Important Opinions on Important Movies

by Sam de Visser

Yes, I am going to write an entire column praising the Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003) trilogy and nobody can stop me. I write this as a tribute to my many friends who just “aren’t into these movies” or even more blasphemous, think they’re “just okay”. Have these films been discussed to death? Yes, but as has become clear from these columns beating a dead horse is my favourite thing to do, so I will continue to do so by over-praising these three very famous, very popular movies one more time.

I was a kid when I watched this trilogy for the first time (I’m gonna discuss them as a unit, because that’s kind of what they are—Fellowship of the Ring is the best one, though). This probably greatly contributed to my sense of wonder for these movies, and probably also why I, and many others, still find them so enjoyable today. But my love for this trilogy goes much further than that.

Many of you have at least heard of these films, or seen them re-imagined in memes or parodies - they are almost the quintessential ‘epic fantasy’, after all. But Rings was based on a story written in the 1950s and therefore forms the basis of what the fantasy genre really is. The elves, dwarves, fantastical worlds and societies, cliché-ridden battles between good and evil: it all originated with the books these films are based on.

The original literary work these movies are based on is a CHONKER, and it’s a miracle that Peter Jackson managed to adapt them as well as he did. It’s abundantly clear that this was a passion project to its director, and it shows. Everything, from production design to the special effects to the music to the acting to the screenplays is something I really can’t describe as anything but peak cinema, pretentious as that may sound. Yet I’ve gone on and on in these columns about how film is personal, about how sometimes, the sheer passion that has gone into a work may override its actual quality and make it seem better than it objectively is. These movies are so filled with character, feel so deeply personal, that I think they make a prime example of that phenomenon.

I do understand why some people aren’t into these movies at all - you will hate them if you don’t like mystical worlds with magical creatures. The storyline does come from the 1950s (shockingly not the most progressive of times) and some plot elements can feel kind of cheap. Yet that doesn’t take away from the visual marvel of its practical effects, its beautiful New Zealand locations, terrifically choreographed action, and its extremely well-crafted world that was so skilfully transferred from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books.

Some of you may have heard of the Hobbit trilogy (2012-2014), in many ways the polar opposite of Rings. Retaining much of its creative team but lacking all of the heart and passion, watching these alongside the Rings trilogy really shows what those subjective qualities can do to a work of art like this. Is my view tainted by nostalgia? Sure, but nobody can deny the sheer quality of this trilogy, the love and passion it was made with. So please at least attempt to watch it, if only for that reason. And fine, you may “just not be into them”. But they’re really more than “just okay”.