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Without 'The Hobbit' in your library, you're missing a small piece of why Bilbo was so antsy during his 111th birthday. Simply put - Once Bilbo got a taste of real adventure, even as a Hobbit whom prefers the quiet and amenities the Shire brings, he is the proud owner of memories which make everyday life less colorful. He has stewed in that condition to the point of boiling over and has made the decision to recapture some of that before he passes. Rowling's Horcrux's and Martin's Sky Cells. Tolkien influenced many and I don't fault them for it.
I have never been a big reader, but I have been digging in to the background of the films and the world is immense. There're books of the past before the films take place and stories after. I really enjoyed your reactions and hope you consider the Hobbit films as well.
Boy can I relate- I thought I was up for a single viewing of even this edited time period, but I had to take 2 breaks and do real world things between. Now on day 2.5 and I am really enjoying your immersion and focus on such a well loved film set.
Boromir: "I tried to take the ring from him" Shadow Cat: "It's not your fault" I've never seen someone get Boromir's conflict on only their second watch. It shows your compassion and empathy. You go girl!
Boromir was the strongest and most honorable of us. He fought all his life to defend his people, and he was a paragon of leadership and hope. Even he could be easily corrupted by the ring, being that it is an incarnation of the concept of domination. It's an affront to free will itself and must be destroyed, and showing us it's power via boromir's fall and redemption is genius. Only Frodo can be the one to take the ring, but only the power of the ring itself can destroy it. ❤
When you said "What an incredible show of will" when Boromir kept fighting despite the arrows, I started to cry (again). What a lovely way to put it, particularly after the ring made him act against his will earlier. Beautiful redemption for Boromir.
Ever notice in the background “Frodo I’m sorry!” Being cried out in the distance loudly and warped by the winds of the unseen realm whirling about? It’s what makes me tear up every time.
I only really understood Boromir after watching the extended versions. They give a lot more context for why he was even at the elven council and what his motivations and desires are. To defend his people who are the first line of defence against Mordor. Faramirs story is a lot more tragic too.
The bond between Legolas and Gimli was so tight that when it came time for Legolas to sail into the west, Gimli was afforded the honor of accompanying him by the Valar . The only dwarf to do so.
@hephner78 Oh yeah, I completely agree that you’re correct. I’m just saying, they totally earned it lol. Obviously so did most of the fellowship but still.
Its funny. I read LoTR when I was 12 and 13 in 1984, 85. And back then, the swords and magic were all that mattered to that young boy. Now, long into adulthood and the loss that comes with it, i can't NOT tear up with gestures of friendship and fellowship. I think it hits us because good people value friendship and the good in small things. It was that virtue that saved the world in this story.
Reading these books as a young boy had a huge impact on the type of man I wanted to be. There are many values and moral lessons taught in this wonderful story ☺️
You have described my multiple encounters with this extraordinary story so well. The adventure story I read as a youth, the allegory as an adult, and the true friendship and camaraderie in my later years.
I have a similar history with the text, with the added connection in that I was born in an actual (York)Shire, and lived during Tolkiens life, in England. Additionally, I had/have a deep affection for the English language, and language as an abstract concept [why yes I am a Nerd, thanks fer askin], and Middle Earth is perfect for such a boy/man. The movies came into existence decades and many readings after that first encounter. And that is before any consideration of subject or themes.
I see a lot of reactors saying "we should all have a friend like Sam". I think the world would be a lot better place if people said "We should all strive to be a friend like Sam"
Our son was in 3rd grade when the first LOTR film came out. As a fantasy fan, he begged to see the movie. Concerned about the violence and dark themes, we told him he could see it after reading the book - thinking that would buy us a few years for him to mature. He got started right away and finished it within 9 months, teaching himself lots of new vocabulary on the way! He loved the film and the following two - plus their books!
I love this story, sounds like something I would do as a kid. I got heavy into reading as a kid because my sister said a specific book series would be “too complicated” for me and I took it as a challenge lol. I’m so glad your son loves reading and loves fantasy, he sounds great.
What a heartwarming story! The LOTR books are quite tough to get through, even as an adult. I assume it gave him a massive leap over his peers in English knowledge :)
@@thor1829 Yes, it even taught him some words we didn't know. It was quite a surprise when he used "defenestration" in a sentence and then had to tell us the definition!
After seeing the first movie I read the entire trilogy in 3 weeks. I spent so much time reading I got headaches. I was a junior in high school at the time.
I read it about that age too, and so did some of my siblings. I've reread it several times since then, and picked up on new depths, but I fully comprehended the story the first time. I actually think it's best to read it for the first time when you're still young and don't have many preconceptions.
The trilogy won lots of accolades and awards, but as for the Oscars: "Fellowship" won several Academy Awards for effects (and was nominated for Best Picture/Director but didn't win); "Two Towers" had a similar fate; but "Return of the King" finally hit the motherlode - it won every Academy Award it was nominated for (11), including Best Picture and Director, and tied "Titanic" and "Ben Hur" for the most number of Oscar wins in history. It was the first fantasy film to ever win Best Picture, and is widely considered to be one of the best films ever made (and best trilogies as well).
I use to phrase it that way: "Where other perfect movies have their rating at 5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is that one impossible case with a 6 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"
Sam gets the job done, and only then, when he believes death is imminent, does he allow himself to be selfish. Homeboy crossed a continent and made himself a legend just to work up the courage to ask out a girl who was already into him.
Great summary of the trilogy/story ... "It is a movie about a guy who accompanies his best friend to a volcano to toss something into it ... to get the courage to ask a girl out".
It's Rosie's comment to Sam in the book, in The Scouring of the Shire, that's so crazy. She says something to him during a moment of tension, in effect, "Well, you're not going to go and leave Frodo now, are you?", having absolutely no clue what Sam went through with Frodo to destroy the Ring over the last year or so. Sam's internal monologue is that he either has to tell her everything then, or save it all for later...and he chooses to take care of the immediate problem and tell her later.
The scene when Frodo puts on the ring at Mount Doom and declares that it is his is one of my favorites. It is more clear in the book but it never even occurred to Sauron that someone would destroy the ring. Until that point he had been operating on the assumption that someone - probably Aragorn - would claim its power and become a rival to Sauron because it’s what Sauron himself would have done in their position. At the moment that Sauron senses the ring in Mount Doom he realizes exactly how badly he miscalculated and how close to defeat he is.
Self-centered people like Sauron have a hard time with empathy--being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If Sauron had even a touch of empathy, he would have realized his peril. Of course, if he'd had any empathy, he probably wouldn't have turned out to be a villain, either...
As a Finn and a big Tolkien fan it brings me great sense of pride knowing the influence our national epic Kalevala had on Tolkien and the making of LOTR, Elven language being inspired by the Finnish language.
No joke. A reactors reaction to LOTR is my litmus test as to whether or not I enjoy them as a reactor. The fact that you binge watched LOTR made me instantly like you 😁
Tolkien was a veteran of WWI, and fully understood the costs of war. He also understood the costs of not fighting evil, and the balance between those drives much of the story.
He also understood that while you may survive, there is no going home again as you were. You will never be at peace again and will always carry the wounds both mental and physical.
Amazing how instantly you really "got" it. All your little observations and thoughts about it are the sorts of things it normally takes people multiple watches to notice. It's very clear from this that you're a very insightful, thoughtful person.
Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.
Can’t be heaven. The first elf death and murders happened there. The whole world was to be “heavenly” until Morgoth’s Ring, aka the poisoning the world and sinking his very being into the very earth itself. Causing magic to slowly bleed from the world called the long defeat.
BTW, I think you are one of the few reactors I've seen who appreciate and acknowledge that Frodo got a raw deal with this task and how much it takes to go through a journey like this. I'm not sure people really can imagine it as it's not real. But, I think you are able to truly put yourself into the world of Middle Earth and understand the perils involved and what is at stake personally for Frodo and the world at large.
Agreed. I find Sam gets all the love, which don’t get me wrong he’s a great character, but Frodo is the one who took the world on his shoulders when nobody did.
Froto definitely got a raw deal but he was the only one who could complete the mission, him or possibility another Hobit with strong will. Habits were one of the few creatures who were resilient to the corruption of the ring.
Whenever tears are spilled with the phrase "You bow to no one" I instantly get my faith in humanity restored. Thanks for sharing your reaction with us!❤
The only thing I like more in the theatrical edition is how you don't see if the army of the dead accepts Aragorn's proposal until they actually show up in battle. It's a great way to build suspense and then pay off with the reveal.
Agreed. The extended boromir scenes are all essential. Including the last stand. A lot of the return of the king extenders scenes felt unnecessary. Like the witch king vs Gandalf and denethor seeing boromir. Otherwise I love the first two extended versions. Third theatrical. Oh yeah and I forgot the nervous system one where Gimli and Legolas had their final counts, wish that wasn’t in there. There’s no way they had that low of a kill count
I can see it building suspense, but I still much prefer the extended editions. I enjoy those extra scenes too much. And I like how they dash your hopes of recruiting that army, and then bringing it back again with the "We fight!"
It would've been cool for the extended edition to have a long and intense silent pause where the King of the Dead orders his army to hold the three Fellowship members at knife point, and is second guessing whether he should just kill them on the spot, or if he should grudgingly accept the deal afterall and trust that Aragon will keep his word. And the scene cuts away right there without us knowing what he decided on. It would've made things even more suspenseful as it's unclear if the three of them even got out of that place alive.
I thought something like that would have made more sense. Or a different ghost comes out says "the king has been surplanted, we fight!" Put more eloquently ofcourse haha. Made no sense he was like fuckoff and then comes out anyway@@eddielong8663
I am so happy you did the viewing in one sitting, to me, these are not three films but one film and so the only way to watch them is all together. Thank you for your great reaction.
It's definitely true that the films (and the books they are adapted from) are really a single story and can't be appreciated separately nearly as well as they can together. Those who go into it not knowing that are often confused and surprised at the way Fellowship ends. But let's not set the bar too high for first time watchers - there are many who are interested but haven't watched these movies because they are daunted by the length of the individual movies, let alone the complete set. It's perfectly okay to give yourself a day, or a week, or even longer when necessary between movies. I'm not sure I've ever watched them all in a single day myself - that takes some real commitment and stamina, not to mention planning to get an entire day free from other obligations. I'm not sure it's even possible to read all three books in a single day. I can't really imagine anyone who enjoys these movies half as much as I do voluntarily waiting longer than they need to between movies, but for most of us an all day marathon is not really in the cards. For those who find the length daunting, I actually use the fact that they are all a single story as a reason to tell them that they don't really have to watch each of the parts in a single sitting. Fellowship, in particular, has a pretty good break point about halfway through that can be used as an intermission or a place to stop for the day.
@@hkpew I consider myself a fairly fast reader and I took three days, about twenty hours all told, to read the full LOTR books. Including the appendices. Interestingly it took me almost as long to read The Silmarillion, while The Hobbit I read in about four or five hours.
@@_starfiendYou are very fast then, haha. It took me about three months to get through the entire trilogy (I read a chapter a day). It did give me a valuable skill: patience to read long texts!
4:49 Sauron is a Maia, or angel essentially in the mythology of Middle Earth. Gandalf and Saruman are also angels like him, but without the long history of being evil. The Balrog in the mines is a corrupted Maia, while Aragorn's distant ancestor is a Maia too. 1:55:37 The elves were always supposed to belong in the West with the Valar (archangel/gods), but many of them stayed in Middle Earth and some others willingly came back from the West in the past (for example, Galadriel). By the end of the Third Age, most of them migrate to the West and those who stay behind will one day lose their physical forms and become invisible, folkloric creatures. Elrond wants Arwen to leave with him so that she may spend eternity with her family rather than stay alone in Middle Earth
Perfect description! To add to this - Tolkien combined the “one God & angels” from Christianity and the “Greek/Roman/Norse gods” in his mythology. There is the “one true god” Eru Iluvatar, and lesser gods (Valar) for all the fundamental pieces of the world (Winds, Waters, Forests, etc). The “angels” of middle earth (Maia) serve those lesser Greek-esque gods. The lesser gods were also allowed to design creatures of middle earth in their own image (eagles for wind, ents for forest, dwarves for smithing, etc.), but only Eru could breathe life into these creations. Eru himself made elves and humans in his own design. Elves have the gift of immortality, but men return to Eru when their mortal life is over. Many in middle earth consider mortality a gift! Sauron served the god of smithing, until his corruption by another evil god Morgoth. Morgoth was the original dark lord, and had multiple Balrogs, dragons, orcs, trolls, and so on in his service. He was never able to create life like the “one true God” Eru Iluvatar, but he could corrupt other beings to evil. Trolls are a mockery of Ents, orcs are a mockery of elves, and so on!
I always thought the second movie is kind of weird in how it portrays Theoden. The movie obviously wants us to think that he's blatantly wrong all the time. But he's not. They are vastly outnumbered by an army they would be annihilated by in an open battle. Their only chance of even making it a fight is Helm's Deep. Had they followed the advice of the Fellowship they would have perished. Later when Aragorn and Gimli almost mocks him for being confident I don't even know what they want from him. He obviously is putting up a front to give his men some hope when they badly need it. Justice for Theoden!
In fact, in the books, Gandalf and co are all in on getting Rohan to the fortress. It just makes sense? Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens rewrote it for the conflict angle, same as Faramir.
I agree, I never really understood how it would make sense for Theoden to stay at Edoras to face Saruman lol and what Gandalf was so pissy about. Like it's literally not Theoden's fault if all his men are out of reach. And facing them on open-fields like Aragorn suggests would have been a TERRIBLE idea given the number.
Everybody said it already, but an aditional context is that in the books Theoden wanted to fight Saruman head on (like Aragorn and Gandalf want in the movies) but the army of an vassal of his that they were suposed to link up was destroyed. It is then that Theoden decides to retreat to Helms Deep, as their only hope of winning a field battle was lost.
It's weird but I think you have it backwards. I'm pretty sure it was done to give Theoden more agency as a character. Since he is only introduced in the second film, he needs to show some sort of independence as a sovereign, and not just immediately fade into the background behind Aragorn, etc.
Binge the entire Trilogy in one day!? You're my kinda people! I mean, I already knew that based on all the other great reactions you do, but this solidifies it. I can't wait to watch this when I get off work tonight.
Way back, I also spent a whole day back to back with the trilogy once. It was a long day of sorts, but very rewarding. We forget most days, but that was a very memorable day in my life all these years later. Appreciated, and great reaction thx, get a new chair if possible, subbed xx. thx again.
Yes, in fact, the books were popular long ago. I read them as a teen more than 50 years ago! Imagine all that time I had to wait to see them enacted on film in theaters! It was really impressive in that format with great visuals, sound, and the audience reaction. I’m glad you enjoyed the films, this was an excellent reaction!
Gandalf the White was essentially Gandalf being 'resurrected' by the God of Tolkien's setting - a vanishingly rare direct intervention in the affairs of the world.
There's a bit more to that :) It wasn't actually that rare as far as I understand - because the wizards are angelic beings - they're semi-regularly sent to middle earth with a specific purpose. If they were to not be able to fulfill that purpose in a lifetime, they'd be sent back again for another. Their colors are assigned based on that purpose. The grey wizard is the "helper of men (/people of middle earth)" who guides and lift the spirits of people. The white wizard - who Saruman was supposed to be - is "the enemy of Sauron". When Gandalf was sent back, he was sent back with the purpose that Saruman had, which is why he said "I am Saruman, or rather what he was supposed to be". Which (if you pay attention) is so well acted by Ian McKellen it's insane. It's subtle, but he seems much more purpose driven as Gandalf the white. At least that's how I interpret the Istari after a lot of research without having read the books.
@@zardify_much love to you. I’ve read all 25 of his books and I still watch and participate with GirlNextGondor, Men Of The West, Tolkien Untangled, CluelessFanGirl, Tolkien Lore(The Tolkien Geek.), The Red Book, Gormy, Tales Of The Rings, Voice Of Geekdom. ❤
Viggo Mortensen is just incredible in these films, portraying a paragon of healthy masculinity, and a character who I think transcends his book counterpart. In the books, Aragorn is more sassy, but also more imperious. He doesn't undergo the personal journey that Viggo's Aragorn does, he just always knows he should be king and expects to be.
One of my favorite stories from the set is when Sauruman's actor, Sir Christopher Lee was pretending to be stabbed in the back, he was asked to do it again, because the sound he made seemed unauthentic. Sir Christopher Lee then said: *"Do you know what a man being stabbed in the back sounds like? Cause I do."* He was a spy for the allied forces during WWII and infiltrated Nazi camps. He spoke several languages fluently, was a stage actor as well as a film actor, was present for the last execution via guillotine and also recorded a heavy metal record at the age of 91. ✨️ *Sir Christopher Lee is the main character* ✨️
Shadowcat, you're such a trooper! Well done! Marathon completed with honours. 🎉 But more importantly I want to say your reaction not only moved me and many other viewers. It also showed what a gem of a deeply kind-hearted and compassionate person you are. It's such a beautiful thing to be moved by justice -- the recognition and appreciation of the amazing greatness, even superiority, of those that have been historically under-appreciated and even downright ridiculed. You're a lovely person armed with a keen wit and the biggest of hearts. ❤ And you were all dolled up and pretty too! Thank you for such a great reaction!
I remember when I was younger, watching "Return of the King", I simply couldn't understand why Frodo had to leave, and felt cheated that everyone didn't get a happy ending after so much struggle. It took me rewatching these as an adult to understand that Frodo's happy ending came BY leaving, because he wouldn't have found it otherwise. Which is just beautifully bitter-sweet.
Just finished the first movie and I can already tell this is a great reaction. Also I really loved how you kinda came around on Boromir at the end. I personally think he's a very interesting character since he isn't the kind of flawless hero you often see in that kind of fantasy but more of a deeply flawed human just trying his best and of course him accepting Aragon as his king with his last breath always breaks my heart.😢
I read the hobbit and LOTR as a kid in the 90s and Boromir was the character that stuck with me the most. A lesson that you are more than your mistakes, that you can be better than you were at your weakest.
I wouldn't quite call Boromir "deeply" flawed. He's a human, and incidentally the only human (full blooded) in the fellowship. He's been at war for years, and, as a soldier has been sent on a mission simply to bring the ring to Gondor. He has used heroism and valour to cover up his despair at the doom he believes his homeland will endure. He has duelling duties which become torments: his commitment to Gondor, and honouring his word to protect Frodo. It's that internal conflict that the ring seizes upon. He's the first of the fellowship to break because the ring preyed upon his sense of duty (a usually positive trait), but they all would've broken, including Gandalf
I don't know where the idea of Boromir being "full blooded man" comes from. He's of Numenorean stock through both his father Denethor and his mother Finduilas. I guess you could argue Aragorn is more noble...but Boromir is definitely not just "a man".
1:31:43 Trackers are amazing. One of my sisters is a tracker, and it always blows our minds how much she notices. I remember once she was able to tell us that some mouse tracks had been made by a female mouse. And my dad asked her how she could possibly know that, and it turned out that it was because the mouse was pregnant, which could be ascertained because of something about the way the mouse was carrying her weight on the outside of her feet or something like that. My dad and I and our other sisters were like WHAT 🤯
After his wife's passing, Sam entrusted the Red Book of Westmarch to Elanor. According to Elanor, Sam went to the Grey Havens and sailed to the Undying lands to be reunited with Frodo. As Sam was also a Ring-bearer (although only for a brief time) he was granted passage to sail into the West
so glad you watched the theatrical version for your first watch. the extended version adds many excellent scenes (extended galadriel gift-giving scene, the boromir flashback, etc), but adds a few that needed another look from the editor, such as the extended cave troll scene or the merry and pippin height comparison scene. overall i feel like the best version of LOTR would be a combination of the two, but the theatrical is typically fantastic for first-timers.
Just start out with the extended editions. She's doing herself a disservice by not watching them. The beginning in the Shire Is better in those versions as well
@@eXpriest We have to give Denethor the credit when credit is due tho. Despite using the Palantir in vain attempt to foil Sauron's plans for many, many years, Denethor still ressisted Sauron stronger and longer than Saruman, an Astari
I love that you binged all of it in one day! I voluntarily do that most years, lol.A local restaurant/theater near me has been doing a "Tolkien Birthday Celebration" every January for more than a decade now, and they show the entire extended trilogy during the event. They have couches and comfy chairs and the restaurant has themed dishes that they serve in the theater (like "The One Ring burger" which has onion rings on it or "Mount Doom chocolate lava cake", for instance). It's about eleven hours and yet somehow it's always packed! That's just how much people love these movies.
The first ringwraith encounter is absolutely iconic. The sense of scale, distortion of surroundings, unnatural evil, even the insects flee from this creature. It’s genuinely scary, and gives one a real sense of the level of danger to come. -Edit: LMAO That small, aggressively Canadian speech about snow in movies.
Saw the trilogy when it originally came out in theaters. The whole family went every year for the release. Fell in love instantly. I think it helped that I grew up watching rich fantasy stuff like Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Farscape, etc. I was never turned off or bored and I rewatch the extended versions a lot
Gandalf did die on the mountain above Moria but then was brought back to life by Eru Illuvatar, the ultimate God of Middle Erath. in the process he was promoted to White, the head of the Order of Istari & Saruman was removed from it completely.
The 20 minutes of credits at the end of "Fellowship" included everybody that had been involved in the fan website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Anyone that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks like and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!
A very ironic fact: 1 - Ring to rule them all 9 - Rings for Mortal Men 7 - Rings for the Dwarf Lords 3 - Rings for the Elves JRR Tolkien passed away in '1973'
"I didn't expect these movies to be so emotional". That's part of the power of these films (and books). You get to know the characters so well. You watch them make mistakes, keep pushing on and grow. Props to you for this marathon. That's a big commitment for the first time through. I highly recommend the extended editions on your own time. There are some scenes, especially regarding Boromir, that I think you will appreciate very much.
Awesome! Was waiting for you to get to LOTR! Didn’t disappoint! And the way you reacted to Aragorn bowing to the Hobbits is how we ALL felt. “My friends…you bow to no one.”
These films will stay with you forever now that you've seen them. Just hearing some of the soundtrack from certain points is enough to make me tear up at times. Very enjoyable reaction! :)
1:17:28 - GRRM actually said in an interview that Gandalf's death in Fellowship shocked him so much as a kid that it made him realize how effective a meaningful main character death *could* be in a story. I mean, if Gandalf could die, then truly anything could happen and no one was safe. It's part of the reason why he's so comfortable killing main characters in his stories. Because when done right, it can add so much to the story.
It's crazy how I can know everything that's going to happen and still tear up like a baby, how music, visuals, and performances can come together to make something so enduring. Tolkien was a master storyteller.
Sam and Rosie have 13 children, and Sam becomes mayor for 6 terms. When Rosie died on a midsummer's eve, Sam gave the Red Book to his oldest daughter and is never seen again. It is told in her family, that he went to the Grey Havens and took a ship, the last of the ring bearers to cross over the sea.
You have joined the happy fellowship of those who have watched The Lord of the Rings! I really appreciated your doing it all as a single reaction. Next time you rewatch these movies, though, please watch the extended editions - I know that makes a very long journey even longer, but it also gives you essential material that is missing from the theatrical versions (the final resolutions for Saruman and Grima, for one thing).
@@Clefus-o6b And if you don't understand this reply, Shadowcat, it refers to the fact that the end of the Saruman plot line in the movies is different from what it was in the novel.
@@kregmaffewsthey aren't. Fellowship didn't have the "concerning Hobbits" part and ROTK didn't have the scene with Saruman and Wormtongue, so it had to have been the theatrical versions.
@@kregmaffews "The Fellowship of the Ring" title card appears when bilbo is writing the "Concerning hobbits" part in the extended edition. In the video, it shows up with Frodo sitting by a tree along with "The Shire 60 years later" which is from the theatrical cut.
Pretty much sums up courage when you realize Sam had the courage to take Frodo to Mordor but it wasn’t until he got back from that that he had the courage to ask out Rosie.
Hi Shadow, If you notice Gandalf will NEVER touch the ring with his bear hand. At the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf does not KNOW that the ring IS The ONE ring but he does SUSPECT that it is one of the GREAT rings. I first discovered the works of J.R.R. Tolkien while in high school in the 1970's and I have loved them ever since. I have read The Hobbit and each of the Lord of the Rings books every couple of years sine then. If you REALLY want to dive DEEP into the story may I politely suggest that you also read the books, there are a small number characters and events that were left out of or altered from the books. That being said I think Peter Jackson did an OUTSTANDING job of bringing this story to film.
I think he does immediately suspect that it is the One, because he's also a ringbearer, and all the other rings were accounted for. Gandalf bears one of the Elven rings; Narya, the ring of fire. He references this when he calls himself the weilder of the Flame of Arnor, and you can see the ring at the end of the third movie when he's holding his staff in front of him. Galadriel bears Nenya, the ring of water, and Elrond bears Vilya, the ring of air. The nine rings of Men were obviously all accounted for with the nazgûl. The seven Dwarven rings were accounted for as well- four were eaten by dragons, as Gandalf tells Frodo in the first book, and three were recovered by Sauron. (Gloin later informs everyone at the Council of Elrond that the three Dwarven rings recovered by Sauron were offered along with the realm of Moria to King Dain II Ironfoot in exchange for info about the recovery of the One (which he denied ofc.)) I also don't think Gandalf would've been as wary of a Dwarven ring as he was of Bilbo's ring, since the Dwarven rings were on the same tier as the ring he already wore. Gandalf immediately riding for Minas Tirith's library and looking for accounts of the One also points to him immediately suspecting that it was the One ring, and not just a Dwarven ring.
You held out pretty good, but there is NO ONE who can get through "you bow to no one" without breaking lol. Really glad you enjoyed the series. It truly is a one of a kind piece of media. I don't think anything like this will ever be done again.
Great reactions! I did a 3 film binge with the extended cuts a few years back. Too long on the couch and I’ll probably not do that again but... such great films. Concerning reading the books, I had read them in the 80’s when I spent a lot of time at the laundromat but, after the first film, started re-reading them over and over. Lots of differences but the films do capture the spirit of the books very well. You’ll find the box office numbers were amazing and still stand high in being some of the highest grossing films ever made. Considering the huge risks the studio took in financing all three films at once, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see films like this made again. Fun watching you take this trip!
It strikes me that, while there are certainly heartbreaking moments in these films, the moments that make people (myself included) cry the most are moments of love/joy/hope. It says so much about the heart of this story.
I think this is first time of the many reactions I have seen where the trilogy has been viewed back to back...it's not just the investment in time required, but the emotions that are elicited from the viewer throughout...its actually exhausting, but utterly worth it. Well done! I read The Hobbit when I was 8 and was thoroughly captivated by its lore and depth (even though it was mostly written in a relatively simple style, so I was perfectly primed for LOTR when my Godmother gifted me the trilogy on my 12th birthday, and yet I was still not prepared, for its scope and depth and themes. I settled down in my bedroom at 7pm on a Friday night, intending to read until 11pm or so. Instead, I just kept reading through the night into Saturday morning, had breakfast, went back to reading, made some coffee, read, made some snacks, kept reading and so on. I finished the trilogy around 7pm on Sunday...48 hours with no sleep, thoroughly absorbed in Middle Earth. That was in 1972. "if only this could ne made into a movie!" I thought, but it seemed to me to be completely impossible that a movie could do it justice. Peter Jackson, Philippa Bowens and Fran Walsh, along with Howard Shore, the cast and the entire production team did an incredible job, thoroughly worthy of Tolkein's vision, passion and intent.
Number one, Professor Tolkein gave us this wonderful story using his knowledge and imagination, number two, Peter Jackson took the story and created a marvelous , beautiful, almost perfect movie, number three you experienced the (long!) movie and shared with us the discovery of this tale. Thank you so much!
What a fun watch this was! Props for doing it all in one day! I cried right along with you, and I've probably watched the trilogy a dozen times. LOTR and D&D were an enormous part of my 80s and 90s childhood. My dad was a published author of a few popular D&D campaigns that made the rounds within the gaming conventions and communities. So, we often had a house full of people on the weekends, while my dad led a ragtag crew through another role-playing adventure. It was the stuff of dreams, when these movies came out and were even better than most people imagined they would be. Everyone was so well cast, the art, the costuming, the editing... and the landscapes!! It was all too beautiful! Glad you loved it, too! ❤
One does not simply watch the entire LOTR trilogy in one day. But I’m glad you did! Seriously, I’ve binged the trilogy in a day before and it’s not easy, even as a huge fan. I commend your effort, and your reaction was fun to watch. Thank you!
the lore is so rich that no matter in which direction you dive into, you 'll find treasure troves of stories, adventures, tragedies and even ideas which makes you wonder!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this trilogy! And I admire that you watched it all in one day too. This trilogy is truly a modern marvel, and I feel it will never be outdone. Anyway, I'll answer your questions that aren't answered in the movie: - Sauron is a Maiar, much like an angel or demi-god. Gandalf is also one. - The ring doesn't give just a normal invisibility power, it takes its wearer to the spiritual realm. Mortals appear invisible since they don't exist in both planes like Sauron does. - Frodo's parents died after their boat capsize on a river and they drowned. Some suspect it was Gollum's doing during his search for his lost ring. - The idea of horcruxes in Harry Potter was inspired by Tolkien's work, not just Sauron's ring, but also Morgoth (Sauron's master) pouring his soul into his creations. - Elvish (and several variations of it), Orcish, and Dwarvish are all fully functional spoken and written languages, all created by the author of LotR, J. R. R. Tolkien. He created the languages, world, mythology and history of Middle Earth, before even writing his first book based in it (The Hobbit). - The trilogy won 17 Oscars, but at least 492 awards from all official awards ceremonies worldwide. Giving this trilogy the honor of being the most awarded film series in cinematic history. "Return of the King" was the most awarded movie for decades until was recently surpassed by "Everything Everywhere All at Once". - And you didn't ask this, but if you were wondering where they were boating off to in the end, it's essentially a physical heaven for immortal souls like the Elves and Gandalf, called the Undying Lands. For mortals like Frodo and Bilbo, it is the only place they can be healed of the ring's damage, and in Frodo's case, the Morgul blade wound. But they are still mortal. And after mortals die, their souls ascend to a real intangible heaven with their creator, Eru Illuvatar.
I've watched them countless times and each time I understand something new about those characters and stories. There is so much to see and so many layers !
Notice the title of each film of the trilogy is mentioned in them. Elrond: You shall be the fellowship of the ring, Sauroman: the union of the two towers, Gandalf: authority is not given to you to deny The return of the king
Just discovered this channel and I’m an instant fan. Thank you for this react! It’s a rewarding but arduous journey to go at the whole trilogy in one day. Kudos.
I know this was a while ago, but I just wanted to say that you noticed things on your first watch that i didn't get until my second or third watch. It's satisfying to watch someone this perceptive watch the trilogy! thanks for dedicating your time to it so us internet people can enjoy :)
Great reaction! I was beginning to worry by the 3rd film that you'd never break down and cry❤ So glad you did. You took this journey with them and felt all their emotions! Beautiful to see you celebrate, rejoice, and even mourn with their characters. Tolkien was an extremely gifted writer, storyteller, professor, and more! You're articulate and intelligent, and clearly able to follow a storyline, so I'm subscribed!❤
So you’re going to ask lots of questions throughout. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how much you like long explanations about lore) pretty much all of them will have answers. At one point you asked about the seven and the three rings. The reason Sauron made the One ring was to try to control the bearers of the other rings. The elves sensed this trickery when he first put in the One and managed to remove them before the could be controlled. After his destruction, the resumed using them. By the time of the movies/books, the three are held by two elves (Galadriel, who shows hers to Frodo, and Elrond), both of them use their rings to maintain the elvish kingdoms they oversee. The other was gifted to Gandalf as the elf who gave it to him saw his need would be greater. The seven dwarfish rings didn’t function in the same way on dwarves as they did on men. Dwarves minds work more like clockwork than human minds do, so Sauron couldn’t manipulate them into serving him. However, the rings given to them allowed them to gain immense wealth, which attracted dragons to their gold hordes. Four of the seven were lost in dragon fire and Sauron’s agents managed to reacquire the remaining three. The reason Gimli comes to the Rivendell is to warn people that an agent of Sauron came to the mountain he lived in offering the return of the three remaining dwarfish rings in exchange for information about Bilbo’s ring. They refused, knowing Sauron was not to be trusted.
You are right to compare the One Ring to a Horcrux. J.K. Rowling was a big fan of the book trilogy the movies are based on and it is definitely one source of her inspiration. I am sure that the One Ring was an inspiration for Horcruxes. Sauron literally poured much of his essence into the Ring, as the prologue of the first movie explained. I also think that the Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths helped to inspire the Dementors.
Only the nine men fell under Sauron's power. The elves realized what he was up to as soon as he put on the Ring and started to recite the encantation written on it. So they took theirs off and hid them. One was guarded by Elrond, one by Galadriel and one by Gandalf, to whom it was given by its former guardian. The dwarves were not affected eighter. They were just too stuborn for the Ring's magic. But their rings were eighter destroyed or retrieved by Sauron
The 7 dwarven rings gave them a great lust for hording treasure, which attracted dragons, which killed a few of them. So, while resistant to the negative effects of their rings, they became victims of their own success from the positive effects
None of the Rings were meant to be wielded by any mortal, originally. Sauron intended giving all the Rings for the Elves, whom he saw as his most powerful opponents in Middle Earth. When that plan failed, he turn to lesser races, hoping that Rings would work better for them than the Elves. With Men, the effect of the Nine Rings was almost too perfect.
I think the 3 rings you are referring to are not of saurons creation, but were the 3 that the elf (faenor?) Created under saurons teachings. Such as narsil that Gandalf is in possession of.
I'm glad you opted for the theatrical versions over the extended editions. Not only did you see as it was intended to be seen by Peter Jackson but an extra 3 hours would have pushed your endurance to the limit. One does not simply first watch the extended editions in one day. Now that you have seen the trilogy you can and probably will always watch the extendeds but an extra 3+hrs of worldbuilding is only for the initiated. Side note: Ned was in a tv show from years back where he played an English soldier in the Napoleonic Wars where he does not die. It's called "Sharpe" and if you like one you'll like them all, good stuff.
ngl Jackson's intention is kinda bad given that he cut out Saruman's death. Yes the Movies are long but it's needed given the amount of information in them
Lord of the Rings was pretty much a precursor to all of fantasy literature since it was first published. I highly recommend that you watch the extras that came with the extended version of this film. I think you'd really enjoy all the background of how these films were made. Of course, I recommend the books themselves even more.
It was the progenitor of high fantasy literature, but not all fantasy literature. Robert E. Howard wrote Conan stories decades before The Lord of the Rings, and other sword & sorcery stories were published before Lord of the Rings, too. Lord Dunsany, a fantasy author who inspired Tolkien, wrote in the late 19th century. Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz...these are also fantasy stories, but of a different kind, but were written before Tolkien was even born. Now, if you want to say that The Lord of the Rings is the BEST of fantasy literature, you've got a firmer foundation to stand on, though it's still a matter of opinion, though I'd tend to agree with you on that.
What a lovely reaction and video! I loved rewatching with you. I really appreciate how valiantly you persevered in paying attention - despite the long sit in that uncomfortable chair of yours 💚
Saw this drop yesterday and was so stoked to have today off to experience this with you. LOTR is one of my favourite pieces of media. Book and Film. Tolkiens worldbuilding and absolute affection poured into the books just blows me away. Peter Jacksons ability to translate the beauty of Arda to the screen is probably the best book to film adaptation in history. The parts that were changed were, in my opinion, for the better just in terms of book to screen viability. These films are near perfect. Im so glad you put this out but the intro is now over so i gotta STRAP IN!!!!!
Exactly. Glad to see more people show their love for Tolkien and all the hundreds of books and games and movies that were inspired by Tolkiens work. Which never existed before like the way they do now without all 25 of his books. Even the biggest ones are all inspired by him. ❤️
This probably goes without saying, but just in case it doesn't - if you enjoyed this video, please give it a 'like'! It helps me out a lot and I'm forever appreciative 💗
Get the uncuts to this reaction plus my next reaction to Dazed and Confused here: www.patreon.com/shadowcatreacts
Without 'The Hobbit' in your library, you're missing a small piece of why Bilbo was so antsy during his 111th birthday. Simply put - Once Bilbo got a taste of real adventure, even as a Hobbit whom prefers the quiet and amenities the Shire brings, he is the proud owner of memories which make everyday life less colorful. He has stewed in that condition to the point of boiling over and has made the decision to recapture some of that before he passes.
Rowling's Horcrux's and Martin's Sky Cells. Tolkien influenced many and I don't fault them for it.
I have never been a big reader, but I have been digging in to the background of the films and the world is immense. There're books of the past before the films take place and stories after. I really enjoyed your reactions and hope you consider the Hobbit films as well.
Now you need to redo it with the EXTENDED edition....
are we doing The Hobbit trilogy next?
Boy can I relate- I thought I was up for a single viewing of even this edited time period, but I had to take 2 breaks and do real world things between.
Now on day 2.5 and I am really enjoying your immersion and focus on such a well loved film set.
The entire trilogy reaction in one video?
My friend, you bow to no one.
Now do the Extended Editions all in one day! 🤓👍
@@GeoffTrowbridge There are few who can...
@@davidtauro4671 certainty of death, small chance of success… what are we waiting for?
@@MemeDictator I do not think that will be her fate.
@@OneVoiceMoreFor None Now Live Who Remember It…
You’re neither late nor early to watch this trilogy. You’ve watched precisely as you mean to.
Yaaaaay!!!
Ikr 😭😇
"A Wizard is never late!"
We’ve had first viewing, but what about second viewing!
😂👍
Boromir: "I tried to take the ring from him"
Shadow Cat: "It's not your fault"
I've never seen someone get Boromir's conflict on only their second watch. It shows your compassion and empathy. You go girl!
Yeah, Boromir resisted the rings call longer than Galadriel did. That’s gotta be worth something.
@@KrazyWolf626 Boromir wasn't as powerful as Galadriel, and the more powerful you are, the more in peril you are with the Ring.
Boromir, Faramir, and Denethor were all way more honorable in the books. The movies made them all look much, much worse than they were.
@@hardcoredoom5892 They did, but I understand why they did it
Boromir was the strongest and most honorable of us. He fought all his life to defend his people, and he was a paragon of leadership and hope. Even he could be easily corrupted by the ring, being that it is an incarnation of the concept of domination. It's an affront to free will itself and must be destroyed, and showing us it's power via boromir's fall and redemption is genius. Only Frodo can be the one to take the ring, but only the power of the ring itself can destroy it. ❤
When you said "What an incredible show of will" when Boromir kept fighting despite the arrows, I started to cry (again). What a lovely way to put it, particularly after the ring made him act against his will earlier. Beautiful redemption for Boromir.
He took way more in the books
Ever notice in the background “Frodo I’m sorry!” Being cried out in the distance loudly and warped by the winds of the unseen realm whirling about? It’s what makes me tear up every time.
I'd argue it exposed his worst side which he overcame. Makes his death even better. Shows people can overcome anything.
I only really understood Boromir after watching the extended versions. They give a lot more context for why he was even at the elven council and what his motivations and desires are. To defend his people who are the first line of defence against Mordor. Faramirs story is a lot more tragic too.
I was 9 when i read these. That scene crushed me then, and still does today
The bond between Legolas and Gimli was so tight that when it came time for Legolas to sail into the west, Gimli was afforded the honor of accompanying him by the Valar . The only dwarf to do so.
I like to think he wasn’t afforded that honor, and Legolas brought him without asking, because the two of them being apart is simply absurd.
@@Andrew04291same!! 😂
If Gandalf can bring two hobbits with him, certainly Legolas is allowed to bring a dwarf
@hephner78And the two of them deserved to go!
@hephner78 Oh yeah, I completely agree that you’re correct. I’m just saying, they totally earned it lol. Obviously so did most of the fellowship but still.
Its funny. I read LoTR when I was 12 and 13 in 1984, 85. And back then, the swords and magic were all that mattered to that young boy. Now, long into adulthood and the loss that comes with it, i can't NOT tear up with gestures of friendship and fellowship. I think it hits us because good people value friendship and the good in small things. It was that virtue that saved the world in this story.
It's so interesting how the way we appreciate things changes as we age, huh? I love media that can work on multiple layers
Reading these books as a young boy had a huge impact on the type of man I wanted to be. There are many values and moral lessons taught in this wonderful story ☺️
I read it about the same time. 🙂👍
You have described my multiple encounters with this extraordinary story so well.
The adventure story I read as a youth, the allegory as an adult, and the true friendship and camaraderie in my later years.
I have a similar history with the text, with the added connection in that I was born in an actual (York)Shire, and lived during Tolkiens life, in England. Additionally, I had/have a deep affection for the English language, and language as an abstract concept [why yes I am a Nerd, thanks fer askin], and Middle Earth is perfect for such a boy/man. The movies came into existence decades and many readings after that first encounter.
And that is before any consideration of subject or themes.
people say they'd rather be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war, but I know of at least one gardener that did pretty damn well in a war.
haha, I'll cry right now about this
Mans went to the ends of Middle Earth to impress a woman who was already into him.
Praise be to Sam
@@wyolaskan1868 Sam didn't have the courage to try to woo her. He sure did when he got back. Such a charming scene!
@@bongodave13 a scene to make the coldest of hearts melt
I'm a gardener and I'd suck in a war
I see a lot of reactors saying "we should all have a friend like Sam". I think the world would be a lot better place if people said "We should all strive to be a friend like Sam"
or better yet, instead of saying, people should just be a friend like sam
@@stellachimpson I try, but I am a flawed person... Another saying I like is: always try to be the person that Mr. Rogers knows that you can be.
Our son was in 3rd grade when the first LOTR film came out. As a fantasy fan, he begged to see the movie.
Concerned about the violence and dark themes, we told him he could see it after reading the book - thinking that would buy us a few years for him to mature.
He got started right away and finished it within 9 months, teaching himself lots of new vocabulary on the way! He loved the film and the following two - plus their books!
I love this story, sounds like something I would do as a kid. I got heavy into reading as a kid because my sister said a specific book series would be “too complicated” for me and I took it as a challenge lol. I’m so glad your son loves reading and loves fantasy, he sounds great.
What a heartwarming story! The LOTR books are quite tough to get through, even as an adult. I assume it gave him a massive leap over his peers in English knowledge :)
@@thor1829 Yes, it even taught him some words we didn't know. It was quite a surprise when he used "defenestration" in a sentence and then had to tell us the definition!
After seeing the first movie I read the entire trilogy in 3 weeks. I spent so much time reading I got headaches. I was a junior in high school at the time.
I read it about that age too, and so did some of my siblings. I've reread it several times since then, and picked up on new depths, but I fully comprehended the story the first time. I actually think it's best to read it for the first time when you're still young and don't have many preconceptions.
The trilogy won lots of accolades and awards, but as for the Oscars: "Fellowship" won several Academy Awards for effects (and was nominated for Best Picture/Director but didn't win); "Two Towers" had a similar fate; but "Return of the King" finally hit the motherlode - it won every Academy Award it was nominated for (11), including Best Picture and Director, and tied "Titanic" and "Ben Hur" for the most number of Oscar wins in history. It was the first fantasy film to ever win Best Picture, and is widely considered to be one of the best films ever made (and best trilogies as well).
I use to phrase it that way:
"Where other perfect movies have their rating at 5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is that one impossible case with a
6 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"
Not to mention Bernard Hill acted in 2 of those movies that got the most Oscars ever, Titanic (the captain) and RoTK (Theoden)
Sam gets the job done, and only then, when he believes death is imminent, does he allow himself to be selfish. Homeboy crossed a continent and made himself a legend just to work up the courage to ask out a girl who was already into him.
Great summary of the trilogy/story ... "It is a movie about a guy who accompanies his best friend to a volcano to toss something into it ... to get the courage to ask a girl out".
Every story is a love story.
It's Rosie's comment to Sam in the book, in The Scouring of the Shire, that's so crazy. She says something to him during a moment of tension, in effect, "Well, you're not going to go and leave Frodo now, are you?", having absolutely no clue what Sam went through with Frodo to destroy the Ring over the last year or so. Sam's internal monologue is that he either has to tell her everything then, or save it all for later...and he chooses to take care of the immediate problem and tell her later.
"just to work up to courage to ask out a girl who was already into him." It really is that way sometime.
The scene when Frodo puts on the ring at Mount Doom and declares that it is his is one of my favorites. It is more clear in the book but it never even occurred to Sauron that someone would destroy the ring. Until that point he had been operating on the assumption that someone - probably Aragorn - would claim its power and become a rival to Sauron because it’s what Sauron himself would have done in their position. At the moment that Sauron senses the ring in Mount Doom he realizes exactly how badly he miscalculated and how close to defeat he is.
Self-centered people like Sauron have a hard time with empathy--being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If Sauron had even a touch of empathy, he would have realized his peril. Of course, if he'd had any empathy, he probably wouldn't have turned out to be a villain, either...
He was probably like: oh fuck thats what he was doing
"It was at this moment that Sauron knew: he ***up."
Frodo: The ring is mine.
Sam: Nooooooo!
Sauron: WHAT
As a Finn and a big Tolkien fan it brings me great sense of pride knowing the influence our national epic Kalevala had on Tolkien and the making of LOTR, Elven language being inspired by the Finnish language.
No joke. A reactors reaction to LOTR is my litmus test as to whether or not I enjoy them as a reactor. The fact that you binge watched LOTR made me instantly like you 😁
Respect to you for the dedication this took
yes< it's very hard to sit in your home and watch tv wow! such! a! de di ca ti on!!!
sorry but i saw the word took so i must say it "fool of a took !"
@@Fougeredu38 beat me to it.
Tolkien was a veteran of WWI, and fully understood the costs of war. He also understood the costs of not fighting evil, and the balance between those drives much of the story.
Yes ... sometimes the cost of peace and avoiding bloodshed is greater than suffering and death. Neville Chamberlain proved it later.
He also understood that while you may survive, there is no going home again as you were. You will never be at peace again and will always carry the wounds both mental and physical.
@@Spartan1312 can confirm.
While writing LoTR, he was sending chapter drafts to his son who was enlisted during World War II.
Amazing how instantly you really "got" it.
All your little observations and thoughts about it are the sorts of things it normally takes people multiple watches to notice.
It's very clear from this that you're a very insightful, thoughtful person.
Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.
Can’t be heaven. The first elf death and murders happened there. The whole world was to be “heavenly” until Morgoth’s Ring, aka the poisoning the world and sinking his very being into the very earth itself. Causing magic to slowly bleed from the world called the long defeat.
Frodo went to Tol-Eressea… next to Valinor. In view of it. Effected by it.
if middle earth is europe, is america elf heaven? 🤔
i think America is MORDOR lol@@mischr13
@@joedirt688 I can see that XD
BTW, I think you are one of the few reactors I've seen who appreciate and acknowledge that Frodo got a raw deal with this task and how much it takes to go through a journey like this. I'm not sure people really can imagine it as it's not real. But, I think you are able to truly put yourself into the world of Middle Earth and understand the perils involved and what is at stake personally for Frodo and the world at large.
Agreed. I find Sam gets all the love, which don’t get me wrong he’s a great character, but Frodo is the one who took the world on his shoulders when nobody did.
Froto definitely got a raw deal but he was the only one who could complete the mission, him or possibility another Hobit with strong will. Habits were one of the few creatures who were resilient to the corruption of the ring.
Whenever tears are spilled with the phrase "You bow to no one" I instantly get my faith in humanity restored. Thanks for sharing your reaction with us!❤
The only thing I like more in the theatrical edition is how you don't see if the army of the dead accepts Aragorn's proposal until they actually show up in battle. It's a great way to build suspense and then pay off with the reveal.
Agreed. The extended boromir scenes are all essential. Including the last stand. A lot of the return of the king extenders scenes felt unnecessary. Like the witch king vs Gandalf and denethor seeing boromir. Otherwise I love the first two extended versions. Third theatrical. Oh yeah and I forgot the nervous system one where Gimli and Legolas had their final counts, wish that wasn’t in there. There’s no way they had that low of a kill count
I can see it building suspense, but I still much prefer the extended editions.
I enjoy those extra scenes too much. And I like how they dash your hopes of recruiting that army, and then bringing it back again with the "We fight!"
It would've been cool for the extended edition to have a long and intense silent pause where the King of the Dead orders his army to hold the three Fellowship members at knife point, and is second guessing whether he should just kill them on the spot, or if he should grudgingly accept the deal afterall and trust that Aragon will keep his word. And the scene cuts away right there without us knowing what he decided on. It would've made things even more suspenseful as it's unclear if the three of them even got out of that place alive.
The only thing for me as well.
I thought something like that would have made more sense. Or a different ghost comes out says "the king has been surplanted, we fight!" Put more eloquently ofcourse haha. Made no sense he was like fuckoff and then comes out anyway@@eddielong8663
I am so happy you did the viewing in one sitting, to me, these are not three films but one film and so the only way to watch them is all together. Thank you for your great reaction.
You're very welcome!! Thank you for watching, Jenny 🤗
It's definitely true that the films (and the books they are adapted from) are really a single story and can't be appreciated separately nearly as well as they can together. Those who go into it not knowing that are often confused and surprised at the way Fellowship ends. But let's not set the bar too high for first time watchers - there are many who are interested but haven't watched these movies because they are daunted by the length of the individual movies, let alone the complete set. It's perfectly okay to give yourself a day, or a week, or even longer when necessary between movies. I'm not sure I've ever watched them all in a single day myself - that takes some real commitment and stamina, not to mention planning to get an entire day free from other obligations. I'm not sure it's even possible to read all three books in a single day. I can't really imagine anyone who enjoys these movies half as much as I do voluntarily waiting longer than they need to between movies, but for most of us an all day marathon is not really in the cards. For those who find the length daunting, I actually use the fact that they are all a single story as a reason to tell them that they don't really have to watch each of the parts in a single sitting. Fellowship, in particular, has a pretty good break point about halfway through that can be used as an intermission or a place to stop for the day.
@@hkpew I consider myself a fairly fast reader and I took three days, about twenty hours all told, to read the full LOTR books. Including the appendices. Interestingly it took me almost as long to read The Silmarillion, while The Hobbit I read in about four or five hours.
@@_starfiendYou are very fast then, haha. It took me about three months to get through the entire trilogy (I read a chapter a day). It did give me a valuable skill: patience to read long texts!
Everyone cries like you did at the end. We all did. Thank you for appreciating this
I don't trust people who do not tear up.
Probably seen these movies about 50 times by now and I react if anything more than she does still haha
No, I don’t tear up. It’s just the onion ninjas jumping around.
Tolkien been with me now for fifty years...I still tear up every time, at all the sweet moments. 🙏😀❣
The extended version is really a must
4:49 Sauron is a Maia, or angel essentially in the mythology of Middle Earth. Gandalf and Saruman are also angels like him, but without the long history of being evil. The Balrog in the mines is a corrupted Maia, while Aragorn's distant ancestor is a Maia too.
1:55:37 The elves were always supposed to belong in the West with the Valar (archangel/gods), but many of them stayed in Middle Earth and some others willingly came back from the West in the past (for example, Galadriel). By the end of the Third Age, most of them migrate to the West and those who stay behind will one day lose their physical forms and become invisible, folkloric creatures. Elrond wants Arwen to leave with him so that she may spend eternity with her family rather than stay alone in Middle Earth
Perfect description! To add to this - Tolkien combined the “one God & angels” from Christianity and the “Greek/Roman/Norse gods” in his mythology. There is the “one true god” Eru Iluvatar, and lesser gods (Valar) for all the fundamental pieces of the world (Winds, Waters, Forests, etc).
The “angels” of middle earth (Maia) serve those lesser Greek-esque gods. The lesser gods were also allowed to design creatures of middle earth in their own image (eagles for wind, ents for forest, dwarves for smithing, etc.), but only Eru could breathe life into these creations. Eru himself made elves and humans in his own design. Elves have the gift of immortality, but men return to Eru when their mortal life is over. Many in middle earth consider mortality a gift!
Sauron served the god of smithing, until his corruption by another evil god Morgoth. Morgoth was the original dark lord, and had multiple Balrogs, dragons, orcs, trolls, and so on in his service. He was never able to create life like the “one true God” Eru Iluvatar, but he could corrupt other beings to evil. Trolls are a mockery of Ents, orcs are a mockery of elves, and so on!
I always thought the second movie is kind of weird in how it portrays Theoden. The movie obviously wants us to think that he's blatantly wrong all the time. But he's not. They are vastly outnumbered by an army they would be annihilated by in an open battle. Their only chance of even making it a fight is Helm's Deep. Had they followed the advice of the Fellowship they would have perished.
Later when Aragorn and Gimli almost mocks him for being confident I don't even know what they want from him. He obviously is putting up a front to give his men some hope when they badly need it.
Justice for Theoden!
In fact, in the books, Gandalf and co are all in on getting Rohan to the fortress. It just makes sense? Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens rewrote it for the conflict angle, same as Faramir.
Yeah Theoden did the right thing
I agree, I never really understood how it would make sense for Theoden to stay at Edoras to face Saruman lol and what Gandalf was so pissy about. Like it's literally not Theoden's fault if all his men are out of reach. And facing them on open-fields like Aragorn suggests would have been a TERRIBLE idea given the number.
Everybody said it already, but an aditional context is that in the books Theoden wanted to fight Saruman head on (like Aragorn and Gandalf want in the movies) but the army of an vassal of his that they were suposed to link up was destroyed. It is then that Theoden decides to retreat to Helms Deep, as their only hope of winning a field battle was lost.
It's weird but I think you have it backwards. I'm pretty sure it was done to give Theoden more agency as a character. Since he is only introduced in the second film, he needs to show some sort of independence as a sovereign, and not just immediately fade into the background behind Aragorn, etc.
The fact that Gandolf sent 3 eagles to get them bc he knew Gollum was with them gets me every time 😭
Good point.
I didn’t notice that, I got emotional now
ima be honest idk if that was the intention by tolkien or Jackson but if so that’s very meaningful
Binge the entire Trilogy in one day!? You're my kinda people! I mean, I already knew that based on all the other great reactions you do, but this solidifies it. I can't wait to watch this when I get off work tonight.
😆😆 I hope you enjoy it!!
@@shadowcatreactsI thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm glad you did as well
Way back, I also spent a whole day back to back with the trilogy once. It was a long day of sorts, but very rewarding. We forget most days, but that was a very memorable day in my life all these years later. Appreciated, and great reaction thx, get a new chair if possible, subbed xx. thx again.
Yes, in fact, the books were popular long ago. I read them as a teen more than 50 years ago! Imagine all that time I had to wait to see them enacted on film in theaters! It was really impressive in that format with great visuals, sound, and the audience reaction. I’m glad you enjoyed the films, this was an excellent reaction!
In ONE DAY?!? Are you CRAZY?!?!
Of course I’m watching this in its entirety!!!
Gandalf the White was essentially Gandalf being 'resurrected' by the God of Tolkien's setting - a vanishingly rare direct intervention in the affairs of the world.
There's a bit more to that :) It wasn't actually that rare as far as I understand - because the wizards are angelic beings - they're semi-regularly sent to middle earth with a specific purpose. If they were to not be able to fulfill that purpose in a lifetime, they'd be sent back again for another. Their colors are assigned based on that purpose. The grey wizard is the "helper of men (/people of middle earth)" who guides and lift the spirits of people. The white wizard - who Saruman was supposed to be - is "the enemy of Sauron". When Gandalf was sent back, he was sent back with the purpose that Saruman had, which is why he said "I am Saruman, or rather what he was supposed to be". Which (if you pay attention) is so well acted by Ian McKellen it's insane. It's subtle, but he seems much more purpose driven as Gandalf the white. At least that's how I interpret the Istari after a lot of research without having read the books.
@@zardify_much love to you. I’ve read all 25 of his books and I still watch and participate with GirlNextGondor, Men Of The West, Tolkien Untangled, CluelessFanGirl, Tolkien Lore(The Tolkien Geek.), The Red Book, Gormy, Tales Of The Rings, Voice Of Geekdom. ❤
Elijah Woods scream when Gandalf dies always gives me chills.
Viggo Mortensen is just incredible in these films, portraying a paragon of healthy masculinity, and a character who I think transcends his book counterpart. In the books, Aragorn is more sassy, but also more imperious. He doesn't undergo the personal journey that Viggo's Aragorn does, he just always knows he should be king and expects to be.
One of my favorite stories from the set is when Sauruman's actor, Sir Christopher Lee was pretending to be stabbed in the back, he was asked to do it again, because the sound he made seemed unauthentic.
Sir Christopher Lee then said: *"Do you know what a man being stabbed in the back sounds like? Cause I do."*
He was a spy for the allied forces during WWII and infiltrated Nazi camps. He spoke several languages fluently, was a stage actor as well as a film actor, was present for the last execution via guillotine and also recorded a heavy metal record at the age of 91. ✨️ *Sir Christopher Lee is the main character* ✨️
I love that you are taking notes.
Shadowcat, you're such a trooper! Well done! Marathon completed with honours. 🎉
But more importantly I want to say your reaction not only moved me and many other viewers. It also showed what a gem of a deeply kind-hearted and compassionate person you are. It's such a beautiful thing to be moved by justice -- the recognition and appreciation of the amazing greatness, even superiority, of those that have been historically under-appreciated and even downright ridiculed.
You're a lovely person armed with a keen wit and the biggest of hearts. ❤ And you were all dolled up and pretty too! Thank you for such a great reaction!
Wow, thank you for such a kind comment 🥹 that means a lot
I remember when I was younger, watching "Return of the King", I simply couldn't understand why Frodo had to leave, and felt cheated that everyone didn't get a happy ending after so much struggle. It took me rewatching these as an adult to understand that Frodo's happy ending came BY leaving, because he wouldn't have found it otherwise. Which is just beautifully bitter-sweet.
Just finished the first movie and I can already tell this is a great reaction.
Also I really loved how you kinda came around on Boromir at the end. I personally think he's a very interesting character since he isn't the kind of flawless hero you often see in that kind of fantasy but more of a deeply flawed human just trying his best and of course him accepting Aragon as his king with his last breath always breaks my heart.😢
I read the hobbit and LOTR as a kid in the 90s and Boromir was the character that stuck with me the most. A lesson that you are more than your mistakes, that you can be better than you were at your weakest.
I wouldn't quite call Boromir "deeply" flawed. He's a human, and incidentally the only human (full blooded) in the fellowship. He's been at war for years, and, as a soldier has been sent on a mission simply to bring the ring to Gondor. He has used heroism and valour to cover up his despair at the doom he believes his homeland will endure. He has duelling duties which become torments: his commitment to Gondor, and honouring his word to protect Frodo.
It's that internal conflict that the ring seizes upon. He's the first of the fellowship to break because the ring preyed upon his sense of duty (a usually positive trait), but they all would've broken, including Gandalf
I don't know where the idea of Boromir being "full blooded man" comes from. He's of Numenorean stock through both his father Denethor and his mother Finduilas. I guess you could argue Aragorn is more noble...but Boromir is definitely not just "a man".
1:31:43 Trackers are amazing. One of my sisters is a tracker, and it always blows our minds how much she notices. I remember once she was able to tell us that some mouse tracks had been made by a female mouse. And my dad asked her how she could possibly know that, and it turned out that it was because the mouse was pregnant, which could be ascertained because of something about the way the mouse was carrying her weight on the outside of her feet or something like that. My dad and I and our other sisters were like WHAT 🤯
"You bow to no one" tears me up to this day.
After his wife's passing, Sam entrusted the Red Book of Westmarch to Elanor. According to Elanor, Sam went to the Grey Havens and sailed to the Undying lands to be reunited with Frodo. As Sam was also a Ring-bearer (although only for a brief time) he was granted passage to sail into the West
so glad you watched the theatrical version for your first watch. the extended version adds many excellent scenes (extended galadriel gift-giving scene, the boromir flashback, etc), but adds a few that needed another look from the editor, such as the extended cave troll scene or the merry and pippin height comparison scene. overall i feel like the best version of LOTR would be a combination of the two, but the theatrical is typically fantastic for first-timers.
Just start out with the extended editions. She's doing herself a disservice by not watching them. The beginning in the Shire Is better in those versions as well
2:55:52 In the book, Denathor also has access to a seeing stone [like the one Pippin looked into] so his mind was also subtley poisoned by Sauron.
It was not subtle, sauron turned an absolute paragon of men into a nihilistic doomer.
@@eXpriest We have to give Denethor the credit when credit is due tho. Despite using the Palantir in vain attempt to foil Sauron's plans for many, many years, Denethor still ressisted Sauron stronger and longer than Saruman, an Astari
I love that you binged all of it in one day! I voluntarily do that most years, lol.A local restaurant/theater near me has been doing a "Tolkien Birthday Celebration" every January for more than a decade now, and they show the entire extended trilogy during the event. They have couches and comfy chairs and the restaurant has themed dishes that they serve in the theater (like "The One Ring burger" which has onion rings on it or "Mount Doom chocolate lava cake", for instance). It's about eleven hours and yet somehow it's always packed! That's just how much people love these movies.
That is very cool. I've never been one for "shows" but I've always thought it'd be neater than hell to go see the trilogy with a live orchestra
The first ringwraith encounter is absolutely iconic. The sense of scale, distortion of surroundings, unnatural evil, even the insects flee from this creature. It’s genuinely scary, and gives one a real sense of the level of danger to come.
-Edit: LMAO That small, aggressively Canadian speech about snow in movies.
Saw the trilogy when it originally came out in theaters. The whole family went every year for the release. Fell in love instantly. I think it helped that I grew up watching rich fantasy stuff like Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Farscape, etc. I was never turned off or bored and I rewatch the extended versions a lot
Same 😁
Gandalf did die on the mountain above Moria but then was brought back to life by Eru Illuvatar, the ultimate God of Middle Erath. in the process he was promoted to White, the head of the Order of Istari & Saruman was removed from it completely.
The 20 minutes of credits at the end of "Fellowship" included everybody that had been involved in the fan website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Anyone that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks like and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!
That's only on the extended editions. She didn't watch those
A very ironic fact:
1 - Ring to rule them all
9 - Rings for Mortal Men
7 - Rings for the Dwarf Lords
3 - Rings for the Elves
JRR Tolkien passed away in '1973'
This is crazy
Even the original order 3-7-9-1 is his death year exactly reversed
Wow Shadow, very impressive watch! Glad you loved it, it is a classic story with broad appeal and it was crafted with much love.
"I didn't expect these movies to be so emotional". That's part of the power of these films (and books). You get to know the characters so well. You watch them make mistakes, keep pushing on and grow. Props to you for this marathon. That's a big commitment for the first time through. I highly recommend the extended editions on your own time. There are some scenes, especially regarding Boromir, that I think you will appreciate very much.
Awesome! Was waiting for you to get to LOTR! Didn’t disappoint! And the way you reacted to Aragorn bowing to the Hobbits is how we ALL felt.
“My friends…you bow to no one.”
That scene was truly perfect. I'm glad I watched it all in one sitting even if only to fully feel how impactful that moment was 🥹
These films will stay with you forever now that you've seen them. Just hearing some of the soundtrack from certain points is enough to make me tear up at times. Very enjoyable reaction! :)
1:17:28 - GRRM actually said in an interview that Gandalf's death in Fellowship shocked him so much as a kid that it made him realize how effective a meaningful main character death *could* be in a story. I mean, if Gandalf could die, then truly anything could happen and no one was safe. It's part of the reason why he's so comfortable killing main characters in his stories. Because when done right, it can add so much to the story.
It's crazy how I can know everything that's going to happen and still tear up like a baby, how music, visuals, and performances can come together to make something so enduring. Tolkien was a master storyteller.
Your a legend for this shadowcat
Sam and Rosie have 13 children, and Sam becomes mayor for 6 terms. When Rosie died on a midsummer's eve, Sam gave the Red Book to his oldest daughter and is never seen again. It is told in her family, that he went to the Grey Havens and took a ship, the last of the ring bearers to cross over the sea.
You have joined the happy fellowship of those who have watched The Lord of the Rings! I really appreciated your doing it all as a single reaction. Next time you rewatch these movies, though, please watch the extended editions - I know that makes a very long journey even longer, but it also gives you essential material that is missing from the theatrical versions (the final resolutions for Saruman and Grima, for one thing).
@@Clefus-o6b And if you don't understand this reply, Shadowcat, it refers to the fact that the end of the Saruman plot line in the movies is different from what it was in the novel.
Frodo's parents drowned in a boating accident. Thus it takes a lot of courage for a hobbit to get into a boat, especially for Sam.
It’s definitely worth watching the extended editions at some point on your own
These are extended
@@kregmaffewsthey aren't. Fellowship didn't have the "concerning Hobbits" part and ROTK didn't have the scene with Saruman and Wormtongue, so it had to have been the theatrical versions.
@@LockeDemosthenes2 that she included in this reaction. The scene of the lament of Gandalf gives it away tho
@@kregmaffews "The Fellowship of the Ring" title card appears when bilbo is writing the "Concerning hobbits" part in the extended edition. In the video, it shows up with Frodo sitting by a tree along with "The Shire 60 years later" which is from the theatrical cut.
@kregmaffews They aren't. The death of Saruman was completely cut out and no scenes of Boromir/Faramir
Bilbo named the sword "Sting." In The Hobbit he stabbed a spider and it said, "It stings! It stings!" Voila! New sword name!
"You bow to no one" gets me every single time, no matter how many times I've watched 😭
Impressive reaction! I commend you for sitting through it all in one go! I'm glad you liked it!
"One does not simply watch all three LoTR movies in one day.." 👏
Pretty much sums up courage when you realize Sam had the courage to take Frodo to Mordor but it wasn’t until he got back from that that he had the courage to ask out Rosie.
Hi Shadow,
If you notice Gandalf will NEVER touch the ring with his bear hand. At the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf does not KNOW that the ring IS The ONE ring but he does SUSPECT that it is one of the GREAT rings.
I first discovered the works of J.R.R. Tolkien while in high school in the 1970's and I have loved them ever since. I have read The Hobbit and each of the Lord of the Rings books every couple of years sine then. If you REALLY want to dive DEEP into the story may I politely suggest that you also read the books, there are a small number characters and events that were left out of or altered from the books. That being said I think Peter Jackson did an OUTSTANDING job of bringing this story to film.
🐾
I think he does immediately suspect that it is the One, because he's also a ringbearer, and all the other rings were accounted for.
Gandalf bears one of the Elven rings; Narya, the ring of fire. He references this when he calls himself the weilder of the Flame of Arnor, and you can see the ring at the end of the third movie when he's holding his staff in front of him. Galadriel bears Nenya, the ring of water, and Elrond bears Vilya, the ring of air.
The nine rings of Men were obviously all accounted for with the nazgûl.
The seven Dwarven rings were accounted for as well- four were eaten by dragons, as Gandalf tells Frodo in the first book, and three were recovered by Sauron.
(Gloin later informs everyone at the Council of Elrond that the three Dwarven rings recovered by Sauron were offered along with the realm of Moria to King Dain II Ironfoot in exchange for info about the recovery of the One (which he denied ofc.))
I also don't think Gandalf would've been as wary of a Dwarven ring as he was of Bilbo's ring, since the Dwarven rings were on the same tier as the ring he already wore.
Gandalf immediately riding for Minas Tirith's library and looking for accounts of the One also points to him immediately suspecting that it was the One ring, and not just a Dwarven ring.
First time I saw them all together great job thankyou
Nice to see someone who actually keeps track of the story.
You held out pretty good, but there is NO ONE who can get through "you bow to no one" without breaking lol. Really glad you enjoyed the series. It truly is a one of a kind piece of media. I don't think anything like this will ever be done again.
Glad you got the Ending that gave you the emotional release.
That is what makes this story special 👸🏾
Great reactions! I did a 3 film binge with the extended cuts a few years back. Too long on the couch and I’ll probably not do that again but... such great films.
Concerning reading the books, I had read them in the 80’s when I spent a lot of time at the laundromat but, after the first film, started re-reading them over and over. Lots of differences but the films do capture the spirit of the books very well. You’ll find the box office numbers were amazing and still stand high in being some of the highest grossing films ever made. Considering the huge risks the studio took in financing all three films at once, it’s unlikely we’ll ever see films like this made again. Fun watching you take this trip!
It strikes me that, while there are certainly heartbreaking moments in these films, the moments that make people (myself included) cry the most are moments of love/joy/hope. It says so much about the heart of this story.
Thank you, you are legendary for doing this in one sitting, I do this once or twice a year, great trilogy!!
You're very welcome! I hope you enjoyed 🤗
I think this is first time of the many reactions I have seen where the trilogy has been viewed back to back...it's not just the investment in time required, but the emotions that are elicited from the viewer throughout...its actually exhausting, but utterly worth it. Well done!
I read The Hobbit when I was 8 and was thoroughly captivated by its lore and depth (even though it was mostly written in a relatively simple style, so I was perfectly primed for LOTR when my Godmother gifted me the trilogy on my 12th birthday, and yet I was still not prepared, for its scope and depth and themes.
I settled down in my bedroom at 7pm on a Friday night, intending to read until 11pm or so. Instead, I just kept reading through the night into Saturday morning, had breakfast, went back to reading, made some coffee, read, made some snacks, kept reading and so on. I finished the trilogy around 7pm on Sunday...48 hours with no sleep, thoroughly absorbed in Middle Earth.
That was in 1972. "if only this could ne made into a movie!" I thought, but it seemed to me to be completely impossible that a movie could do it justice. Peter Jackson, Philippa Bowens and Fran Walsh, along with Howard Shore, the cast and the entire production team did an incredible job, thoroughly worthy of Tolkein's vision, passion and intent.
Number one, Professor Tolkein gave us this wonderful story using his knowledge and imagination, number two, Peter Jackson took the story and created a marvelous , beautiful, almost perfect movie, number three you experienced the (long!) movie and shared with us the discovery of this tale. Thank you so much!
What a fun watch this was! Props for doing it all in one day! I cried right along with you, and I've probably watched the trilogy a dozen times.
LOTR and D&D were an enormous part of my 80s and 90s childhood. My dad was a published author of a few popular D&D campaigns that made the rounds within the gaming conventions and communities. So, we often had a house full of people on the weekends, while my dad led a ragtag crew through another role-playing adventure.
It was the stuff of dreams, when these movies came out and were even better than most people imagined they would be. Everyone was so well cast, the art, the costuming, the editing... and the landscapes!! It was all too beautiful! Glad you loved it, too! ❤
Sam is just pure wholesomeness and courage. Everyone just love him so much
Especially Rosie😉(they had 13 kids)
I am glad too see it touched you as it has touched us all.
One does not simply watch the entire LOTR trilogy in one day. But I’m glad you did! Seriously, I’ve binged the trilogy in a day before and it’s not easy, even as a huge fan. I commend your effort, and your reaction was fun to watch. Thank you!
Thank you for this. I needed a good cry, and the final 20 minutes of Return of the King always provides it. Enjoyed seeing it through your eyes.
the lore is so rich that no matter in which direction you dive into, you 'll find treasure troves of stories, adventures, tragedies and even ideas which makes you wonder!
I'm so glad you enjoyed this trilogy! And I admire that you watched it all in one day too. This trilogy is truly a modern marvel, and I feel it will never be outdone. Anyway, I'll answer your questions that aren't answered in the movie:
- Sauron is a Maiar, much like an angel or demi-god. Gandalf is also one.
- The ring doesn't give just a normal invisibility power, it takes its wearer to the spiritual realm. Mortals appear invisible since they don't exist in both planes like Sauron does.
- Frodo's parents died after their boat capsize on a river and they drowned. Some suspect it was Gollum's doing during his search for his lost ring.
- The idea of horcruxes in Harry Potter was inspired by Tolkien's work, not just Sauron's ring, but also Morgoth (Sauron's master) pouring his soul into his creations.
- Elvish (and several variations of it), Orcish, and Dwarvish are all fully functional spoken and written languages, all created by the author of LotR, J. R. R. Tolkien. He created the languages, world, mythology and history of Middle Earth, before even writing his first book based in it (The Hobbit).
- The trilogy won 17 Oscars, but at least 492 awards from all official awards ceremonies worldwide. Giving this trilogy the honor of being the most awarded film series in cinematic history. "Return of the King" was the most awarded movie for decades until was recently surpassed by "Everything Everywhere All at Once".
- And you didn't ask this, but if you were wondering where they were boating off to in the end, it's essentially a physical heaven for immortal souls like the Elves and Gandalf, called the Undying Lands. For mortals like Frodo and Bilbo, it is the only place they can be healed of the ring's damage, and in Frodo's case, the Morgul blade wound. But they are still mortal. And after mortals die, their souls ascend to a real intangible heaven with their creator, Eru Illuvatar.
I love that its actually thematically appropriate to snack and smoke while watching these
That is serious watch time. Still my favorite way to watch them. Glad you liked them. They get better with every watch.
I've watched them countless times and each time I understand something new about those characters and stories. There is so much to see and so many layers !
Great reaction ^_^ thanks for making the time to do this
Notice the title of each film of the trilogy is mentioned in them. Elrond: You shall be the fellowship of the ring, Sauroman: the union of the two towers, Gandalf: authority is not given to you to deny The return of the king
Just discovered this channel and I’m an instant fan. Thank you for this react! It’s a rewarding but arduous journey to go at the whole trilogy in one day. Kudos.
I know this was a while ago, but I just wanted to say that you noticed things on your first watch that i didn't get until my second or third watch. It's satisfying to watch someone this perceptive watch the trilogy! thanks for dedicating your time to it so us internet people can enjoy :)
I really loved your reaction. I laughed and cried with you. Thank you so much for sharing this experience with us!
Great reaction! I was beginning to worry by the 3rd film that you'd never break down and cry❤ So glad you did. You took this journey with them and felt all their emotions! Beautiful to see you celebrate, rejoice, and even mourn with their characters.
Tolkien was an extremely gifted writer, storyteller, professor, and more!
You're articulate and intelligent, and clearly able to follow a storyline, so I'm subscribed!❤
So you’re going to ask lots of questions throughout. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how much you like long explanations about lore) pretty much all of them will have answers. At one point you asked about the seven and the three rings. The reason Sauron made the One ring was to try to control the bearers of the other rings. The elves sensed this trickery when he first put in the One and managed to remove them before the could be controlled. After his destruction, the resumed using them. By the time of the movies/books, the three are held by two elves (Galadriel, who shows hers to Frodo, and Elrond), both of them use their rings to maintain the elvish kingdoms they oversee. The other was gifted to Gandalf as the elf who gave it to him saw his need would be greater.
The seven dwarfish rings didn’t function in the same way on dwarves as they did on men. Dwarves minds work more like clockwork than human minds do, so Sauron couldn’t manipulate them into serving him. However, the rings given to them allowed them to gain immense wealth, which attracted dragons to their gold hordes. Four of the seven were lost in dragon fire and Sauron’s agents managed to reacquire the remaining three. The reason Gimli comes to the Rivendell is to warn people that an agent of Sauron came to the mountain he lived in offering the return of the three remaining dwarfish rings in exchange for information about Bilbo’s ring. They refused, knowing Sauron was not to be trusted.
I've seen a lot of fantastic works of art shown in movie trilogies BUT none can eclipse The Lord of the Rings for me. It's just a masterpiece.
You are right to compare the One Ring to a Horcrux. J.K. Rowling was a big fan of the book trilogy the movies are based on and it is definitely one source of her inspiration. I am sure that the One Ring was an inspiration for Horcruxes. Sauron literally poured much of his essence into the Ring, as the prologue of the first movie explained. I also think that the Nazgûl, or Ringwraiths helped to inspire the Dementors.
She plagiarized the idea bc she is a brainless transphobe!
I’m glad you loved it! Good job and thanks for sharing! 👏
Only the nine men fell under Sauron's power. The elves realized what he was up to as soon as he put on the Ring and started to recite the encantation written on it. So they took theirs off and hid them. One was guarded by Elrond, one by Galadriel and one by Gandalf, to whom it was given by its former guardian. The dwarves were not affected eighter. They were just too stuborn for the Ring's magic. But their rings were eighter destroyed or retrieved by Sauron
Ooh okay. Thank you for explaining this!
Either*
The 7 dwarven rings gave them a great lust for hording treasure, which attracted dragons, which killed a few of them. So, while resistant to the negative effects of their rings, they became victims of their own success from the positive effects
None of the Rings were meant to be wielded by any mortal, originally. Sauron intended giving all the Rings for the Elves, whom he saw as his most powerful opponents in Middle Earth. When that plan failed, he turn to lesser races, hoping that Rings would work better for them than the Elves. With Men, the effect of the Nine Rings was almost too perfect.
I think the 3 rings you are referring to are not of saurons creation, but were the 3 that the elf (faenor?) Created under saurons teachings. Such as narsil that Gandalf is in possession of.
I'm glad you opted for the theatrical versions over the extended editions. Not only did you see as it was intended to be seen by Peter Jackson but an extra 3 hours would have pushed your endurance to the limit. One does not simply first watch the extended editions in one day. Now that you have seen the trilogy you can and probably will always watch the extendeds but an extra 3+hrs of worldbuilding is only for the initiated. Side note: Ned was in a tv show from years back where he played an English soldier in the Napoleonic Wars where he does not die. It's called "Sharpe" and if you like one you'll like them all, good stuff.
ngl Jackson's intention is kinda bad given that he cut out Saruman's death.
Yes the Movies are long but it's needed given the amount of information in them
Lord of the Rings was pretty much a precursor to all of fantasy literature since it was first published.
I highly recommend that you watch the extras that came with the extended version of this film. I think you'd really enjoy all the background of how these films were made. Of course, I recommend the books themselves even more.
It was the progenitor of high fantasy literature, but not all fantasy literature. Robert E. Howard wrote Conan stories decades before The Lord of the Rings, and other sword & sorcery stories were published before Lord of the Rings, too. Lord Dunsany, a fantasy author who inspired Tolkien, wrote in the late 19th century. Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz...these are also fantasy stories, but of a different kind, but were written before Tolkien was even born.
Now, if you want to say that The Lord of the Rings is the BEST of fantasy literature, you've got a firmer foundation to stand on, though it's still a matter of opinion, though I'd tend to agree with you on that.
@@rikk319 Perhaps you missed the words "since it was first published."
What a lovely reaction and video! I loved rewatching with you. I really appreciate how valiantly you persevered in paying attention - despite the long sit in that uncomfortable chair of yours 💚
Saw this drop yesterday and was so stoked to have today off to experience this with you. LOTR is one of my favourite pieces of media. Book and Film. Tolkiens worldbuilding and absolute affection poured into the books just blows me away. Peter Jacksons ability to translate the beauty of Arda to the screen is probably the best book to film adaptation in history. The parts that were changed were, in my opinion, for the better just in terms of book to screen viability. These films are near perfect. Im so glad you put this out but the intro is now over so i gotta STRAP IN!!!!!
Exactly. Glad to see more people show their love for Tolkien and all the hundreds of books and games and movies that were inspired by Tolkiens work. Which never existed before like the way they do now without all 25 of his books. Even the biggest ones are all inspired by him. ❤️
The Balrog Scene is my second favorite scene of any movie. The chanting, the horns, the sound of the inferno within the balrogs roar. Insane.