I wouldn't worry too much about Merry and Pippin being useless: even the very wise cannot see all ends 😉

Peter Jackson remains the only director to be able to make 9 guys walking past a rock the most epic shot of the movie

"I haven't seen Magneto use his powers once..." 1- Launches fireworks from the back of the wagon w/out moving. 2- Blows a 3 mast ship from his pipe. 3- More magical fireworks 4- When Bilbo turns invisible and runs home Gandalf is already there waiting (teleportation). 5- When Bilbo won't turn over the ring Gandalf's presence booms and the room grows dark and windy. 6- Talks to a moth on the tower of Saruman. 7- Makes a magical light to travel through the mines. 8- Determines the nature of a distant foe with his eyes closed (Balrog). And of course immediately after he defeats a Balrog in single combat.

Boromir is one of the bravest and noblest men in Middle Earth. He was desperate to defend his people from Sauron, and the Ring used that desire to corrupt him. However, Boromir’s final sacrifice motivates Aragorn and Pippin in ways that help the quest.

Yay! And yes, you're correct: this was planned and announced as the start of a trilogy (based on the trilogy of books). In fact, they actually filmed all three movies at the SAME TIME over the course of *438 days* - so there was literally never a question of whether or not there'd be sequels! :)

Harry Potter & Game Of Thrones wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the Lord Of The Rings books. The Lord Of The Rings books inspired MOST of the fantasy movies, books, tv shows that came after it. The Lord Of The Rings movies proved that Fantasy movies could make LOTS of money.

One thing that occasionally goes unnoticed on first viewing is that they handmade functional armor for the cast and extras. Thousands of hours were spent forging armor and weapons and other props with their fictional regional styles. You can look at a piece of gear and immediately tell if it's Elven, Gondorian, Orc, Rohirric, etc

If Christopher Lee terrifies you as an actor do you know in WW2 he was a spy? In a film he was getting stabbed from behind and his director was giving him notes on how to act. CL asked "Have you ever heard someone be stabbed in the lungs from behind in real life?", and the director said "no" . CL replied with "well I have so I know how to act it properly". Chilling.

first he's like "i'm not seeing the extended version because its too big" then on the end of the movie he is like "thats a sudden ending"

Boromir’s death is one of the most honorable deaths in cinema’s history.😢

Hey mate, you know, for someone who said they have trouble with fantasy genre, you followed pretty well! I'm sure you'll enjoy the other to movies even more. This was just the beginning of the story 😊

Starts off with jokes, ends with tears. Every time. Can't wait.

Gandalf could never, should NEVER take the Ring. The higher in power you are, the MORE it corrupts, but the Ring would gain much from that power--a very strong evil. Only an almost modest being with an innocent heart could carry the Ring without being corrupted. Frodo is that one.

I'm absolutely here for this! This was basically the book that kicked off the beginning of modern fantasy. Love seeing blind reactions. I watched this in theaters as they came out. I will edit my comment after I finish the reaction and will answer any questions to the best of my ability.

Yes, Sam was a servant - the gardener of Bag End, and his father was the gardener there before him, and he was apprentice to "Old Holman" who was the gardener before him. There was a time in England where families of servants became attached to great houses or smaller manors for generations, and Tolkien was old enough to be nostalgic for those times. Sam's loyalty has been forged through generations of both service and friendship.

Aragorn took Boromir's bracers and put them on as a reminder of his promise to Boromir to not let the White City fall or their people fail. They formed a strong kinship and they grew to admire and love each other as brothers in arms.

You're right to be amazed by the amount of work that was put into these films. Highly recommend checking out the behind the scenes stuff after you're done. One of my favorite little fun facts is all of the chainmail armor you see in these movies was made by just two dudes in a shed. They made over 16 million chainmail rings, have no fingertips left, and said they would happily do it again.

Love that you're trying something outside your comfort zone! Even if you end up not liking it, at least ya open to trying. Solid!

Every time someone says “oh I can’t sit through the extended edition that’s too long!” by the end of the movie they always want to see more

“So is Sean Bean dying in this?!”…😂😂😂😂

If you want to know more about Boromir’s life and motivations please watch the extended versions for the next 2 films.

it's quite fair to think that gandalf and dumbledore have the same sort of vibes! JKR was very clearly massively inspired by lord of the rings, and the old, kind mentor figure is well entrenched in part thanks to gandalf himself. "why does this horse look like he's covered in blood?" in the book, it's made clear that while that thing is in the shape of a horse, it is not a horse at all. it is, in gandalf's words, altogether evil. also, yes, no one is pure enough to fully resist the ring. some people are more susceptible than others, but hobbits, who have no great desire for power, are much more resilient to its whispers and promises. after all, what can you promise to a being who just wants to eat good food and till the earth? but the ring was forged by what was basically an angel, and will worm its way into the mind one way or another. the thing about a hobbit being corrupted is that they don't have the powers that the ring would twist like gandalf's. oh, and a quick edit: when gandalf is on the bridge in moria, saying "i am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of anor!" he is warning that balrog that he's got some serious juice and backup of the almighty behind him, and not to fuck with him. when you think of wizards, they aren't usually slinging spells around except in extremely dire situations (he said this foe is beyond any of "you," not any of "us," after all) and usually act as wise advisors. it's why he fights with a sword and doesn't just blast away. plus, their errand is of utmost secrecy- if he were to just open up using spells everywhere, sauron would immediately notice the location of the ring, and they would fail. whoops, another edit- i'm happy you realized boromir was taken by the ring and it wasn't his actual personality coming through. not everyone seems to get that.

Just to clarify, Bilbo and Gollum are different people, they were just both affected by the ring in the same way. Gollum had it much longer which is why he looks so much worst, then Bilbo ended up with it (you see how in the Hobbit films).

The effort for the props was beyond incredible. Ever sword, every shield, every helm... All of it was one of a kind

"He's trying to draw them away from Frodo! What a noble act!" Slight correction: Merry and Pippin were trying to draw them away from Frodo. Boromir was trying to protect Merry and Pippin.

"I don’t really like those two. I don’t understand why they were sent on the journey." Sit tight. It's early in their character development. Pippin is actually my favorite member of the fellowship. Also they're a lot more competent in the books. Gimli too but he also gets played for comic relief a lot in the next two movies.

I know that you said you did not want to watch the extended versions. But since you enjoyed Boromir’s storyline so much, you might want to consider the extended version of the next movie. It has an extra scene in it related to the backstory of Boromir and his duty to his people. It gives more context to his character. You might enjoy seeing that additional part.

Enjoyed watching the movie with you! Many reactors I've watched wonder why Gandalf doesn't do more magic, especially in the Mines of Moria. One of the basic dilemmas of any story involving the supernatural is where to draw the line: If Gandalf is so powerful, why doesn't he just teleport the Ring from the Shire to Mount Doom? In Tolkien's vision of Middle-earth, there are limits to the power of magic. In particular, the whole point of the Fellowship is to get the Ring to Mount Doom secretly, under the nose of Sauron. In the book (and understand that the movies greatly simplify Tolkien's story), Elrond says, "The number must be few, since your hope is in speed and secrecy. Had I a host of Elves in armour of the Elder Days, it would avail little, save to arouse the power of Mordor." The other factor is that the working of magic itself produces effects that can be seen or felt by other adepts. The story in the book works a little differently from the movie; in trying the Pass of Caradhras (called the Redhorn Gate in the book), the Company attempt to light a fire in the blizzard, without success. At last Gandalf takes a hand and lights the fire with his magic. "If there are any to see, then I at least am revealed to them," he said. "I have written 'Gandalf is here' in signs that all can read from Rivendell to the mouths of Anduin." And yes, Gandalf the Grey is really dead.

In the death scene of Boromir that Elvish chorus translates to "I do not love the sword for its brightness or the arrow for its swiftness. I love only that which they defend" this is quoted from the book by Faramir.

The 20 minutes of credits at the end of "Fellowship" included everybody that had been involved in the fan website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Anyone that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks like and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! I also have polystone statues of Golem and Smeagol, The Argonath and Minas Tirith. My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!

You are hearing a lot of parallells regarding horcruxes and creepy sounds indeed. They call Tolkien "The father of the fantasy" for a reason after all.

The reason Gandalf let Frodo choose the route is simply his purpose in middle earth. He is there as a guide to the people that live there, and is meant to protect and help, but not to lead.

Can you kinda see why so many think a trilogy like this wouldn't be made nowadays? Dune maybe could rival it, but Lord of the Rings is still one step above the rest, and it might never be dethroned.

I cannot put into words how thrilled I am to see you experience this for the first time!! This is my favorite film series of all time 😁😁😁

I think there is a bit more comedy in the 2nd movie especially, but consider this another voice recommending the extended editions, because at least some of the scenes that were cut for time are the lighthearted ones. When telling a complex story with quite a few main characters, and your movies end up in the 4+ hour range, anything that doesn't drive the story forward gets cut for the theatrical release, and I feel like a lot of that is those little character moments, which are often comedic in nature. People recommend the extended editions also because they do give the attentive new viewer a much more accurate picture of the nuances of the story. So please consider making the switch for the Two Towers - I don't think you'll regret it.

The extendeds, especially the second and third, are probably easier to understand because the added bits provide context. Highly recommend doing the long versions

Make sure you watch the extended versions of the last two movies. Otherwise you will miss out on a lot. By the way, elf boats dont tip over or sink. So boromir’s body is heading to the sea, which is where the people of Gondor - the numenorians - came from. So its actually a great burial.

The Lord of the Rings is a single story, written as a single book. But publishing being what it was in the 1960s, it had to be broken into three volumes. The Lord of the Rings, due to its size and scope, was widely regarded as "unfilmable" - many had tried; all had failed. Mainly because they tried to film it as a single movie. Peter Jackson spent years trying to get studio backing for this project, with studio execs making the same stupid blunder - insisting that he did it as a single movie. One studio (can't recall which ATM) was willing to do it as two movies, when he finally got the opportunity to pitch the project to New Line. When the guy said "What the Hell do you think you're doing, trying to do this as two movies?", Jackson's heart sank. Until he shook his head and said "This is THREE movies!" While it was treated as three movies, it was filmed as one. More to the point, Jackson insisted that no one treat it as a movie - everyone should treat it as a historical documentary which they were fortunate enough to film on the original locations. It was a labor of love for everyone involved; even Viggo Mortensen, who had never read LotR before being cast as Aragorn. Lee and McKellen both reread LotR annually and were always at hand to advise the actors of minutiae from the original story which audiences may specifically look for. John Howe and Alan Lee were probably the most influential artists among LotR fans and their work had been personally praised by J R R Tolkien himself, which made them ideal to lead the art direction for the project. In fact, that glory shot of the Fellowship setting out - where Gandalf had his hand on the rock - was taken directly from their artwork (Howe's, I think). But yes; the Lord of the Rings trilogy was made BY passionate LotR fans FOR passionate LotR fans, and it is wholly deserving of its accolades (and then some).

The extended editions don't add all that much extra time to the movies but they do answer a lot of questions! The movies end where the books did, at least for the first two.

The deal with the ring is that it amplifies people’s corruptible qualities in its’ bid to get back to Sauron, and only Sauron himself can truly wield it. Hobbits are simple folk who don’t generally desire power, they are less corruptible by nature. Those with more power that could be corrupted (like with Gandalf, Galadriel, Saruman) are extra dangerous prospects for wielding the ring. Also when people put on the ring they travel into the “Unseen” world, where spirits reside. It’s why Sauron and the Nazgûl can sense Frodo when he puts on the ring (The Nazgûl, Sauron, Wizards, etc, only put on physical forms to interact with the “Seen” world) There’s also a reason why Gandalf isn’t using his full power. The Wizards were sent to Middle Earth to guide people in resisting Sauron (emphasis on “Guide”, they are so powerful that they aren’t allowed to use their full power for risk of doing more harm than good)

Good react. As a Tolkien fan, it's always fun to watch people discover and enjoy this trilogy. I subbed and got notifications on so I don't miss The Two Towers and Return of The King.

The fact the movie doesn't show (but it is in the Extended edition) that Galadriel is the keeper of one of the Elvish Rings (The Ring of Water). The second one is in possess of Elrond (the Ring of Wind and the last one, The Ring of Fire is carried by Gandalf even he is not an elf but a Maia, (Lesser god or angel). Also Saruman, the balrog and Sauron are Maiar.

This movie is based on a 3 part book broken up into 3 parts 1)The Fellowship of the Ring, 2) The 2 Towers and 3) Return of the king. So from the beginning it was always planned to be 3 movies. You're right about parallels with Harry Potter but it's actually Harry Potter that parallels Lord of the Rings as the Lord of the Rings book first came out in the 1930s.

There's an absolutely crucial scene in the third of these that was cut for the regular version leaving many people utterly confused, so I do implore you at least to watch the extended edition of the last film in this trilogy.

Nice reaction to this epic. I personally feel you would appreciate the extra bits in the extended editions, rather than overwhelming, they add important additional context and richness to the storylines and character development. Cheers!

Extended edition doesn’t matter so much for the first, but it adds so much context to the 2nd and 3rd that actually helps to understand the story more, especially if fantasy isn’t your usual genre

“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt. Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter.” The answer is dark; the dark, dark (Gollum's Riddle is a song whose score was written by Maury Laws for the 1977 film adaptation of “The Hobbit.” It follows the riddle Gollum proposes to Bilbo until the ending line). It was also a line at the end of the t.v. Show “Criminal Minds” season 12, episode 18: Hell’s Kitchen, spoken by character Dr. Spenser Reid.

Bilbo and Gollum are different creatures, but Bilbo was being corrupted by the ring just as Gollum was, hence the similarities. The story ends where it does because it's following the books (as best as movies can). Also, yes, there were plans for all 3 movies from the beginning. In fact, they were all shot together which allowed the movies to be released with only a year gap between each. As others have mentioned, Tolkien's books are one of the foundations of modern fantasy literature (and other media), so whenever the movies remind you of something in another story, that's why.

I would really really recommend the extended versions, its not an "internet gotcha" its a sincere recommendation of people who know. If its the length you are worried about, they are already long, so whats the difference.

When I was 6, my dad introduced me to LOTR via the claymation version of The Hobbit from 1977. It was my favorite movie and I’d watch it weekly. I was introduced to the LotR movies around 13 and had to wait till I was around 16 to watch the 3rd movie. It was worth it. I’m now 30 and watch people react to the movies daily. I live these movies and could never stop watching them. Every time I rewatch I notice something new.

Somewhere there exists a 10 hour cut of this film wherein every step Sam takes is the furthest from home he's ever been.

Highly recommended to watch the extended cuts for the 2nd and 3rd film btw, they give much more context

This movie came out the same year as the 1st Harry Potter movie. The special effects look much better then the effects in the 1st Harry Potter movie, the effects have stood the test of time.

On the 2000 questions about the 2000 years bit, many of those questions could be answered with knowing there was the equivalent to like two bronze age collapses and a cataclysmic reshaping of the continents...

“So wait, it’s like an upside down thing but you see other shit?!”😅

The ring was thought to have washed out to sea, when it fell into the river. No one knew that the One Ring was found by Gollum. So Gandalf just assumed Bilbo had a random ring of power that allowed him to become invisible. It isn't until Gandalf travels to Gondor to look through various writings and journals, that he learned about the One Ring and what to look for to be able to identify it. Gandalf didn't even think it was the One Ring and stumbles upon the manuscripts of Isildur, and learns about the ring being called "precious" and that if you put the One Ring into flame, it reveals the "black speech" writing on the ring. This all takes place over 14 years. After Gandalf learns about the description of the One Ring, he then goes to Strider (Aragorn) and asks him to find Gollum, where he was last seen by Bilbo. Sauron however, knows the One Ring must still be somewhere in Middle Earth, and not washed out to sea, and eventually captures Gollum before Strider can find him. Sauron at this point now knows of the existence of the Hobbits and the Shire, and sends out the Black Riders, to scour the countryside to hunt down Baggins. As good as the films are, they pale in comparison to the books.

A bit of perspective, the novel this was based on was published in the early 1950s, about 12 years before J. K. Rowling was born.

Another vote for the extended editions. Essential really. Great reaction.

I love that you're willing to watch these movies even if they're not in your favorite genre. It makes sense to compare LOTR to HP - a lot of people do so no worries. I'm excited to see your reaction when the story gets more intense and in-depth. Honestly, overwhelming is absolutely the right word sometimes lol

One does not simply react to LOTR without picking up the extended editions. 🥺

Aw man, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you go for the extended, especially for the next two, it’s not just ‘bonus scenes’ that are cut, some of them add massively to characters and the plot and it is a CRIME that they were cut ;-; No spoils lads 😉

You not having seen Lord of the Rings was not on my 2023 bingo card.

It’s hard to believe this was filmed in 1999, it looks better than most modern films, perfectly done.

How far could a group (including short-legged hobbits) march through a network of mines, involving sometimes difficult/dangerous terrain, in 4 hours? My guess would be: at most 4 miles, and probably a good bit less. The whole reason to go through Moria is to get to the other side of the mountain range. It’s unrealistic to imagine this can be done quickly. In the book, Gandalf says the distance between the door they enter and where they exit is about 40 miles as the crow flies. Tolkien wanted his world (fantasy though it was) to feel as “grounded” and “realistic” as possible. For this reason, he paid close attention to times, distances, even the phase of the moon. He carefully calculated how long it would take to walk/ride/canoe given distances and made sure those times were represented in the story. There’s nothing “wrong” with stories which don’t care about such details. For instance, The Emperor’s New Groove directly says that its travel times don’t make any sense at all. But that’s not the kind of story Tolkien wrote.

Ok so the movie kinda did weird things with the Galadriel's mirror scene. So let me give a bit of context... In the book, when Frodo offers her the ring, all that stuff that she says super creepy-like in the movie, she actually just calmly explains to him, and only gets weird and shadowy for a moment when she reaches out toward the ring and is tempted to take it. But she pulls her hand back and says the "I pass the test" line. The reason why it's so tempting for her to take the ring is because, as i said in a previous comment, she herself is a ring bearer. She is the keeper of Nenya, one of the three rings given to the elves. They were hidden from Sauron, so he never touched them and they don’t corrupt their wearers like the others do. The rumors of the elf witch are intentional to keep people out of Lothlorien to keep Nenya from being found. But also, the power of Nenya sustains the magic of Lothlorien. When she tells Frodo "Your coming is as the footsteps of doom," it's because regardless of the outcome of his quest, Lothlorien will cease to be. If he fails, Sauron will reclaim the master ring and be able to use it to find the hidden elf rings, and will either use it to take control of their bearers or claim the rings from them for himself. If his quest succeeds and he destroys the master ring, then all the other rings, including Nenya, will lose their power and Lothlorien...her home, as well as that of the people who look to her for leadership, will cease to be. But if she took the ring from Frodo, she could save Lothlorien from Sauron...likely even defeat him herself with the combined powers of both rings. Which probably sounds pretty good, but she knows that if she does that, even if she defeats Sauron, she herself would be subject to the ring's corruption and would become a threat that was just as bad, if not worse. "And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!” And when she says "I pass the test. I will diminish and go into the west and remain Galadriel," she's making the choice to trust Frodo to destroy the ring at the cost of her own home, her own power, but she will not lose herself to the power of the rings. "To bear a ring of power is to be alone" - it means making difficult, awful choices, and she isn't being cruel or harsh here. She's sympathizing.

So, just to provide context on what The One Ring can actually do, it more or less amplifies certain traits that the wearer has. For Sauron, who has a number of different abilities, his most prominent is his mind control ability which he uses to command the vast armies of Mordor. The One Ring amplifies this ability and it acts as a sort of focusing lens that connects to the other 19 rings of power, the 3 to the elves, 7 to the dwarves and 9 to the race of men. However, Sauron didn't count on the Elves and Dwarves being largely resistant to the effects (Elves were able to figure out what was going on and took off their rings and the Dwarves, because of how their clockworks mines work, only ended up getting more greedy and dug deeper into their mountains, which attracted a dragon and causing the events of The Hobbit (Bilbo's incident with the dragon) set before this film series, and awoke The Balrog in Moria). Men, who above all desire power, did get affected and the 9 kings that were given rings turned into the Nazgul (The Ring Wraiths/ Black Riders that were after the Hobbits). For anyone else however, the ring's most obvious ability is to turn them invisible but it actually sends them to some unseen realm of spirits or something, which is why the Nazgul were able to see Frodo even though he had the ring on. The ring turns them invisible because it wants the wearer to be able get to Mordor more easily, unseen by anyone else. The Ring corrupts people around it, makes them think "Hey, you seem like a cool dude that can make things better. Take me and you can use me to kick Sauron's ass". Of course the ring only wants to be taken to it's master. That's actually why Hobbits make great Ringbearers because for the most part, Hobbits are completely chill and don't want anything to change and have no real desire to go kick Sauron's ass. That's why Bilbo wasn't compelled to go to Mordor the whole time he had it.

Extended scenes at risk of being missed: 1• Frodo and Sam's first meeting with the elves, providing context for Valinor and the elves journey there, as referenced throughout the films and seen at the end of the Return of the King(connects to the passing of the elves in the beginning of their leaving the shire when Frodo and Sam are near the Old Forest by the Shire which leads them to eventually bumping into Merry And Pippin! (An epic scene with Gandalf in Rivendell was also removed as well.) 2. Aragorn singing the Lay of Luthien, providing a parallel between the events of the Beren and Luthien and Aragorn's relationship with Arwen of which every reactor channel I’ve seen makes the connection and it pulls them into a deeper understanding of their relationship every single time. 3. Aragorn kneeling at his mother's grave, giving him some additional backstory for the viewer. 4. Gandalf explaining to Frodo about the corruptive power of the Ring, and how it will strain the Fellowship from the inside, foreshadowing Boromir's downfall. 5. Sam singing a lament for Gandalf, providing more emotional weight to Gandalf's death, referencing the start of the movie and strengthening the connection between him and the Hobbits ( also highlights Tolkien's love of song and poetry in the books). 6. Galadriel giving the gifts to the Fellowship, providing context for their appearance in later films, as well as drawing a parallel between Gimli's gift and the events of the Silmarillion (Fëanor & Galadriel). That’s just the beginning. Including several removed scenes between Aragorn & Galadriel and Aragorn with her husband Celeborn! 7• also the opening explaining Hobbits & their culture to the viewers, so they have a better understanding of these peoples we will be following which also was the direct full chapter called Concerning Hobbits.

If you were asking where you've seen Samwise before, he was in The Goonies when he was young, also played the main character in the football movie Rudy, he was in Season 2 of Stranger Things, Season 6 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, WW2 movie Memphis Belle, and a few more.

I advise you to continue with the extended versions, because in the second film there is a very important additional scene that better explains why Boromir wanted the ring.

There is some indication in Tolkien's more obscure writings that Numenor advanced to become something like a "steampunk" civilization, with airships (possibly), ironclad battleships (almost certainly), and missiles (possibly). The civilization turned to evil, though, so it was destroyed, much like the Atlantis myth. Isildur and the people who founded Gondor were refugees from Numenor who didn't fall to evil, and were spared the destruction.

Since you connected with Boromir, you MUST figure out a way to watch the extended addition of Two Towers. It has a key scene on his backstory not included in the theatrical release.

"you can survive this, Sean Bean!" You woulda got some great odds in Vegas on that one

In this world there is a physical, tangible world where most of the creatures live. And there is also the Unseen, the world of spirits. Some of the most powerful and ancient Elves live in both worlds, as well as the Valar and the maiar, the angelic beings and rulers of Arda (World). There isnt any of the Valar seen on the films, but we actually do get to see several maiar spirit, in fact. All of the Wizards (Gandalf and Saruman on this trilogy) are, in fact, immortal, angelic beings of immense power, taken a physical form and sent by the Valar into Middle Earth to aid the Free People to resist the tyranny of Sauron. Sauron and the Balrog, are, in fact, also from the ranks of maiar. Both of them were corrupted by the rebellious vala called "Morgoth", the original big baddie and former master of Sauron before the downfall of Morgoth. The Wringwraiths are just mortal Men, whose physical bodies eventually faded due to the corruption of their given Rings of Power, and their spirits passed into the Unseen world. This is a very unnatural state for Men, because their spirits are meant to leave the World forever behind after death, free from the sorrows and wearies of the World. Due to the rings given them by Sauron, they are bound to One Ring and not being able to die and pass on, as the fate of Men ought to be. Their existance at this point is practically one prolongued agony, I could imagine.

If you ever wanna see Sean Bean (Ned Stark) again in these movies I’d suggest watching the extended editions😂 .. he’s not in any more of the theatrical versions

everybody always equates to which film is better 1st 2nd, or 3rd for me each movie is just one part of a 3 part story and you need all three to enjoy to the fullest. 1st movie sets up the story stakes and journey, 2nd movie fills in and builds.....and 3rd movie gives closure so for me i cant say oh i like 3rd movie best or 2nd movie best because i feel that all three are needed for a complete story and fulfillment....

So I’ve always loved the fight between Saruman and Gandalf. From the first time I saw it as a kid. I love a flashy wizard fight but Peter Jackson does not, and his distain for magic fights and wizards just throwing bolts of light is evident. He said no crazy lights or effects. Just two old wizards beating the fork out of each other, with some magic, but nothing too showy. and it makes for a really brutal and visceral fight. The music, needless to say, also adds so much.

The thing the movie doesn't show is the timeline. From Gandalf's arrival to Frodo and Sam leaving Shire it took 17 years.

can you imagine the horror of being labeled a disturber of the peace i love thees movies

Sam's relationship with Frodo is that of country squire and his head retainer. The squire would often be the colonel of the local regiment and would have his butler as his batman. Tolkien, while serving in WW1, was impressed by their loyalty to their officers.

I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO EXPERIENCE THESE MOVIES AHHHH

In the books, 17 years passes between Gandalf leaving for answers and eventually returning to the Shire.

Rumour has it that Sean Bean refused to ride up the mountain in the helicopter and climbed the mountainside in full costume with props to be in the correct locations for filming scenes.

Maybe when you go through it and understand it, you will want to see what you missed in the extended versions. I saw them all in the theater when they came out and then wanted to see more. It depends on how you feel but it really does fill in the blanks

To be honest the extended editions don't add many very important scenes. There is one huge exception, which is an early scene in the 3rd movie which felt insane that they removed from the theatrical cut.

14:17 Thank you for paying attention to that! So many people I have seen reacting to LOTR talk over this part, and then later get upset like "Why is everyone so stupid with the ring, just leave it alone??" No, the ring is fighting against them to get back to it's master! 😣😣 Oh and the reason why you see similarity to Harry Potter and Game of Thrones? It's because LOTR was the first fantasy book ever. LOTR is the basis of the whole fantasy genre, elves and orcs etc... It all came from J.R.R. Tolkien.

"One does not simply go to Mordor without Sam!" I will be using that line in the future, thank you.

23:47 I mean... look at how long it took people in real life to start developing electronics. plus it's reasonable to say the people of Arda have suffered a lot of setbacks, like Morgoth doing his thing, Numenor being destroyed, etc. and another thing, the reason why you haven't seen Gandalf do a lot of magic is due to two reasons. 1: magic in lotr works differently than other settings. 2: he and the other wizards apparently have their powers limited when in mortal form and were instructed to guide and not use their powers wantonly

The extended editions are not meant only for the nerds, they give you more 'Lord of thr Rings' content, at the end you will be wishing to have more of this content. Also many of the questions you will have are answered on the extended editions. ;)

I remember watching this in my 20s but I read the books prior to watching, but Christopher Lee didn't give me nightmares until he told his story of him in the war and what a man sounds like (or not sounds like) being stabbed in real life. That behind the scenes tidbit did make me a little leary of him afterwards 😂

"Why didn’t he just throw a sword in his back and take care of that right away?" A couple reasons. That was his friend being chief among them. And then when it came down to it, would Elrond be able to destroy it? Essentially, the more powerful the person, the more dangerous it would be for them to be corrupted by the ring. And the movie doesn’t go into this really, but Elrond already has a ring of power. He has one of the three elven rings, but they were hidden from Sauron, so he never touched them, therefore they don’t corrupt their wearers the way the rings of men and dwarves do. So those three are in the hands of Elrond, Gandalf, and Galadriel. One of the things that made the most difference when Bilbo picked up the ring is that he began his period as a ring-bearer with an act of mercy, so he was able to hold on to it for 60 years and still ultimately be able to let it go of his own volition (even though it was hard). If Elrond killed his friend to take the ring, even to destroy it, it would corrupt him faster and he likely wouldn't be able to let go of the power...what's more, then Sauron knows where all the elf rings are and THAT would be a BIG problem.

Galadriel: "...for 2,000 years...." FWCI: That's a long time! Silmarillion Readers: 🤣

I think you did a good job following along! I do recommend the extended editions just because there's some cool extra stuff but it's not "do or die" in my opinion. I'm glad you were sympathetic to Boromir because some people just don't get him. They don't understand the reason the ring is so dangerous- it tempts and corrupts everyone by showing them what they desire the most. Boromir didn't want power for power's sake & wouldn't have been tempted if that was what the ring was offering him. Instead it preyed on his love for his people and his fear of their suffering & annihilation, and offered itself as a way to protect them, making his desire for it roundaboutly good & noble (because he is a good & noble man) I could see myself falling for something like that if it were to protect my loved ones

Hugo Weaving is amazing in everything he does! I recommend V for Vendetta

51:50 Yes, all 3 movies were shot at the same time. The entire crew and cast were living in New Zealand so it was the easiest way to go about doing the three movies.

Fun fact: for the making of this movie, they had one guy solely dedicated to making the chainmail for the armor, by hand. He did this like nonestop practically, so much so that by the end of the making of the film he had rubbed off some of his fingerprints.

Certainly no coincidence the bridge breaking. Gandalf last stance- shoving his staff in the stone ground fueled by his magic is what caused it.

In the theatres, at the moment Bilbo vanishes at his party you could tell who had read the books and who hadn't. People were either shocked or CHEERING, because everything was so faithfully recreated we were experiencing a foundational memory even as an adult.

The other two extended editions really upgrade marry and pipin into true heroes on the battlefield .

Bilbo Walking Song: “Roads go ever ever on, Over rock and under tree, By caves where never sun has shone, By streams that never find the sea; Over snow by winter sown, And through the merry flowers of June, Over grass and over stone, And under mountains in the moon. Roads go ever ever on Under cloud and under star, Yet feet that wandering have gone Turn at last to home afar. Eyes that fire and sword have seen And horror in the halls of stone Look at last on meadows green And trees and hills they long have known” The original version of the song is recited by Bilbo in the last chapter of The Hobbit, at the end of his journey back to the Shire. Coming to the top of a rise he sees his home in the distance, and stops and essentially sings what I shared above! There are three versions of this walking song in The Lord of the Rings. The first is sung by Bilbo when he leaves the Shire and is setting off to visit Rivendell: The Road goes ever on and on, Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, And I must follow, if I can, Pursuing it with eager feet, Until it joins some larger way Where many paths and errands meet. And whither then? I cannot say. The second version is identical except for changing the word "eager" to "weary" in the fifth line. It is spoken aloud, slowly, by Frodo, as he and his companions pause on their way to Crickhollow, looking beyond to lands that some of them have never seen before. The third version is spoken by Bilbo in Rivendell after the hobbits have returned from their journey. Bilbo is now an old, sleepy hobbit, who murmurs the verse and then falls asleep. The Road goes ever on and on Out from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, Let others follow it who can! Let them a journey new begin, But I at last with weary feet Will turn towards the lighted inn, My evening-rest and sleep to meet. 1977: The Hobbit (1977 film): Sections of the poem are sung during the trip through Mirkwood. It appears on the soundtrack titled "Roads". 1980: The Return of the King (1980 film): A song inspired by the poem is sung at the end of the film called "Roads Go Ever, Ever On". 1981: The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series): Bilbo sings the song as he leaves Bag End. It is sung by John Le Mesurier to a tune by Stephen Oliver. 1997: An Evening in Rivendell: The Tolkien Ensemble adapted an original melody to the song, composed by Caspar Reiff. 2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Parts of the song are sung by Gandalf in his first appearance, and also by Bilbo as he leaves Bag End. 2006: The Lord of the Rings Musical: The poem is the basis of the song "The Road Goes On" sung by Sam, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin in the first act. 2014: The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: Lines of the poem partially make up the lyrics of The Last Goodbye, performed by Billy Boyd(Pippin) for the credits of the film. This is just stuff to know when you see the next films. Maybe seeing this will spark something you read here or in other people’s comments via future reactions to the other 2 films as well as the 3 The Hobbit movies!

I adore these movies but I get they're not for everyone but I do think they should be watched at least once as they're masterpieces.