Hey guys, Cassie's editor Mike here. This video should have been edited and posted Friday before last, but I got laid out with an awful flu for nearly two weeks. Nothing to do with Cassie or Carly, they've already recorded Return of the King. So sorry for the long wait! Part two will be up tomorrow and then Return of the King bright and early in the New Year. Hope everyone had a better Christmas than I did!
Mike- No worries! You are an all-star, thank you for doing what you do. And it is good to hear you are on the mend- better health to you in the coming days!
1. I hope you feel better. 2. Can you please use your power as the editor to start hiding a little guy just waving and saying hello into each video without letting Cassie know?
I laughed at “Guys I’ll tell her” and then explains. 😅 it’s a rule that when watching with someone who hasn’t seen it before you have to tell them that 😂
But did she tell her about Sean Astin stepping on glass and cutting his foot when he waded into the river after Frodo? A lot of foot injuries in this movie.
Also, keep in mind, Dumbledore is a HUMAN wizard, Gandalf is an angelic being who's innately magical in a way Dumbledore never could be. Gandalf is technically immortal and thousands of years old. It's no competition.
@@Halfwit_The_Brave he could use the power but he had a sort of “divine order” if you will set upon him to not overtly showcase the power. This is also because of what happens to Arda every single time Maiar and Valar and together with their Vanyarin elves that they literally end up destroying the earth itself in a deep way just as collateral damage. They care too much about all the living things within Arda. This is also why Gandalf was afraid to take the ring for “The Use Of Good” because he’d wield a world destructive power if he did.
I have read LOTR, but it's been 40 some years. If I remember right Gandalf had a ring of power(not THE ring), Galadriel had one of the rings given to elves, and Elrond might have had one
@@Halfwit_The_Brave It is rumored that Gandalf could have beaten Sauron single-handedly, but he was only to assist and aid Men, and not be the sole savior of Middle Earth. Men have to learn from this reckoning, lest history repeat itself a 3rd time.
@@gabedamien What's the word for "it's all been leading to this". Like, it's the climactic moment of fandom. I guess ultimate and penultimate are both the wrong word. I mean more that it's official now.
In the book, merry and pippen move a little way away from the battle with the orcs, and stop and eat some lembas bread. So when Aragorn sees the leaves they're wrapped in, he's like "ONLY a hobbit could have stopped for a little meal so near a battle" it's the BEST.
Once again, THANK YOU for not cutting the scene with Theoden standing over his son's grave. It's one of the strongest scenes in The Two Towers and it really humanizes his character.
Theoden is one of my favorite characters in all of LOTR. Starting out weak and subjugated to the will of Saruman, then dealing with the fallout and his own fears and inadequacies, literally to the point of failure at Helm's Deep. His own courage fades, sustained only Aragorn sort of playing on his visions of glory for his last charge. He builds up his leadership by harnessing those visions to inspire his men as they ride to Gondor, finally culminating at Pelennor Fields. "I go now to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed."
Apparently, the “No parent should have to bury their child” line came direct from Bernard Hill himself. He’d heard a bereaved mother say it once, and asked Peter Jackson if he could say that in the scene. Hill brings so much depth to the role - such a great piece of casting!
@@adamlord1891 Theoden is also one of my favorite characters in LOTR. I absolutely love his eloquence, every sentence he speaks is beautiful. His relationship with Eowyn is so touching, he isn't afraid to show affection and emotion. I can only admire his righteousness, his hope flustered at Helm's Deep but he did the right thing and kept going nonetheless. What a king! What a man!
Brad Dourif (Grima) absolutely killed this role with every second, the man is master of emotive facial expression, vocal inflexions, and all the little details.
Absolutely! What really jjagged it was hearing his voice ("that is a lie!") before his appearance. Brad also was exceptionally good as "Doc" in "Deadwood" ...
He's one of the greatest character actors of all time. His turn in EXORCIST III: LEGION is absolutely stunning, a masterclass in physical control and face acting (since he spends the entire film in a straight jacket he doesn't have much of a choice).
It's the only healthy way to consider The Ring: It's too powerful and corrupting for ANY BEING to have, thus must be destroyed. I was struck the other day, watching Return of The King, how the entire scene of getting to the precipice of Mt Doom to toss The Ring to it's destruction, only to be enticed to claim it at the very last moment...It would be a great side story to recount how many times the walls of that chamber have seen that exact scene play out over history. We know it's happened at least twice, Frodo and Isildur, so it's probably happened a bunch more times over thousands of years. It would be fascinating to see how many times The Ring was one small action away from destruction, only to go on from there to destroy the life of it's claimant.
@@RobertMorganwell, we know that didn’t happen again, so sadly that theory doesn’t pan out. Isildur lost the Ring in the Anduin when he died, until it was found by Gollum, who then lost it to Bilbo, and we know the rest of the story. Unless someone found the Ring in the middle of the Anduin, brought it to Mt Doom, succumbed to its power, and left (all without being noticed), and then proceeded to lose it in the Anduin AGAIN, it’s impossible that someone else found themselves in the same scenario as Isildur and Frodo. It just wouldn’t add up.
dumbledore would win. easily. dumbledore can do actual magic, while gandalf can only shine a light from his staff. gandalf could not even get down from a high building without help, dumbledore could just teleport down or conjure a magical elevator with his thought.
@@miwoj Gandalf fought and killed a balrog, a demon of the ancient world. What was Dumbledore's greatest accomplishment? Oh yeah, putting his best friend in prison.
Dumbledore is a wizard. But Gandalf is THE wizard. Seriously though, I'm pretty sure Gandalf is quite literally one of the chief templates for the modern visualization of a wizard. The only other wizard who could claim a similar degree of cultural clout would probably be Merlin from Arthurian legend.
Something that is important to remember is that Gandalf tells Frodo in Fellowship that no one would willingly destroy the Ring. So someone like Saruman who is very powerful becomes all that more evil when he desires the Ring.
Melchizedek. Odin. Hermes. All these Tolkien knew very well and are in his Gandalf. They came way before Merlin. He is the ancient mysterious God of wisdom to mortals
The kind of baddies they have to deal with tells you something. At least Dumbledore’s enemies are human. I wonder how Voldemort would fare against a Balrog
About Saruman: he is probably 2nd most complex Tolkien character, just behind Sauron Saruman was send from the Valars (angels/gods) in order to prevent the return of Sauron and, eventually, to guide the people of Middle Earth against the Dark Lord if Sauron successed in restoring his own powers However, at a certain point Saruman overstimated his own purpose and essentially passed from “guide the people of Middle Earth against Sauron” to simply “guide people of Middle Earth” This happened for 2 reasons: 1) personal experiences led Saruman to believe that Mens cannot rule themselfs, like sheeps need a shepherd, and also he had a kind of inner huge to prove himself in front of the Valar; 2) when Saruman used the Palantir for the first time he was intercepted by Sauron. They had a kind of “clash of wills” and due to Saruman loss, the Dark Lord successed in complitely corrupting the wizard’s mind So yeah, Saruman is evil but his change was not, complitely, his fault In case i didn’t use proper english I apologise Greetings from Italy😊
The actor who plays Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) has been playing off-kilter roles for almost 50 years (his first credited role was alongside Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975, and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor). He’s Piter de Vries in the original “Dune,” and he’s been Chucky since the first “Child’s Play” movie.
Yes his role as Billy was masterful indeed. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the first films I saw in a movie theater. I also loved him as the alcoholic doctor in Deadwood treating mostly prostitutes. He has had many memorable roles.
And as Wormtongue he stayed with the accent until the end of primary filming; which fooled virtually all of the cast. Bernard Hill(King Theodon) confused when Brad dropped back into his normal voice, he thought it was the worst American voice he'd ever heard.
I remember him as the anarchist explosives expert in the movie Ragtime from 1981. That movie also happens to be the last movie James Cagney ever acted in.
Yup. Gandalf holds back his power because he's meant to guide middle Earth. The only time you see it on full display is when he's fighting a fallen angel with the Balrog, because it's an enemy that's beyond the company. He tells Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas when he's sent back by God, that he's the most dangerous thing they will ever meet unless they are brought before Sauron. This is where people might ask why God just doesn't have him fight for the people of Middle Earth with his full strength. The answer of course is because this is based on Tolkien's own faith. The Christian God knows his creation will inevitably question his right to rule. So he gives people who desire power their ultimate champion. Melkor a name meaning "He who arises in might". A mighty, beautiful, gifted creature that becomes prideful and twisted, just like the angel that at one point called himself the "King of Tyre" in the book of Ezekiel. "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire (see secret fire/flame imperishable in comparison in Tolkien's works). Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee." Just like this fallen angel, the original Dark Lord Melkor played music (tabrets, pipes). In the Silmarillion Melkor's song wanted to usurp God's song, but only proved God right and God's purpose was to have Melkor's legacy undone with love, humility and by the meek of the Earth. The Hobbits. Melkor's and his follower Sauron's arrogance and pride are their undoing and all their efforts to undo their creator, only made the creator's song more beautiful. Tolkien's God gave good a champion to. One who washed the feet of his followers and who suffered horrible things to show them that he had the right to rule, because he loved creation and just didn't want to have them under his feet.
@@hackintosh3899 You can only take the metaphor for Christianity so far in Middle-Earth, though. There is no Jesus in Middle-Earth's mythology, likely because Tolkien said Middle-Earth IS Earth much longer ago, and Jesus wouldn't come yet for many millennia. Perhaps Jesus was symbolized by the Flame Imperishable, though I've heard people say that represented the Holy Spirit.
Not basically. Literally an angel. But a lesser angel. The higher angels are still up in what is effectively Heaven, and don't get too involved. But they did send 5 lower ranked angels to Middle Earth to deal with the Sauron problem, disguised as wizards, Gandalf among them. And the Great Eagles are basically direct servants of the highest ranking angel, so rescuing Gandalf in the last film from Saruman after Saruman went bad was essentially divine intervention to keep Gandalf in play and on task. Speaking of rank, some people get confused by the wizards and their robe colors. Saruman is the "leader of [the wizard] order" but that's more a matter of position than rank. All five of the wizards are essentially the same rank as angels, but they have different assignments. It's the job of the white wizard, whoever that is, to lead the forces of good against Sauron, when Sauron reemerges after he got defeated last time. The gray wizard, meanwhile, has the job of encouraging the free folk and helping them along to live up to their potential, be brave, and be ready and able to fight for what's good. The brown wizard is all about caring for the little creatures and the natural world. And the two blue wizards are off doing... something? They're off to the southeast somewhere. It's possible they failed in their task. They are a bit of a mystery, and a deliberate one. When Saruman abandons his task, that leaves a job opening, and Gandalf ends up being reassigned by the powers on high to be the leader, instead of the friendly encourager lifting everyone's spirits. We see him in this film take a much more active leadership role. He's not acting as an advisor kind of in the background and pushing humans and elves and hobbits and dwarves to do the right thing. He's telling them directly what they need to do, and at times riding out in front on a horse, charging into battle. He's doing what Saruman was supposed to be doing. Meanwhile, Saruman becomes Saruman of Many Colors. This is not an official role assignment, but a self-styling, in his personal arrogance he sort of tries to claim all the colors. He wants to rule all of Middle Earth, and have all the power of the Ring for himself. Well this is ridiculous, so the head of the angels sends a Great Eagle to rescue Gandalf, reassigns Gandalf to be the white wizard a while after that, and the divine plan to defeat Sauron gets back on track.
You know, its quite sad that the movie didn't feature Sam's actual gift from the books - the box of soil taken from the elven forest with a single acorn from their most sacred tree. Sam being fiercely protective of it is a feature in the books, and eventually pays off. The rope is cool and all. but that wasn't really her gift - it was a practical piece of equipment that she knew they'd need. The soil and acorn is, by itself, a seemingly worthless gift (like the strands of hair given to Gimli) that hold a lot more cultural significance.
TOTALLY AGREE! I love these movies, and I know that they needed to cut some things out to actually make them happen (either that, or make a dozen movies...and probably still leave things out). But that is one of the only cut things that was really upsetting to me. That box, and his actions in regards to it, was such an integral part of Sam's character, and a whole other layer of character development that they totally missed out on.
Yes. Sam plants it and it grows to be the only mallorn tree west of the Misty Mountains. And he sprinkles little bits of the dust all over the Shire, resulting in the most bountiful harvest
You touch on one of my greatest criticisms of the PJ movies. Sam was SO in awe of Galadriel that he felt tongue tied in her presence. There’s NO way he’d be so ungrateful as to ask for a different or an additional gift.
When Gandalf was falling from the bridge and was barely hanging on, Boromir wouldn't let Frodo run to Gandalf, because keep in mind an army of orcs and goblins (both in the book and in the film) are just on the other side with bows and arrows. It was too dangerous to try and go save him.
You also don't let the guy carrying the One Ring run out onto a damaged, single-span stone bridge to rescue the guy hanging on and about to fall. In the Bakshi film, like in the book, Gandalf didn't hang at all, but fell immediately after the balrog's whip lashed around his ankles, but in the Bakshi film, Aragorn vainly tries to grab Gandalf. In the book no one was close enough to before he fell.
and despite the Elrond's stuff have equipped the Fellowship with all sorts of things, including warm fur cloaks for winter, they never got the ropes before Lorien so could not saved Gandalf from afar :)
Carly and Cassie ask, "How can Saruman who once was good be like the most evil...?" The answer isn't explicitly stated in the movie, but it is in the book: it's the Palantir. Peter Jackson & Co. reveal the Palantir, the Seeing Stone of Numenor, early in FOTR, but in the book we don't see it till near the end of T2T. Then Gandalf says, "Further and further abroad he gazed, until he cast his gaze upon Barad-dur. Then he was caught!...Easy it is now to guess how quickly the roving eye of Saruman was trapped and held, and how ever since he has been persuaded from afar, and daunted when persuasion would not serve. The biter bit, the hawk under the eagle's foot, the spider in a steel web!"
Yeah. The Palantiri originally were not evil, but a gift between the Elves of Valinor and the Men of Numenor as a method of communication, since men were not permitted to cross the waters to the undying lands. When they were brought to Middle Earth with Elendil and his descendants after the fall of Númenor, the one that was stationed in Osgiliath was captured and fell into Sauron’s hands, while others went missing. That is what made the use of them so dangerous, as you don’t know who else is watching. Like a hacker in a video call.
I feel like this is explained well enough in throughout the films, but I really wish we could have gotten a glimpse of the Palantir that Denethor possessed.
@@roryasrorri701 More akin to a well meaning conspiracy theorist who falls into the wrong community. We can see this in the Q cult - many of them went into it with pure intentions, wanting to protect children, but were twisted into who the 'threat' was coming from and then further beyond until the initial desire disappears and they actively harm children.
The scene at 6:11 with Frodo pinning Gollum down with Sting in his left hand is an exact recreation of the original classic illustration in the original books.
In the books, Saruman has studied the lore about creating the one ring. He was convinced he could create new rings of power and this slowly corrupted him.
"I'LL TELL HER GUYS!" HAHAHA, this made me laugh out loud, when the moment was nearing I was already thinking "well boys, whose gonna tell her". This was the best reaction to that moment EVER XD
For people who didn't grow up when these movies came out in theaters, it's hard to explain the cultural phenomenon they were. I was 17 when the first LOTR movie came out, and even though I was an angsty teen, it captivated me with child-like wonder. It was pure movie magic. I had never seen anything like it, and still have not, though GoT has come close. When Fellowship came out, I saw it three times that day. So yeah, nine hours in a theater. The wait for the Two Towers was agonizing, but the Ents, the Uruk-Hai, Helm's Deep, Gollum, all of it was breathtaking seeing it unfold on the big screen. Even now, two decades later, the magic is still there.
I remember that entire year, every time I wanted to go to the movies I couldn't find anything I wanted to see as much as I wanted to see Fellowship again... must have seen it 6 or 7 times in the theaters.
I am so glad you included so much of my favorite all-dialogue peak-acting scene, where Wormtongue is trying to tempt Eowyn at her cousin’s deathbed. It is such a brilliant adaptation from the book, where it is Gandalf who says those words about her. It makes more sense to have Grima say them, because he would know her so well and understand just how close to the edge she is at this point. The acting from both Brad Dourif and Miranda Otto is just top notch!!
The closest approximation of Gandalf's physical age is 24,000 years old according to Gandalf himself. Yet various dates of key events in other Tolkien texts show that Gandalf has actually only walked in his physical form for over 15,000 years (following his quote "300 lives of men, I have walked this earth"), It says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar. Many Maiar were considered really great and powerful. This movie is full of things to remember. Especially after reading and watching in depth videos and discussions about Tolkien and the lore etc. it’s vast and wonderful.
Interesting that it says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar. Of the Istari (wizards) I can understand, as there were only five, and Gandalf is definitely the wisest of them. There are just so many Maia, and so little is known about them all. But it makes sense, as Gandalf was a servant of the Valier Nienna, whose gifts were wisdom and understanding. That would make him the greatest of her servants, at the very least. Sauron was a servant of Aulë, who was the father of the dwarves and good at making things. Saruman was, I think, a servant of Manwë, who was king of all the Valar. I don’t remember where I was going with this nerdy rant xD have a nice day!
@@bellethilrancthalion1109 I think 'wisest to the mortal world' would be more apt - before Gandalf was what he became he roamed the lands as a spirit due to his insatiable curiosity and learned things no other Maiar knew (due to them not seeing the value in the affairs of mortals). Its why he was chosen as one of the Istari but not given leadership - he continued to roam all the lands and essentially be the messenger of the wizards, while the others had much narrower concerns.
@@Tilion462 we calculate from the moment he entered Arda and dwelled in Valinor, but definitely from the time he sailed to middle earth in 1000 of the third age which time flowed differently in each age and the elves themselves.
@@andromidius he actually was asked and insisted by Manwë and others to be the leader and he denied being lifted into such a pedestal. Saruman before is SLOW fall, was very very wise, very capable, very powerful. Full scope is given by Broken Sword who just did a what if video on Saruman Vs the witch king of Angmar and it was beautiful. Uses source material only for support. And believe me. He uses some cool obscure knowledge that even someone who’s read the books and such many times might have missed. Check it out!
Saruman turned basically for various reasons. One is jeaolusy of Gandalf (Gandalf has always been more respected and loved than him ever since they came to Middle Earth from the land of Valinor in the far west) and fear that he would eventually replace him as leader of their Order, the Istari wizards, and the other that he researched the Rings of Power and the One Ring for so long to better understand Sauron until he began to see Sauron's work as ambitious and bold rather than evil, and he eventually got the notion that he could master the One Ring and eventually challenge Sauron.
Gollum was the first real example of motion capture performence, witch later developed into performence capture. Andy was in a body suit and they captured his movements. It was absolutley revolutionary for the film industry.
Here's a neat detail: The many mentions of hope aren't just statements. They're also puns - Aragorn's childhood name (which his mother gave him in order to hide his identity) was _Estel,_ the Sindarin Elvish word for "hope". So for example, when Arwen says there is still hope, she's also referring to Aragorn still being alive. :)
Ive been looking foward to this for so long. I have to say it again, I love the fact you decided to return to these with your sister. These movies are so good and seeing people's first time reaction to them are magical.
On the question "how could Saruman become corrupted to evil?", Technically he wasn't corrupted, he became obsessed with magic rings since arriving in middle earth in a mortal form, in the books he even crafted his own ring of power but to a lesser degree to Sauron. It's interesting to note that in Saruman's angelic form he was mentored by the Valar (a god) named Aulë Valar of Smithcraft, who also happened to mentor Sauron before his fall to evil. This is why both characters seem to have a passion for industry and building things
Yeah. I don’t think Tolkien ever got too deep into the ins and outs of that maiar life, but it seems to be implied that Sauron and Saruman probably knew each other well, maybe even studying together under Aulë (with Sauron being the better student, which is why Melkor chose to corrupt him). Saruman was therefore chosen to lead the Istari because he knew Sauron best, and was sent to bring him to heel. Boy, I love the depth of story in these things!
@@Daveyboy100880 I've never seen anything suggesting that Sauron and Saruman knew each other before, but it's assumed Sauron was Aulë's student before the dark reign of Melkor where Sauron chose to join him, Saruman was Aulë's student much later on
Brad Dourif who played the creepy Grima Wormtongue has played a myriad of villains in Movies including David Lynch's Dune, Mississippi Burning and as the voice of Chucky in the Childs Play franchise.
Such a joy to see you ladies taking this movie in with such passion, Cassie again and Carly for the first time. Fell in love with the books when I was 17, didn't get to see the films until I was in my early 40's. Now in my 60's and I still love this epic adventure! "The road goes ever onward..."
My experience of ME hasn't been so different except that I'd read the books some 20 times. @60, all I could do now is fall asleep trying to read them. I am glad I got them in early.
Awesome to see Carly fall on love with characters and story just as Cassie and we all did ❤️. Seeing Carly cry during the scene when king Théoden buried his son also made me burst out onto tears, only a great story, characters and the actors who portray them can do that 👍
Gandalf fighting the Balrog is like he's fighting a distant cousin. They're both "maiar", immortal spirits that can take physical form. Balrogs are the evil ones that followed the original baddie, the Valar (gods with a lower case g) named Melkor (whose discordant music when the world was created caused all the evil of the world) and the wizards were buddies of the other six Valar.
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 I mean Dumbledore did fight his brother (kind of).. But if I were to pick, it's definitely Gandalf. He could just wait it out, and after 140 years, he's the only one left standing.
Dumbledore is a mortal. Gandalf is not. There's no contest. And Gandalf has even higher powers on his side giving him a helping hand whenever it's truly needed. Dumbledore is not going to defeat the literal God that Gandalf is an agent of.
I'm really looking forward to the rest of Carly's reaction and your revisit to this EPIC Trilogy. FYI: Gandalf is an angelic immortal being whose power has been restricted by the Gods while on Middle Earth. He is far more powerful than he seems. By comparison Dumbledore is way out of his league. Dumbledore is a human wizard. On the power scale Dumbledore is closer to an ordinary Hobbit than he is to Gandalf. There are many beings on Middle Earth that far exceed Dumbledore in magical power. In a magical duel, Galadriel would turn Dumbledore into a pretzel knot.
@@bellethilrancthalion1109 Oh, you mean the entity so mighty he just considers the Ring a trinket? A being so powerful that Tolkien couldn't even figure out where he fits into his own cosmology? That Tom Bombadil? I'd imagine the fight would be Dumbledore's only because Tom would lose interest and wander off. Victory by default.
Your sister is really in tune with this movie it seems. She seems to take away the exact themes that Tolkien intended (like pity around Gollum) and understands the weird ideas/meta behind Gandalf now being the new Saruman (aka, he's been raised to the leader of the order of the Istari). Great writing and great transcription into the movies
I'd say it's more of a lateral move, not a true promotion. Gandalf was always on the same level as Saruman in terms of power, but Saruman and Gandalf had different jobs within the "company". Ultimately they still both report to some higher ups.
@@fakecubed They are the same order of spirit/entity but they have different levels of spiritual authority. Correct me if I'm wrong but the White Wizard is the leader of the Istari.
@@blazednlovinit Only in the sense that the white wizard is there to lead the forces of good against Sauron, and that the other wizards are presumed to be part of those forces of good.
@@fakecubed While they are the same order of creature they were garbed in the bodies of weak and frail men to advise rather than use brute strength, much of their angelic power was locked away, the leader of the Istari had more authority/ability to show this power.
Carly is pretty sharp. Predicting that Gandalf would be back right before he pops up, then saying that exact "home" quote! The zoom effect when Cassie has her poker face is brilliant. This was fun! 👸🏼💁🏼♀
The exact moment isn't in this cut, but I always liked the part where Gandalf is talking to Theoden. He puts his hand on his arm and says you must trust me (or something like that). Theoden gives him a look of suspicion. Great subtle acting from Bernard Hill. Aragorn encouraged Theoden to show mercy to Wormtongue. Just as Bilbo showed mercy to Gollum. The consequences of those two acts will play out in the next movie.
I always loved that moment too, showing how Theoden was wary about having another counsellor manipulating him. It’s little moments like these that elevate the films and give them a life of their own, beyond the books.
The look Cassie gives Carly when Treebeard drops the hobbits at the feet of the white wizard has been repeated thousands of times when a LotR fan watches a friend or reactor's first time with the movies. I love that you're watching these again with your sister.
9:11 Sauron and Saruman equals? In fact, yes. Saruman, Sauron, Radagast, Gandalf and the other 2 wizards (the blue wizards that we didn't meet in the trilogy) and the Balrogs (as the one that killed Gandalf in Moria) are all the same kind of "angelical" beings called Maiar.
Fun little fact about the super sad scene that is Theodred's funeral! For all of the cool stuff Tolkien did with creating languages for his world, he didn't create a Rohirric language. Instead, Peter Jackson opted to use ancient Anglo-Saxon when making the movies. What Eowyn sings translates to: "An evil death has set forth the noble warrior A song shall sing the sorrowing minstrels of Meduseld That noble cousin, who always held me dear Now is held in darkness, enclosed."
They are masterpieces aren't they? I was a bit irked on first watching these extended editions on DVD, that not all the subtitles were there. For example, the songs like the one you mentioned here and the one Aragorn sings about Tauriel in Fellowship. There were also lots of others missing like those at the start of Fellowship in the battle with Sauron, those on the parapets of Helms Deep before the battle and when Legolas whispered after believing Pippin and Merry were dead, also the dark speech on Weather top. I was so irked that I ripped my DVD's and put all these subtitles in, as well as those that were included in the forced subtitle stream. I colour-coded them (Elvish, Dark Speech, Music) and synced them perfectly, not only that, when I encoded them into Matroska files, I made sure that I added a lot of file size to encode the black bars and burnt-in the subtitles on those so as not to overlap the picture. One day I may do it to the Blurays (which I've had for a very long time), but I am getting on and it will take a long time.
I believe Gandalfs physical form is actually around a couple of thousand years old. Hes just always looked like 60 years old as the Istari are meant to be wise counselors not conquering wizard lords. His actual self known as Olorin is FAR older though. But yeah Gandalf would smite anything the Harry Potter universe could throw at him.
the istari including gandalf arrive in middle earth about the year 1000 of the third age. The events of the two towers occur in the year 3019 of the third age so he has been in middle earth for just over 2000 years in the form of gandalf the grey
According to ~ 6:00 yes Gollum is a CGI model, but actor, Andy Serkis was on set in motion capture suit, and all gestures, face mimic etc is played by that great actor who also played many more CGI-motion capture characters.
The thing that's really freaky when you look at Gimley is knowing that the actor who plays Gimley is really over 6 ft tall. Amazing how the movie makes it look like he's a dwarf!😳😊
Clever use of doubles, cuts to close shots, forced perspective, and a bit of compositing here and there. Basically every practical trick they had, none of which are _that_ hard to execute, but combine for a very convincing effect.
Cassie: "How can Saruman be good and all of a sudden be like this is a better idea, this horrible world, and be so corrupted to the core?" Me: "Why don't you ask Anakin Skywalker? Or better yet, ask Lucifer."
Some good scenes I haven’t seen in a while. Love that you’re watching the extended versions. Everything scene added served the story well. Great that you are sharing this with your sister, too. Fun to hear her reaction at the end of “Fellowship”.
Horses were the primary working and fighting animals in Middle-earth. They were generally used as mounts; both forces of good and forces of evil used them in the wars and battles of Middle-earth. In the Third Age, the Riders of Rohan were most renowned for their horsemanship, being called the 'horse-lords'. The Nazgûl were known as Black Riders, while the Knights of Dol Amroth and Haradrim were also famed horsemen. Small horses were called ponies. Horses came in many colors, such as white, grey, brown, and black. The Mearas were one specified breed of wild horses in the north of Middle-earth - no other particular breeds are mentioned in Tolkien's legendarium.
And since the ranchers/pro riders of NZ are primarily women, most of the Rohirrim riders have fake beards glued on. WETA Workshop really knocked the costuming and practical fx out of the park.
@James Loveless Horses were the primary working and fighting animals in _regular_ Earth in WW2. Over the course of the war, Germany (2.75 million) and the Soviet Union (3.5 million) alone employed more than six million horses, though almost none as cavalry mounts. They were used to pull supply wagons, artillery pieces, etc.
But horses will not willingly serve as mounts for orcs or for nazgul. The black horses they rode had to be specially broken (practically tortured) to tolerate such riders.
@@PhilBagels Yeah, its why the Nazgul prefer their winged beasts (who are evil creatures by nature) and the Orcs prefer Wargs (though its debatable who is the 'master' in the books, as Wargs are intelligent and willful creatures).
@21:45 "He (Frodo) is not alone. Sam went with him." There is a quote from 'Changes' (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher: “Then you know that Sam was the true hero of the tale,” Sanya said. “That he faced far greater and more terrible foes than he ever should have had to face, and did so with courage. That he went alone into a black and terrible land, stormed a dark fortress, and resisted the most terrible temptation of his world for the sake of the friend he loved. That in the end, it was his actions and his actions alone that made it possible for light to overcome darkness.”
You two are a gift that keeps on giving. I hope and pray you, the family had a wonderful and Merry Christmas. Or as my boys say to me "Mary Christmas" lol.
In the books, the Orcs of Mordor and Isengard had been raiding Rohan and always taking the black or other dark colored horses for so long that they were now rare and very few. So the Riders of Rohan were mounted on mostly all white or light gray horses. Now imagine their charge onto the field before Minas Tirith with the absolute FLOOD of white horses falling upon the dark armies of the Orcs.
Another small fact that gets overlooked is that the Orcs who kidnapped Merry & Pippin were from Saruman, but the Orcs that met them on the road are from Mordor, hence their instant hatred for each other on first sight.
Dead Marshes are where Legolas’ grandfather died. His father Thranduil was there too. Thranduil from then on was deeply effected by this and also after Oropher died, braids became less of a thing in Greenwood The Great now known as Mirkwood. Lots of history you’d love to dive into the lore brought to life by the videos the channel Moviejoob reacted to! I could be wrong about the Braid thing. Could’ve swore I found that tidbit somewhere or from someone who discovered it. But yeah. It’s so vast
I never see anyone answer this, but the stuff that the Uruk-hai poured down Merry’s throat was some kind of strong, oily liquor. In the book, they say that it tastes terrible, but keeps you awake and warms you up inside. I always kind of imagined it as licorice brandy, but that’s just me.
An excellent honest emotional reaction (even on the 2nd watching). The funeral for Theoden's son always hits me hard. Many years ago, I lost my brother in a car accident and watched my parents deal with "no parent should have to bury their child". They captured the pathos of that so well. Hang on and enjoy the ride to the finish. Still the greatest movie(s) of all time. Side note...the "voice actor" for Treebeard is the same actor who plays Gimili
@@jasonk3605 Thank you. It’s been 30 years ago now. But I’m sure for them the void is still present. My parents as always proved an inspiration in the way they handled the aftermath. But the scene with Theoden gets me every time.
I just love watching first time reactions, especially to the LOTR trilogy, where people are trying to figure things out as they go along in the movies. :) Carly seems very intuitive about what's happening too.
When Cassie first watched this and she saw that Gandalf was alive ...her expression was ...well, I have no words, but it was one of my favorite reactions of all time.
I love that she remembered the broken toe fact, but another improvised detail was the flag of Rohan tearing away from the flagpole. It wasn't supposed to rip away but the wind blew so strong and Peter Jackson loved the way it looked and left it in the final cut. It's a pretty somber moment, visually telling the dilapidated state of Rohan.
To me, the moment that shows the strength of Gandalf most is when he hears that Sam went with Frodo, and Gandalf says "good...yes, very good". I don't know if it's because of the perfect acting by Sir Ian Mckellen, but at that moment it just feels like Gandalf sees something that no one else can see, the grand design of the universe, the song of Illuvatar. He is seeing destiny unfold itself, like a viewer might who understands storytelling and knows that this choice will eventually lead the heroes to victory. It's that awareness of the bigger picture that makes him so grand and wise.
Gandalf was essentially my archetype for "Artemis" in DD. :) And Tolkien's wise way of weaving the words which his wizard wielded was wonderfully eloquent. An irony about Gandalf is how little "magic" he performs all throughout the LotR series (the books too, not just the films). Personally, I know that this was a CHOICE, not some oversight nor mistake. The most memorable "powers" which Gandalf demonstrated were INFLUENCE and WISDOM. As he said himself: "Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not here to rob you. I am trying to help you." He doesn't even truly use all that much magic against the Balrog. ;) 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
Gandalf sometimes uses magic defensively... sometimes as an aid to friends (he lights some fires here and there for camps)... and almost never offensively. Sometimes, but it is quite rare. His real power is in guidance, advice, for those wise enough to hear and understand, and humble enough to follow. He craves no power for himself. He's a counselor and a guide. A "i'll show you the path, but you must walk it" sort. What little magic he does use... he uses the bare minimum he can for any given situation. He never flaunts it.
@@mycroft16 That is precisely what I typed, so, I agree. 🙂 But I'll quote my own wizard (Artemis) while we're here... "Silence is NOT 'emptiness'. There are some lessons which sound... cannot teach!" --Art 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
@@Novastar.SaberCombat OH that's a great quote. I was mostly just agreeing with you in my own words because I love how very understated he and his power are.
Another great reaction video featuring Carly! I think Cassie's solo work is great, but the ones done by the sisters together are truly special. I would really like to see Cassie and Carly watch "Everything Everywhere All At Once" together! And then tackle the K-drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo"!
Hi. So, if you hadn't noticed, Eomer (the handsome guy leading the horse brigade 😊) is played by Karl Urban who also plays Dr. Leonard McCoy on the latest Star Trek movies.
Love watching the reactions of you both. You're both strongly empathetic which makes for a genuine emotional response, there is a certain purity in that which is so beautiful to see.
@@StinkyBuster He's stopped snakes made of fire, he's manipulated water, he has a pet phoenix that is super strong and will defend him from attack, he's demonstrated his knowledge of stunning spells...
@Monarch Music gandalf has stopped a demon of the ancient world made of fire. Manipulating water isn't that impressive, in Middle Earth just the elves are able to do that to much more impressive effect than Dumbledore. Gandalf has many fully intelligent Giant Eagle friends and can communicate and ally with all sorts of creatures. Gandalf has also demonstrated knowledge of stunning spells.
I am French, I watch your videos in France, I often watch your channel because I love cinema and your beautiful energy !! Even if I admit that I do not always understand what you say 😉
“How could Saruman, who was good, suddenly turn to evil”? One of the elements of Middle Earth that the movies didn’t have time to flesh-out are the “seeing stones” - the “palantirs”. Saruman had one, and so did Denethor (Boromir and Farimir’s father). Both were controlled by Sauron (Gandalf says in the FOTR “we do not know who else might be watching”). Saruman and Denethor could use the stones to see what was happening around them (very useful information gathering tools) but always only what Sauron let them see, and with the perspective and spin that Sauron wanted to put on it. That’s why both Saruman and Denethor thought (“knew”) that there was no point fighting Mordor - Saruman counselled that they should “join with Mordor/Sauron”) and Denethor thought that fighting was futile and everyone should die as they choose. Both of these show that these previously good leaders had been corrupted and beguiled by Sauron regarding his “unassailable” power and the opportunities that would be offered to those who help him. The movies do a little of this by pretty much only ever showing us the stones as being filled with the eye of Sauron, but the intricacies of how they corrupted Saruman and Denethor are left out.
Hey guys, Cassie's editor Mike here. This video should have been edited and posted Friday before last, but I got laid out with an awful flu for nearly two weeks. Nothing to do with Cassie or Carly, they've already recorded Return of the King. So sorry for the long wait! Part two will be up tomorrow and then Return of the King bright and early in the New Year. Hope everyone had a better Christmas than I did!
Glad you are feeling better! I have been waiting for this and refreshing everyday to see if it was uploaded lol can't wait!
Feel better, real life happens. PiB is awesome🍿🛏️
Mike- No worries! You are an all-star, thank you for doing what you do. And it is good to hear you are on the mend- better health to you in the coming days!
Thank you for your service
1. I hope you feel better.
2. Can you please use your power as the editor to start hiding a little guy just waving and saying hello into each video without letting Cassie know?
“I’ll tell her guys” immediately after wards was gold. You are my favorite
What are you refering to?
@@SFDarkAngel when she mentions how viggo broke his toes when he kicked the helmet
I was really tempted to pretend to be that guy and explain it again in the comments but I didn't have it in me to be that awkward 😂😂😂.
i am rn lmao, they are very funny reactors
@@happyhedgehog6450
I was dissapointed she did not talk about the arrow in the first one
I love that Cassie jumps in and tells Carly about Viggo's broken toe so no one brings it up in the comments. 🤣😂
“I’ll tell her, guys!”
I about fell off my chair laughing. I love these girls.
I laughed at “Guys I’ll tell her” and then explains. 😅 it’s a rule that when watching with someone who hasn’t seen it before you have to tell them that 😂
The torch has been passed
But did she tell her about Sean Astin stepping on glass and cutting his foot when he waded into the river after Frodo? A lot of foot injuries in this movie.
@@PhilBagels Hopefully she tells about the time Viggo almost drown.
I've never been more proud of anyone then Cassie when she told about the broken toe.
Same here. I was like "is she gonna tell her?"
@@mato_kun2602but never been more dissapointed she did not tallk about the artow shot to Aragorn in part 1
Also, keep in mind, Dumbledore is a HUMAN wizard, Gandalf is an angelic being who's innately magical in a way Dumbledore never could be. Gandalf is technically immortal and thousands of years old. It's no competition.
Also Gandalf is only an minimal power as he was sent to help, but not use his full power. He is far more powerful than he acts.
And we see right here that Gandalf died and came back to life. That's a trick Dumbledore could not pull off.
@@Halfwit_The_Brave he could use the power but he had a sort of “divine order” if you will set upon him to not overtly showcase the power. This is also because of what happens to Arda every single time Maiar and Valar and together with their Vanyarin elves that they literally end up destroying the earth itself in a deep way just as collateral damage. They care too much about all the living things within Arda. This is also why Gandalf was afraid to take the ring for “The Use Of Good” because he’d wield a world destructive power if he did.
I have read LOTR, but it's been 40 some years. If I remember right Gandalf had a ring of power(not THE ring), Galadriel had one of the rings given to elves, and Elrond might have had one
@@Halfwit_The_Brave It is rumored that Gandalf could have beaten Sauron single-handedly, but he was only to assist and aid Men, and not be the sole savior of Middle Earth. Men have to learn from this reckoning, lest history repeat itself a 3rd time.
Cassie is such a Lord of the Rings nerd and I'm so very proud of her for mentioning Viggo's foot. Guys...she's one of us now :')
I was laughing so hard that was such a moment. 🙂 Replayed it like 5 times lol
@@neutchain7838 like when he hit the real Dagger out of his way in the first Movie
@@alexandermarquardt597 hehe cassie needs to watch pottersville
Nah, she is a fan of the movies but you can tell she hasn’t really “nerded” the answers to the details and philosophical themes.
Wait til she actually watches the documentaries and gets the real inside story on everything.
I died of laughter when you felt obligated to mention Viggo breaking his foot kicking that helmet. 🤣🤣
But did you know that Treebeard broke his foot when he stomped on the orc?
The penultimate fan experience is sharing that particular fact with someone. Cassie's entire LOTR journey has led to that moment.
@@timothybasil penultimate means second-greatest. I suspect you meant ultimate (i.e. greatest).
@@gabedamien The *ultimate* fan experience is to say nothing at all and let your friend just enjoy the movie for the first time.
@@gabedamien What's the word for "it's all been leading to this". Like, it's the climactic moment of fandom. I guess ultimate and penultimate are both the wrong word. I mean more that it's official now.
In the book, merry and pippen move a little way away from the battle with the orcs, and stop and eat some lembas bread. So when Aragorn sees the leaves they're wrapped in, he's like "ONLY a hobbit could have stopped for a little meal so near a battle" it's the BEST.
Second Breakfast>Life
Once again, THANK YOU for not cutting the scene with Theoden standing over his son's grave. It's one of the strongest scenes in The Two Towers and it really humanizes his character.
Theoden is one of my favorite characters in all of LOTR. Starting out weak and subjugated to the will of Saruman, then dealing with the fallout and his own fears and inadequacies, literally to the point of failure at Helm's Deep. His own courage fades, sustained only Aragorn sort of playing on his visions of glory for his last charge. He builds up his leadership by harnessing those visions to inspire his men as they ride to Gondor, finally culminating at Pelennor Fields.
"I go now to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed."
Apparently, the “No parent should have to bury their child” line came direct from Bernard Hill himself. He’d heard a bereaved mother say it once, and asked Peter Jackson if he could say that in the scene. Hill brings so much depth to the role - such a great piece of casting!
@@Daveyboy100880 I did not know that! Such a good performance!
@@adamlord1891 Same, he might actually be my favorite character in the movies.
Wonderful write-up of hits arc, I got chills reading it.
@@adamlord1891 Theoden is also one of my favorite characters in LOTR. I absolutely love his eloquence, every sentence he speaks is beautiful. His relationship with Eowyn is so touching, he isn't afraid to show affection and emotion. I can only admire his righteousness, his hope flustered at Helm's Deep but he did the right thing and kept going nonetheless. What a king! What a man!
Brad Dourif (Grima) absolutely killed this role with every second, the man is master of emotive facial expression, vocal inflexions, and all the little details.
Absolutely! What really jjagged it was hearing his voice ("that is a lie!") before his appearance.
Brad also was exceptionally good as "Doc" in "Deadwood" ...
He's one of the greatest character actors of all time. His turn in EXORCIST III: LEGION is absolutely stunning, a masterclass in physical control and face acting (since he spends the entire film in a straight jacket he doesn't have much of a choice).
Amazing in Deadwood and also in Alien 4
More accurately, Aragorn is wise enough to know he can't resist the One Ring, and thus never puts himself in that situation
It's the only healthy way to consider The Ring: It's too powerful and corrupting for ANY BEING to have, thus must be destroyed. I was struck the other day, watching Return of The King, how the entire scene of getting to the precipice of Mt Doom to toss The Ring to it's destruction, only to be enticed to claim it at the very last moment...It would be a great side story to recount how many times the walls of that chamber have seen that exact scene play out over history. We know it's happened at least twice, Frodo and Isildur, so it's probably happened a bunch more times over thousands of years. It would be fascinating to see how many times The Ring was one small action away from destruction, only to go on from there to destroy the life of it's claimant.
@@RobertMorganwell, we know that didn’t happen again, so sadly that theory doesn’t pan out. Isildur lost the Ring in the Anduin when he died, until it was found by Gollum, who then lost it to Bilbo, and we know the rest of the story. Unless someone found the Ring in the middle of the Anduin, brought it to Mt Doom, succumbed to its power, and left (all without being noticed), and then proceeded to lose it in the Anduin AGAIN, it’s impossible that someone else found themselves in the same scenario as Isildur and Frodo. It just wouldn’t add up.
Would kind of like to see Gandalf try the ring on...just for 'oh shits' and giggles.
Like not even trying drugs during a party?
@@DzinkyDzink Sauron IS kind of a bad trip though. It's all fascism and marching and slaves and ugly, blood-licking orcs and shit.
"No parent should have to bury their own child." Never have truer words been spoken :(
"In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons."
It gets even more heartbreaking when you remember that Tolkien himself was a veteran of WWI, he probably saw a lot of fathers bury their sons.
That line wasn't in the book. The actor ad-libbed it from someone saying the same thing to him many years ago.
@@peterseaboldt1250 It's a well known and often repeated phrase.
@@shinyagumon7015 It's much worse than that. Of all Tolkien's closest friends, only one survived the war.
Dumbledore is a wizard. Gandalf is basically an angel.
dumbledore would win. easily.
dumbledore can do actual magic, while gandalf can only shine a light from his staff.
gandalf could not even get down from a high building without help, dumbledore could just teleport down or conjure a magical elevator with his thought.
@@miwoj movie doesn’t show Gandalf’s full powers. Dumbledore stands no chance.
@@miwoj You have no idea haha, I'd recommend reading up some lore about Gandalf ;)
@@miwoj Gandalf fought and killed a balrog, a demon of the ancient world. What was Dumbledore's greatest accomplishment? Oh yeah, putting his best friend in prison.
You are arguing about fictional characters. The wizard in my own fantasy story is more powerful than both of them, so what?
Dumbledore is a wizard. But Gandalf is THE wizard. Seriously though, I'm pretty sure Gandalf is quite literally one of the chief templates for the modern visualization of a wizard. The only other wizard who could claim a similar degree of cultural clout would probably be Merlin from Arthurian legend.
Yeah, Merlin came first, but Gandalf is the wizard every writer is thinking of when they write their story about a wizard.
Gandalf's not a just a wizard. He's a Maia. He's immortal. Angelic in some sense. Albus is just a human.
Yeah, Tolkien basically invented the modern wizards/warriors
Something that is important to remember is that Gandalf tells Frodo in Fellowship that no one would willingly destroy the Ring. So someone like Saruman who is very powerful becomes all that more evil when he desires the Ring.
Melchizedek. Odin. Hermes. All these Tolkien knew very well and are in his Gandalf. They came way before Merlin. He is the ancient mysterious God of wisdom to mortals
Gandalf fought Durins Bane for 10 days in the book. It was an amazingly epic battle.
Edit: Needless to say Dumbledore couldn't touch Gandalf.
Gandalf fell to deepest depths and fought to the highest peak.
Dumbledore had trouble with gravity...
@@LordVolkov 😂
Dumbledore is a cheap Gandalf imitation.
The kind of baddies they have to deal with tells you something. At least Dumbledore’s enemies are human. I wonder how Voldemort would fare against a Balrog
Right? I mean, Dumbledore is more or less human while Gandalf is essentially an immortal spirit. It's not even a valid contest.
About Saruman: he is probably 2nd most complex Tolkien character, just behind Sauron
Saruman was send from the Valars (angels/gods) in order to prevent the return of Sauron and, eventually, to guide the people of Middle Earth against the Dark Lord if Sauron successed in restoring his own powers
However, at a certain point Saruman overstimated his own purpose and essentially passed from “guide the people of Middle Earth against Sauron” to simply “guide people of Middle Earth”
This happened for 2 reasons: 1) personal experiences led Saruman to believe that Mens cannot rule themselfs, like sheeps need a shepherd, and also he had a kind of inner huge to prove himself in front of the Valar;
2) when Saruman used the Palantir for the first time he was intercepted by Sauron. They had a kind of “clash of wills” and due to Saruman loss, the Dark Lord successed in complitely corrupting the wizard’s mind
So yeah, Saruman is evil but his change was not, complitely, his fault
In case i didn’t use proper english I apologise
Greetings from Italy😊
The actor who plays Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) has been playing off-kilter roles for almost 50 years (his first credited role was alongside Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 1975, and he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor). He’s Piter de Vries in the original “Dune,” and he’s been Chucky since the first “Child’s Play” movie.
Yes his role as Billy was masterful indeed. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of the first films I saw in a movie theater. I also loved him as the alcoholic doctor in Deadwood treating mostly prostitutes. He has had many memorable roles.
And as Wormtongue he stayed with the accent until the end of primary filming; which fooled virtually all of the cast. Bernard Hill(King Theodon) confused when Brad dropped back into his normal voice, he thought it was the worst American voice he'd ever heard.
I remember him as the anarchist explosives expert in the movie Ragtime from 1981. That movie also happens to be the last movie James Cagney ever acted in.
He played Deputy Clinton Pell in 'Mississippi Burning'....which I hope Cassie watches! Important film, and one of Alan Parker's many masterpieces.
I've just seen him in an episode of the X-Files... he was fantastic in it. He was also very good in Alien 4.
That little side glance after Treebeard said 'The white wizard will know...' was perfection with a sly grin. 😂
Gandalf is basically an angel. Yeah, Dumbledore isn’t beating this guy.
As if they would even fight in the first place lol.
@@xanthiusdrake2775 true they would probably be best friends
Yup. Gandalf holds back his power because he's meant to guide middle Earth. The only time you see it on full display is when he's fighting a fallen angel with the Balrog, because it's an enemy that's beyond the company. He tells Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas when he's sent back by God, that he's the most dangerous thing they will ever meet unless they are brought before Sauron.
This is where people might ask why God just doesn't have him fight for the people of Middle Earth with his full strength. The answer of course is because this is based on Tolkien's own faith. The Christian God knows his creation will inevitably question his right to rule. So he gives people who desire power their ultimate champion. Melkor a name meaning "He who arises in might". A mighty, beautiful, gifted creature that becomes prideful and twisted, just like the angel that at one point called himself the "King of Tyre" in the book of Ezekiel.
"Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire (see secret fire/flame imperishable in comparison in Tolkien's works).
Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."
Just like this fallen angel, the original Dark Lord Melkor played music (tabrets, pipes). In the Silmarillion Melkor's song wanted to usurp God's song, but only proved God right and God's purpose was to have Melkor's legacy undone with love, humility and by the meek of the Earth. The Hobbits. Melkor's and his follower Sauron's arrogance and pride are their undoing and all their efforts to undo their creator, only made the creator's song more beautiful. Tolkien's God gave good a champion to. One who washed the feet of his followers and who suffered horrible things to show them that he had the right to rule, because he loved creation and just didn't want to have them under his feet.
@@hackintosh3899 You can only take the metaphor for Christianity so far in Middle-Earth, though. There is no Jesus in Middle-Earth's mythology, likely because Tolkien said Middle-Earth IS Earth much longer ago, and Jesus wouldn't come yet for many millennia. Perhaps Jesus was symbolized by the Flame Imperishable, though I've heard people say that represented the Holy Spirit.
Not basically. Literally an angel. But a lesser angel. The higher angels are still up in what is effectively Heaven, and don't get too involved. But they did send 5 lower ranked angels to Middle Earth to deal with the Sauron problem, disguised as wizards, Gandalf among them. And the Great Eagles are basically direct servants of the highest ranking angel, so rescuing Gandalf in the last film from Saruman after Saruman went bad was essentially divine intervention to keep Gandalf in play and on task.
Speaking of rank, some people get confused by the wizards and their robe colors. Saruman is the "leader of [the wizard] order" but that's more a matter of position than rank. All five of the wizards are essentially the same rank as angels, but they have different assignments. It's the job of the white wizard, whoever that is, to lead the forces of good against Sauron, when Sauron reemerges after he got defeated last time. The gray wizard, meanwhile, has the job of encouraging the free folk and helping them along to live up to their potential, be brave, and be ready and able to fight for what's good. The brown wizard is all about caring for the little creatures and the natural world. And the two blue wizards are off doing... something? They're off to the southeast somewhere. It's possible they failed in their task. They are a bit of a mystery, and a deliberate one.
When Saruman abandons his task, that leaves a job opening, and Gandalf ends up being reassigned by the powers on high to be the leader, instead of the friendly encourager lifting everyone's spirits. We see him in this film take a much more active leadership role. He's not acting as an advisor kind of in the background and pushing humans and elves and hobbits and dwarves to do the right thing. He's telling them directly what they need to do, and at times riding out in front on a horse, charging into battle. He's doing what Saruman was supposed to be doing. Meanwhile, Saruman becomes Saruman of Many Colors. This is not an official role assignment, but a self-styling, in his personal arrogance he sort of tries to claim all the colors. He wants to rule all of Middle Earth, and have all the power of the Ring for himself. Well this is ridiculous, so the head of the angels sends a Great Eagle to rescue Gandalf, reassigns Gandalf to be the white wizard a while after that, and the divine plan to defeat Sauron gets back on track.
You know, its quite sad that the movie didn't feature Sam's actual gift from the books - the box of soil taken from the elven forest with a single acorn from their most sacred tree. Sam being fiercely protective of it is a feature in the books, and eventually pays off. The rope is cool and all. but that wasn't really her gift - it was a practical piece of equipment that she knew they'd need. The soil and acorn is, by itself, a seemingly worthless gift (like the strands of hair given to Gimli) that hold a lot more cultural significance.
TOTALLY AGREE! I love these movies, and I know that they needed to cut some things out to actually make them happen (either that, or make a dozen movies...and probably still leave things out). But that is one of the only cut things that was really upsetting to me. That box, and his actions in regards to it, was such an integral part of Sam's character, and a whole other layer of character development that they totally missed out on.
And her gift speaks: I have great Hope, that you will succeed!
Yes. Sam plants it and it grows to be the only mallorn tree west of the Misty Mountains. And he sprinkles little bits of the dust all over the Shire, resulting in the most bountiful harvest
You touch on one of my greatest criticisms of the PJ movies. Sam was SO in awe of Galadriel that he felt tongue tied in her presence. There’s NO way he’d be so ungrateful as to ask for a different or an additional gift.
When Gandalf was falling from the bridge and was barely hanging on, Boromir wouldn't let Frodo run to Gandalf, because keep in mind an army of orcs and goblins (both in the book and in the film) are just on the other side with bows and arrows. It was too dangerous to try and go save him.
Also, you'd be playing tug of war with a demon.
Don't forget the bridge was going to collapse.
You also don't let the guy carrying the One Ring run out onto a damaged, single-span stone bridge to rescue the guy hanging on and about to fall. In the Bakshi film, like in the book, Gandalf didn't hang at all, but fell immediately after the balrog's whip lashed around his ankles, but in the Bakshi film, Aragorn vainly tries to grab Gandalf. In the book no one was close enough to before he fell.
Aragorn as the last one out was dodging arrows while running for the exit.
and despite the Elrond's stuff have equipped the Fellowship with all sorts of things, including warm fur cloaks for winter, they never got the ropes before Lorien so could not saved Gandalf from afar :)
14:43 “i’ll tell her guys” that’s how you know she’s been bombarded with the same fun fact on her first viewing
Carly and Cassie ask, "How can Saruman who once was good be like the most evil...?" The answer isn't explicitly stated in the movie, but it is in the book: it's the Palantir. Peter Jackson & Co. reveal the Palantir, the Seeing Stone of Numenor, early in FOTR, but in the book we don't see it till near the end of T2T. Then Gandalf says, "Further and further abroad he gazed, until he cast his gaze upon Barad-dur. Then he was caught!...Easy it is now to guess how quickly the roving eye of Saruman was trapped and held, and how ever since he has been persuaded from afar, and daunted when persuasion would not serve. The biter bit, the hawk under the eagle's foot, the spider in a steel web!"
And if even a will as strong as Saruman's was bent by Sauron, what chance did Denethor stand?
Yeah. The Palantiri originally were not evil, but a gift between the Elves of Valinor and the Men of Numenor as a method of communication, since men were not permitted to cross the waters to the undying lands. When they were brought to Middle Earth with Elendil and his descendants after the fall of Númenor, the one that was stationed in Osgiliath was captured and fell into Sauron’s hands, while others went missing. That is what made the use of them so dangerous, as you don’t know who else is watching. Like a hacker in a video call.
I feel like this is explained well enough in throughout the films, but I really wish we could have gotten a glimpse of the Palantir that Denethor possessed.
so, in today's world, saruman is that dude who stalked certain someone too many times and couldn't handle it?
@@roryasrorri701 More akin to a well meaning conspiracy theorist who falls into the wrong community. We can see this in the Q cult - many of them went into it with pure intentions, wanting to protect children, but were twisted into who the 'threat' was coming from and then further beyond until the initial desire disappears and they actively harm children.
The scene at 6:11 with Frodo pinning Gollum down with Sting in his left hand is an exact recreation of the original classic illustration in the original books.
In the books, Saruman has studied the lore about creating the one ring. He was convinced he could create new rings of power and this slowly corrupted him.
IIRC he _did_ create his own ring.
"I'LL TELL HER GUYS!"
HAHAHA, this made me laugh out loud, when the moment was nearing I was already thinking "well boys, whose gonna tell her".
This was the best reaction to that moment EVER XD
For people who didn't grow up when these movies came out in theaters, it's hard to explain the cultural phenomenon they were. I was 17 when the first LOTR movie came out, and even though I was an angsty teen, it captivated me with child-like wonder. It was pure movie magic. I had never seen anything like it, and still have not, though GoT has come close. When Fellowship came out, I saw it three times that day. So yeah, nine hours in a theater. The wait for the Two Towers was agonizing, but the Ents, the Uruk-Hai, Helm's Deep, Gollum, all of it was breathtaking seeing it unfold on the big screen. Even now, two decades later, the magic is still there.
I remember that entire year, every time I wanted to go to the movies I couldn't find anything I wanted to see as much as I wanted to see Fellowship again... must have seen it 6 or 7 times in the theaters.
It's impressive today, it was awesome in 2001.
I am so glad you included so much of my favorite all-dialogue peak-acting scene, where Wormtongue is trying to tempt Eowyn at her cousin’s deathbed. It is such a brilliant adaptation from the book, where it is Gandalf who says those words about her. It makes more sense to have Grima say them, because he would know her so well and understand just how close to the edge she is at this point. The acting from both Brad Dourif and Miranda Otto is just top notch!!
The closest approximation of Gandalf's physical age is 24,000 years old according to Gandalf himself. Yet various dates of key events in other Tolkien texts show that Gandalf has actually only walked in his physical form for over 15,000 years (following his quote "300 lives of men, I have walked this earth"), It says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar. Many Maiar were considered really great and powerful. This movie is full of things to remember. Especially after reading and watching in depth videos and discussions about Tolkien and the lore etc. it’s vast and wonderful.
Interesting that it says that Gandalf was the wisest of the Maiar. Of the Istari (wizards) I can understand, as there were only five, and Gandalf is definitely the wisest of them. There are just so many Maia, and so little is known about them all. But it makes sense, as Gandalf was a servant of the Valier Nienna, whose gifts were wisdom and understanding. That would make him the greatest of her servants, at the very least. Sauron was a servant of Aulë, who was the father of the dwarves and good at making things. Saruman was, I think, a servant of Manwë, who was king of all the Valar.
I don’t remember where I was going with this nerdy rant xD have a nice day!
Gandalf's age is utterly impossoble to calculate - he was brought into creation before time, after all.
@@bellethilrancthalion1109 I think 'wisest to the mortal world' would be more apt - before Gandalf was what he became he roamed the lands as a spirit due to his insatiable curiosity and learned things no other Maiar knew (due to them not seeing the value in the affairs of mortals). Its why he was chosen as one of the Istari but not given leadership - he continued to roam all the lands and essentially be the messenger of the wizards, while the others had much narrower concerns.
@@Tilion462 we calculate from the moment he entered Arda and dwelled in Valinor, but definitely from the time he sailed to middle earth in 1000 of the third age which time flowed differently in each age and the elves themselves.
@@andromidius he actually was asked and insisted by Manwë and others to be the leader and he denied being lifted into such a pedestal. Saruman before is SLOW fall, was very very wise, very capable, very powerful. Full scope is given by Broken Sword who just did a what if video on Saruman Vs the witch king of Angmar and it was beautiful. Uses source material only for support. And believe me. He uses some cool obscure knowledge that even someone who’s read the books and such many times might have missed. Check it out!
Saruman turned basically for various reasons. One is jeaolusy of Gandalf (Gandalf has always been more respected and loved than him ever since they came to Middle Earth from the land of Valinor in the far west) and fear that he would eventually replace him as leader of their Order, the Istari wizards, and the other that he researched the Rings of Power and the One Ring for so long to better understand Sauron until he began to see Sauron's work as ambitious and bold rather than evil, and he eventually got the notion that he could master the One Ring and eventually challenge Sauron.
Thank you Mike for your hard work, hope you are feeling better! Looking forward to part 2 tomorrow!
Gollum was the first real example of motion capture performence, witch later developed into performence capture.
Andy was in a body suit and they captured his movements.
It was absolutley revolutionary for the film industry.
"I'll tell her guys" lmao that had me in pieces 🤣
Here's a neat detail: The many mentions of hope aren't just statements. They're also puns - Aragorn's childhood name (which his mother gave him in order to hide his identity) was _Estel,_ the Sindarin Elvish word for "hope". So for example, when Arwen says there is still hope, she's also referring to Aragorn still being alive. :)
Ive been looking foward to this for so long. I have to say it again, I love the fact you decided to return to these with your sister. These movies are so good and seeing people's first time reaction to them are magical.
On the question "how could Saruman become corrupted to evil?", Technically he wasn't corrupted, he became obsessed with magic rings since arriving in middle earth in a mortal form, in the books he even crafted his own ring of power but to a lesser degree to Sauron.
It's interesting to note that in Saruman's angelic form he was mentored by the Valar (a god) named Aulë Valar of Smithcraft, who also happened to mentor Sauron before his fall to evil.
This is why both characters seem to have a passion for industry and building things
Yeah. I don’t think Tolkien ever got too deep into the ins and outs of that maiar life, but it seems to be implied that Sauron and Saruman probably knew each other well, maybe even studying together under Aulë (with Sauron being the better student, which is why Melkor chose to corrupt him). Saruman was therefore chosen to lead the Istari because he knew Sauron best, and was sent to bring him to heel. Boy, I love the depth of story in these things!
@@Daveyboy100880 I've never seen anything suggesting that Sauron and Saruman knew each other before, but it's assumed Sauron was Aulë's student before the dark reign of Melkor where Sauron chose to join him, Saruman was Aulë's student much later on
I love how Carly pulls the sibling self-defense card and doubles down on Dumbledore just to get a rise out of Cassie.
but he would win
@@officialmonarchmusic Nope.
@@officialmonarchmusicnot in a million life times
@@JamailvanWestering Really. I mean, Dumbledore's success depends on his wand, but there are crazy things he can do with said wand
@@officialmonarchmusic one word of command from Gandalf and Dumbledore would be powerless. Like with Saruman, "Albus, your wand is BROKEN"
Brad Dourif who played the creepy Grima Wormtongue has played a myriad of villains in Movies including David Lynch's Dune, Mississippi Burning and as the voice of Chucky in the Childs Play franchise.
he might throw his 3rd grade name at him though "DUMBLE DOOOOOOOOOOOORE" and then we'd all see how truly duhhhhh it is
Such a joy to see you ladies taking this movie in with such passion, Cassie again and Carly for the first time. Fell in love with the books when I was 17, didn't get to see the films until I was in my early 40's. Now in my 60's and I still love this epic adventure! "The road goes ever onward..."
My experience of ME hasn't been so different except that I'd read the books some 20 times.
@60, all I could do now is fall asleep trying to read them. I am glad I got them in early.
Awesome to see Carly fall on love with characters and story just as Cassie and we all did ❤️. Seeing Carly cry during the scene when king Théoden buried his son also made me burst out onto tears, only a great story, characters and the actors who portray them can do that 👍
Gandalf fighting the Balrog is like he's fighting a distant cousin. They're both "maiar", immortal spirits that can take physical form. Balrogs are the evil ones that followed the original baddie, the Valar (gods with a lower case g) named Melkor (whose discordant music when the world was created caused all the evil of the world) and the wizards were buddies of the other six Valar.
Yeah, let’s see Dumbledore do THAT!🤣
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 Actually he probably could
@@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 I mean Dumbledore did fight his brother (kind of).. But if I were to pick, it's definitely Gandalf. He could just wait it out, and after 140 years, he's the only one left standing.
Dumbledore is a mortal. Gandalf is not. There's no contest. And Gandalf has even higher powers on his side giving him a helping hand whenever it's truly needed. Dumbledore is not going to defeat the literal God that Gandalf is an agent of.
@@fakecubed Well, if the god dude interfered, then it wouldn't be a one on one would it?
I'm really looking forward to the rest of Carly's reaction and your revisit to this EPIC Trilogy.
FYI: Gandalf is an angelic immortal being whose power has been restricted by the Gods while on Middle Earth. He is far more powerful than he seems. By comparison Dumbledore is way out of his league.
Dumbledore is a human wizard. On the power scale Dumbledore is closer to an ordinary Hobbit than he is to Gandalf. There are many beings on Middle Earth that far exceed Dumbledore in magical power. In a magical duel, Galadriel would turn Dumbledore into a pretzel knot.
As Gandalf, maybe she would beat him, but as Olorin, unrestricted in power, she doesn’t stand a chance
Dumbledore vs. Tom Bombadil 🤣🤣🤣
@@bellethilrancthalion1109 Oh, you mean the entity so mighty he just considers the Ring a trinket? A being so powerful that Tolkien couldn't even figure out where he fits into his own cosmology? That Tom Bombadil? I'd imagine the fight would be Dumbledore's only because Tom would lose interest and wander off. Victory by default.
Your sister is really in tune with this movie it seems. She seems to take away the exact themes that Tolkien intended (like pity around Gollum) and understands the weird ideas/meta behind Gandalf now being the new Saruman (aka, he's been raised to the leader of the order of the Istari).
Great writing and great transcription into the movies
I'd say it's more of a lateral move, not a true promotion. Gandalf was always on the same level as Saruman in terms of power, but Saruman and Gandalf had different jobs within the "company". Ultimately they still both report to some higher ups.
@@fakecubed They are the same order of spirit/entity but they have different levels of spiritual authority. Correct me if I'm wrong but the White Wizard is the leader of the Istari.
@@blazednlovinit Only in the sense that the white wizard is there to lead the forces of good against Sauron, and that the other wizards are presumed to be part of those forces of good.
@@fakecubed While they are the same order of creature they were garbed in the bodies of weak and frail men to advise rather than use brute strength, much of their angelic power was locked away, the leader of the Istari had more authority/ability to show this power.
Carly is pretty sharp. Predicting that Gandalf would be back right before he pops up, then saying that exact "home" quote! The zoom effect when Cassie has her poker face is brilliant. This was fun! 👸🏼💁🏼♀
Gandalf is literally an angel..
The exact moment isn't in this cut, but I always liked the part where Gandalf is talking to Theoden. He puts his hand on his arm and says you must trust me (or something like that). Theoden gives him a look of suspicion. Great subtle acting from Bernard Hill.
Aragorn encouraged Theoden to show mercy to Wormtongue. Just as Bilbo showed mercy to Gollum. The consequences of those two acts will play out in the next movie.
I always loved that moment too, showing how Theoden was wary about having another counsellor manipulating him. It’s little moments like these that elevate the films and give them a life of their own, beyond the books.
A Boxing Day Bonus!!! My Popcorn senses were tingling, and here we are. The best channel around!
The look Cassie gives Carly when Treebeard drops the hobbits at the feet of the white wizard has been repeated thousands of times when a LotR fan watches a friend or reactor's first time with the movies. I love that you're watching these again with your sister.
9:11 Sauron and Saruman equals? In fact, yes. Saruman, Sauron, Radagast, Gandalf and the other 2 wizards (the blue wizards that we didn't meet in the trilogy) and the Balrogs (as the one that killed Gandalf in Moria) are all the same kind of "angelical" beings called Maiar.
14:50 Cassie "I'll tell her guys --" explains Aragorn helmet-kicking behind the scenes info LMAOOOOOOO
Fun little fact about the super sad scene that is Theodred's funeral! For all of the cool stuff Tolkien did with creating languages for his world, he didn't create a Rohirric language. Instead, Peter Jackson opted to use ancient Anglo-Saxon when making the movies.
What Eowyn sings translates to:
"An evil death has set forth the noble warrior
A song shall sing the sorrowing minstrels of Meduseld
That noble cousin, who always held me dear
Now is held in darkness, enclosed."
They are masterpieces aren't they? I was a bit irked on first watching these extended editions on DVD, that not all the subtitles were there. For example, the songs like the one you mentioned here and the one Aragorn sings about Tauriel in Fellowship. There were also lots of others missing like those at the start of Fellowship in the battle with Sauron, those on the parapets of Helms Deep before the battle and when Legolas whispered after believing Pippin and Merry were dead, also the dark speech on Weather top. I was so irked that I ripped my DVD's and put all these subtitles in, as well as those that were included in the forced subtitle stream. I colour-coded them (Elvish, Dark Speech, Music) and synced them perfectly, not only that, when I encoded them into Matroska files, I made sure that I added a lot of file size to encode the black bars and burnt-in the subtitles on those so as not to overlap the picture. One day I may do it to the Blurays (which I've had for a very long time), but I am getting on and it will take a long time.
Carly: "Was it Aragon?"
Cassie: "Yeah, Hotaragorn."
That side-eye and smirk from Cassie when Treebeard dropped Merry and Pippin off at The White Wizard xD
I believe Gandalfs physical form is actually around a couple of thousand years old. Hes just always looked like 60 years old as the Istari are meant to be wise counselors not conquering wizard lords.
His actual self known as Olorin is FAR older though.
But yeah Gandalf would smite anything the Harry Potter universe could throw at him.
the istari including gandalf arrive in middle earth about the year 1000 of the third age. The events of the two towers occur in the year 3019 of the third age so he has been in middle earth for just over 2000 years in the form of gandalf the grey
According to ~ 6:00 yes Gollum is a CGI model, but actor, Andy Serkis was on set in motion capture suit, and all gestures, face mimic etc is played by that great actor who also played many more CGI-motion capture characters.
The thing that's really freaky when you look at Gimley is knowing that the actor who plays Gimley is really over 6 ft tall. Amazing how the movie makes it look like he's a dwarf!😳😊
Clever use of doubles, cuts to close shots, forced perspective, and a bit of compositing here and there. Basically every practical trick they had, none of which are _that_ hard to execute, but combine for a very convincing effect.
*Gimli
Cassie: "How can Saruman be good and all of a sudden be like this is a better idea, this horrible world, and be so corrupted to the core?"
Me: "Why don't you ask Anakin Skywalker? Or better yet, ask Lucifer."
Glad you mentioned Viggo breaking his toe Cassie👏. Your lotr knowledge is growing!
Cassie thinking Gandalf is like "85/90" always cracks me up
3:26 You both reacted at the same time! 😂 That was great!
12:53 someone make an Arby’s commercial with that line! 🤣🤣🤣
Some good scenes I haven’t seen in a while. Love that you’re watching the extended versions. Everything scene added served the story well.
Great that you are sharing this with your sister, too. Fun to hear her reaction at the end of “Fellowship”.
Horses were the primary working and fighting animals in Middle-earth. They were generally used as mounts; both forces of good and forces of evil used them in the wars and battles of Middle-earth. In the Third Age, the Riders of Rohan were most renowned for their horsemanship, being called the 'horse-lords'. The Nazgûl were known as Black Riders, while the Knights of Dol Amroth and Haradrim were also famed horsemen.
Small horses were called ponies. Horses came in many colors, such as white, grey, brown, and black. The Mearas were one specified breed of wild horses in the north of Middle-earth - no other particular breeds are mentioned in Tolkien's legendarium.
And since the ranchers/pro riders of NZ are primarily women, most of the Rohirrim riders have fake beards glued on. WETA Workshop really knocked the costuming and practical fx out of the park.
@James Loveless
Horses were the primary working and fighting animals in _regular_ Earth in WW2.
Over the course of the war, Germany (2.75 million) and the Soviet Union (3.5 million) alone employed more than six million horses, though almost none as cavalry mounts. They were used to pull supply wagons, artillery pieces, etc.
But horses will not willingly serve as mounts for orcs or for nazgul. The black horses they rode had to be specially broken (practically tortured) to tolerate such riders.
@@PhilBagels Yeah, its why the Nazgul prefer their winged beasts (who are evil creatures by nature) and the Orcs prefer Wargs (though its debatable who is the 'master' in the books, as Wargs are intelligent and willful creatures).
When her foresight proves accurate, Carly’s smile lights up the room like Gandalf the White lights up Fangorn Forest. 😁
Haha. I love the "I'll tell her guys!" Right after the helmet got kicked and the toes were broken.
This is when Cassie's truly graduated to a master Lord of the Rings fan.
@21:45 "He (Frodo) is not alone. Sam went with him."
There is a quote from 'Changes' (Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher:
“Then you know that Sam was the true hero of the tale,” Sanya said. “That he faced far greater and more terrible foes than he ever should have had to face, and did so with courage. That he went alone into a black and terrible land, stormed a dark fortress, and resisted the most terrible temptation of his world for the sake of the friend he loved. That in the end, it was his actions and his actions alone that made it possible for light to overcome darkness.”
You two are a gift that keeps on giving. I hope and pray you, the family had a wonderful and Merry Christmas. Or as my boys say to me "Mary Christmas" lol.
"I'll tell her, guys!" Dozens of viewers, fingers ready on their keyboards, suddenly cry out and are suddenly silenced 😅
In the books, the Orcs of Mordor and Isengard had been raiding Rohan and always taking the black or other dark colored horses for so long that they were now rare and very few. So the Riders of Rohan were mounted on mostly all white or light gray horses. Now imagine their charge onto the field before Minas Tirith with the absolute FLOOD of white horses falling upon the dark armies of the Orcs.
Another small fact that gets overlooked is that the Orcs who kidnapped Merry & Pippin were from Saruman, but the Orcs that met them on the road are from Mordor, hence their instant hatred for each other on first sight.
Dead Marshes are where Legolas’ grandfather died. His father Thranduil was there too. Thranduil from then on was deeply effected by this and also after Oropher died, braids became less of a thing in Greenwood The Great now known as Mirkwood. Lots of history you’d love to dive into the lore brought to life by the videos the channel Moviejoob reacted to!
I could be wrong about the Braid thing. Could’ve swore I found that tidbit somewhere or from someone who discovered it. But yeah. It’s so vast
Hope you ladies get to read our comments !! Would love to know what you think!
When you said “I’ll tell her guys” I lost my shit hahaha. I love your reactions, first one I’ve watched with you sister and you’re both so wonderful!
I dig the pull ins, zoom outs, and side swipes with the camera with the 'whoosh' sound effects. Lol. Nice effect. Adds something extra.
You can really tell that PIB Mike is having fun editing these...
@@jonjohns65 Love the little flourishes they put in their editing after a while. Up next is quick cuts of closeups on faces. Lol.
I never see anyone answer this, but the stuff that the Uruk-hai poured down Merry’s throat was some kind of strong, oily liquor. In the book, they say that it tastes terrible, but keeps you awake and warms you up inside.
I always kind of imagined it as licorice brandy, but that’s just me.
An excellent honest emotional reaction (even on the 2nd watching). The funeral for Theoden's son always hits me hard. Many years ago, I lost my brother in a car accident and watched my parents deal with "no parent should have to bury their child". They captured the pathos of that so well. Hang on and enjoy the ride to the finish. Still the greatest movie(s) of all time. Side note...the "voice actor" for Treebeard is the same actor who plays Gimili
I'm sorry to hear that. May your brother rest in peace.
I agree. Greatest movies of all time.
@@jasonk3605 Thank you. It’s been 30 years ago now. But I’m sure for them the void is still present. My parents as always proved an inspiration in the way they handled the aftermath. But the scene with Theoden gets me every time.
Andy Serkis' performance as Sméagol/Gollum is so brilliant... the back and forth of sympathy and dislike from his character is amazing...
I just love watching first time reactions, especially to the LOTR trilogy, where people are trying to figure things out as they go along in the movies. :) Carly seems very intuitive about what's happening too.
When Cassie first watched this and she saw that Gandalf was alive ...her expression was ...well, I have no words, but it was one of my favorite reactions of all time.
I love that she remembered the broken toe fact, but another improvised detail was the flag of Rohan tearing away from the flagpole. It wasn't supposed to rip away but the wind blew so strong and Peter Jackson loved the way it looked and left it in the final cut. It's a pretty somber moment, visually telling the dilapidated state of Rohan.
Okay, impressive, very nice,
now talk about Eowyn's "stew"...
Gandalf walked middle earth for THOUSANDS of years. Even before that he lived in Valinor in his true form for thousands of years. He is very,very old.
Haha. Love the Side-eye and grin from Cassie at 16:16.
To me, the moment that shows the strength of Gandalf most is when he hears that Sam went with Frodo, and Gandalf says "good...yes, very good". I don't know if it's because of the perfect acting by Sir Ian Mckellen, but at that moment it just feels like Gandalf sees something that no one else can see, the grand design of the universe, the song of Illuvatar. He is seeing destiny unfold itself, like a viewer might who understands storytelling and knows that this choice will eventually lead the heroes to victory.
It's that awareness of the bigger picture that makes him so grand and wise.
"I'll tell her guys" I died laughing
John Rhys Davies who played Ghimli was also the voice of Treebeard.
Gandalf was essentially my archetype for "Artemis" in DD. :) And Tolkien's wise way of weaving the words which his wizard wielded was wonderfully eloquent. An irony about Gandalf is how little "magic" he performs all throughout the LotR series (the books too, not just the films). Personally, I know that this was a CHOICE, not some oversight nor mistake. The most memorable "powers" which Gandalf demonstrated were INFLUENCE and WISDOM. As he said himself:
"Bilbo Baggins! Do not take me for some conjurer of cheap tricks! I am not here to rob you. I am trying to help you."
He doesn't even truly use all that much magic against the Balrog. ;)
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
Gandalf sometimes uses magic defensively... sometimes as an aid to friends (he lights some fires here and there for camps)... and almost never offensively. Sometimes, but it is quite rare. His real power is in guidance, advice, for those wise enough to hear and understand, and humble enough to follow. He craves no power for himself. He's a counselor and a guide. A "i'll show you the path, but you must walk it" sort. What little magic he does use... he uses the bare minimum he can for any given situation. He never flaunts it.
@@mycroft16 That is precisely what I typed, so, I agree. 🙂 But I'll quote my own wizard (Artemis) while we're here...
"Silence is NOT 'emptiness'. There are some lessons which sound... cannot teach!" --Art
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@@Novastar.SaberCombat OH that's a great quote. I was mostly just agreeing with you in my own words because I love how very understated he and his power are.
Treebeard saying "I don't remember..." was one of the saddest lines in the movies for me.
Another great reaction video featuring Carly! I think Cassie's solo work is great, but the ones done by the sisters together are truly special. I would really like to see Cassie and Carly watch "Everything Everywhere All At Once" together! And then tackle the K-drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo"!
Hi. So, if you hadn't noticed, Eomer (the handsome guy leading the horse brigade 😊) is played by Karl Urban who also plays Dr. Leonard McCoy on the latest Star Trek movies.
Cassie and Carly I can't wait for the reaction let's gooo!! Lol
Love watching the reactions of you both. You're both strongly empathetic which makes for a genuine emotional response, there is a certain purity in that which is so beautiful to see.
“Elf Town” is that near Orksville?
Telling the story of Aragorn kicking the helmet and breaking his toes, to a newbie is a fan tradition! 😂
Gandalf is actually a angelic being called a miar. He would definitely beat Dumbledore.
I'm not so sure about that
@@officialmonarchmusic what's the most impressive thing Dumbledore ever did?
@@StinkyBuster he almost beat voldemort once 😂
@@StinkyBuster He's stopped snakes made of fire, he's manipulated water, he has a pet phoenix that is super strong and will defend him from attack, he's demonstrated his knowledge of stunning spells...
@Monarch Music gandalf has stopped a demon of the ancient world made of fire.
Manipulating water isn't that impressive, in Middle Earth just the elves are able to do that to much more impressive effect than Dumbledore.
Gandalf has many fully intelligent Giant Eagle friends and can communicate and ally with all sorts of creatures.
Gandalf has also demonstrated knowledge of stunning spells.
The actor who plays Gimli is Sala from Indiana Jones. 😊
They don't go into it much in the movies (Only so much time) but Sauron was warping Saruman's mind for a long time before he went evil.
I am French, I watch your videos in France, I often watch your channel because I love cinema and your beautiful energy !! Even if I admit that I do not always understand what you say 😉
2:54 The way Carly said the title was just, 'mwah 🤌
You and your sister are the Two Towers of Cuteness
“How could Saruman, who was good, suddenly turn to evil”?
One of the elements of Middle Earth that the movies didn’t have time to flesh-out are the “seeing stones” - the “palantirs”. Saruman had one, and so did Denethor (Boromir and Farimir’s father). Both were controlled by Sauron (Gandalf says in the FOTR “we do not know who else might be watching”). Saruman and Denethor could use the stones to see what was happening around them (very useful information gathering tools) but always only what Sauron let them see, and with the perspective and spin that Sauron wanted to put on it.
That’s why both Saruman and Denethor thought (“knew”) that there was no point fighting Mordor - Saruman counselled that they should “join with Mordor/Sauron”) and Denethor thought that fighting was futile and everyone should die as they choose. Both of these show that these previously good leaders had been corrupted and beguiled by Sauron regarding his “unassailable” power and the opportunities that would be offered to those who help him.
The movies do a little of this by pretty much only ever showing us the stones as being filled with the eye of Sauron, but the intricacies of how they corrupted Saruman and Denethor are left out.
Dumbledore and Gandalf are not comparable, Dumbledore is a human wizard, Gandalf is an ancient angel older than the world is
Yes! Part 2, please! I’m loving you’re revisiting this trilogy, and now with your sister