Review of Ringers: Lord of the Fans (2005) by Chris D — 26 Dec 2005

Ringers: Lord of the Fans chronicles the popularity of J.R.R Tolkien's book from it's original publication through to the release of the movie trilogy. Parts of the movie are done in humorous Monty Python style animated sequences and the rest is interviews with fans both regular and famous. Every aspect of Lord of the Rings effect on pop-culture is covered from it's effect on music to the hippy movement of the sixties and seventies.

The movie is informative and entertaining to a point but seems to roll along at a rather slow pace. Being a documentary I didn't expect a roller coaster ride but this movie needed a bit more spark to hold the attention of anyone outside of fans of The Lord of the Rings. Some of the fans themselves are what add a lot of the entertainment value but not in a good way. Some of them should really seek help. I love the book and the movies but I have better things to do than make up diaries for the daily lives of Lord of the Rings action figures for instance.

For people interested in knowing more about the history of the Lord of the Rings and why it is so popular around the world Ringers is worth a look. There just isn't much reason to watch it again.