We’ll return to The War of the Rohirrim review momentarily. First…

The Disparity Between Trilogies

92% of 236 certified critics reviewed The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) favorably.

The 19 or so folks who gave it a negative review should have their critic cards revoked.

64% of 302 critics reviewed The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) favorably.

These folks should be killed. In all seriousness: None of The Hobbit films are strong.

Uninspired

Considering them anything but inadequate is lunacy.

There was one worthwhile scene in the entire trilogy: Galadriel rescues Gandalf.

Kicking down doors and orc butt. Galadriel swaddles Gandalf, beaten and blue. (Need my childhood male heroes be whipped flagrantly? Male Chauvinism’s back in style for 2025; warn your sisters.)

A freshly converted [first trilogy viewing < 5 years] friend claims to have enjoyed The Hobbit films. She is mistaken.

Her thought is, “the single hottest take in cinematic history,” I explain. 

She confirms my wisdom privately with another friend. He agrees: Suggesting The Hobbit films are ‘good enough’ is not okay.

Fine Intent

“I guess I thought it was nice just being back in that world…” she mules.

Wrong. It’s not nice.

And The Hobbit is not a return to the world of the original trilogy. Rings of Power the television series has more success at accomplishing this goal, impossible as it is.

Show caution, fine viewer, against this type of casual intellectualism. Think more.

The disparity between the trilogies is obvious. The original is the peak of cinema and storytelling. Debatable the highest art ever. Worthy of multiple re-viewings across decades.

The second trilogy is an unjustifiable lengthening of sub-adequate topic material. Derivative. Ptuey!

Suitable Portals to Middle-earth

Closest experience to viewing the original LOTR trilogy is reading the books: Fellowship, Two Towers, Return of the King. Children of Hurin = good. The Hobbit’s okay. Skip The Silmarillon.

If you’ve suffered the above analysis there’s a slim chance you’re still unconverted. If you still have yet to view the original trilogy, please take a bow. Or continue bowing, I guess.

Maybe you think it’s still up for debate whether or not Tolkien wrote…good? Or cool? Or fun?

At any rate you’re being stubborn. By and large you’ve spent a quarter century refusing to view. Why not hang it up already – what has reluctance gained thus far? Turn on Fellowship in earnest.

You will enjoy. I promise.

Above all you’ll see the value of an escape back into the world of LOTR. With, say, a book or film like War of the Rohirrim.

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Briefer takes on IMDb & Letterboxd.

Check out Justice League x RWBY for more anime adjacent, but ungood entertainment.