How do you know someone is a true LotR fan? There is 100% chance that they will tell you about Viggo Mortensen breaking his toe during that helmet kicking scene. ... and yes I am guilty of that as well.
You know someone is a true LotR fan because they've read the books & can use that as source material to explain the holes in the screenplay. Don't get me wrong, the movies are a great adaptation & I love them but remember, Fellowship was published in 1954!
There are lots of other fun facts too. Sean astin cut his foot, orlando broke some ribs, viggo bought the horse he rode, and viggo actually blocked the knife Lurtz threw at him in Fellowship because the actor couldn't see in the orc outfit so he threw a real knife
Or Viggo climbing the mountains in the first one when everyone else were flown up in a helicopter... Or Viggo running around with his sword in character in the town and the police were called
47:20 Torches are made using rags dipped in flammable oil, they can survive in heavy rain for quite a while because oil still burns in water, and most of the rain evaporates off.
I always liked the detail of the Elves standing at attention when Legolas stepped forward since he's a Prince. Like, it's not mentioned at all but I always like those types of things in this trilogy.
so one thing i learned recently was Aragorn yelled out Hold in elvish because he thought the stray shot was from an elf, not the man. the man had such a precise shot by accident
Incase you were unaware or didn’t explain it to him, the reason for the change in Gandalf is basically due to the Wizards’ original purpose for being in Middle Earth. The Wizards were originally spirits called the Maiar, who were sent to Middle by the Valar (gods who created the world) to contest the will of Sauron (Also a Maiar) and took the form of Wizards. They took on different roles denoted by colours. eg. Saruman to be the Wisest, most powerful and leader of the Wizards, Gandalf to be counsellor to the peoples of Middle Earth. Saruman betrayed his role, so Gandalf was sent back to be his replacement.
It is one thing the movie does better than the book. Theodred's death is only mentioned in passing in the book; events were moving pretty fast at that point.
Funny thing about Aaron's prediction that 2 Towers would follow Sam and Frodo - In the books, 2 Towers DID focus on Sam and Frodo, and Return of the King focused on the rest of the Fellowship, but Peter Jackson decided that the pacing would be a lot better going back and forth between characters. Also, you kept noticing the tech used by Saruman. Tolkien intended Isengard to represent destructive industrialization (as opposed to the happy hobbit farmers), so the explosives, and deforestation, and the giant dammed river were all very intentional.
Actually, only the second half (Book 4) focused on Sam and Frodo. It was a pretty clean split between Book 3 following the rest of the Fellowship through Rohan and Book 4 following the Ringbearers.
The mark of a great movie is that it never seems as long as it really is. You get invested in it, and absorbed into the action. Tolkein and Jackson both have that talent. They draw you in, and no-one ever watches just twice....once in Middle Earth you either leave after part one, or watch the trilogy and every sequel/prequel. I just read The Children of Hurin for the fifth time. I hope it will be filmed before I die.......they'd better hurry, because I'm over 70, lol!
They did ROTK already. Came out about a week after this one. At the end the boyfriend said his favorite movie is Bad Boys 2, no joke, so TH-cam room that video sown real quick. Actually they took it down probably because of copyright. But all the rest is true
Re: the opening quiz: Boromir was hit by three arrows in the movie, but the book does not specify how many arrows hit him, just saying, "many". I'm surprised you didn't ask him how many rings were given to the elves, dwarves, men.
Dead Marshes, ahh that scene is all the more powerful if one learns that Tolkien based this passage definitely to the things he saw in his lifetime, when he served in WW1 he saw the wasteland after battle of Somme, of the no-man's land...and bomb craters filled with water....and corpses. This particular Dead Marshes is definitely 'supernatural' phenomenon in Middle-earth, located in the area known as Dagorlad, the Battle Plain and site of the most bloody battles in the Middle-earth's history, the evil phantoms mesmerizing the travelers with lights the eerie 'candles of corpses' (a sort of magical will'o wisps) tha lure the travelers to their doom. "…the marsh-reeks lay in heavy banks. No sun pierced the clouded sky…a shadowy silent world…an endless network of pools, and soft mires, and winding half-strangled water-courses. It was dreary and wearisome. Cold clammy winter still held sway in this forsaken country. The only green was the scum of livid weed on the dark greasy surfaces of the sullen waters. Dead grasses and rotting reeds loomed up in the mists like ragged shadows of long-forgotten summers”. ... "They walked slowly, stooping, keeping close in line, following attentively every move that Gollum made. The fens grew more wet, opening into wide stagnant meres, among which it grew more and more difficult to find the firmer places where feet could tread without sinking into gurgling mud. The travellers were light, or maybe none of them would ever have found a way through. Presently it grew altogether dark: the air itself seemed black and heavy to breathe. When lights appeared Sam rubbed his eyes: he thought his head was going queer. He first saw one with the corner of his left eye, a wisp of pale sheen that faded away; but others appeared soon after: some like dimly shining smoke, some like misty flames flickering slowly above unseen candles; here and there they twisted like ghostly sheets unfurled by hidden hands. But neither of his companions spoke a word. At last Sam could bear it no longer. `What's all this, Gollum? ' he said in a whisper. `These lights? They're all round us now. Are we trapped? Who are they? ' Gollum looked up. A dark water was before him, and he was crawling on the ground, this way and that, doubtful of the way. 'Yes, they are all round us,' he whispered. 'The tricksy lights. Candles of corpses, yes, yes. Don't you heed them! Don't look! Don't follow them! Where's the master? ' Sam looked back and found that Frodo had lagged again. He could not see him. He went some paces back into the darkness, not daring to move far, or to call in more than a hoarse whisper. Suddenly he stumbled against Frodo, who was standing lost in thought, looking at the pale lights. His hands hung stiff at his sides; water and slime were dripping from them. `Come, Mr. Frodo! ' said Sam. 'Don't look at them! Gollum says we mustn't. Let's keep up with him and get out of this cursed place as quick as we can - if we can! ' `All right,' said Frodo, as if returning out of a dream. 'I'm coming. Go on! ' Hurrying forward again, Sam tripped, catching his foot in some old root or tussock. He fell and came heavily on his hands, which sank deep into sticky ooze, so that his face was brought close to the surface of the dark mere. There was a faint hiss, a noisome smell went up, the lights flickered and danced and swirled. For a moment the water below him looked like some window, glazed with grimy glass, through which he was peering. Wrenching his hands out of the bog, he sprang back with a cry. 'There are dead things, dead faces in the water,' he said with horror. 'Dead faces! ' Gollum laughed. 'The Dead Marshes, yes, yes: that is their names,' he cackled. `You should not look in when the candles are lit.' `Who are they? What are they? ' asked Sam shuddering, turning to Frodo, who was now behind him. 'I don't know,' said Frodo in a dreamlike voice. 'But I have seen them too. In the pools when the candles were lit. They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water. I saw them: grim faces and evil, and noble faces and sad. Many faces proud and fair, and weeds in their silver hair. But all foul, all rotting, all dead. A fell light is in them.' Frodo hid his eyes in his hands. 'I know not who they are; but I thought I saw there Men and Elves, and Orcs beside them.' `Yes, yes,' said Gollum. `All dead, all rotten. Elves and Men and Orcs. The Dead Marshes. There was a great battle long ago, yes, so they told him when Sméagol was young, when I was young before the Precious came. It was a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses shrieking. They fought on the plain for days and months at the Black Gates. But the Marshes have grown since then, swallowed up the graves; always creeping, creeping.' 'But that is an age and more ago,' said Sam. 'The Dead can't be really there! Is it some devilry hatched in the Dark Land? ' `Who knows? Sméagol doesn't know,' answered Gollum. 'You cannot reach them, you cannot touch them. We tried once, .yes, precious. I tried once; but you cannot reach them. Only shapes to see, perhaps, not to touch. No precious! All dead.'" J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers: The Passage of the Marshes
My favorite extended scene is the stable scene with the prince’s horse and Eowyn. First of all, it explains why horse later, but most importantly I think it demonstrates best why Eowyn, who is royalty of a horse-centered society, would become so attached to Aragorn, and the idea of marrying him. She can tell he would make a great king. Like, he’s also respectful of her physical skill and desire for glory, but that’s not a great basis for romance- that’s literally the bare minimum even if the majority of men in her life fail to meet that.
Love this video. Aaron being impressed with Orc tech and ingenuity - This is from the influence of Saruman who loved developing war machines and war soldier orcs. He became enamored with this path to power. He symbolizes to some extent the industrialization zeitgeist of Tolkien’s time with its waste and abuse of nature which Tolkien detested.
@@jelletinny My favourite casting has always been David Wenham as Faramir. Nobody outside Australia understands why it's so funny to see Diver Dan running around the woods. Or Johnny Spitieri in a green hoodie. *tries Sam's stew* "Bloody knew it--too much chilli!" *arrives at Osgiliath* "Who's paying for me bus ticket today?"
I feel you Hannah, even when watching by myself, I can't help but quote and sing to the score. The LOTR/Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter scores are my absolute favorites in all of cinematic history.
36:51 There is a Roman history podcast that literally retold the battle of “Hannibal versus the Roman legions” and Hannibal’s use of war elephants as if they were the empire’s AT-AT walkers. Ropes around the legs and all. So he’s not the only one to make that Star Wars connection . 😆
Fun fact, the battle between Gandalf and the Balrog took TWENTY-SEVEN DAYS, NONSTOP, and began in the Black Lake at Moria's deepest depths, continued up the fabled Endless Stair, all the way to the very top of Zirak-Zigil, the tower placed atop the tallest peak of the mountains under which Moria lies. Also, when you've read the Silmarillion, Gandalf's speech to the Balrog is all the more awesome. "You cannot pass!" -> "You want to cross this bridge, you go through me. And you cannot win here, that's just a FACT." "I am a servant of the Secret Fire," -> "I am a Maiar just as you once were, we were already an even match in power from the start." "Wielder of the Flame of Anor!" -> "On top of that, I am wearing one of the Great Elven Rings of Power, total power advantage is mine here." "Dark fire will not avail you," -> "That ring also protects me from your main weapons, while you have no such protection yourself," "Flame of Udun!" -> "you pathetic leftover lackey of the long-gone god of evil." "Go back to the shadow!" -> "You get this one chance. Piss off now, and you get to go on living." "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" -> "Because you crossing this bridge, is not even a remote possibility."
One of the things missing from the movie that makes Gandalf's "upgrade" to White Wizard make more sense - when Gandalf goes to visit Sauruman the White at the beginning of the first movie, Sauruman makes this weird speech about how white is just a blank slate and how he's not longer Sauruman the White, but Sauruman of Many Colours. So, in a manner of speaking now, the mantle of White Wizard was abandoned, so Gandalf took it up after he died and returned. Also, the Undying Lands are called that because no mortal has ever lived there. It's the realm of elves, maiar (what gandalf is, kind of like an angel) and valar (like gods). And I don't understand why they were making the archers hold when that dude loosed by accident. It's not like they were gaining anything by waiting for like one extra minute they were planning to hold. The orcs were engaging in psychological warfare, trying to freak them the hell out, and that one dude shut them up! Good job, old one-eyed man!
Fun fact: The "dead faces in the water" are the fallen soldiers from the siege of Barad Dur (the first battle we see in the intro of the fellowship of the ring) that started in those fields and lasted 7 years and the footage we see in the movie is the last battle of the siege.
I definitely recommend that when you two get around to Return of the King, you may just want to watch the extended version right off, so that it avoids the confusion of that entire early scene being cut from the theatrical version and causing people to never learn what happens to particular characters (I know that you know which scene I'm referring to! Lol).
I normally don't like extended intros on reaction channels but you guys are nailing it. Also, it's funny seeing everything mirrored, it feels like people are constantly walking away from things instead of toward them.
Fun factoids - Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn) bought the two horses he rode in LOTR and has owned them since. The Magnificent White Horse who played Shadowfax only died a couple of years ago...
I love how when he asked questions his wife just ignores him like she doesn't exist for that one moment. But at the same time she tries to make him believe that the white wizard was actually saruman like (uh oh). What a fun wife 😂
19:25 oddly enough, in the books, the two towers were described as the tower of orthanc (in isengard) and the tower of the moon (in minas morgul), for both were the two tower fortresses under sauron's. In the two towers book, the story tracked the hobbits all the way to cirith ungol, so showcasing minas morgul as the second tower made sense, but given that minas morgul wasn't introduced, save one shot from for, until rotk movie, it makes sense that they wanted to clarify barad dur, the tower of sauron as the second tower. Now even more lore, in the books, by the orcs that met up with the uruk party not being able to claim the hobbits and thus what was supposed to be the ring also not being taken directly to barad dur, or lugburz as the orcs call it, sauron took the notion as an indication that saramaun had betrayed him. In this he was correct, for in the books, saramaun wanted to claim the ring for his own so he could overcome it and become greater than sauron and overthrow him. Now the spirits of the wizards and the great eagles and the balrogs and of other characters I won't spoil, are essentially the same spirit species, the third highest species as far as absolute power goes. However, one of the oldest and greatest of these was sauron, as his old master had given him more power than many of these masters of these spirits ('master spirits- valar/ainur, and their servant spirits- maiar). Saramaun was originally the greatest of the maiar group known as the sitari, which became the five wizards. Since he was the perhaps the most inherently powerful of all of the maia at the time beyond perhaps sauron himself, he imagined he would be able to bend the ring to his will. Although he never got the ring, it is suggested that he was would not have been able to bend it to his will given gandalf didn't have the power to challenge sauron directly even being sent back with enhanced powers beyond that of saramaun, although the valar likely did decrease saramauns power as well. All of this to say that given the conflict between sauron and saramaun in the books, it would almost be seen as more logical for the two towers to be the title of the book rather than the movie in the context of the two towers being barad dur and orthanc, but along with this, sauron switching from using isengard to using minas morgul in the two towers book also works in this context. I know this is a lot of confusing stuff so sry if I hurt your brain at all lol. PS, in the books, sauron was only an eye in his decorations and banners and visions, his tower bore no eye and he was likely a physical humanoid like creature like in the beginning, but perhaps weaker and maybe even smaller
Great comment. Tbf, the name Two Towers was chosen arbitrarily by the publisher when the book was split into three volumes. Far as Tolkien was concerned, it was just Lord of the Rings. As for the Eye imagery, it's almost more important that that's how Frodo envisions Sauron as he haunts the presence of the Ring.
Hannah: "I'm probably one of the biggest Lord of the Rings fans you'll ever meet" Every hardcore fan: "It's actually called a fellbeast, not a dragon" Not hating! I just imagined all the hardcores having aneurisms 🤣
Actually, it's never given a name in the books, however, Peter Jackson called them "the Fellbeasts", though that was more of a behind the scenes thing, never called any proper name, just a flying creature that, the visualization in the movie isn't too far off from what Tolkien described actually.
@@rendalconstantineau1680 It's not specifically called a "fellbeast" but it's described as a "beast that is fell" in the Return of the king. "fellrider" is also another word used for the Nazgul who ride them and it's explained in Tolkiens work that Dragons were not around during the events of the lord of the rings. Again though, I was making a joke because that's a detail that the fan base REALLY likes to bring up 😂
@@ismailchettfour2721 Well true, though again, it's not like there is a real name given them, which is why it always bugs me when people do get all like "It's called this!" cause...no, it's not. LOL Even in the movie, the word is not used that I remember, so it is always a mystery to me how that became such a thing that people get all worked up about. LOL
@@rendalconstantineau1680 lol dude.. it's a joke 🤣 I mean you have to call it something, I think they just wanna emphasize it's not a dragon. And I didn't mean for the comment to be taken seriously lol
@@ismailchettfour2721 Umm, I realize that, that's why I said "LOL" at the end....you know, laugh out loud...thought that would let you know I understood you were joking, sorry if my comment didn't come across correctly. And yeah, people want to call it something....though....they didn't in the movie, so....isn't that also part of why it's funny that people get all sweaty about it? I don't know, to me it is.
i just started watching your channel with the first LotR reaction and am already deeply invested in your relationship and hope you guys last forever. goodluck
Yesss! Been waiting for this reaction! Almost forgot! Love it! Can’t wait! (The quiz was a bit cringe thou!) the extras at the end was funny you guys are so cute together!
One word to describe the fellowship according to Aaron: Frodo: Bilbo Sam: Friend Merry: Hobbit Pippin: Merry Legolas: Beautiful Gimli: Strong Aragorn: Horse Boromir: Ned Stark Gandalf: white hair... HAIR! Wow XD especially the last three.
I just wanna say I love watching you call out all the behind the scenes stuff. Everytime a scene pops up where I know there's some cool backstory you always call it out ie. The helmet kicking scene.
Hi Hannah, TH-cam always flags your stuff as copyrighted if the snippets are too long. But you can dispute the claim and Warner Bros is very quick and nice when it comes to LotR stuff. I did it in all my reaction videos and it worked out fine.
I think the filmmakers got the wrong tower with Sauron's Barad-Dur. In Tolkien's original illustration it was Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Ithil, the tower of the moon built by the Numenorians), and Orthanc which was correct in the movie. I guess it didn't make sense for the films though because unlike the book Minas Morgul isn't shown until the third installment.
Don't get me wrong, the movies are a great adaptation & I love them but remember, Fellowship was first published in 1954! It started & set the standard for "realistic believable" fantasy fiction. There's far more backstory & history in the novels. If you love the story & the characters, do yourself a real favour & read the books. Use the novels for your source material to explain the holes in the screenplay rather than just the extended versions of the films (as good as they are). FYI Treebeard & the other "tree giants" aren't just trees, they're Ents, or Tree Herders, guardians of Fangorn Forest. The trees you refer to as moving to Helm's Deep in the extended film are actually Huorns, trees that can move. The flying creatures ridden by The Nazgul are not dragons. In the books they are called "Fell Beasts." These are just 2 things that aren't mentioned or explained fully in the movies. There are so many more, too many to fit in the films, as long as they were, such was the scope of Tolkien's world & imagination. That said, I loved these movies & I'm glad you did too!
Although the Uruks had all the “tech”, I’ve never for a moment thought it was the result of orc genius. They aren’t clever or inventive. Their best quality is their industriousness; they are hard workers. The gunpowder mine/bomb was Saruman’s invention; he planned the assault on Helm’s Deep, clearly being aware of the height of the outer and inner walls, and having his hard working orcs build the ladders needed to reach the tops of the walls; he may have been the first to develop crossbows. Saruman is clearly shown (especially in the extended versions) to turn his back on the natural world and embrace “the fires of industry”. Treebeard comments at one point something like Saruman has a mind of wheels. He invented all of this stuff.
Back story: Elrond had a twin brother Elros. Their mother was miar and elf, their father was human. When the Elrond and Elros were born, they were given a choice of human or elf. Elrond chose elf,, but Elros chose human. Elros and the Dunedin’s could live hundreds of years. Elros is Aragorn’s great, great, great....Granada father.
Back story: Orcs are creatures of the night. They can see keenly in the dark, but are often blinded in daylight. This is one reason that Gandalf/Eomer's charge was so successful.
I wonder if it might not be helpful to have a map handy so he can look & see where everyone is. Might give him a better perspective of the area, like where Mt Doom is, where Frodo & Sam currently are, where the Gandalf & the gang are etc..
Couple points for your interest: The Rohan culture was based on Anglo-Saxon and Nordic cultures. The Dead Marshes were supposedly based on Tolkien’s experience in World War I at the Battle of the Somme which was one of the worst battles during the conflict in 1916. The Ents, according to Tolkien, were created after watching a rendition of Macbeth when the “wood began to move” and it turned out to be people with twigs in their hats. This time the wood does move
You should show him a map; they’re included at the front of the books, and not spoilers I think for that reason. It would help him get his head around the fellowship’s journey, the difference between Isengard and Helm’s Deep, and in the next film between Edoras, Minas Tirith, Osgiliath, and the layout of Mordor.
Yeah wyvern. Easy basic tell apart. Dragons and frames have four legs and 2 wings where as wyverns have 2 legs and 2 wings that take the place of the front legs. Example: smug from the hobbit is described in the books as a dragon fitting the classic european style (4 legs, 2 wings) but for the movie he was made into the wyvern style.
@@tycol322 Smaug had 4 legs in the first hobbit movie but when they finalised the design and made him a wyvern style they reshot the bit where he enters Erebor. In the regular edition you can still see him like that.
It's great that he's excited to find out what happens with Saruman and is about to watch the theatrical version of RotK without the what happens to Saruman.
Yes! Nobody mentioned it yet (I read through 150 comments)... voice actor for Treebeard is the actor for Gimli. Make sure Aaron knows that since he likes the dwarf. 😁 Aaron might want to look up a map of Middle-Earth so he can get his bearings on where things are happening. (But be careful about spoilers... I don't want to mess with his reaction for the rest of the movies.) 😅
The viking metal band Amon Amarth took that name from the LotR lore! Amon Amarth literally translates into Mount Doom! I highly recommend checking out the band!!
When Aragorn kicked the helmet, i immediately looked at her and waited for her to say the line
How do you know someone is a true LotR fan? There is 100% chance that they will tell you about Viggo Mortensen breaking his toe during that helmet kicking scene.
... and yes I am guilty of that as well.
You know someone is a true LotR fan because they've read the books & can use that as source material to explain the holes in the screenplay. Don't get me wrong, the movies are a great adaptation & I love them but remember, Fellowship was published in 1954!
There are lots of other fun facts too. Sean astin cut his foot, orlando broke some ribs, viggo bought the horse he rode, and viggo actually blocked the knife Lurtz threw at him in Fellowship because the actor couldn't see in the orc outfit so he threw a real knife
you know, making a movie kinda hurts lol
Or Viggo climbing the mountains in the first one when everyone else were flown up in a helicopter... Or Viggo running around with his sword in character in the town and the police were called
@@davidholloway1817 There are lots but lots of things missing in the Movies even after that, Certain characters, Factions, events...
47:20
Torches are made using rags dipped in flammable oil, they can survive in heavy rain for quite a while because oil still burns in water, and most of the rain evaporates off.
I was gonna explain this but I figured someone already did lol nice
I always liked the detail of the Elves standing at attention when Legolas stepped forward since he's a Prince. Like, it's not mentioned at all but I always like those types of things in this trilogy.
so one thing i learned recently was Aragorn yelled out Hold in elvish because he thought the stray shot was from an elf, not the man. the man had such a precise shot by accident
Incase you were unaware or didn’t explain it to him, the reason for the change in Gandalf is basically due to the Wizards’ original purpose for being in Middle Earth.
The Wizards were originally spirits called the Maiar, who were sent to Middle by the Valar (gods who created the world) to contest the will of Sauron (Also a Maiar) and took the form of Wizards. They took on different roles denoted by colours. eg. Saruman to be the Wisest, most powerful and leader of the Wizards, Gandalf to be counsellor to the peoples of Middle Earth. Saruman betrayed his role, so Gandalf was sent back to be his replacement.
well said. The character is written and acted quite differently between the Grey and the White versions.
Theodred's funeral is my favourite of the extended scenes from this film. Bernard Hill owns it as Theoden!
yeah, he channeled how a father would feel after losing a son, including the bitterness.
It is one thing the movie does better than the book. Theodred's death is only mentioned in passing in the book; events were moving pretty fast at that point.
That scene isn’t in the theatrical cut? What a shame!
@@StellalunaCosmos Most of it is.
You killed me with “will this be a “lego-loss” or an “aro-win”? Hahahahaha i lost it
i groaned yet grinned a little.
Funny thing about Aaron's prediction that 2 Towers would follow Sam and Frodo - In the books, 2 Towers DID focus on Sam and Frodo, and Return of the King focused on the rest of the Fellowship, but Peter Jackson decided that the pacing would be a lot better going back and forth between characters.
Also, you kept noticing the tech used by Saruman. Tolkien intended Isengard to represent destructive industrialization (as opposed to the happy hobbit farmers), so the explosives, and deforestation, and the giant dammed river were all very intentional.
Actually, only the second half (Book 4) focused on Sam and Frodo. It was a pretty clean split between Book 3 following the rest of the Fellowship through Rohan and Book 4 following the Ringbearers.
@@sarahgould5435 And on top of that, the fight at the end of the first film, actually happens at the start of book 3.
The mark of a great movie is that it never seems as long as it really is. You get invested in it, and absorbed into the action. Tolkein and Jackson both have that talent. They draw you in, and no-one ever watches just twice....once in Middle Earth you either leave after part one, or watch the trilogy and every sequel/prequel. I just read The Children of Hurin for the fifth time. I hope it will be filmed before I die.......they'd better hurry, because I'm over 70, lol!
Bruh don’t make me wait this long for the Return of the King! I was waiting too long for this one lol
and still waiting
👀
They did ROTK already. Came out about a week after this one. At the end the boyfriend said his favorite movie is Bad Boys 2, no joke, so TH-cam room that video sown real quick. Actually they took it down probably because of copyright. But all the rest is true
@@User87_ that's terrible. Jesus. So we're not gonna ever see the 3rd react??
Idk unless they re-upload and try splitting it up into parts
The way yall eyes lit up on the gandalf and reinforcements charging down the hill! Great reactions!
22:38 A fact every LOTR fan is waiting to say!
Re: the opening quiz:
Boromir was hit by three arrows in the movie, but the book does not specify how many arrows hit him, just saying, "many".
I'm surprised you didn't ask him how many rings were given to the elves, dwarves, men.
Dead Marshes, ahh that scene is all the more powerful if one learns that Tolkien based this passage definitely to the things he saw in his lifetime, when he served in WW1 he saw the wasteland after battle of Somme, of the no-man's land...and bomb craters filled with water....and corpses. This particular Dead Marshes is definitely 'supernatural' phenomenon in Middle-earth, located in the area known as Dagorlad, the Battle Plain and site of the most bloody battles in the Middle-earth's history, the evil phantoms mesmerizing the travelers with lights the eerie 'candles of corpses' (a sort of magical will'o wisps) tha lure the travelers to their doom.
"…the marsh-reeks lay in heavy banks. No sun pierced the clouded sky…a shadowy silent world…an endless network of pools, and soft mires, and winding half-strangled water-courses. It was dreary and wearisome. Cold clammy winter still held sway in this forsaken country. The only green was the scum of livid weed on the dark greasy surfaces of the sullen waters. Dead grasses and rotting reeds loomed up in the mists like ragged shadows of long-forgotten summers”.
...
"They walked slowly, stooping, keeping close in line, following attentively every move that Gollum made. The fens grew more wet, opening into wide stagnant meres, among which it grew more and more difficult to find the firmer places where feet could tread without sinking into gurgling mud. The travellers were light, or maybe none of them would ever have found a way through.
Presently it grew altogether dark: the air itself seemed black and heavy to breathe. When lights appeared Sam rubbed his eyes: he thought his head was going queer. He first saw one with the corner of his left eye, a wisp of pale sheen that faded away; but others appeared soon after: some like dimly shining smoke, some like misty flames flickering slowly above unseen candles; here and there they twisted like ghostly sheets unfurled by hidden hands. But neither of his companions spoke a word.
At last Sam could bear it no longer. `What's all this, Gollum? ' he said in a whisper. `These lights? They're all round us now. Are we trapped? Who are they? '
Gollum looked up. A dark water was before him, and he was crawling on the ground, this way and that, doubtful of the way. 'Yes, they are all round us,' he whispered. 'The tricksy lights. Candles of corpses, yes, yes. Don't you heed them! Don't look! Don't follow them! Where's the master? '
Sam looked back and found that Frodo had lagged again. He could not see him. He went some paces back into the darkness, not daring to move far, or to call in more than a hoarse whisper. Suddenly he stumbled against Frodo, who was standing lost in thought, looking at the pale lights. His hands hung stiff at his sides; water and slime were dripping from them.
`Come, Mr. Frodo! ' said Sam. 'Don't look at them! Gollum says we mustn't. Let's keep up with him and get out of this cursed place as quick as we can - if we can! '
`All right,' said Frodo, as if returning out of a dream. 'I'm coming. Go on! '
Hurrying forward again, Sam tripped, catching his foot in some old root or tussock. He fell and came heavily on his hands, which sank deep into sticky ooze, so that his face was brought close to the surface of the dark mere. There was a faint hiss, a noisome smell went up, the lights flickered and danced and swirled. For a moment the water below him looked like some window, glazed with grimy glass, through which he was peering. Wrenching his hands out of the bog, he sprang back with a cry. 'There are dead things, dead faces in the water,' he said with horror. 'Dead faces! '
Gollum laughed. 'The Dead Marshes, yes, yes: that is their names,' he cackled. `You should not look in when the candles are lit.'
`Who are they? What are they? ' asked Sam shuddering, turning to Frodo, who was now behind him.
'I don't know,' said Frodo in a dreamlike voice. 'But I have seen them too. In the pools when the candles were lit. They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water. I saw them: grim faces and evil, and noble faces and sad. Many faces proud and fair, and weeds in their silver hair. But all foul, all rotting, all dead. A fell light is in them.' Frodo hid his eyes in his hands. 'I know not who they are; but I thought I saw there Men and Elves, and Orcs beside them.'
`Yes, yes,' said Gollum. `All dead, all rotten. Elves and Men and Orcs. The Dead Marshes. There was a great battle long ago, yes, so they told him when Sméagol was young, when I was young before the Precious came. It was a great battle. Tall Men with long swords, and terrible Elves, and Orcses shrieking. They fought on the plain for days and months at the Black Gates. But the Marshes have grown since then, swallowed up the graves; always creeping, creeping.'
'But that is an age and more ago,' said Sam. 'The Dead can't be really there! Is it some devilry hatched in the Dark Land? '
`Who knows? Sméagol doesn't know,' answered Gollum. 'You cannot reach them, you cannot touch them. We tried once, .yes, precious. I tried once; but you cannot reach them. Only shapes to see, perhaps, not to touch. No precious! All dead.'" J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers: The Passage of the Marshes
My favorite extended scene is the stable scene with the prince’s horse and Eowyn. First of all, it explains why horse later, but most importantly I think it demonstrates best why Eowyn, who is royalty of a horse-centered society, would become so attached to Aragorn, and the idea of marrying him. She can tell he would make a great king. Like, he’s also respectful of her physical skill and desire for glory, but that’s not a great basis for romance- that’s literally the bare minimum even if the majority of men in her life fail to meet that.
Love this video. Aaron being impressed with Orc tech and ingenuity - This is from the influence of Saruman who loved developing war machines and war soldier orcs. He became enamored with this path to power. He symbolizes to some extent the industrialization zeitgeist of Tolkien’s time with its waste and abuse of nature which Tolkien detested.
When Gandalf casts the light, and they charge. It still gives me goosebumps. All these years later
Is he really casting light like in the return of the king ? I always thought his strategy was to charge as the sun rises in the east
46:28 when the elves turn there head is to show Respect to the Prince. Legolas is the Prince of the Elf Relm. His Father is the King Of All Elves.
Useless fact: In the mid-2000s, I once saw an Australian TV Guide entry for The Two Towers that said: "Starring Karl Urban."
Well, *yes*, but ...
Lmao, that’s great. These movies are so star studded lol
@@jelletinny My favourite casting has always been David Wenham as Faramir. Nobody outside Australia understands why it's so funny to see Diver Dan running around the woods. Or Johnny Spitieri in a green hoodie.
*tries Sam's stew* "Bloody knew it--too much chilli!"
*arrives at Osgiliath* "Who's paying for me bus ticket today?"
53:15 “A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.” Gandalf
Wowzer, that opening was so cheesy, but totally in a good way!
Better than any opening to a reaction video I have ever seen.
Used to play the trumpet in jr. high and some of high school. When these movies came out I heard the only music that made me wish I kept playing.
I feel you Hannah, even when watching by myself, I can't help but quote and sing to the score. The LOTR/Hobbit, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter scores are my absolute favorites in all of cinematic history.
36:51
There is a Roman history podcast that literally retold the battle of “Hannibal versus the Roman legions” and Hannibal’s use of war elephants as if they were the empire’s AT-AT walkers. Ropes around the legs and all. So he’s not the only one to make that Star Wars connection . 😆
Spider-man also references the AT-ATs in Civil War
Fun fact, the battle between Gandalf and the Balrog took TWENTY-SEVEN DAYS, NONSTOP, and began in the Black Lake at Moria's deepest depths, continued up the fabled Endless Stair, all the way to the very top of Zirak-Zigil, the tower placed atop the tallest peak of the mountains under which Moria lies.
Also, when you've read the Silmarillion, Gandalf's speech to the Balrog is all the more awesome.
"You cannot pass!" -> "You want to cross this bridge, you go through me. And you cannot win here, that's just a FACT."
"I am a servant of the Secret Fire," -> "I am a Maiar just as you once were, we were already an even match in power from the start."
"Wielder of the Flame of Anor!" -> "On top of that, I am wearing one of the Great Elven Rings of Power, total power advantage is mine here."
"Dark fire will not avail you," -> "That ring also protects me from your main weapons, while you have no such protection yourself,"
"Flame of Udun!" -> "you pathetic leftover lackey of the long-gone god of evil."
"Go back to the shadow!" -> "You get this one chance. Piss off now, and you get to go on living."
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" -> "Because you crossing this bridge, is not even a remote possibility."
"He actually broke his toe in that scene"
"That's awesome!"
wait what
One of the things missing from the movie that makes Gandalf's "upgrade" to White Wizard make more sense - when Gandalf goes to visit Sauruman the White at the beginning of the first movie, Sauruman makes this weird speech about how white is just a blank slate and how he's not longer Sauruman the White, but Sauruman of Many Colours. So, in a manner of speaking now, the mantle of White Wizard was abandoned, so Gandalf took it up after he died and returned.
Also, the Undying Lands are called that because no mortal has ever lived there. It's the realm of elves, maiar (what gandalf is, kind of like an angel) and valar (like gods).
And I don't understand why they were making the archers hold when that dude loosed by accident. It's not like they were gaining anything by waiting for like one extra minute they were planning to hold. The orcs were engaging in psychological warfare, trying to freak them the hell out, and that one dude shut them up! Good job, old one-eyed man!
Hannah is literally me. My nerdom knows no end . I am hooked on this channel now lol
the extended versions gives so much depth for the characters
As a huge LOTR nerd something died in me when she said “Mines of Morier”
Is the lady who said "Morier" from New York City or Boston?
Fun fact: The "dead faces in the water" are the fallen soldiers from the siege of Barad Dur (the first battle we see in the intro of the fellowship of the ring) that started in those fields and lasted 7 years and the footage we see in the movie is the last battle of the siege.
Can we get an Aaron 'DANG!' counter on that?
The Lord of the Dangs, Oooohs and Eyyyys!
Fun fact: Viggo Mortensen really broke his... oh ... nevermind
Can you make a little bonus video of him reacting to the “They’re Taking The Hobbits To Isengard” video, please? 😁😁😁
What about Neil Cicierega's Guide to the Lord of the Rings
I definitely recommend that when you two get around to Return of the King, you may just want to watch the extended version right off, so that it avoids the confusion of that entire early scene being cut from the theatrical version and causing people to never learn what happens to particular characters (I know that you know which scene I'm referring to! Lol).
I normally don't like extended intros on reaction channels but you guys are nailing it. Also, it's funny seeing everything mirrored, it feels like people are constantly walking away from things instead of toward them.
"He is marrying me. He WILL watch it." I loved that.
I had a Willem DeFoe smile when she said that and I nodded
Fun factoids - Viggo Mortenson (Aragorn) bought the two horses he rode in LOTR and has owned them since. The Magnificent White Horse who played Shadowfax only died a couple of years ago...
I love how when he asked questions his wife just ignores him like she doesn't exist for that one moment. But at the same time she tries to make him believe that the white wizard was actually saruman like (uh oh). What a fun wife 😂
The way Hannah looked into the camera after Aaron thought Gandalf might live but it was just a dream.. Perfect. I howled in laughter :D
19:25 oddly enough, in the books, the two towers were described as the tower of orthanc (in isengard) and the tower of the moon (in minas morgul), for both were the two tower fortresses under sauron's. In the two towers book, the story tracked the hobbits all the way to cirith ungol, so showcasing minas morgul as the second tower made sense, but given that minas morgul wasn't introduced, save one shot from for, until rotk movie, it makes sense that they wanted to clarify barad dur, the tower of sauron as the second tower. Now even more lore, in the books, by the orcs that met up with the uruk party not being able to claim the hobbits and thus what was supposed to be the ring also not being taken directly to barad dur, or lugburz as the orcs call it, sauron took the notion as an indication that saramaun had betrayed him. In this he was correct, for in the books, saramaun wanted to claim the ring for his own so he could overcome it and become greater than sauron and overthrow him. Now the spirits of the wizards and the great eagles and the balrogs and of other characters I won't spoil, are essentially the same spirit species, the third highest species as far as absolute power goes. However, one of the oldest and greatest of these was sauron, as his old master had given him more power than many of these masters of these spirits ('master spirits- valar/ainur, and their servant spirits- maiar). Saramaun was originally the greatest of the maiar group known as the sitari, which became the five wizards. Since he was the perhaps the most inherently powerful of all of the maia at the time beyond perhaps sauron himself, he imagined he would be able to bend the ring to his will. Although he never got the ring, it is suggested that he was would not have been able to bend it to his will given gandalf didn't have the power to challenge sauron directly even being sent back with enhanced powers beyond that of saramaun, although the valar likely did decrease saramauns power as well. All of this to say that given the conflict between sauron and saramaun in the books, it would almost be seen as more logical for the two towers to be the title of the book rather than the movie in the context of the two towers being barad dur and orthanc, but along with this, sauron switching from using isengard to using minas morgul in the two towers book also works in this context. I know this is a lot of confusing stuff so sry if I hurt your brain at all lol.
PS, in the books, sauron was only an eye in his decorations and banners and visions, his tower bore no eye and he was likely a physical humanoid like creature like in the beginning, but perhaps weaker and maybe even smaller
Great comment. Tbf, the name Two Towers was chosen arbitrarily by the publisher when the book was split into three volumes. Far as Tolkien was concerned, it was just Lord of the Rings.
As for the Eye imagery, it's almost more important that that's how Frodo envisions Sauron as he haunts the presence of the Ring.
What about Barad-Dur (The Dark Tower) in Moria? That's the evil-eye tower of Sauron.
Hannah: "I'm probably one of the biggest Lord of the Rings fans you'll ever meet"
Every hardcore fan: "It's actually called a fellbeast, not a dragon"
Not hating! I just imagined all the hardcores having aneurisms 🤣
Actually, it's never given a name in the books, however, Peter Jackson called them "the Fellbeasts", though that was more of a behind the scenes thing, never called any proper name, just a flying creature that, the visualization in the movie isn't too far off from what Tolkien described actually.
@@rendalconstantineau1680 It's not specifically called a "fellbeast" but it's described as a "beast that is fell" in the Return of the king. "fellrider" is also another word used for the Nazgul who ride them and it's explained in Tolkiens work that Dragons were not around during the events of the lord of the rings.
Again though, I was making a joke because that's a detail that the fan base REALLY likes to bring up 😂
@@ismailchettfour2721 Well true, though again, it's not like there is a real name given them, which is why it always bugs me when people do get all like "It's called this!" cause...no, it's not. LOL Even in the movie, the word is not used that I remember, so it is always a mystery to me how that became such a thing that people get all worked up about. LOL
@@rendalconstantineau1680 lol dude.. it's a joke 🤣 I mean you have to call it something, I think they just wanna emphasize it's not a dragon. And I didn't mean for the comment to be taken seriously lol
@@ismailchettfour2721 Umm, I realize that, that's why I said "LOL" at the end....you know, laugh out loud...thought that would let you know I understood you were joking, sorry if my comment didn't come across correctly. And yeah, people want to call it something....though....they didn't in the movie, so....isn't that also part of why it's funny that people get all sweaty about it? I don't know, to me it is.
i just started watching your channel with the first LotR reaction and am already deeply invested in your relationship and hope you guys last forever. goodluck
I'm so glad I found this channel. Love the reactions and you two are so freakin cute.
22:34 "fun fact....."
Aw I was hoping to see that 47 times in the comments lol
I'm really enjoying the reactions, and I must say you two make the cutest couple!
"At least we have Ned in GoT."
You innocent children you...
I haven’t seen introductions like you guys do. Keep it up 👍
Yesss! Been waiting for this reaction! Almost forgot! Love it! Can’t wait! (The quiz was a bit cringe thou!) the extras at the end was funny you guys are so cute together!
Aaron's reactions are just awesome! I can't wait for Return of the King.
-38:17
Yes that's correct 👍these cloaks were given to them to shield them from unfriendly eyes
One word to describe the fellowship according to Aaron:
Frodo: Bilbo
Sam: Friend
Merry: Hobbit
Pippin: Merry
Legolas: Beautiful
Gimli: Strong
Aragorn: Horse
Boromir: Ned Stark
Gandalf: white hair... HAIR!
Wow XD especially the last three.
I just wanna say I love watching you call out all the behind the scenes stuff. Everytime a scene pops up where I know there's some cool backstory you always call it out ie. The helmet kicking scene.
I could hear the broken toe fact in the smile she made.
Orlando Bloom actually does the " they're taking the hobbits to Isengard" thing while they were recording the hobbit, check it out😁
I clicked so hard for this 😂 love watching y’all’s adventures.
Ha ha - don't worry about quoting it - we're all doing the same!
Both your faces each time Gandalf makes an entrance are priceless :)
Fastest click of my life
Hi Hannah, TH-cam always flags your stuff as copyrighted if the snippets are too long. But you can dispute the claim and Warner Bros is very quick and nice when it comes to LotR stuff. I did it in all my reaction videos and it worked out fine.
This was the most anticipated video for me, so glad you guys are back with part 2
It is finally here...the great movie reaction of our time...
12:52 That look to camera! 😂
I think the filmmakers got the wrong tower with Sauron's Barad-Dur. In Tolkien's original illustration it was Minas Morgul (formerly Minas Ithil, the tower of the moon built by the Numenorians), and Orthanc which was correct in the movie. I guess it didn't make sense for the films though because unlike the book Minas Morgul isn't shown until the third installment.
Not me waiting for the “no parent should have to bury their child” line 😂
-46:40
Well it wouldn't be that difficult to track the Hobbits because if you think about it, who else is walking around bare foot 🤣🤣
Aaron: “We out here getting these salads cuz”
Hannah: “Cause what?”
😆😂😆
IM HERE FOR THE LORD OF THE RINGS BUT NOW IM HERE FOR BOTH OF YALL , I HOPE EVERYTHING GOOD HAPPENS YALL ARE SO SWEET TOGETHER , MY HEART
Honestly my personal favorite one of the trilogy just because the Battle of Helms Deep blew my mind as a kid.
“Ooow one of them charge things again...”
*Laughs in “For Frodo”*
Every single LotR reaction video: "is that a dragon?" :P
I feel A Aron for lovin Gimli. His manliness is just unequaled, and he's super fun.
Any possibility of a reupload for Return of the King? Literally just watched your FotR video amd immediately subscribed.
As soon as you gave that cheeky look to the camera, i knew you were gonna mention the broken toe
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this is my favorite of the three. I love the Rohan story & Peter Jackson did such an amazing job.
Same
RotK was incredible and action packed but I prefer the Two Towers for the pacing and epic moments
You guys are my kind of people. Just wonderful human beings. Loved this. 🤘🏻
Don't get me wrong, the movies are a great adaptation & I love them but remember, Fellowship was first published in 1954! It started & set the standard for "realistic believable" fantasy fiction. There's far more backstory & history in the novels. If you love the story & the characters, do yourself a real favour & read the books. Use the novels for your source material to explain the holes in the screenplay rather than just the extended versions of the films (as good as they are).
FYI Treebeard & the other "tree giants" aren't just trees, they're Ents, or Tree Herders, guardians of Fangorn Forest. The trees you refer to as moving to Helm's Deep in the extended film are actually Huorns, trees that can move. The flying creatures ridden by The Nazgul are not dragons. In the books they are called "Fell Beasts." These are just 2 things that aren't mentioned or explained fully in the movies. There are so many more, too many to fit in the films, as long as they were, such was the scope of Tolkien's world & imagination.
That said, I loved these movies & I'm glad you did too!
Awwww, Aaron's joy at seeing Gandalf again was adorkable.
Although the Uruks had all the “tech”, I’ve never for a moment thought it was the result of orc genius. They aren’t clever or inventive. Their best quality is their industriousness; they are hard workers. The gunpowder mine/bomb was Saruman’s invention; he planned the assault on Helm’s Deep, clearly being aware of the height of the outer and inner walls, and having his hard working orcs build the ladders needed to reach the tops of the walls; he may have been the first to develop crossbows. Saruman is clearly shown (especially in the extended versions) to turn his back on the natural world and embrace “the fires of industry”. Treebeard comments at one point something like Saruman has a mind of wheels. He invented all of this stuff.
I just have to say, I love your smile Aaron, I love your content and I love your personalities. Keep being you, because you both are so precious =)
Back story: Elrond had a twin brother Elros. Their mother was miar and elf, their father was human. When the Elrond and Elros were born, they were given a choice of human or elf. Elrond chose elf,, but Elros chose human. Elros and the Dunedin’s could live hundreds of years. Elros is Aragorn’s great, great, great....Granada father.
Back story: Orcs are creatures of the night. They can see keenly in the dark, but are often blinded in daylight. This is one reason that Gandalf/Eomer's charge was so successful.
Orcs were originally elves that were corrupted and tortured by melkor (morgoth).
Aaron wants to watch the Extended editions?! He's definitely a keeper :)
I wonder if it might not be helpful to have a map handy so he can look & see where everyone is. Might give him a better perspective of the area, like where Mt Doom is, where Frodo & Sam currently are, where the Gandalf & the gang are etc..
You two are so funny, your reactions always feel great to watch. :) Thanks for the content.
Couple points for your interest: The Rohan culture was based on Anglo-Saxon and Nordic cultures. The Dead Marshes were supposedly based on Tolkien’s experience in World War I at the Battle of the Somme which was one of the worst battles during the conflict in 1916. The Ents, according to Tolkien, were created after watching a rendition of Macbeth when the “wood began to move” and it turned out to be people with twigs in their hats. This time the wood does move
You should show him a map; they’re included at the front of the books, and not spoilers I think for that reason. It would help him get his head around the fellowship’s journey, the difference between Isengard and Helm’s Deep, and in the next film between Edoras, Minas Tirith, Osgiliath, and the layout of Mordor.
Loving this game show intro,
lol 😆
The Nazgul was riding a Fellbeast which is more akin to a Drake than a Dragon.
I would say its more of a wyvern.
It’s more birdlike in the books.
Yeah wyvern. Easy basic tell apart. Dragons and frames have four legs and 2 wings where as wyverns have 2 legs and 2 wings that take the place of the front legs.
Example: smug from the hobbit is described in the books as a dragon fitting the classic european style (4 legs, 2 wings) but for the movie he was made into the wyvern style.
@@tycol322 Smaug had 4 legs in the first hobbit movie but when they finalised the design and made him a wyvern style they reshot the bit where he enters Erebor. In the regular edition you can still see him like that.
@@CompanyLaPtop that's what I was going to say.
First thing on my mind: love that buffalo plaid in some of my fav colors.
🖤🤎🧡🤎🖤
I think there's a very good chance that Aaron may, in fact, have been sleep-walking through Fellowship. lol! Oh, and it's Mount Dang 😉
Great videos : ) im now subbed
It's great that he's excited to find out what happens with Saruman and is about to watch the theatrical version of RotK without the what happens to Saruman.
Girlfriend makes you watch LOTR theatrical and states you will be watching the extended editions as well. What you have there, is a keeper :)
Yes! Nobody mentioned it yet (I read through 150 comments)... voice actor for Treebeard is the actor for Gimli. Make sure Aaron knows that since he likes the dwarf. 😁
Aaron might want to look up a map of Middle-Earth so he can get his bearings on where things are happening. (But be careful about spoilers... I don't want to mess with his reaction for the rest of the movies.) 😅
Nobody mentioned it in the comments, because she mentioned it during the reaction!
@@phueal 😂 dang it... I missed it... 🤣
i’ve been waiting for this for so long
The viking metal band Amon Amarth took that name from the LotR lore!
Amon Amarth literally translates into Mount Doom!
I highly recommend checking out the band!!
2:13 A shy CR7's "Siuuuu" xD
17:00 Every time you pull that out, it breaks my heart uwu xd the extended version gives you so many fundamental details
OMG, I think I'm in love with your friend in the hat! 😍😍 Abby? Lol
a fact about The Dead Marshes, they were inspired by Tolkien's expirience in WWI during the Battle of the Somme
Its been THREE WEEKS sense you seen lord of the rings.