Normally I hate chain mail (not the kind that keeps you from being skewered in medieval days) but when it comes to chain posts I believe they align with what all of us writers need; A push to write something, or anything!

A good blogging friend of mine tagged me (You can see that post here) and even though we may not know each other exceptionally well aside from our posts, me being chosen for this one is right on the money. I am a massive Tolkien fan! From my first experience with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, to the end of the films, I’ve been with them my whole life pretty much. So, apparently there are rules to this sort of thing:

1) You have to be tagged in order to do it.

2) You have to tag and notify at least three bloggers.

3) Answer the questions!

4) You must have seen The Battle of the Five Armies before taking this quiz.

Well if I must tag three others… that will be difficult, as I’m not sure who has seen it and who hasn’t. I will nominate: Umm… Hmm… and… Uh Oh. Ladies and Gents, anyone want to volunteer? If you do I’ll tag you here so others who read this post can click your links! Promise! (Just be sure to tag me in your post or comment below so I know!)

1) Tell your story of how you came to see the movies or got into Tolkien in the first place.

The movies I saw subsequently because of my pre-existing love for Tolkien. When I was in primary school I remember looking through the library for something to read. I’d been reading Goosebumps, Ghost and UFO stories when I stumbled across a misplaced book. It had a red dragon on the cover surrounded by gold and I thought, well… that’s different. So I took it out and brought it home. I was actually caught more by the title… What was a Hobbit? Surely it wasn’t this Dragon. As I read on I was introduced to dwarves and elves and a world unlike our own. It was my first brush with fantasy and I’ve enjoyed writing that genre since then.

2) Who are your three favourite characters in The Hobbit? 

This is a hard one, I assume we are talking about the movies here. I have a fondness for Smaug as I believe they kept him very true and not only that but he was done wonderfully from the book or not. As someone with a 3D Animation Diploma, I can appreciate the work that goes into such scenes. Gandalf has always been my absolute favorite wizard, (Harry Who?) and he ages like a fine wine. Aside from that, I would have to say I enjoyed Bilbo, although at times I felt the acting was a bit stiff.

3) Did you cry at The Battle of the Five Armies, and if so, which scenes and what type? 

No. But I will hijack this question to explain that my favorite scene from the movie was not in the book (not that I recall at least) and involved Gandalf, Galadriel, Saruman and Elrond. In fact, if anyone wanted to write a fictional account of those four acting like a Middle Earth A-Team, I would not be opposed.

4) Were the deaths compelling to you, and if so, whose?

The death I felt the most for was Smaug, as harsh as it is to say I simply didn’t feel for the death of the dwarves much. I think it was the fact that the majority of their deaths were long and drawn out almost as if they needed to fill another half an hour of footage. Kili’s death was actually so over the top and cringeworthy I just wanted the scene to end. In my head I kept saying “Now, just one more shot of him slowly dying, now back to her… now him… back to her…” I think I stifled back a laugh when I guessed they would do one more close up of Tauriel before progressing forward.

5) Overall, were you satisfied with the movie itself?

I was very satisfied with the movies, especially when separated from the books. I love Middle Earth as a world almost more than I love the stories within it. Of course, those stories shaped the world, but variations for the sake of entertainment is fine by me. I feel as though when you watch the movies, do NOT reread the book before hand. Rookie error! Things will be different, things will be cut, things will be expanded to adapt to the big screen. As I previously said, one of my favorite scenes did not happen in the book.

6) Describe the movie in one word.

One word? I would rather choose a name.

Peter Jackson.

This is his take on Middle Earth and the story of the Hobbit in particular. It’s not going to line up exactly with the book. There are some extras and there are somethings completely added. Like any art form there are many ways to interpret it, some will love it, some will hate it. Only you can choose to enjoy it as someone’s vision or not.

Me? I’m a fan of both, and why not? A lot of work went into them and they both hold a spot close to my heart.

Although for anyone who is a fan of Lord of the Rings more than The Hobbit, the game Shadow of Mordor may require some filmmaking down the line. Action packed story with drama and twists abound, it is a must play for those of you who enjoy the Tolkien universe.