I can’t believe I’m uttering these words, but I honestly think I would have enjoyed The Hobbit movies more had there been only two movies (as first reported there would be—with An Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again) or even one. I wrote in my review of The Battle of the Five Armies that after the hour-long battle scene,…
Can it be next month yet? I want Battle of the Five Armies, like, yesterday. Released in 2001, 2002, and 2003, The Lord of the Rings movies were the must-see movies of my high school years. I was a senior in high school when The Return of the King was released. I saw it in…
Reality. Sometimes real life can get us down. But, that’s why we read fantasy. Like Bilbo, we all want to go on adventures, even though Gandalf doesn’t ever come knocking. Even though owls haven’t delivered our letters, we all want to go to Hogwarts. Admit it: you’ve stepped inside wardrobes, hoping that they would transport…
When Google announced that they were creating a Middle-Earth map, I was frankly very excited. The best map that I have of Middle-Earth currently resides within the Lord of the Rings Online video game, and even then, it’s a game map, which means that it’s embellished by game features. It’s a very detailed map, and…
There is no question that The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King is an incredible movie. Simply look to the 2003 Academy Awards for proof. Return of the King won 11 Oscars, which means that they tied the record held by Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997). While Titanic—as well as All About Eve (1950)—holds the record for most…
With the release of the second trailer for the Desolation of Smaug, it’s fitting to dedicate the next three Thursdays (Throwback Thursdays I suppose) to some thoughts regarding the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Please note that I will write these articles while watching the only true way to watch the trilogy—that is, the extended…
I am about to reveal something that might shock some ardent fans of Lord of the Rings: I don’t like Frodo. As a character, I think he’s annoying. Sure, Pippin makes mistakes more often than Frodo does, but the mistakes Pippin makes are small compared to Frodo’s, and Pippin is a much more likable character anyway. But,…
Let me make perfectly clear as I begin that I have not had an opportunity to see The Lord of the Rings Musical, and it is unlikely that I ever will. I have, however, seen some YouTube clips from the musical, and I have downloaded the entire soundtrack. On those both I will base my…