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      Tolkien

      2019, Biography/History, 1h 52m

      199 Reviews 1,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      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. Read critic reviews

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      Tolkien  Photos

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      Movie Info

      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."

      Cast & Crew

      Nicholas Hoult
      Lily Collins
      Colm Meaney
      Derek Jacobi
      Anthony Boyle
      Patrick Gibson
      Tom Glynn-Carney
      Craig Roberts
      Harry Gilby
      Adam Bregman
      Albie Marber
      Ty Tennant
      Laura Donnelly
      Pam Ferris
      David Gleeson
      Harri Ylönen
      Thomas Newman
      Grant Montgomery
      Pilar Foy
      Paul Cowell
      Colleen Kelsall

      News & Interviews for Tolkien

      Critic Reviews for Tolkien

      Audience Reviews for Tolkien

      • Feb 10, 2020

        Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins lead the cast in the J.R.R. Tolkien biopic Tolkien. The film looks at the formative years of J.R.R. Tolkien's life; growing up in an orphanage and making lasting friendships that would inspire him. Both Hoult and Collins give strong performances, and director Dome Karukoski uses an interesting visual style that makes allusions to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings mythology. Still, the plot is pretty formulaic and doesn't hold that many surprises. Yet despite a few weaknesses, Tolkien is a compelling look at the man behind one on the most influential novels of the twentieth century.

        Super Reviewer
      • Dec 30, 2019

        I'll admit I had some interest when I heard that a Tolkien biopic was in the works, but now that I've actually seen it, I'm very unsure about who was supposed to want this movie? It's just an unbearably clichéd biopic that makes sure it ticks all the boxes a biopic for some reason must. I don't understand how this formula gets forced in to the real-life story of every person who has ever lived a time that was put to screenplay. It's so boring, and it's so done. Who was crying out for a movie that examined famed author J. R. R. Tolkien when he... went from mildly unpopular at fancy pants school, to mildly popular at fancy pants school? Not when he was writing the most famous fantasy series of all time. Not when he was at war (or at least not more than about a cumulative 6 minutes of flashforwards at war). Not his relationship with C. S. Lewis. Not even about going to codebreaking school. Nope, a young Tolkien whose not very likeable and rather lofty for someone who supposedly comes from such a poor background. It does touch on some references to his future writing, adding a little bit of a fantastical element, but it's so afraid of this, its best element, that really only seems to imply that old mate Jirt wouldn't have come up with a single idea for Lord of the Rings unless some sort of external stimulus for it fell in his lap. Another biopic cliché.

        Super Reviewer

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