I love Peter JacksonsLord Of The Ringsfilms.
Theyre a go-to happy-place for me,including the DVD extras.
This was something else.
It was instantly A Thing.
We left the cinema talking excitedly about it.
This hadnt happened withHarry Potter.
Also worthy of note was that this film had mass appeal.
People would come up to me at school and say Andrew, youre weird.
What happens next inLord Of The Rings?
to which I would laugh politely, and then lie.
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Another side effect of this comes from pop culture now being deliriouslyefficientat generating memes.
This wasStar Warsfor my generation, in many ways.
The contrast, the immediacy of This is what this film is, both built on.
There is a huge world out there thats only being touched on.
That few seconds of swooping camera work and ominous score remains one of my defining cinema-going experiences.
I know Im not alone in this.
Now, approaching the thirdHobbitfilm, do you remember the anticipation forThe Return Of The King?
The Hobbit, though, hasnt quite caught the imagination in the same way.
Its in the shadow ofLord Of The Ringsboth as an event and as a story.
We know, even without reading the books, that certain characters inThe Hobbitwill survive.
Also, I dont know if youve readThe Lord Of The Rings, but its really bloody long.
That said, that point has been well made, and thats not where this article is going.
Trilogies became quadrilogies became Marvel Cinematic universes.
Its also true thatThe Hobbitis a very different book, tonally.
Its more playful in places, though just as dark in some, as its sequel.
Its very episodic, and the dwarves that make up most of its characters are lightly sketched.
Can anyone imagine the scenes of sledging over molten metal in the original trilogy?
It would seem jarring, as indeed it does inThe Hobbit.
Its a clash of two tones occupying the same universe, andThe Hobbitfilms dont feel consistent in this respect.
They veer from Goblin Town to Riddles in the Dark, and it feels problematic.
The most memorable music fromThe Hobbitwas first heard inLord Of The Rings.
Elizabeth Fraser has been replaced with Ed Sheeran.
The Renfield Street Odeon is closed.
No more standing on the street corner outside, buzzing excitedly and waiting for the bus home.
In all likelihood, there probably wasnt going to be.
Its unfair to expect lightning to be bottled twice, but of course that doesnt stop us hoping.
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