Peter Jackson had a lot to live up to with this. Not only did he need to finish up his Hobbit trilogy, but he was making the finale to a six-film saga that had to live up to expectations of lots of fans. Well, he certainly succeeded. Unlike the rather sad and depressed feeling that you got with RotK, the final Hobbit movie sends you off with a feeling of satisfaction and a desire to see all five of the other Tolkien films as soon as you get home (impractical, of course, but it would be fun!).
Tauriel and Legolas also shine in this one. Some of Legolas' dialogue is a bit disjointed (maybe they cut a few scenes), but he looks fabulous and he fights in his always perfect and very heroic fashion. Tauriel is everything that a Tolkien heroine should be. She's what Arwen was in the books and wasn't on screen (though Arwen was good in the films). Tauriel does not have a bad shot or scene. Her face is amazingly expressive, and Peter Jackson gave her ample opportunity to show off the talent. Her scenes with Kili are some of the best. When they are fighting Bolg together is quite moving.