Tolkien

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2:06

Tolkien

PG-13

Released May 10, 2019

1h 52m

Biography

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

51%

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198 Reviews

71%

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1,000+ Ratings

As a young student, J.R.R. Tolkien finds love, friendship and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts. Their brotherhood soon strengthens as Tolkien weathers the storm of a tumultuous courtship with Edith Bratt and the outbreak of World War I. These early life experiences later inspire the budding author to write the classic fantasy novels "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."

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Critics Consensus

Tolkien has the period trappings and strong performances of a worthy biopic, but lacks the imagination required to truly do its subject justice.

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

Tolkien is innocuous but uninspiring.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 21, 2019

Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

Fans of Tolkien's writing probably won't discover anything new about the man from this film and the attempts to turn the Somme battlefield into a sort of fiery Middle Earth look painfully contrived. This is a minor biography of a major writer.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 14, 2019

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

The film looks great, a polished period piece, but the pedigree is ragged... The result is polite, plodding and unconvincing, like most movies about famous writers.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 12, 2019

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Max Greene

InSession Film

The tonal shifts between everything this film is trying to be loses the connection with its subject, and that is a real problem.

Rated: C-

Aug 1, 2024

Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

We can derive both the themes of Tolkien’s works and of the film itself, such as the power of friendship or unity through language, while still being able to admire the performances.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

John Brhel

Vague Visages

Great set design, solid acting and stunning cinematography. It offers insight into the genesis of Tolkien’s stories and will likely be of interest to casual fans. But it’s fairly standard biopic fare that unfortunately only skims the surface...

Jun 5, 2023

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Gabriel S

truly a marvel of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and how he ended up making his legendarium and became the most well known fantasy writer of the 20th century. Without his writings we would never have fantasy. Tolkien may you always be remembered in this life and the next.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/07/24

Full Review

Mia W

Tolkien himself is well portrayed in the film. The cast is also well chosen. The escape into the mythological fantasy world and the creation of his works are comprehensible and you have the feeling of being able to immerse yourself in his world of thought. Filled with good ideas, I unfortunately find that the film contains too much Hollywood drama. Yes, the sad moments and war scenes are justified. However, the love story unfortunately seems overly dramatic, although in my opinion it has little to do with the actual plot and story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/11/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Great biopic on J.R.R. Tolkien!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/24

Full Review

Matt R

Solid bio-pic with good performances and respect for J.R.R. Tolkien's work.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/09/24

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Pablo A

I wanted to love this movie. Having the chance to portray one of the most important writers of all time this movie felt flat. Feeling like nothing happened during the run time. Is it a love story, a friendship, an origin? Important things in Tolkien life but it dragged to long to ultimately lead nowhere. It makes it harder to understand how this person came up with one of the most extraordinary and detailed universes ever created other than random visions during the war. Sadly it doesn't make him any justice to the author nor the audience that is looking to know more about the person behind their beloved world. Just a big pile of nothing. Only the performances and picture is worth the watch.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/29/23

Full Review

Kyle M

Reasonably not endorsed, the artistic license here mainly complements Peter Jackson's Middle-Earth adaptations with uncovered roots building up similar imagery that feeds the admired mindsets perceptively defining his legacy. Admittedly true, the criticism advocating inner accuracy shows there's more to his story than the main linkages. Standard biopic without fully distinguishing the subject above the presented name, but intricately built in the well-cast, committed performances depicting passionate connections albeit soulfully enjoying themselves under characteristic appeals. Even if dampened by inaccurate belief, the film ought to satisfy those who enjoyed the adaptations of his works by thematic summaries. (B+)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

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Dome Karukoski

Director

Nicholas Hoult

J.R.R. Tolkien

Lily Collins

Edith Bratt

Colm Meaney

Father Francis

Derek Jacobi

Professor Wright

Anthony Boyle

Geoffrey Smith

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Tolkien: Trailer 2

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Tolkien: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

As a young student, J.R.R. Tolkien finds love, friendship and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts. Their brotherhood soon strengthens as Tolkien weathers the storm of a tumultuous courtship with Edith Bratt and the outbreak of World War I. These early life experiences later inspire the budding author to write the classic fantasy novels "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."

Director: Dome Karukoski
Producer: Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, David Ready, Kris Thykier
Screenwriter: David Gleeson, Stephen Beresford
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Chernin Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sequences of War Violence)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 23, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.5M
Runtime: 1h 52m

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