Pine did a William Shatner impersonation while singing “Agony” in Into the Woods.
• When Sherlock returned and John punched him in the face three times. 
• When Psych ended with laughter, a proposal, and a reference to Monk. 

Hardest moments of 2014:

• When Steve knocked off Bucky’s muzzle and Bucky said: “Who the hell is Bucky?” 
• (also when Bucky whispered: “But he knew me.”)
• When Bilbo sat next to Thorin and said: “The eagles are coming.” 
• When the line of Durin ended and the other dwarves were left standing over the destruction. 
• When I finished The River of Time series and dealt with the Black Plague.
• When Rocket the raccoon got drunk and spilled out his true feelings about being a genetically 
• engineered, cyborg creature. 
• When Oliver Queen got stabbed with a sword and thrown off a cliff. 

Wishlist for 2015:

• I hope Agent Carter does justice for the character and time period. 
• I would like Cinderella to have an interesting twist to the story. 
• I don’t want Oliver Queen to be permanently dead, but I also don’t want him to come back to life in a cheesy way or without a valid explanation. 
• I hope Avengers Age of Ultron addresses what the characters have been doing during everything else and also reveals something about the remains of SHIELD and Coulson. 
• I want another crossover with The Flash and Arrow. 
• I desperately want Winter by Marissa Meyer to live up to the glorious fairy tale re-telling the rest of the Lunar Chronicles does. Please, please, don’t mess this one up. 
• I would like Star Wars: The Force Awakens to be more like the original trilogy than the new-ish trilogy. 
• I hope Mockingjay Part 2 is less painful than the book (but I highly doubt it will be)
• I hope Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials movie isn’t boring like the book. 
• I would like Jurassic World to be both exciting and terrifying and overall make me love dinosaurs again  like the other Jurassic Park movies.

Jenna Blake Morris

Favorite moment of 2014: 

Maybe this is cheating, but I'm going to have to go with an entire episode-- Supernatural's "Fan Fiction." It
had all the things that make the show great, all rolled into one nostalgic, celebratory package: humor, meta insanity, an interesting monster to gank, and some good old-fashioned broments. Plus, the return of the Samulet. Kind of. It was everything I'd been hoping for from the 200th, but somehow better.

Hardest moment of 2014: 

Four words to strike flinching pain into any Supernatural fan: "I'm proud of us." I'm going to have to go with that little scene, plus all the sulfuric aftermath that followed. But an Honorable Mention ribbon goes to the episode where the Ghostfacers pulled a Journey and went their separate ways, because that was just messed up.

Wishlist for 2015: 

Tragically, my favorite book series (Maggie Stiefvater's The Raven Cycle) is coming to a close this year. The author has promised some pain, both directly and indirectly, so I'm not sure how well things will end for the characters. But all I really want is for Adam Parrish to get a decently happy ending--after all he's gone through, he deserves it.

Mirriam Neal

2014 was a big year in television. A BIG YEAR. AN EXCITING YEAR. A lot of things happened, and there are a lot of things I hope to happen in 2015. Let’s take a look.

The most memorable TV events of 2014 were (in no particular order)…

• Revolution got cancelled. Okay. I just decided to start with the bad news. It had good ratings, an epic plot, amazing characters, and BAM. Cancelled. Why. Ugh. But, on to the amazingness.

• We got two of the best villains ever in the forms of Dark Stiles (Teen Wolf) and Peter Pan (Once Upon a Time). Out of the two, I might have to pick Peter Pan, but the Nogitsune is an extremely close runner-up. They channel their badness with ease and make it look good. Even sympathetic at times.

• I stopped shipping Damon and Elena. Seriously, someone, get Elena off the show. Damon deserves someone better. At least put Elena with Kai and give us something interesting. Forever came out, and is still holding steady (in spite of the Hannibal-ripoff mid-season finale there. Cough. Yeah, we noticed).

• AGENT CARTER HAPPENED, PEOPLE. And better than happened – they’re taking it straight to series! Wooohooo! 

• I stopped /NOT/ shipping Klaus and Cami and started shipping them for real. Because  let’s face it, unless there’s a supermassive crossover, Klaroline can’t continue. 

Now, to the Powers that Be, here is my wishlist for 2015.

1. Bellarke. Make it happen. Make. It. Happen.
2. Bring Peter Pan back to Once Upon a Time. Please.
3. Maybe even bring DarkStiles back. Yeah.
4. Lots of hugging on Supernatural. And maybe rescue Adam, that would be cool.
5. Have Ward return to S.H.I.E.L.D. SKYEWARD FOREVER.
6. Also, FitzSimmons. Somebody say SOMETHING about ANYTHING.
7. Bellarke. Did I mention Bellarke?
8. COULD WE GET A SILM ARILLION TV SERIES? I WILL WORK FOR IT. I WILL. I PROMISE. JUST CAST MAEDHROS WELL. 
9. Also, bring Peter Pan back. 
10. There’s talk of reviving Pushing Daisies with a movie or a musical or something. I say yes. Go for it. DO IT. DO THE THING.
11. Peter Pan. Bring him back.

Paige Kelly

Favorite moments of 2014: 

• The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies coming out! Even though it was an emotional film... still a great ending. 
• Guardians of the Galaxy being released in theatres. 
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier and all the character development that happened. 

Hardest moments of 2014: 

• Kili, Fili, and Thorin dying in The Battle of the Five Armies and Bilbo, the dwarves, and Tauriel's grief... so sad! 
• The Hobbit films being over and having to say one last goodbye to Middle-earth (thank goodness we can always return). 
• Groot "dying" in Guardians, although that had more of a happy ending. 

Wishlist for 2015: 

• More Tolkien stuff? Nah, I guess I don't want Peter Jackson deviating from Tolkien's plans tooooo much, but I would never mind another trip back to Middle-earth. 
• News of a live action, actually-true-to-the-book Howl's Moving Castle film being made, although that's more of a dream than it'll ever be reality (one can still dream, though). 
• And news of a Queen's Thief movie series being made, although that dream is also far away.

Rica Wiersema

Favorite moments of 2014:

• Going to the midnight premiere of "The Ninja Turtles."

Hardest moments of 2014: 

• Going to the midnight premiere of "The Ninja Turtles."

Wishlist for 2015: 

• Sheldon Cooper ought to make some sort of further commitment to Amy Farrah Fowler.
• I'd like to see Walden Media figure out what they're doing with the rest of "Narnia."
• "Firefly" needs to come back.

Sarah Munson

Happiest Moments of 2014:

• FINALLY getting the third season of Sherlock! And solving the mystery left by the second season.
• After a wait almost as long as the Sherlock hiatus, the final book in my favorite series, The River of Time by Lisa Bergren, released. Oh. My. Word. If you haven’t read this series yet, do it. Please, do it. And then tell me about it, so I can relieve the mixture of triumph and anguish.
• The Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer was more amazing than I dared to hope.
• The final Hobbit movie was also amazing. I’m not sure it should go under “happiest moments,” considering how much I cried, but it was bittersweet and brilliant, and almost all I could have wished for as the last goodbye. And that song- Billy Boyd singing, “The Last Goodbye!” I don’t think any other song mesmerized me in 2014 like that one.
• I know there’s been mixed feelings about Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange, but I was thrilled from the start. Especially since I heard somewhere that Dr. Strange has encountered Loki in the comics. Fingers crossed…

Hardest Moments of 2014:

• The Battle of the Five Armies. Yes, the Hobbit movie made me ecstatic, but it also left me crying and rocking myself quietly. It was partly because of the tragic scenes, and partly because this was my final farewell to Middle Earth movies. What will I look forward to next December?
• Watching Guardians of the Galaxy. This wasn’t hard emotionally; it was just painful for other reasons. I never had high expectations for the film, but so many people told me it was “the best Marvel movie ever.” Despite my doubts, I watched it, hoping to be proven wrong. Instead, it was as bad as I feared. Worse, even. Hold your fire, Marvel fans! I’m still majorly disappointed. Best Marvel movie? To me, it was one of the worst.
• The end of Mockingjay. Although I would have liked one longer film instead of two shorter installments, the ending got me. So did almost every scene with Gale. Poor guy.
• Bucky as the Winter Soldier. Someone help him remember!

2015 Wishlist:

• Loki to appear in the new Avengers film. I know he won’t, but I still wish for it.
• I want an extra-long extended edition of the Battle of the Five Armies. It was the shortest Middle Earth movie, and I wish it had been longer to include certain scenes, such as Thorin’s funeral. I’m hoping when the Extended Edition releases, that scene will be included, among others.
• The final Mockingjay needs to include more of Finnick. And definitely the “real or not real” moments.
• Even if they don’t get together, I want Sherlock to pay more attention to Molly. I also want the Christmas special that’s being talked about.

Sky Destrian

Favorite moments of 2014:

• The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. midseason finale.
• Watching Lost and Breaking Bad with my brother.
• Finally seeing what Sherlock was all about. Now I'm caught up, and I have to torture myself with the rest of you.
• Reading Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel. It proved to me I could fall in love with reading again.
• Watching 13 Going on 30. A young Mark Ruffalo is the greatest thing.
• When Mat Franco won America's Got Talent.
• Falling into the Once Upon a Time fandom with my sister.
• Watching the movie Stuck In Love. As a writer, it really resonated with me.
• The Star Wars: Episode VII trailer. I did not expect to like it that much, but I did.
• I didn't like the first two movies in The Hobbit trilogy as much as I'd hoped, but the third film was an amazing resolution.
• Starting this blog!
• Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier. My heart is still broken, but it was an amazing film.

Hardest moments of 2014:

• The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. midseason finale.
• When the reality show Utopia was canceled. Our love may have been shortlived, but it will never be forgotten.
• Watching the first X-Men. While I did like it, it was also mildly disappointing. I wanted way more character development than I got. (For that, I might just have to read the comics.)
• When ----Jim---- died on The Walking Dead. If I cried that much at something that didn't even matter, how much worse will it be later?!?
• The end of the Tolkien movies. It's truly the end of an era, and I'm sad.
• Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier. Steve and Bucky. They loved each other so much, and... and... [sobs] I'm with you till the end of the line, pal.

Wishlist for 2015:

• I can't wait for the midseason premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in March. I hope to see some amazing moments with Skye. Also, is it too much to ask for Fitzsimmons to reunite?
• For Avengers 2: Age of Ultron to live up to my expectations. 
• A Black Widow movie.
• A fitting end to The Hunger Games trilogy.
• More Bucky, more Tony Stark, more Steve Rogers. More Avengers. More quality Marvel. More everything.
• I hope the final season of Parks and Recreation lives up to my expectations. Same with season 4 of New Girl. 
• As far as my ships, I'd like Nick and Jess from New Girl to get back together, please! I'd like to see even more BROTPs in Avengers 2. I want Andy and April from Parks and Rec to have a child. I want Penny and Leonard from The Big Bang Theory to get married. I want John and Mary from Sherlock to have a happy ending. I want to see more of Steve and Sharon Carter from the Marvel Universe (and Steve and Natasha). I want more Steve and Natasha, more Clint and Natasha, and more Steve and Bucky. 
• I want to finally have enough time to watch all the shows I want to see.
• I want all my favorite characters to be happy, but more than that, I want feels, feels, feels. 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2015 will be an exciting year! How did your fandoms treat you in 2014? What's on your wishlist for 2015?

This is a collaboration post featuring members of The Fangirl Initiative team. Today we're reviewing The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. SPOILERS.

Paige says...

I may be a fan of the books first and foremost, but that has never stopped me from liking all the LOTR and Hobbit movies and this was no exception. While, of course, it didn't replicate it and changed some stuff, any excuse to see beautiful and picturesque Middle-Earth and to have more time there with characters who are played by such excellent actors is worth it to me.

I thought Jackson did a beautiful job cinematography wise, and surprisingly, in character development. I wasn't a fan of so much of the movie being set during a battle (I mean, the battles can be awesome, but I also like changes of scenery/conversations sometimes, you know?) but I really appreciated that even so, and with such a big cast, there turned out to be a lot of room for getting to know each one of the characters.

Thranduil and Legolas were fleshed out a bit more which I liked--the bit with Legolas' mother (a big mystery, since Tolkien originally didn't even intend to write Legolas, and only thought of him when he was writing the Council scene in FOTR) was well done, although somewhat abrupt. I think some transitions, from Thranduil forbidding Tauriel to love Kili, to saying that it was "real", were abrupt as well, but with so many characters and plots to fill out before the film ended, I like to give it the benefit of the doubt and imagine there were other scenes in which these characters had time to develop these things (and, if we really were in Middle-earth, the battle wouldn't have been shortened to cinematographical lengths, so there you go). Bard and his family got good development for the time slot, I thought, as did Kili and Tauriel. Bilbo was excellent and I thought Martin Freeman did again, a spectacular job, he was just born to play the role and was so convincing and natural--the few comic bits were nice as well as his interaction with Gandalf and the dwarves.

All in all, a beautiful production. I was right to bring tissues and even though I knew what was going to happen--though still would have been actually glad to see Jackson change those parts--it was an emotional rollercoaster. From Fili's abrupt murder to the end scenes that tied it in with the LOTR films, I had tears streaming down my face. Scratch that, I was crying even more in the credits--the beautifully done, illustrated credits that featured Billy Boyd's amazing vocals--because time in Middle-earth was coming to an end... even with the extended editions, it's weird that most of Tolkien's main work has been produced into film and I've seen it all. I think with all of us fans, it's a sense of even though we can always reread and rewatch, which is sometimes just as rewarding--like meeting old friends again--it's sad to realise that it'll never be "new" and exciting in that way. But still, I find something new every time I return to Middle-earth in one way or another, so I hope all my fellow fans can as well!

Rica says...

The Battle of the Five Armies rarely had a dull moment, as it started immediately with Smaug’s attack on Laketown. I was skeptical of a movie that had little to promise other than two battles that were supposed to stretch over two hours; the last few movie franchises that tried to deliver on such a promise found me bored half to death. But somehow, Peter Jackson managed to not only fulfill such a promise… but completed it so well that I hardly realized that it was happening. Only a few scattered moments that feel like video-game advertisements (including a Legolas stunt even more ridiculous than his barrel-hopping in the previous film, if that were possible) dampened the parade.

 The story, while strangely paced, was dynamic and was laced with just enough mild humor to keep us smiling throughout the screening. It showed us the peril of growing to love riches over relationships (which is ironic, coming from a movie split into a trilogy so as to increase its earnings). Every major quote and meaningful moment that I’d hoped to see from the book made its way into the screenplay, though each was usually altered a tad. And of course, all of that extra time given to New Line Cinema to display a mere third of the book allowed the plot to spread out. We finally saw the great armies meet one by one, and finally saw the final breaths of some beloved characters whose deaths in the books had been shrouded in mystery until now.

The screenwriters did an incredible job of focusing on more of their characters: Elf and Dwarf and Man alike. We got to see the growth of people like Galadriel and even Bard’s son… but unfortunately, that meant the loss of some time with many other beloved characters. In fact, once our original company of Dwarves joined the battle, we only saw only four of them in the fray during the entire skirmish. The whimsy and adventure of the first two movies had hinged on the diverse company of fourteen that we got to meet: back in the goblin tunnels of the Misty Mountains alone, we got to see every Dwarf throw a punch or wield a blade with mastery. In this installment of the story, the lesser Dwarves — even Balin, master swordsman — were left behind so as to give more screen time to others. Still, for the most part it was screen time well spent. There were only a few arcs (namely those of Legolas and Thranduil) that felt rather forced.

But in the end, those were all minor flaws. Every movie in the Hobbit series and even the Lord of the Rings trilogy have had their flaws, from incongruency with their source material to overuse of computer-generated effects. And yet those flaws aren’t the moments that we remember or cherish in the months and years that follow every film’s release. Our hearts still soar and ache with every step taken through Middle Earth, no matter who makes them. And I hope that in years to come, we will get to set foot in those fair lands once again. In the meantime, however, I do not mourn. These past three years have been three years more of adventure than I ever expected to have. Besides, the world is not in my books or films or drawings… it’s out there.

More thoughts:

Videogame Legolas.
Once something's falling, pushing on it with your foot will make it go down, and not you up. Case in point: the only other movie I ever saw with that stupid running-up-falling-rocks stunt was "Kung Fu Panda 2."

I do remember some sort of ice-chariot/wagon in the trailers that wasn't present in the film. #director'scut #howdidtheyfindthegoatstoride

"omg what was with the skull loincloths? I mean we know that orcs aren't known for their fashion sense, but that takes tacky to a new level." - My Sister (with whom I fully agree)

How did Bard's son not get the side of his neck cut by the fletch of the black arrow?

Also Thranduil's moose: I could have sworn we would get a moment of mourning from Thranduil -- at least some sort of sign of grief! Even just a whispered name for the loyal beast (because then we would get to name our future pets after it)! Geez, the man doesn't even care about his animals -- I thought he was a woodland elf! (Which btw, the moment he got called a sprite was the BESSST.)

Izzy says...

I have to admit, while a huge LOTR movie fan, I wasn’t a fan of The Hobbit trilogy overall. Even though I liked the book more than Lord of the Rings. The CGI made it look a bit too plastic and over the top for me. And while many of the important themes in the book were included in the film, I didn’t feel they were executed in a way that was effective. 

However, out of all the Hobbit films, I’d say I enjoyed this one the most. Martin Freeman was perfection as Bilbo, as always. And I was so happy that they included all the scenes involving him taking the Arkenstone from Thorin and giving it to Thranduil. That’s my absolute favorite scene from the book. 

Of course, you can’t get any more camp and fabulous than Thranduil. He’s always a joy to see. Lee Pace is fantastic. 

And what words are there for Richard Armitage as Thorin? I can only applaud. 

All in all, I might not be a Hobbit film fan. But I did enjoy the third film, and would say it’s the best of the three Hobbit movies.

Sky says...

I’ll admit it: I hadn’t been a huge fan of The Hobbit trilogy. Ever since they turned my favorite parts of the book--the goblins--into blathering idiots, I’d been a little miffed. My mind was slightly changed by The Desolation of Smaug, which turned out to be a better (if sometimes implausible) film. I went to The Battle of the Five Armies with hopeful yet unsure expectations, and thankfully, I was not disappointed.

The movie starts out with Smaug laying waste to Laketown. I had been annoyed that Smaug hadn’t destroyed much in the last movie, so this was quite a shock. “He isn’t really going to do that, is he?” I thought to myself. “He surely can’t destroy a town with hundreds of innocent people.” Yet he did. This gave us an exciting start to the movie, and it sucked me right in. I could barely contain myself, actually, as I sat in the dark theater. The movie was incredibly exciting.

The death of Smaug happens a few minutes in, which confused me. What could possibly happen to fill up the entire movie? The entire movie isn’t going to be a battle is it? Surprisingly, it was. But I wasn’t bored. There were enough pauses and character-driven moments to fuel me. 

Some of the highlights: I really enjoyed Thorin’s cousin, the hilarious dwarf riding a goat into battle. I also really loved the moment when Thorin realizes what the gold is doing to him. While it was a bit of an abrupt change that seemed to come out of nowhere, I loved the visuals we saw of the gold almost drowning him. It reminded me of King Midas in an odd manner. I also really enjoyed Bard’s family. I couldn’t remember the book for sure, so I was almost positive that Bard was going to die and that’s why we saw so much of his children. But thankfully, Bard lived, and thank goodness for that. I fell ten times more in love with him during this movie. 

On a slightly different note, this movie managed to make me hate almost every main character, then love them again. Between Thorin’s sickness and Thranduil’s cold demeanor, I hated them. Then, when we saw their hearts, I loved them once again. I absolutely love it when stories do this.

The emotion I felt is not limited just to hatred, however. This movie contained sorrow. I started crying when Thorin, Balin, Fili, and Kili went off on their own. I knew what was coming. I’d felt so heartwrenched in the book when I found out Thorin, Fili, and Kili had died, and that was only one sentence. How much more so in this movie? I watched the battle scenes with blurry eyes, and when the deaths actually happened, I cried harder. Even now, I feel a bit emotional. 

I’m a bit annoyed with Fili’s death; it seemed he was collateral damage, killed senselessly first. We barely got a chance to grieve Fili himself before we move on back to his brother. While I loved the screentime Kili got, Fili was my favorite dwarf. I was annoyed that we didn’t get to see much more of him. 

Kili’s and Thorin’s death were just as hard to stomach, as we see Tauriel’s reaction to Kili’s death, which is heartbreaking. (They barely had a chance. </3) We also see Bilbo by Thorin’s side. “The eagles are coming, Thorin,” he says. I’m pretty sure you could’ve heard every heart break in the theater.

I loved Thranduil’s development in this movie. While I’ve hated him in the past, seeing his icy exterior finally break was amazing. I loved how he comforted Tauriel; that’s one of my favorite scenes of the movie to me. “Why does it hurt so much?” “Because it was real.” I also enjoyed Thranduil’s scene with Legolas, which is pretty much all the development for Legolas’ backstory we’ve ever gotten. While I felt the Aragorn name-drop was a little contrived, I still enjoyed the mention to one of my favorite characters.

I didn’t stop crying even after the deaths. The last shot of the map of Middle-earth reminded me so much of reading The Hobbit as a young girl and studying that exact map in the back of my book. It was so personally touching to me. I couldn’t think of a better ending than one back at Bag-End with Bilbo, leaving us ready to start all over again sixty years later with The Lord of the Rings.

As the credits played, I cried, too. Between Pippin’s voice, the beautifully illustrated credits, and the fact that this is possibly the last movie of Tolkien’s work I will ever see, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Middle-earth has been a home to me so many times, and I am incredibly thankful for this journey. “I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil,” as Gandalf says. I’ve decided it’s okay to grieve because Tolkien’s work has, quite literally, meant the world to some of us. I can’t express how much I’ve been impacted by these movies, these characters, and this world. Thankfully, we have Middle-earth always, to welcome us back home.

Sarah says...

I cannot believe the wait for the Battle of the Five Armies is over! I’m still partly in shock that this was the last goodbye to Middle Earth on the silver screen, and so it’s hard to find the words to describe my feelings.

The scenery and sets were stunning, as I’ve come to expect. Immediately, I was immersed in Middle Earth, and instead of sitting on a plush theater seat, I was fleeing Lake Town, walking through the halls of Erebor, and standing on the battlefield. The action completed the effect, and I would find myself holding my breath, clutching my seat and willing my favorite characters to victory. 

Speaking of characters, there was much to love about them here. I greatly enjoyed the Elves’ presence in this, especially Legolas; Thorin’s instability and ultimate redemption were powerfully portrayed, as was the bravery and growth of Fili and Kili; and Bilbo is brilliant, the perfect blend of the spunky Shire hobbit and the brave fighter he’s become. 

Although I did absolutely love the film, there were a few things that didn’t entirely please me. Parts of the dialogue felt stilted, and some of the humor got in the way of the darker feel I was expecting. There were also some loose ends, such as what happened to the people of Lake Town, and I would have chosen a different fate for Tauriel. 

Overall, though, my few complaints don’t outweigh how captivating and unforgettable this movie was. The soundtrack is beautiful, and one of my favorite elements might be the artwork accompanying the credits. As soon as I walked out of the theater, I wanted to turn around and go watch the Battle of the Five Armies again. It was wonderful how the ending came full circle to the Fellowship of the Ring, and how touching BOFA was as a final farewell.

Jaime says...

How do I pick up the threads of an old life—a life before Middle Earth? How do I go on when in my heart I begin to understand there is no going back to the world I fell in love with? While I’ve been able to enjoy The Lord of the Rings movies from the comforts of my home (my armchair and books, as a hobbit would), The Hobbit movies were my chance to experience Middle Earth in theaters. I had been at the turning point for PG-13 movies for the release of The Lord of the Rings movies. I recall seeing The Two Towers and The Return of the King, but I wasn’t attached yet. I hadn’t read the books; I hadn’t fallen in love with Middle Earth.

But now I have, and it’s over. I watched The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies and bid my own “fond farewell” along with Billy Boyd’s lovely voice. And then you know what I did the next evening? I watched it again.

I laughed. I cried. I cheered. I sighed. The movie is far from perfect, far from the accuracy my normal perfectionist self would want from a book-to-movie adaptation. But you know what I thought of the movie and what Peter Jackson did to adapt it, to add in exciting twists and subplots, to connect it to The Lord of the Rings trilogy? I loved it. I cherished it. I enjoyed it so much that upon seeing it for a third time, I was loving every moment again. 

It had its exciting moments where I wanted to shout, its intense moments where my heart cried out for the characters, and its mournful moments where I saw the last glimpse of life in characters I had fallen in love with. 

Thank you, Tolkien for your stories. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for your quality and detail and wonderful talent and time of bringing such an enchanting world and story to life. In the words of Bilbo Baggins, “I am glad that I have shared in your perils—that has been more than any Baggins deserves.”

What did you think of The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies?