Now That We've Seen Them All, What Do Remember The Most

Rating: Null/10 (3 February 2004)

From the very start: The Prologue in the first movie, narrated by Cate Blanchett, it was clear that we could expect to be taken to new heights as movie-goers. The scale, the impact, the power used to impress on all of us that this was a fanatical attempt to bring a story to movie life that must be given awesome delicacy so as not to offend the millions that they intended to enthrall. They got me, I knew not to expect the book on the screen, things like Tom B and Old Man Willow be left out of the first film were unfortunate, and having Glorfindel replaced by Arwen wasn't exactly what we wanted to see. But take heart, if you're a passionate reader, then you have seen many books absolutely destroyed by the movie industry, and in this case they did an excellent job with an impossible chance of pleasing everyone. I am thoroughly convinced that this was of the utmost importance throughout. I have seen all of the films several times now, and I am a passionate fan of each of them. Being 37 years of age, I was certain that this would never be anything more than animated movie, and I have now learned not be a doubting fool. I have read and continue to re-read The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, and each time I'm swept away to Middle Earth. Now I also have viewed and re-viewed the 3 films, and I am also swept away to Middle Earth. I can't say that I have physically ever made it there, but part of me has, and it's a wonderful thing worthy of doing again and again. While so many bad things happen all around the world all the time, sometimes people forget to stop and think about what a wonderful fulfilling thing it can be to forget about your problems or worries or deadlines or health or aches or fears or insecurities and allow yourself to be transported to such a wonderful, yet frightening, huge, but cosy world known to all of us admirers as Middle-Earth. Wouldn't you love to join Bilbo for tea, if you've been to Bag End before, you know exactly what time that would be. How about sampling some of Farmer Maggot's 'shrooms, wouldn't that be tasty. I wouldn't mind traversing past all 7 of the gates of Minas Tirith. My congratulations to all that had any part in the manufacture of these films, you have an experience you should treasure forever, just as you have given all of us. I do indeed hope that you make a feature film of The Hobbit, especially if all the same heart is applied to the task. When we were children, we all wanted to "follow the yellow=brick road" , and why not, it looked great fun. But now we have "a hole in the ground" where there's a green door, and "any of us are welcome any time" Thanks