Review Detail

I have a vague memory of seeing any of the The Hobbit films in the theater, because I passed out for large chunks of it, and my distaste led me to avoid the others. But I grew up on the Hobbit before I even knew about LOTR or understood who Tolkien was, so I've always wanted to give it a chance. I bought the DVDs and never even opened them, so this was a new experience for me. The "Trilogy" was well-known as a studio cash grab chopping up a relatively short book into three films (this is a fascinating breakdown of it: http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/601909-stretching-hobbit-trilogy-numbers). The article explains how they spent 2m30s of screentime to cover a single sentence (ultimately averaging 2 mins per page), and it really felt like it.

I was glad I came across this fan-edit. It no longer feels like a bloated, dragging yarn designed to steal money from your pockets while it puts you to sleep. It is now an David Lean-style epic (complete with a stylish "Intermission"), adhering faithfully to Tolkien's book. The edits were so flawless, I literally had to jump online to find where the first movie ended because I knew I was in 'Smaug.' It moved at a brisk pace but still felt expansive and awe-inspiring. So much so, I felt forced to watch the LOTR films afterward.

This was clearly a labor of love, with amazing attention to detail. There is a plethora of formats available for download, and richly designed custom covers for every format and in multiple (!) colors. The originals will stay sealed and collect dust, as this is now my official version of the film.