benstarwolf
This may have been the first mockbuster I intentionally watched, having only recently become acquainted with the idea of them. When I found out this film was originally titled Age of the Hobbits, until being sued for stealing Tolkien's term, I knew I had to watch it. However, it is not a rip-off of the Hobbit film(s), but rather a anthropologically-based film with a pitch of fantasy that to some degree pays homage to the plot of the Lord of the Rings. There is even a part where the hobbits mourn the death of a hobbit named Gam-Gee who was a gardener. The movie stars many Thai people, I believe, of various heights, plus Chris Judge (Af. American), Bai Ling (Chinese), and Antonis Greco (?). The casting director from The Last Airbender could take an example from this movie. Sadly, though, all of the little people had dubbed voices. Why? Anyway, the synopsis at the top of the movie page, which refers to an enchanted dagger, is inaccurate and should be ignored in place of the one a have written below. This review contains SPOILERS. The film is about a family of 4 Homo florensiensis/Hobbits/halflings/tree-men/half-men: a husband, a wife, a son, and a daughter (an amalgam of Biblo/Frodo/Sam/Merry/Pippin). Their village/the Shire is attacked by cannibals/orcs/rock-men and Black Riders/dragon-riders. Many of the Hobbits are captured and taken to Mordor/the rock-men's cave including the mother. The hobbit family goes after her while being pursued by the head dragon-rider/Witch King of Angmar who wants revenge of the hobbit son knocked out his lieutenant's eye with a thrown rock. The hobbits make is to the plains where they want to get the Homo sapiens/Men of Rohan/giants to help them save their people from the rock-men. They observe the men/giants ambush a rhinoceros/opliphaunt and the father distracts the beast and saves the hunting chief/Aragorn/Amthar's life. He brings the head-man/Theoden/king and asks to help them but the king only wants peace with the rock-men. The daughter offers to teach the humans horticulture and the father offers to teach the gathering but the humans are only hunters. The son offers to teach them how to make an atlatl/"helping stick", which he invented, but the king refuses even after seeing it work. The hunting chief/Aragorn/Amthar helps the hobbit family anyway and two of his hunters and one of the king's spear-maidens (whose family was killed by rock-men) join them (the three are a mix of Legolas/Gimli/Boromir/Eowyn). Along the way to Mordor, they face tentacle vines (Watcher in the Water), giant spiders (Shelob), the death of a party-member (Gandalf/Boromir) and lots of running (Three Hunters). Meanwhile, the mother (Bilbo/Frodo) and the other hobbits await getting eaten by the rock-men. In the caves, the mother meets a hobbit slave (Gollum) of the rock-men who has managed to survive being eaten for many years. Finally, the humans and hobbits arrive at the caves where they are attacked my dragons. Amthar (Faramir, this time) is poisoned and it is up to the daughter (Pippin) to save him. The father (Frodo), knowing time is limited, goes on his own to save his wife but the son (Sam) comes with him despite being told not to. As the hobbits begin to be sacrificed and eaten, Amthar saves the day by killing the head- woman/Sauron/witch-queen of the rock men, the father saves the mother from a pit, Gollum dies, and the others help the other hobbits escape. There is a final battle against the rest of the rock men and the dragon- riders (not without loss on the side of the heroes, yet again) and all seems hopeless. Yet, at the last, the king of the giants arrives (horn blowing and all) with the other hunters and there is a big battle with hobbits and humans on one side and rock-men and dragon riders on the other. The head dragon-rider (Witch-King) kills the king (Theoden) and after the heroes win, Amthar/Aragorn becomes king. The dragon- rider/Witch-King was still alive, secretly and almost kills the heroes but the son (Merry, this time) kills him just in time using a bow, which he had invented immediately after the battle, intending it to be a string instrument. In the end, the son and daughter stay with the giants and the parents lead the other hobbits home. Amthar calls to them and blesses them saying that he hopes their kind lasts for 10,000 years ...which is actually kind of sad considering that scientists don't have evidence for them living much later in time than the time in which this movie takes place. I think if you can look past the bad special effects and the bad acting you can appreciate this movie especially if you like LOTR or prehistoric peoples.
Thales Leite
I hate to give such bad score for a film, but this is the typical idea that is better in a book. Each of the variables (Actors, effects, script, music, makeup, time, equipment, etc...) can transform the movie into a catastrophe (pretty much what's happen). I'm not saying that all aspects of this movie are awful, but in comparison with a international movie's standard... I could not give less. That is why I"m sorry, I try to understand all the good work and the good things that the movie have as well, but still seams an idea way too ambitious for what they have in hands. I like all kinds of movies, and I know that is too easy criticize a work that is already done. but seriously, there is a lot of things in the movie that are stupid and unnecessary.
Chris Hirst
donniedark in his review said "some flying crocodiles with men riding them like horses" not even close! More like flying newts!Fortunately I also downloaded this to see if it was worth buying.Buying!!!????? Are you kidding?? It wasn't even worth the download time and has now been deleted from my drive.Definitely a close contender to replace "Plan 9 From Outer Space" in the position as the worst ever SF movie and as for putting a spoiler in the review? Believe you me, this film doesn't NEED any help!Whatever you do, give this a miss. Maybe in twenty years or so it may reach "cult classic" status and be hailed for it's dire plot but it's definitely not a "pizza and beer" or a family night in movie.
