Time Is Relative...

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

- Gandalf - The Fellowship of the Ring: The Lord of the Rings

I don’t generally mind how critics review movies, this is after all, a country that has free speech but some things really baffle me!!

 

 

I have heard many people say over the years that too many characters and scenes were left out of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy despite its tremendous running time, even with the knowledge that Peter Jackson still had to edit and cut his final versions because cinema goers would not sit through more than 3 hours!
There's also the so-called multiple endings argument; despite the fact that the movie exactly follows how The Return of the King ends in the book and in my opinion these characters definitely deserve a fond farewell.

As everyone is now aware The Hobbit has become 3 films and is truly faithful to the book and is probably how Tolkien himself would have envisioned this movie adaptation and yet people are still not satisfied...

I truly believe if you love movies and view them in the way the directors, writers and actors intended them to be filmed why constantly go on and on about the running length?
Is there really something else you’d rather be doing with your time?

 

For me cinema is an escape from our often discouraging world where we get to immerse ourselves in the fantastical and magical world of entertainment and directors like Peter Jackson are pushing the boundaries of our cinematic experience.

Life is too short to be cynical and constantly underwhelmed and I for one intend to enjoy every cinematic moment the world has to offer me.

There will be, of course, some movies that I might not enjoy as much as others and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but in this country it's almost as if it's more appropriate for people to be negative, like it isn’t a big deal for a big shot director to spend months doing something he/she really cares about only to have it ripped apart by every critic because it’s 'their job' to be cynical?!

My opinions count for very little in the grand scheme of things but if I ever had the opportunity to let Peter Jackson know what his movies mean to me, I would tell him how his versions of Tolkien's wonderful stories has changed me and has given me such hope and enjoyment and that every minute he spent in the world of Middle Earth is a moment that I cherish!

We are living in one of the best times for cinematic achievement, lets enjoy these moments and be thankful for the people that have the courage and vision to give us movies that change our world!
~~Nikki~~