The Hunt for Gollum is a forty-minute short film

Alas, more Lord of the Rings content billows the audience’s way despite the current shutdown of The Hobbit over at MGM studios!  That’s right Middle Earth maniacs, the series continues spawning never-ending products; just like George Lucas’ Star Wars.

The Hunt for Gollum is a forty-minute short film created by Lord of the Rings fan Chris Bouchard.  The production value is top-notch as it looks and feels exactly like Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.  The cinematography, lighting, costumes, makeup and acting are all extremely well-done.  What’s most impressive about this vast undertaking is that it was shot for less than $5000!  Be on the lookout for Chris Bouchard in the future kids.

The short opens with the standard retelling of the basic lore of the Middle Earth world.

The narrator sets up the conflict, warning us of Gollum, saying hatred still boils inside him for Bilbo Baggins, “…the thief who took it.”  The main characters are easily recognizable.  Gandalf confides with Aragorn at a tavern that Gollum knows where to find the Ring.  Aragorn takes it upon himself to seek out the creature Gollum before he finds it.

Before setting out on yet another quest for the lone Ranger, Aragorn visits a statue of his forefather, Elendil, and prays for strength when the time comes.  This is a nice moment.  It reminds us that man failed in the beginning; electing not to destroy the ring, and why he must go on this quest.

Ultimately, the film’s greatest attribute is simultaneously its greatest flaw.  It is a mirror image of Peter Jackson’s recreation of the LOTR trilogy.  It looks exactly the same, sounds the same and the same scenes happen…again.  This is beyond impressive in terms of the production for such a miniscule budget.  It sadly fails, however, in terms of the writing and overall story.  As an audience member, if we wanted to watch LOTR again, we would do so and simply pop the four-to-twenty disc DVD collection in; everyone knows they own them.

As the audience, we want the same thing, yet different.  We want to experience that same rich world but with a new and different twist.  We do not get that from this story.  The initial tavern scene between Gandalf and Aragorn mirrors the scene when Aragorn first finds the hobbits in The Fellowship.  The two orcs roaming the forest mirrors the orc and goblin spat in The Two Towers.  The fight between Aragorn and the orc platoon mirrors the final battle in The Fellowship.  Even the closing image of the titular character Gollum reminds us of the ending in The Two Towers.
Ultimately, nothing is answered in this prequel!  No new information is divulged.  Even The Fast and the Furious Tricked Out Edition DVD offered more insight to the storyline.  The bonus short film explains how Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) ends up in Miami for the sequel.  How does Gollum escape in the end considering he is not captured at the beginning of The Fellowship?  Considering how this ended, it makes you think a sequel will be made entitled: ‘Gollum’s Escape!’

But herein lies the ultimate answer to the Hollywood riddle!  A bigger, longer sequel has already been made, entitled: Born of Hope.  This is the only thing churning the wheels in Hollywood these days.  It’s not a ring full of power, but money!

Overall, The Hunt for Gollum is an entertaining short that would make J.R.R. Tolkien and Peter Jackson very proud.  But if you are looking for something original, look elsewhere.