The Hunt for Gollum - Independent Film-Making 101
Written: May 03 '09 (Updated May 03 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A fine example of what indie films can be...
Cons: ... the plot's a bit thin...
The Bottom Line: If you like Lord of the Rings or Indie films, this is a must-see.
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| captaind's Full Review: The Hunt for Gollum |
The Hunt for Gollum is a 40-minute indie film produced by Independent Online Cinema, released worldwide on 3rd May 2009. Based in Middle Earth shortly before the events of The Lord of the Rings, it centres on Gandalf and Aragorn's efforts to keep the ring a secret. With Gollum lurking around near Mordor, it is essential that he be found before Sauron discovers the secrets that he holds. It does of course feature a few familiar faces such as Strider (the name Aragorn goes by as a Ranger), Gandalf and of course Gollum himself.
There's not really much storyline here to be honest, but it serves as a nice precursor to Fellowship of the Ring (though this film is in no way affiliated to the New Line Cinema trilogy or the Tolkien Estate). The title "The Hunt for Gollum" is a little misleading really considering the actual hunt is over very quickly, it's more about what happens when he's found. The cinematography isn't at all bad and the English (and possibly some Welsh, I think) countryside used in the filming gives some very evocative backdrops. The music is very, very good - catching the essence of the scores used in Peter Jackson films but remaining completely original. Adam Langston and Andrew Skrabutenas provided the music and I wouldn't be surprised to see their names associated with some bigger productions in the future.
The role of Strider himself is played by Adrian Webster, and he does a good job. Patrick O'Connor makes a decent Gandalf and Christopher Dingli scampers around a lot as Gollum. There are few other characters who get more than a minute or two of screen time, with it being a short film. Still, the acting is pretty good throughout, albeit there are few truly dramatic scenes for anyone to really shine. Where the movie really impresses are in the make-up and costumes department - the orcs in particular look great. The model-making is also very good - at least I presume some of the shots are of models rather than CGI.
There are a couple of small-scale battle scenes which are very well shot. All in all it's not a great movie; however it is a great example of what non-for-profit, independent film-making is capable of. Director Chris Bouchard deserves great credit for putting together an enjoyable film here, which although a little thin in terms of plot is very entertaining and expands on a few side notes in Middle Earth mythology.
This is essential viewing if you're a Lords of the Rings fan or interested in independent film-making. If you're neither of those, I doubt if you'll enjoy it too much though.
There isn't an official age rating for this as it's an independent film, but I'd say it'd probably be a PG because a couple of bits are a little gory.
To watch The Hunt For Gollum online visit the official website: www.thehuntforgollum.com
Value for money is guarranteed of course when the movie is and will remain compeltely free! I suspect that you may find the same as me, and that watching this will make you want to watch the LotR trilogy again too.
Related Links:
The Lord of the Rings Films
The Fellowship of the Rings
The Two Towers
The Return of the King
JRR Tolkien Books:
Lord of the Rings
The Silmarillion
The Hobbit
The Book of Lost Tales 2
Recommended:
Yes
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captaind
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Member: Dave Seaman
Location: Birmingham, Merry Old England
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