In his most recent review of ‘The Chronicles of Riddick,’ Roger Ebert has apologized for his comments earlier that LOTR fans need to ‘Get A life.’

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Films like “The Chronicles of Riddick” gather about them cadres of fans who obsess about every smallest detail, but somehow I don’t think “Riddick” will make as many converts as “The Matrix.” In fact, I owe an apology to fans of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.

When Richard Roeper reviewed the current two-disc DVD of “Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” on TV, I noted that a four-disc set of the movie was coming out later this year. He observed that the complete trilogy will come out on “an accordion size set that will take up the next six years of your life.” I observed that “LOTR” fans should “get a life.” I meant this as an affectionate ironic throwaway, but have received dozens of wounded e-mails from Ring devotees who believe “LOTR” has, indeed, given them a life, and after seeing “The Chronicles of Riddick,” I agree. They have a life. The prospect of become an expert on “Riddick,” in contrast, is too depressing to contemplate.