Tolkien
critic Reviews
, 51% Rotten Tomatometer Score- Tolkien has the period trappings and strong performances of a worthy biopic, but lacks the imagination required to truly do its subject justice.
- , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreWenlei MaNews.com.au
Tolkien is innocuous but uninspiring.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScoreDavid StrattonThe 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.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScorePaul ByrnesSydney 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.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScoreDavid EhrlichindieWire
"Tolkien" doesn't seem all that interested in providing any kind of entertainment.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreJohn AndersonAmerica Magazine
Tolkien is on a journey, and while the film may deprive us of an arrival, it does give us a rather exhilarating travel itinerary.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScoreJames BerardinelliReelViews
Tolkien may have been the most important modern fantasy author but the movie bearing his name won't stand the test of time.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreCollier JenningsBut Why Tho? A Geek Community
Despite some heavy-handed references to the Middle Earth books, Tolkien is a well-acted and well-directed film that sheds some light on one of the most beloved authors who ever lived.
Read full article - , Rotten Tomatometer ScoreRichard CrouseRichard Crouse
The Tolkien family has renounced the film not, one imagines, because it paints an unflattering portrait of its subject but because, by and large, it's a standard look at a man who is anything but ordinary.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreSteven ProkopyThird Coast Review
It's easy to derive a great deal of pleasure in Hoult and Collins together. Their relationship has an innocent charm that is wonderful to witness.
Read full article - , Fresh Tomatometer ScoreJames HantonOuttake Mag
Tolkien gets certain parts of the story spot on, and does so with a visceral style that makes for compelling viewing. Where it bogs down is everywhere else.
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