Who the 'Ell Is Tauriel?

Who the Bloody 'Ell, is Tauriel? - An interesting question, the creators of this tongue-in-cheek dig at Peter Jackson's detractors ask.

There are lots of people online and in print, who question The Hobbit director using his artistic license to 'adjust' the story of Tolkien's Hobbit to suit the direction he wanted his movie to go.

Chris Winchester and friends have created a wonderfully funny and satirical parody of these detractors, without out-and-out insulting them. "Who the 'Ell is Tauriel" pokes fun at all those who argue that Jackson has strayed too far from the text, without being specific in who it is actually parodying.

It's bloody catchy too, you'll find yourself humming or singing it for days or even weeks after.

Well done all those involved. A great piece of satire :)

The whole cast of "Who the 'Ell is Tauriel" were involved in the making of the Hobbit movie, so they know those movies in detail. Plus, some at least have nerd-level knowledge of the works of JRR Tolkien. The interplay between Tolkien nerddom and Hobbit-movie insiderhood makes for a delightful little spoof. (Official end of review)

For a review, IMDb requires at least 10 lines.

But let's face it, "Who the 'Ell is Tauriel" is only 6 minutes long, so 10 lines of review is a bit of a stretch.

There's a lot of guitar-plunking, and some mass running and skipping about in the forest.

The forest, which plays a supporting role, is actually a remnant Kohekohe grove in the Raroa reserve, Pukerua Bay. And Pukerua Bay is the seaside village where Peter Jackson grew up. So there you go.

A lighthearted look at the "additions" Peter Jackson developed for The Hobbit and the responses they generated among the Tolkien Purists. While they might be initially hostile, they are easily led down the garden path by PJ's talent.

The clip owes as much to English music hall as to Middle Earth. Perhaps the next project for the Esgaroth 3 would be a full scale performance of some of the dwarfs' songs from the film (and the book!) itself.

One of the joys of the video is that all of the people who appear in it are extras in The Hobbit, so it reflects the family spirit that developed on set (the real one). This is another indirect tribute to Jackson's approach and love for his matauriel, err, material.