I just finished watching
The Hunt For Gollum. Some fans have put together this marvelous non-profit film tied to the widely successful Lord Of The Rings trilogy from New Line Cinema. Because it is unlicensed, they cannot distribute it for download or on DVD (yet). Considering the quality of the film, I would highly recommend Warner Bros. buy the rights and distribute it as an extra DVD for a future edition of either the LOTR trilogy or the up-coming adaptation of The Hobbit.
I would further recommend to Warner Bros. that they encourage these filmmakers to continue making these relatively low-budget pictures for them. What a great way to get more middle-earth material out to the fan-base with little-to-no hassle for the rights holders.
About the film itself:
The source material (as far as I know) is culled from the appendices in the back of the Lord Of The Rings books (I've only read the appendices a few times). The story is also reiterated in one of the chapters in FOTR, but I can't recall which one exactly. The story centers around Strider (later revealed to be Aragorn). Strider is still a ranger--roaming the hills protecting the Shire and otherwise doing the will of the elves. Gandalf has just learned the truth of Bilbo's ring and has dispatched Strider to go and find Gollum to learn everything he can to confirm the ring's nature. If one has never read the book, the timeline might be more confusing: it takes place after Gandalf leaves Frodo in the Shire and before Gandalf returns to tell Frodo the full-truth (and heat up the ring just to make double sure).
At least I think that's when it is. I could be wrong.
Anyway, the film is only 40-45 minutes long, so revealing any more than that would reveal too much.
The actors they found were very good, not just in their ability, but also in their adherence to continuity (resembling and imitating the original actors). It was easy for me to slip right back into the story of Middle Earth.
My goodness! It's beautiful!!! I'd love to know where they filmed a lot of these scenes. Some of them were breathtaking. The music was wonderful--utilizing some of the classic themes from the original films. The music and scenery were 100% perfect for this film's purposes. I was taken straight back to the Middle Earth I know and love from the screen. These guys did such a great job.
The costumes were perfect (except Gandalf's). The sets were perfect. Technically, the film was almost perfect considering the nature of the production. I didn't expect to see any visual effects, let alone good ones. They all looked just fine and didn't feel out of place. Yes, Gollum is as we remember him, though the writers found an ingenious way to reduce their effects budget with him--you'll just have to see it yourself. It's one of my favorite parts of the film.
The editing was a little weird in the beginning, but once Strider is off on his quest, the editing was just fine. The sound effects and sound editing were very well done, except a few scenes where the dialogue was difficult to hear. The mix was very well done.
The only negative aspect of the film I could see is in the lighting for one or two scenes. On occasion, (especially at the end) it was very difficult to see anything. But I totally can't really complain because this film is otherwise an absolute joy.
The Hunt For Gollum is a gift from these fans to the other fans (including myself). I am extremely grateful for all of the hard work and hours the filmmakers put into this. Tolkien's books and Peter Jackson's films were instrumental in my development as an adult. They have taught me so much about the world, God and values. I can't thank them enough for their contribution to the last 8-9 years of my life. I'll say it again, it's a gift. And so is
The Hunt For Gollum.
Once again, I hope Warner Bros gets wise and embraces this film for what it is, and has the grace to pick it up, distribute it, and honor the filmmakers for their achievement.
The Hunt For Gollum is worth a look.
