Escape to Middle Earth

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2005)

I must confess I was not very big on the movies when I first saw them. I prefer more quirky, offbeat stuff. But I watched them again recently and they are truly magnificent. One just has to be in the mood for escapist fantasy. The story works because it is told through the eyes of the ordinary, everyday hobbits, which could be any one of us. It's easy to imagine ourselves as the hobbits, on an epic quest to save the Earth. The themes of friendship, loyalty, determination, hope, and camaraderie are brilliantly presented. This movie could very easily have been sloppily done and cheesy, but they really did a great job with it. They brought the world of Middle Earth alive and I commend them for that. This truly is one of the greatest fantasy adventure films of all-time. Escape to Middle Earth my friends.