LOTR Rip Offs

[Silmiel of Imladris]

Well I was at Wal-Mart one day in the electronics section digging through the DVD bargin bin when something caught my eye. I found a DVD called "The Legend of the Ring". Intriged I read the back of it and immediately did the :Cough: Rip Off :Cough:. What I got from the back was (Some of this may not be accurate) there was this normal kid from our world whose is in a magical world and is trying to get rid of this evil ring before the bad guy gets it. There are orcs and goblins that stand in his way but he has a blond elf to help him that doesn't look like he works for Santa but like he came out of Lothlorien except his ears are too big. This sounds strangly familar doesn't it? smilies/rolleyes.gif Disgusted, I chucked it back in the bin. I tried searching for this movie on the internet but I only get LOTR stuff. This is an older movie probably from the 1980's. It is not illegal to use the ideas of others as inspiration but I think in this case they were too lazy to completely come up with new ideas so they just changed old ones around a bit. Not to mention they kind of combined it with A Neverending Story. smilies/mad.gif If anyone has any info on this movie it would be great but I really want to ask if anyone has seen any rip offs similar to this?

[Armetiel]

My brother has seen a trilogy at school (books ) called

The Ring's Company
The Twin Towers
The King's Return

I don't know what they were about, other than the fact that were set in modern day, but a similar idea to LOTR still...but yeh, the names say everything eh? smilies/wink.gif

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 1:05 AM January 27, 2004: Message edited by: Armetiel ]

[Eruwen]

Are you serious? Someone actually had enough nerve to spend money on making that? I was seriously dying laughing when I saw the titles. Wal-mart, you say? Well, I'm just gonna have to go look at this.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 10:23 PM January 26, 2004: Message edited by: Eruwen ]

[Gashberz]

CAN SOMEBODY SAY COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WITH THOSE BOOK TITLES!!! OMG I HAVE TO GET TO THE NEAREST WALLMART! is there anyway you can post a pic of anythign about that?

[Armetiel]

^The Walmart thing was the movie that someone saw "Legend of the Ring"

The Books were at my bro's school last year...I've never seen them myself he's just told me about them...but if I can find them I'll post a picture...maybe he knows the author, I'll ask him in the morning (he's asleep right now)
(everytime i look them up on the internet I just get the LOTR, prob cuz these are way more popular and the name is close enough it finds LOTR stuff...but if he can remember the author i can search for that instead)

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 1:12 AM January 27, 2004: Message edited by: Armetiel ]

[Shire Flower]

I, too, saw the "Legend of the Ring" movie, except at a Rite-Aid drugstore. When I first saw the title, I was like, ooohhhh, it must be a documentary on LOTR. However, when I picked it up, it turned out to be just an unknown kid's fantasy movie, so I put it back and went on my way.

I checked on Amazon.com for "Legend of the Ring" but I couldn't find anything on it. I'll have to check what company produced it next time I am in the store. I wonder what happens in the movie? If the kid gets any fingers bitten off by a half-crazed former ringbearer, it would just be TOO weird..... smilies/eek.gif

[Mariska Greenleaf]

Take a look at this!!

The legend of the rings (http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00007M5ID.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)

smilies/eek.gif

The ultimate cross-over between LOTR and HP!

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 6:59 AM January 27, 2004: Message edited by: Mariska Greenleaf ]

[Goldberry]

Harry Potter is great. LotR is great. But put them together and...... smilies/eek.gif


Here's the description for that movie Mariska linked to:

--Max is a shy and bullied boy whose life changes from one moment to the next when he receives a book that opens a mystical door to a world filled with magic and wonder. But when an evil force threatens the peace of the kingdom Max has been swept into, Max must use his wit and magical knowledge to help save his newfound home.

The reviews on Amazon are pretty bad on the whole, saying that it is so bad it's actually hilarious. But who knows...I might just have to watch it someday when I am really bored. smilies/wink.gif

[Finwe]

That's another horrible LotR-related movie that I have to watch. One of these days, when I'm extremely bored, I'm going to watch that one and Lord of the Rings by Ralph Bakshi, just so I can collapse with laughter. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Daisy Brambleburr]

Oh my goodness, what is with that poster? The orc like thing to the left of the boy looks like a goblin from Gringotts bank. When was this film made? I'm frankly surprised at some people's nerve. I personally could never rip off something as obviously as that.

[Eruwen]

smilies/biggrin.gif Haha!!! I cannot believe the picture! The Elf reminds me of one of the ones you see in Lothlorien, yes, the orc-like thing does look like a goblin from Gringott's. The orc thing in the top looks like a mix between a LOTR orc and a ram. What's the deal with that? All I can say, is that is a waste of someone's money.

[Amariden Ravenhill]

smilies/eek.gif MY EYES!!!! IT BURNS US PRECIOUSSSSS!!! AIIIEEEE!!!! THE BAD IMAGERY BURNSSSSSS!!!!!! smilies/eek.gif

[Oroaranion]

Don't know if this really counts, but have any of you heard of 'Bored of the Rings'? I just looked at the book with disgust and thought 'how could anyone be bored of LotR?'. Then I immediately left th bookstore.

[Silmiel of Imladris]

Yeah how old is this movie "The Legend of the Ring"? The DVD I found at Wal-Mart looked like an older movie but this poster looked new but I know both are the same movie. It is one thing if they made this before the LOTR movies came out but if they made it after I am truly ticked.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 4:24 PM January 27, 2004: Message edited by: Silmiel of Imladris ]

[Failivrin]

Bored of the Rings is hilarious th first time you read it, it really is.

[Thengal]

"Bored of the Rings" is actually pretty good. You have to have read the LOTR to understand it and I read somewhere the guy who wrote it really likes LOTR.

[Silmiel of Imladris]

Ok I finally found the Legend of the Rings on Amazon. It was relesed on Video and DVD in December of 2002 which means they must have been making this dumb movie around the same time or after the making of LOTR. Strange coincidence, huh? smilies/rolleyes.gif smilies/mad.gif

[Finwe]

Even though it's a parody, Bored of the Rings is absolutely hilarious. I was reading it in my school library, and it kept me in stitches! smilies/biggrin.gif It's definitely a must-read for all Tolkien fans.

[Gil Galad]

Yes I want to read Bored of the rings too.

Legolamb, Gimlet, Araroot son Arashirt LOL

[Finwe]

Apparently because the fact that Elves have pointy ears has to be drilled into the heads of audiences. Short ears just won't work because then we'll think that the Elf is just a prissy human. The Elf has to have Dumbo-size ears for us to recognize the Elfhood. smilies/biggrin.gif

As for the Orc with the Balrog horns, I think it's to scare the little kiddies. Or, I suppose the Orc could use the horns as weapons. If all else fails, your sword breaks in battle, your spear is shriven to pieces, use your horns!!!! smilies/biggrin.gif

[Shire Flower]

I did a little research on the "Legend of the Rings" movie. The exact title is "Max Magician and the Legend of the Rings." Apparently, it came out in 2002....

Yahoo Movie Guide Listing http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&cf=info&id=1808512757&intl=us

A "Legend of the Rings" thread on another message board: http://www.lordoftheringsguide.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7277

By the way, the movie IS listed at Amazon.com, but just as "Max Magician and the Legend of the" ....I guess they forgot to put the rest of the title in.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:42 AM January 28, 2004: Message edited by: Shire Flower ]

[Ainaserkewen]

I can only laugh when I see a movie like that. It looks like something made by the same people who did the "Goosebumps" TV series. Seriously, if it hasn't ended up on YTV(canadian kids channel) already, it soon will be. What a joke.

The whole copyright thing doesn't bug me anymore. After I saw "Bilbo's lost journal" (a fanfiction made into a summer musical) I just don't worry about it that much. I just laugh and then go off about the inaccuacies later.

[Gashberz]

HOW CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP!!!!! what a piece of crap! i cant believe they did this in 2002 and i never heard of a lawsuit against it. people would be sue crazy over a film like that.

[Vitesse]

That "Legend of the Ring" thing looks bloody awful. I too, can't believe that there weren't any lawsuits. The orc looks like a costume that was rejected from the set of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" too (actually, I really like that show..).

---

On a whole other note, there's a movie that borrows all the concepts of the Shire, the Hobbits, and the culture of the Shire but actually manages to preserve their dignity. And it has nothing to do with rings.

It's called "Willow" and starred Val Kilmer. It was pretty famous when it first came out and it's still a popular, and well liked, movie for kids and families. I liked it, even if some of it is corny.

It's not a patch on LOTR, but then it's a comedy-drama and it was always intended to be a 90-minute film, so it was never going to have all of the thought, mythology, and literary flourish that LOTR has.

[Sanqhian]

Have you guys ever heard of the book called Eragon? My mom read it and she was telling me about it. So much like the LOTR. Something about a boy, an evil king trying to take over a world, and the names. Hmm...Eldor, Ardwen, Eragon, they sound almost so familiar. Plus, it's the first book in a trilogy.

[Gashberz]

I have that book and its pretty cool, but it felt too much like star wars to me. Oh and not star wars episode 1 and 2...yuck...but the origial 3. The dragon riders were too much like jedi. it was funny. if anyone is as much as a star wars fan as i am then back me up pleese. (oh i like lotr more then starwars but..im still parshal to mr.lucas.
-CHEERS!

[Neferchoirwen]

Seen the link...

As a Tolkien fan, I feel violated...
It looked so bad, that and I could've sworn that I thought that it was a Gronggot's bank person.

A sorry sight, it is...

*goes preacher mode* Can I get a lawsuit!

[Isowen]

That movie poster that's way up there ^ is the same movie that my friend's dad has on video!
I knew I'd seen that boys' face before! I think the whole matter is completely outrageous, how can you rip off something as obviously as that?!?!?! :rolleyes:
I asked my friend if we could watch the movie, and its awful! And what's worse is that she actually likes it BETTER than lotr!!!!! But she's always been wierd.
Anyway, they should have laws about making rip-offs that bad, its a total insult to lotr and tolkien, the moviemakers should be ashamed of themselves.

[Nukapei]

I agree, someone needs to get a lawsuit right away. Oh, and does this 'Legend of the Rings' movie poster remind anyone of 'Legend' with Tom Cruise? We were forced to watch that movie in Mythology, and I thought it the dumbest thing since those candy band-aids. (This was in my pre-LotR days, btw) Anyway, the horned orc thing in the background reminded me of the Devil in 'Legend' . . . and is that Elf male or female? Can't tell . . .

[Gil-Galad]

thing too...they could have already asked to use the copyright, just to make a fun spoof of it...

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

Has anyone ever heard or played the game Runescape? Some of the things in it or most of the things are blatant LOTR ripoffs. Some of the stuff is pretty funny. They have dwarves that mine, swords and armor of mithril, and wizards, elves and dragons. I think the dragons guard treasure too, but I'm not sure.

[Assasin]

Two words: The Hobbit. The peoples in it moved very stiff, like they have arthritis or something.