Fans of the author's work have mixed feelings about how much of his actual creative process is captured versus the dramatic "biopic tropes" used. Critical Reception Summary Key Feedback 51% (Critics)
: Director Dome Karukoski uses the trenches of World War I to depict the origins of "the shadow" or Mordor. Some critics from Variety found these visual metaphors (such as seeing dragon-like smoke in the fire) a bit heavy-handed, but effective in showing the trauma behind the storytelling. Tolkien.2019.iTA.ENG.AC3.SUB.iTA.ENG.BluRay.108...
Found it "safe" and "formulaic" despite strong performances. Described as a handsomely made but conventional portrait. IMDb Fans of the author's work have mixed feelings