GamerTab That was an excellent one.

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Kirandeep Yoder The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

wanderinglinton This is a short film which is not designed to stand on its own, referencing direct and indirect (appendices) parts of the Lord of the Rings books by JRRT, and very deliberately mimicking the style of the Peter Jackson's Tolkien works.It is telling a small part of a very large story which heretofore has not and likely would not be told (on screen), so a bunch of talented people have come together for an extraordinarily modest budget and created something very special.The plot-line is relatively thin - but it is not supposed to hold its own in this aspect - but rather be viewed as an adjunct to the story as already told by others.Some have complained that the principal actors do not have the gravitas of Viggo Mortenson or Ian McKellen .. lol - really? For 3000 quid - all up (reportedly) What are you really expecting? .. given the budget that they were working to - they have done a pretty remarkable job.I read a review that suggested that it ran counter to the PJ versions since they had shown the Mordorites torturing Smeagol/Gollum, but here it shows Gandalf and the elves "torturing" him. Tolkien makes it clear that Gollum was tortured in Mordor revealing the name Baggins and Shire - he says nothing about what Gandalf or the elves did to find out what Sauron had found out. It does not seem at odds in any way with the story as told by JRRT.I think the people involved in this endeavor have done an exceptional job on a very limited budget and should be rightly proud of what they have achieved.Another common voice though I hear through these reviews is - if these guys can do this on a shoestring - why can't Hollywood do better with less. To those people I say - have a look through the IMDb resumes of some of the people involved in this. You will see names like Harry Potter (more than once), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Exodus: Gods and Kings.. etc.. Although these people might have worked for free on this title - they also have to make a living. It is one thing to do one project out of love - a whole other thing to have to pay a mortgage and put kids through school.If you want a complete, independent story shot in a unique fashion - this is not it. If you're prepared to give up 40 minutes to watch some talented people add some more to the tapestry of JRRT's works in the style of Peter Jackson - done on a shoestring budget and done pretty *darn* (apparently I'm not allowed to use my normal expression) well - then this is well worth your time. Kudos to the people involved.

the_hitman-614-405126 I believe in America the meaning of the English phrase 'pound for pound' translates. It basically means how good something is for how much it is, the term was coined for boxers, whom may have not been the biggest, may have been 'pound for pound' better than their adversaries. I think this is what you have here. The two main criticisms for this film is the Directing style, and lack of plot. In response to this, there are two points: firstly it is my belief that the film was intended to be in the time of the lord of the rings, and was made to show a chunk of the books that was left out. This chunk out of the many left out was more than likely chosen as it was cheap to do, and fairly simple. One cannot argue that there is no plot, because frankly, the plot is in the films as a whole, this is a very very small section of them, and you cannot judge it in isolation.Secondly, the directing style? This is obvious, It was shot the same way to avoid people attempting to choose which method is better, and because frankly, the Lord of the Rings did not have a huge budget itself for the size of the operation and Peter Jackson has some shiny Golden Figurines in his Cabinet to the contrary of what some peoples opinions are.I think this is a very very good film for what it is, its made considerably better than most television shows, the acting is good, the feel is very Lord of the Rings, and I think Tolkien himself would be proud the way that amateurs are giving life to his work very accurate to his writings.And for the less learned, the film had a budget of £3000, which is just under $5000.

Frogfisher I have to say this short film surprised my quite a lot and that being after I heard good things about it. It actually was extremely well done for a free internet film. The premise is taken from The Lord of The Rings appendices where in Gandalf tells Frodo that Aragorn had been trying to capture Gollum before the Quest of the Ring began. Basically we see Gandalf ask Aragorn to find Gollum and thereafter how Aragorn track him down and capture him. Not a very intricate story. Which it appears the filmmakers have realised. Because they have in the Spirit of Peter Jackson & Co added some romance to the story in form of Arwen (much like The Two Towers added appendix material to the story)What one can not help but notice is the similarities with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings. The visual side as well as the narrative and audio side lifting much from Jacksons work. And as the film is a fan made film about a subject only true Ringer fans would find interesting this works very well for the film and helps us just come to term with the universe in which it takes place since we already know it.The production value is incredible, everything from the action, the cinematography, the make-up to the few glimpses we get of Gollum. And how everything is carried out just makes the film so much stronger. What is the films only weak point I would have to say is the story. As mentioned there has been added romance to give some meaning to the film and with a story the ultimately doesn't lead to many revelations one can come to think of the films as a "why" thing. But the strength comes in the effort and love for the project that is clear to see in the whole film. And how it with no effort actually just manage to fit right in with the films it so long to be part of. It is well worth the hour it takes to watch it!

eolas_pellor Most of the time I would avoid something like "The Hunt for Gollum" but, I have to say, this was quite enjoyable and well done. The cinematography is very reminiscent of that found in Jackson's adaptation of the Trilogy. This is both a strength and a weakness; Jackson had a tendency to let a moody shot of some forsaken moor, or a sweeping vista of snow-capped mountains pad-out the running time of his film, and I feel the same thing happens here. On the other hand, with a minuscule budget, and much less experience or support, Frazer, Phillips, Ritchie and Stie manage to create similar shots that are not simply copies.The problem for me -- and I had the same problem with Jackson's work -- is that these shots don't make-up for the lack characterization. If I hadn't seen the Lord of the Rings, or read it, would I have much idea who Strider is? Gandalf appears without much explanation, although his disappearance is, at least, explained. Things are a bit better with Gollum, although it is hard to relate to a voice from inside a sack. (I appreciate the reasons why this was done, but could it have been handled differently?) I think the actors in this could have handled more characterization -- their efforts are really quite above that found in most student and amateur films.The voice-over is, simply, a bad idea, because it is such a non-cinematographic solution. If you are *showing* a story, then why assume it is necessary to *tell* the audience what it is seeing? If exposition is necessary (And I usually dispute that it is) then it is better to create a short dialog exchange, rather than the disembodied voice. Now, the creators of this film are merely echoing something that Hollywood has been doing far too much of late but, since this film is early in their careers, in needs to be said. Don't do it again!I gave this film 7/10 stars, which is what I would rate Jackson's as well. With an amount that probably would not have covered the catering for a week on the Lord of the Rings, they have created a work that is similarly enjoyable and similarly breathtaking. All in all, well done.