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~~

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchette, Hugo Weaving, Christopher Lee, Sylvester McCoy, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Lee Pace, Richard Armitage, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Peter Hambleton,William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Barry Humphries, Manu Bennett

Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures

Release Date: December 2012

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It's hard to believe that 11 years have passed since The Lord of the Rings first graced our screens and one of the things I love most about this film is that it's a seamless transition back into the world of Middle Earth.
Peter Jackson shows us once again that his vision from page to screen is crafted with absolute love and care and I love that he links up to The Fellowship of the Ring by revisiting Ian Holm's Bilbo and Elijah Wood's Frodo and both actors are a joy to watch.
Ian McKellen simply is Gandalf and it feels like watching an old friend on the screen as he brings kind authority to this wonderful character.
Martin Freeman is the perfect choice for Bilbo and does a great job conveying a range of emotions as he suddenly deals with a noisy and hungry group of Dwarves in his home and considering there are so many characters in one place these scenes are very well shot and well performed by all.
The group of Dwarves are a mixture of wonderful and colourful characters and I particularly like James Nesbitt as Bofur, Ken Stott as Balin, Aidan Turner as Kili and Dean O'Gorman as Fili, whilst Richard Armitage brings a brilliant moody and serious tone to Thorin.
Lee Pace looks wonderful as the Elvenking Thranduil and I am looking forward to much more with him and the Elves of Mirkwood.
I am so very happy that the character Radagast is given an extended role and Sylvester McCoy perfectly captures his eccentricities with a wonderful performance and all the scenes with him and his forest friends are enchanting.
Galadriel is also given extended scenes and beautiful Cate Blanchette makes her elegant and wise, bringing a charmingly subtle performance to light up the screen.
It's also lovely to see the return of Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Christopher Lee as Saruman. The Rivendell sets are particularly beautiful and I love Bilbo's wonder as he sees it for the first time.
Gollum is one of my favourite characters and Andy Serkis is paramount in making his scenes so memorable and enjoyable and as 'Riddles in the Dark' is my favourite chapter in the book I was eagerly waiting for this scene on film and it doesn't disappoint.
Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis are both wonderful as they try to outsmart each other and the use of motion capture for Gollum is once again breathtaking as his emotions flit from childlike innocence to that of a snarling creature in the blink of an eye and I especially love that we get to see Bilbo's pity for Gollum as mentioned by Gandalf way back in The Fellowship of the Ring.
The many Orcs throughout are impressive; especially Azog who is very menacing and quite creepy as he pursues Thorin and the brief glimpses of Smaug the Dragon are intriguing and I can't wait to see him in greater detail!!
Every scene is enjoyable and this movie brings back the feelings of wonder that I felt when seeing The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time!
The scenery, sets, and music are all integral pieces that help to make this movie look and feel beautifully epic and I am so looking forward to the next two instalments!
Wonderful and inspiring; I will happily lose myself in the world of Middle Earth and feel the magic and wonder of it all again and again!
~~Nikki~~

Trailers, Teasers and Talent

I'm currently addicted to the following movie related goodness....

I loved the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel and am very excited to see how the movie compares!

Ahhh The Hobbit! Peter Jackson continues to tease me!

The Great Gatsby has been pushed back to summer 2013 but the trailer is looking luscious!

Whilst Seven Psychopaths looks kinda strange and very funny!

I'm also loving this image of the great Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln from Steven Spielberg's upcoming historical biopic Lincoln.

 Moments in between movies...
~~Nikki~~