Your enthusiasm was wonderful! To answer your question, My father read “The Hobbit” aloud when I was 11 and my brother was 7. It was a family tradition to read aloud at the beach, where there was no TV in those days. A year later I read LOTR in my father’s fine hardcovers. Flash forward to 2001. When I took my 73-year-old dad to see this in the theater, he commented afterward, “It’s so good to have lived long enough to see this made into a perfect movie.” And he lived long enough to see the others with me, too.
Between us, my father and I acquired three of those, but neither of us ever got around to reading them. He spent his older years reading commentaries on Shakespeare, ancient classics, and lots of history (his degree was in history). I have read mountains of general and classical literature, SF, folklore, and history (especially Civil War and exploration history).@@Makkaru112
Between us, my father and I acquired three of those, but neither of us ever got around to reading them. He spent his older years reading commentaries on Shakespeare, ancient classics, and lots of history (his degree was in history). I have read mountains of general and classical literature, SF, folklore, and history (especially Civil War and exploration history).
yeah the movies ain’t that good. Almost fell asleep in part 1 and 3. Too many overly stylized speeches and head shots. The fight scenes were good especially Legolas’
@@OrbitalbombI get action is fun, but to prioritize it and dismiss dialogue and world building is truly something. Narrative and setup is what made those fights payoff in the first place. The next two films are full on war, fellowship is meant to introduce characters, lore and stakes. Dialogue and the love for linguistics, theology and Tolkien’s use of old English is what makes it immersive. It may not be enjoyable for you, but many fans enjoy it specifically for those moments.
Sindarin (the main Elvish language) feels like an actual language because it is. Tolkien started developing it modeling it after Welsh and then for the movies another linguist, David Salo worked it out more, so that it became almost a functional language. Fun fact: Liv Tyler (Arwen) is fluent in it to this day. Another Elvish language, older and less used, mainly for ceremonial occasions (almost like an Elvish Latin) is Quenya, you hear it only a few times in the movies, it was based on Finnish. The Dwarves' language, Khuzdul has only a few words established in canon because according to the lore they keep their language secret, they very rarely speak it in front of others. It is Semitic in structure resembling closely languages like Hebrew and Arabic. The only Khuzdul phrase that others hear often is their battle cry: Barukh Khazad! Khazad ai-menu! = Axes of the Dwarves, the Dwarves are upon you! You'll also hear a bit of the language of Rohan, for which they used Old English in the movies. The Black Speech of Mordor is a language developed in lore by Sauron, but Orcs being rather stupid can't really learn it, they speak a debased form of it mixed with words of Westron, the common Mannish tongue (English in the book/movies). There are very few words known, mainly the inscription of the ring: Ash nazgh durbatuluk Ash nazgh gimbatul Ash nazgh thrakatuluk Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul. As for the music, it is probably the best movie soundtrack of all time, Howard Shore's absolute masterpiece. I teach musical illustration (essentially film music) to Digital Media majors at a university and this soundtrack makes out a large part of the curriculum.
I didn’t know that about the orcs language being a mixture of 2 languages. Or how badass the dwarf battle cry is. I love all the lore Tolkien fans put in the comments.
We hear the Black Speech version of the Ring inscription whispered 'by the Ring' during the argument at the Council of Elrond, a nice touch. We hear Quenya in the chorus during the passage of the Argonath (the large stone figures): it is the Oath of Elendil, which we will hear chanted in 'Return of the King' by Elessar. Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinomë maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta. Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world. Details like this are one of the reasons that even mostly 'purist' fans of the books are fond of the films; and they remind us of how far Jackson missed his own high standards in making the Hobbit films. Then there's Amazon*grumble*mumble*… As for the Orc speech, we do well to remember Tolkien's explanation of how their words were translated to English: "But Orcs and Trolls spoke as they would, without love of words or things; and their language was actually more degraded and filthy than I have shown it. I do not suppose that any will wish for a closer rendering, though models are easy to find. Much the same sort of talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal vigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong."
@@kunglaoshat1250 in the 3rd film, there are inscriptions on Grond (the wolf-shaped battering ram) that the sculptors in the prop department misspelled. the language advisors caught it but Peter jackson left them on; he reasoned that the orcs weren't great at spelling anyway.
@@karabenomar Balrogs? Piece of piss mate, ain't got nuttin' on me boomerang. If that dun work just whip out ma didge, play em some tunes... she'll calm down right quick. Then we'll relax by the billabong for some snags n' a few cold ones.
Lady was a joy to watch her reactions, And Dude gets props for keeping a pretty good poker face and just letting Lady experience it without putting his own spin on it ☮️🏆
@@johnmackendrick5173how long has it been since he seen the movie? How many “casual movie fans” realize how deep this stuff goes ontop of the feats this scholarly war veteran achieved ? ❤
Yeah initially for a reaction channel it seems a bit weird subduing your reactions, but for him he absolutely handled it right. He's seen it already and is letting his partner experience it all for herself. His effort is appreciated!
It was because neither of them are smart enough or have sufficient imagination to figure out what is the obvious and decipher for themselves what the HECK was going on all around them!!!! The average 12 year old could do better!!
You know how, when you read a book, you envision what things look like, then you see a movie adaptation, and you're disappointed that it looks different from how you imagined? Well, I had my imaginings of the Lord of the Rings and the famous paintings by the Hildebrandt brothers shaping my expectations, and Peter Jackson's movies looked different from what I expected, but instead of being disappointed, I thought "I had it wrong. THIS is what it should look like!" I can't remember any other movie adaptation of a book that I thought looked truer to the book than what I imagined while reading the book.
I couldn't agree more, and everything feels like Middle Earth, I've never been able to explain it but I'm sure somebody could show me a random still from a LoTR film and I would know it's Middle Earth immediately, even without landmarks, iconic scenery, or people. The lighting, the hues, it's so unique
I was talking with a guy I know back when LOTR:FotR first came out and he said something that I agreed with... the casting was so good that when Gandalf first appears (in his wagon), we were smiling ear to ear because it was like seeing a dear friend we hadn't seen for over a decade. I remember seeing a trailer before another movie I was watching. It was before the FotR came out. The first frame of it was the scene where The Fellowship are walking between the two boulders at 31:01 here. I didn't even know a trailer was out but when I saw those frames, I instantly knew exactly what movie it was because they *looked* like they should be the characters. I literally yelled out in the theater I was so happy.
if you watch LotR behind the scenes 'appendices' - you see that for the art and design departments working for more than 2 years before they started filming they brought in two famous artist to help the New Zealand team at WETA who had been painting artwork for LotR for decades.
The 20 minutes of credits at the end of "Fellowship" included everybody that had been involved in the fan website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Anyone that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks like and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! I also have polystone statues of Golem and Smeagol, The Argonath and Minas Tirith. My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!
That and it was the 3000 people involved who made this happen. TS didnt link 100s of chainmail shirts and armor by hand, for thr actors AND the doubles. did you aee the long behind the scenes passion project documentary playlist?@@jamesoflaherty7332
@@jamesoflaherty7332That and it was the 3000 people involved who made this happen. TS didnt link 100s of chainmail shirts and armor by hand, for thr actors AND the doubles. did you 👀 the long behind the scenes passion project documentary playlist? @jamesoflaherty7332
7:10 I love that Bilbo, at his own birthday, chose to tell stories to the kids. It's not like they would make him play babysitter at his own party; he *wanted* to tell them stories :)
Well kids are receptive and interested in his stories. The adults have all been socialized into thinking adventures are silly things that take away from home and family.
In the Shire, hobbits give gifts to all their family and friends on their own birthdays.... And since it's someones bday almost every day, it's year round presents!!!
he absolutely did create that legend “The second disappearance of Mr. Bilbo Baggins… became a fireside story for young hobbits, and eventually Mad Baggins, who used to vanish with a bang and a flash and reappear with bags of jools and gold, became a favourite character of legend and lived on long after all the true event were forgotten.” (FotR, ch. 2) @@terrylandess6072
Fun fact : When Aragorn is fighting the Uruk-Hai leader, the uruk throws a knife and Aragorn deviates it with his sword. That wasn't supposed to happen, the knife should have been thrown much to the side but the stunt guy mised his shot so Viggo Mortensen deflected it it with his sword out of pure reflex. Peter Jackson (director) loved that shot so much he decided to keep it.
@@alexandercummins You must not pay attention when Viggo kicks the helmet. THAT is the most repeated fact. This is probably the second. Sean Astin stepping on glass would probably be the third and Sir Christopher Lee (spoiler) correcting PJ about being stabbed in the back is most likely the fourth. This definitely isn't the most repeated, though.
@@runtwer5700 How nice for you to correct me in such a friendly manner. With that attitude is it any wonder no one followed you on Twitch. By the way this is YOU! th-cam.com/video/A4OtvRj_Ij8/w-d-xo.html
I know it may seem daunting but you really should see the extended editions going forward. None of it is bad and some of it is actually quite important to the plot. Some things might not make sense if you haven't read the books and one character just isn't in the third movie at all, in the theatrical version.
I concur. Extended editions are so much better than the theatrical cuts, which themselves is great. Watch the Extended Editions. You will not regret it.
@@ncvogt I will say, though, that the extended cut of this film adds the least amount in terms of significant story/lore/character development than any of the other 5 films.
No don’t do the extended! For a first time viewing the theatrical is enough. The extended ruins the pacing of the main story. If you love it you can always go back and watch the extended as a cool bonus.
What utterly amazes me everytime I watch any of the trilogy movies is the incredible *subtility* of some of the effects. The scaling of the characters is nothing short of astonishing. Everytime I see him, I find it so hard to believe that John Rhys Davies - Gimili - is actually one of the tallest members of the cast at 6' 2".
Elvish is an actual language, Tolkien was a professor of linguistics at Oxford university. He made languages and then basically wrote books to feature the languages he made. I am sure other people have said this lol, but good to know.
And naturally as a Finn I must tell that Tolkien was really into Finnish, and got lots of inspiration from it into Elvish languages. And one of his first stories was Story of Kullervo, basing on the Finnish epic Kalevala.
Boromir’s last stand never ceases to impress me. I had a guy I worked with in college get me into bow-building and man, real war-bows are scary! An English longbow with heavy draw weight hits with more energy than a .44 magnum at close range. The fact that it took three arrows to take that man down makes him an absolute beast!
@@Makkaru112 Citation needed. Boromir's struggle takes place offstage in the books, and Aragorn finds him, and "saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows: his sword was still in his hand but it was broken near the hilt; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet."
@@majkus that was a fantastic rendition of Henry V. But yes, Agincourt was a perfect storm of factors; not least of which were England’s heavy war bows.
Aragorn took Boromir's bracers and put them on as a reminder of his promise to Boromir to not let the White City fall or their people fail. They formed a strong kinship and they grew to admire and love each other as brothers in arms. Boromir was a phenomenal man.
The entire genre was created by The Lord of the Rings ... literature and all variations. We must remember that Tolkien's book was voted not only 'Book of the Century' ... but 'Book of the Millennium' in 2000. Think of all the books written between year 1000 to 2000. Of course, not too many voters were up on their reading of ancient texts, but it's still as impressive as it gets.
"Is that the first time they dropped this music?" Yes, that is the "Fellowship theme". Notice that after Gandalf dies, we never hear the theme in its complete form again.
@@KineticSymphony and even more deeep detail is every single song is tied together in ways many never knew, watch or react to “How Howard Shore Uses Voices”
Nah, she needs to see the theatrical releases first. To see what we all saw, first. After she needs to see the extended cuts. That’s the correct way to view them.
@@minnesotajones261 If Christopher Lee came back to haunt me, I'd honestly just hang out with him, and listen to his stories. Both his experience in real life things and his experience in show business would be absolutely fascinating to hear about.
Viggo was actually a fantastic swordsman for these movies. Bob Anderson, the master of arms, the fight choreographer, who had a 50year career training actors for combat scenes, said that Viggo was the best he'd ever trained. So skilled was Viggo that he was allowed to perform all of his combat stunts, and use a real sword instead of a foam replica.
@@genny5309 Correct. Also worked with Antonio Banderas for Zorro, Johnny Deep in the Pirates of The Caribbean movies, Christophe Lambert and Sean Connery for Highlander, Mark Hamill in Star Wars, and he also performed a lot of the combat scenes wearing Darth Vader's costume.
I'm going to be pedantic, because that's kind of what the internet is for! Mortensen wore the "Hero" version of his swords in all of his non-combat scenes. The Hero swords were full-weight "Real" swords (albeit blunt) because he wanted that weight to be realistic and to seem comfortable with wearing it, as Aragorn would be. For his combat scenes, there were a few safe "stunt" versions of the sword - lightweight aluminium, safe polymer etc - depending on the type of action being filmed. He didn't use the Hero swords in any of the combat scenes. It would have been too dangerous and exhausting.
Absolutely amazing to see a D&D player finally watching all the things they imagined while playing perfectly and lovingly presented in film. That made this particular reaction special.
I don’t play D&D, I never had friends that were into it, but seems to me the guy who developed the game took a lot from Tolkien’s invented world. It wouldn’t exist w/out LotR, imo.
@@sylvanaire Oh yeah, D&D was created when Tolkien was growing and rippling out to have a big influence on American culture - the 60's and 70's had tons of popular music, movies, and art centered around Tolkienesque themes and imagery, and in books the fantasy genre was starting to really take off. Not all fantasy has elves and dwarves and orcs, but Tolkien's popularity made them almost a requirement. Gygax, Arneson, and D&D (and a lot of fantasy role playing games that came out later) were no different.
I'm an old gamer who have been playin RPG since 1989 totally loved this movie when it came out! Of course we all had read LOTR several times before that and always imagined Middle-Earth and other places in our role-playing campaigns and seeing these movies making Middle-Earth come to life so perfectly was like a dream come true! I'm seriously hyped to go back to the classic role-playing again... Run through some cool campaigns and adventures again just to get that "feeling" again.
@@sylvanaire In one of the appendices of one of the manuals, there is a list of fantasy books that Gary Gygax all but admits to borrowing from when he created the game. To no one's surprise, The Lord of the Rings is on that list.
LOTR is the basis for pretty much all modern fantasy, you see its influence everywhere in movies and games and D&D especially. One of the reasons why it’s so beloved by so many.
I’m not sure what’s better: seeing the reaction of someone watching for the first time, or the excitement of the person who’s seen it before, just waiting to show the other all the things they enjoy about this movie. Well done!
FYI- the stone Trolls are mentioned in the Extended version. Background of the Hobbits and all the gifts that Galadriel gave to the Fellowship are also highlighted. Worth the watch!
@@Makkaru112 Yes? How does that relate to a first time viewer being daunted by the run time of the theatrical release, and then being impressed enough to watch a longer version the next time? (Unless you replied to me by accident)
They are who central casting sends over when you say you need a “wholesome and charming couple” for your next film. So fun and refreshing watching these two.
I won't subtract any points for not watching the extended editions, but will suggest that you do. They fill out the story and the characters even further, subtracting nothing from the whole. Very worth while. A little factoid: Christopher Lee was the only member of the cast to have ever met Tolkien, who thought he would have been a great Gandalf. For the elven language, Tolkien created that entirely, and Liv Tyler loved it so much that she became fluent in it. And in the final fight, where Aragorn deflects the knife with his sword, that was not intended. The man wearing the Uruki suit misjudged where he was throwing, and Viggo Mortensen managed to knock it aside - creating that awesome scene. This trilogy has become a yearly watch for me, and with the extended editions that is 9 incredible hours!
Peter Jackson wanted people to see the long versions. The studios forced the shorter versions, for various practical reasons. The reasons for "directors cuts" can vary wildly, and sometimes it's nothing more than a marketing trick, but in this case the director prefers the extended cut. These movies are so well made, that even with extended versions, people want "more".
It will always astonish and impress me, how of ALL the world's Directors/Producers/Crew(s), it was Sir Jackson and 'Party' who got handed the reins of this amazing Saga, and then created what has to be the most respectful, most impressive story/film possible. I cannot imagine anyone else pulling this feat, now!
Part of what makes these movies so good is that they were all shot at once. They were released 1 year apart each, but they were filmed all in one go. Lots of sequels are made, and unfortunately ruined, because the first one is successful, and then the sequel tries to pander to the fandom. For example, making a character do too much or something out of character in a sequel because that character was especially liked. These movies are continuous, well written, you can tell there is a story to be told throughout all the movies, and the care and passion put into them is astounding. All movie adaptations can’t 100% be accurate to the books, so there are some changes, but these are still very faithful to the books, so much so, that even lore purist don’t really complain about the changes. It’s just amazing.
Luckily it is impossible to "overstate" how good this Trilogy is, everyone is more than impressed when they watch for the first time, it always "exceeds" expectations.
Amazing video and so cool to see I caught this relatively recent to you two watching. Thanks for watching and recording - felt like watching with friends. My wife and I watch the trilogy every couple of months! The lore of these stories (books and movies) continually gives and gives and never gets old, arguably the best stories ever written and some how never gets old... either way it's just a damn good tale. Watch LOTR : Two Towers and Return of the King next (extended editions)!
The extended editions are they way to go if you enjoyed it that much. Pretty much all the fantasy movies of the 80s are worth watching. Willow, legend, dark crystal to name a few
Nah. The extended cut offers so few to the actual story. Best world building is, when it is not pushed into your face. Like the map at the very beginning of the lonely mountain. Lotr exceeds in soft world building by dropping lines all the time which hint at "there is more". The extended cut contain many scenes which just lengthens the movies for basically no benefit to the story or the pacing of the movies. They are fine to extend the world, but just not to extend the movies. There are few exceptions but only one which really hurts the movie by beeing cut: the scene with "mouth...". The follow up scene with the "charge" gets a complete different meaning for the audience with the knowledge this cut scene provides. The stakes are higher when you know what the characters think to know.
@@SilverViper1000 Sorry but that is just not true. There are at least 3 scenes in the extended Edition that are pretty essential, dont affect the Pacing at all imo and to this day i dont understand why they were cut. They are: SPOILERS: 1. Boromir taking back Osgiliath and establishing his relationshipt with Faramir and Denethor 2. The Discussion with Saruman and his following Death 3. The one you mentioned even tho i dont think its that importat personally, but its definetly nice to have. Especially the Saruman scene being cut, makes me kind of angry thinking about it. Its the Conclusion of the story of our secondary Main Villain who has been the Main, visible Threat for two of the three Movies, had so much impact on the Story, an amazing Performance by the late great Christopher Lee, it gives more time for Theoden and Gandalf to shine, even Grima gets a conclusion to his Arc and more characterization, the Palantir just doesnt end up randomly at Pippins feet for no apparent reason, etc. etc. Sorry, but you can not honestly sit here and tell me that the movie is better without all of that. I refuse to accept that. Its an integral Part of the Story and ripping it out makes you really feel that somethings missing there. When i watched the Movies in the Theatrical Version for the first time when i was like 12 or something, dont remember exactly, I immediatly noticed how weird it felt that Sarumans Story ended with "He has no power anymore" and that was it. Nothing. No Resolution, no emotional Catharsis, just... yeah thats it lol, pack it up bois. That felt so weak and weird, even to my uncritical 12 year old child mind.
There is a famous quote that may apply here, "don't meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger". I could counter that with another one, "don't meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and tasty with a bit of ketchup".
Then there's Harry Dresden's version: "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. F*** subtle!" Blows door off hinges...
There is another quote. " No matter how powerful the Wizard, no matter how powerful the spell, a dagger in the back will severely cramp their style". 😂
The song Aragorn sings has huge importance! Here is the full version: “The leaves were long, the grass was green, The hemlock-umbels tall and fair, And in the glade a light was seen; Of stars in shadow shimmering, Tinúviel was dancing there, To music of a pipe unseen And light of stars was in her hair And in her raiment glimmering There Beren came from mountains cold; And lost he wandered under leaves; And where the Elven-river rolled. He walked alone and sorrowing. He peered between the hemlock-leaves; And saw in wonder flowers of gold Upon her mantle and her sleeves And her hair like shadow following Enchantment healed his weary feet That over hills were doomed to roam And forth he hastened, strong and fleet And grasped at moonbeams glistening Through woven woods in Elvenhome She lightly fled on dancing feet And left him lonely still to roam In the silent forest listening He heard there oft the flying sound Of feet as light as linden-leaves Or music welling underground In hidden hollows quavering Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves And one by one with sighing sound Whispering fell the beachen leaves In the wintry woodland wavering He sought her ever, wandering far Where leaves of years were thickly strewn By light of moon and ray of star In frosty heavens shivering Her mantle glinted in the moon As on a hill-top high and far She danced, and at her feet was strewn A mist of silver quivering When winter passed, she came again And her song released the sudden spring Like rising lark, and falling rain And melting water bubbling He saw the elven-flowers spring About her feet, and healed again He longed by her to dance and sing Upon the grass untroubling Again she fled, but swift he came Tinúviel! Tinúviel! He called her by her elvish name And there she halted listening One moment stood she, and a spell His voice laid on her: Beren came And doom fell on Tinúviel That in his arms lay glistening As Beren looked into her eyes Within the shadows of her hair The trembling starlight of the skies He saw there mirrored shimmering Tinúviel the elven-fair Immortal maiden elven-wise About him cast her shadowy hair And arms like silver glimmering Long was the way that fate them bore O'er stony mountains cold and grey Through halls of ireon and darkling door And woods of nightshade morrowless The Sundering Seas between them lay And yet at last they met once more And long ago they passed away In the forest singing sorrowless” The true elvish version is far greater and so full of beauty & nuanced mournful sadness that’s break the hearts of mortals from its beauty and sadness so the true song has been sort of taboo and the mannish tongues that retell it is stated to only be a shadow beneath the tree of the true story!
One thing I don't see people mention is when Sam follows Frodo and almost drowns. I always notice Frodo's reaction, because we know from the book that Frodo's parents drowned in a boating accident, so watching Sam go underwater like that must have been terrifying. (Idk if Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood took that into account for that moment, but I wouldn't be surprised)
I'm gonna throw my 2cent in and say the Extended Editions will be well worth it. They may slightly longer but once you've watched fotr, you will want so much more. Thanks for this reaction!
Exactly. Here’s why! Scenes at risk of being missed: 1• Frodo/Sam's first meeting with the elves, providing context for Valinor and the elves journey there, as referenced throughout the films and seen at the end of the Return of the King(connects to the passing of the elves in the beginning of their leaving the shire when Frodo and Sam are near the Old Forest by the Shire which leads them to eventually bumping into Merry And Pippin! (An epic scene with Gandalf in Rivendell was also removed as well.) 2. Aragorn singing the Lay of Luthien, providing a parallel between the events of the Beren and Luthien and Aragorn's relationship with Arwen of which every reactor channel I’ve seen makes the connection and it pulls them into a deeper understanding of their relationship every single time. 3. Aragorn kneeling at his mother's grave, giving him some additional backstory for the viewer. 4. Gandalf explaining to Frodo about the corruptive power of the Ring, and how it will strain the Fellowship from the inside, foreshadowing Boromir's downfall. 5. Sam singing a lament for Gandalf, providing more emotional weight to Gandalf's death, referencing the start of the movie and strengthening the connection between him and the Hobbits ( also highlights Tolkien's love of song and poetry in the books). 6. Galadriel giving the gifts to the Fellowship, providing context for their appearance in later films, as well as drawing a parallel between Gimli's gift and the events of the Silmarillion (Fëanor & Galadriel). That’s just the beginning. Including several removed scenes between Aragorn & Galadriel and Aragorn with her husband Celeborn! 7• also the opening explaining Hobbits & their culture to the viewers, so they have a better understanding of these peoples we will be following which also was the direct full chapter called Concerning Hobbits.
I’m definitely on the side of watching the extended versions first, especially if you’ve never read the books. I can’t stress that enough. There are parts of the story you’ll understand so much more by doing so. I’ll say the same thing for The Hobbit movies as well. The additional scenes are so important.
The extended versions are the way Peter Jackson intended the movies to be seen but the theater chains wanted them cut down so they could get in one more showing a day. Extended versions all the way.
Extendes versions are absolutely horrific. If i had seen them first, i would not be a fan. All the jokes added are cringe to the 10th degree and is mostly the added content. Which is why they were all cut and why the blemish free theatrical cut is a flawless masterpiece. Anyone who says otherwise would never make it in a directing chair or as head of a production company.
@@WheresWaldo05 Bullshit. they were cut at the behest of the theater chains so they could fit one more showing a day. The theatrical cut left way too much on the cutting room floor. The extended cuts are the way PJ meant for them to be seen You are the one who has no idea what makes them great.
Seeing Fellowship of The Ring on the week it opened was such an experience; as was seeing all the films in the cinema. Hobbiton is a really practical set. The set crew did something clever & that was to build it & plant all the additional foliage….& then they left it for a year prior to filming on it. That way, it allowed the plants to become established & give it a more natural look. The scale issue between Hobbits, Humans, Dwarfs was accomplished with the clever use of forced perspective, shooting scenes on two different scale sets & the digitally compositing them, as well as scale doubles for certain scenes. The technological accomplishments of the trilogy are amazing & still stand up today. It’s worth watching the making of to get a insight into what WETA workshop did. Fun Fact: the reason Sean Bean has his head in his hand during the council of Elrond scene is because he had his lines taped to his leg. The cast got numerous script re-writes; sometimes daily & he had issues remembering them. I have a personal connection to the Lord of The Rings, through my uncle. He was part of the cast for the BBC Radio Adaptation in the early 1980s. He played several roles; namely the Black Rider who utters the immortal line ‘Shire. Baggins’ as well as the character Beregond who despite being in the book, doesn’t appear in the film. Other notable cast members for the radio adaptation are Ian Holm as Frodo (Holm played Bilbo in the films), Bill Nighy as Sam, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo (he’s best known for as Wilson from cult tv show Dads Army) & Michael Hordern as Gandalf (best known for narrating the Paddington animated series). In 2007 I had the immense honour of being able to meet & have a conversation with Sir Christopher Lee; it is something I’ll never forget. We spoke at length about his career with Hammer Films & also The Wicker Man.
Most of the effects used to make the Hobbits looks smaller is a lot of shot perspective, for example when Frodo and Gandalf are on the horse and cart in the beginning, Elijah Wood is actually sitting about 2 feet back from Ian McKellen, but with using certain camera angles it makes it appear they are sitting next to each other and Frodo is just smaller. It's another example of the brilliant filmmaking of Peter Jackson
“It feels like a real language” That’s because it actually is. Tolkien was fascinated with language and created several fully functional languages and even sub dialects for this universe. Some of the more diehard fans out there actually speak these languages. The first time you hear the Fellowship theme, is when Sam takes his farthest step from home. It’s subtle, but it’s there.
The more I re-watch the trilogy, the more amazed I am at the brilliance of its conception. The idyllic tone set at the onset by the innocence and simplicity of the Shire, for example. The finest films ever made, IMHO.
I read the books in elementary school. Years before the movies. I also grew up with the Hobbit animated movie, so this story has been a constant in my life. I was definitely tearing up in theaters, seeing it come to life. It always makes me happy to see people discover, and appreciate this story. ❤️
Yeah if you love D&D this is absolutely a must see. The characters, the Inn, mines, orcs, goblins, trolls. Gandalf and the Balrog was just so good. Love that you picked up on the ring being heavy.
So fun to see someone who is coming from the perspective of a D&D player seeing one of the major inspirations for the game being visualized in such a remarkable way. It can be argued that the entire reason we have so many dungeon crawls in D&D is because of Moria alone. I look forward to y'all watching the rest!
Especially the second shouldn't be watched in extended for the first time. It has the worst pacing as extended cut. Just saw all 3 extended in the theatres in a row and the second felt lengthy at times... Even for a nerd like me.
@@SilverViper1000 again. Reactors don’t get a chance for second time viewing half the time unless they’re showing it to. Friend or family member for more views and subscribers. It stemmed from a desire for people to experience the movie like we did before Peter Jackson and crew put out the original edition via DVD. There is a special anniversary edition coming out very soon to theatres too!
Loving it so far!... two things to consider... (1) post each movie in two parts (allows for more content and doubles your views) and... (2) consider the extended edition for the last movie which you could do in three parts (triple your views).
When Liv Tyler started dialect training, she was so taken with the Elvish languages that she successfully argued for a bunch of her English scenes to be filmed in Elvish instead. There was actually a lot of this sort of adaptation in the films; for instance, one actor's performance at a karaoke night led to his character getting to sing on-screen, and it's a highlight of that film.
I don’t know if you live near a theater like Alamo Drafthouse, but many theaters show all 3 movies on the big screen once a year. Sometimes with food and drinks! It’s the best time ever. Everyone there is a fan, and people cheer and cry, and it’s a wonderful experience. You have to do it at least once. I’ve done all 3 movies in one day at least 4 times. It’s such a blast. Can’t wait to see more from you two. Cheers!
The Shire was a fertile land in area about the size Great Britain. It had been depopulated by war and plague about 1500 years before the events in the books. There was a large settlement of Hobbits in the area of Bree Hill . The High King of Arnor gave it to the Hobbits 400 years before the kingdom fell. The only condition was that they keep The Great East-West road, that ran through its Northern bordor, and its bridges in good repair. One big omission in the movies is the timeline as it would have confused the audience. Gandalf, alarmed by Bilbo's behavior spent 17 years researching the ring and tracking how it came into Gollum's possession. Hobbits are counted as Mortal Men but their lifecycle is different. They mature more slowly and aren't considered adults until the age of 33. Frodo shared a birthday with Bilbo and turned 33 the day of the party. Bilbo had wanted to leave The Shire for some time, but had waited until Frodo achieved his majority and could own Bag End and its contents free and clear, including the ring. Frodo set out from the Shire when he was 50, but because of the ring he still seemed a young adult. ( The equivalent of our 21.) Samwise Gamgee's family had worked at Bag End as gardeners and domestics for three generations. He was in his late 30s when he accompanied Frodo to Rivendell. Merry, 31, was the eldest son of The Master of Buckland, on the Eastern side of the Brandywine River. Pippin Took, 29 and still an adolescent, was the eldest son of The Thain of the Shire, somewhere between a chieftain and a king. Both of the younger Hobbits threw their futures to the wind to help their friend and cousin Frodo. The Nazgul avoid water when they can because Ulmo, the demigod who sang it into existence, still dwells within it along with his servants. They really hate the Ringwraiths. So if a powerful Elf lord asks the river that borders his land to set up a flood trap that can be triggered at need, The River spirit is likely to do do it. And if a Wizard suggests foam horses would look impressive would probably agree with that. Also the cloaks The Nine use to give shape to their nothingness got washed away so they had to make their way back to their master anyway they could. Gandalf lured the Balrog onto the bridge on purpose. He knew two things. There was nothing to prevent it from chasing after the company and in the past one method for killing a Balrog had been to make it fall from a great height, so he broke the bridge. Aragorn 's mission was to protect the ring bearer and the remnant of the bridge couldn't have taken any more weight. That's why Gandalf told them to run, before one of the orc's arrows killed them.
The names Balin, Norri, and Orri you would probably remember. Balin died as leader of a colony expedition to Khazad-Dum. Norri died as victim of the Kraken-like creature in the dark water. Orri was the corpse holding on to the book before Balin's tomb.
If you're interested, I can tell you a few things, without spoilers, that aren't detailed enough in the film: Galadriel (the Lady of the Light, from the elven word "galad") is a very powerful sorceress who in her millennial life fought many battles (most likely as heavy artillery) against the original dark lord Morgoth, the one who taught Sauron the way to the "dark side". Galadriel and Elrond, the elven king of Rivendell, have telepathic powers, can communicate at a distance and he also has the gift of foresight. Galadriel's daughter married Elrond and therefore Arwen, the one who swears eternal love to Aragorn, is Galadriel's granddaughter. Galadriel's gifts to the company are enchanted and the two daggers given to Merry and Pippin have already been used in combat, as she tells them. the palantir, Saruman's seer stone, is not the only one, there are others (another is kept in the city of Gondor, where Gandalf went to find information about the ring) and looking into it for too long can lead to addiction and folly. Saruman doesn't actually seek the ring for Sauron but he believes he can bend its powers to his will. Pippin comes from a noble family and he is the heir to the title of earl of the shire.
Thought I replied to this. Fëanor created all of the Palantiri. First one or two I guarantee he created with his two eldest of 7 sons Maedhros and Maglor. ❤
Enjoy these classics! I also recommend the extended editions of the next two, but at the VERY least doing the extended version of the third film, Return of the King which has some material that never should have been cut from the theatrical version.
I'm actually so excited to watch the other two films with you I can't wait, cos you're so stoked and got so much out of the first one. It's true you really feel the vastness of Middle Earth and the depth of lore to all the different races, it feels like a real place with different languages and cultures. And I agree you also do see new things whenever you rewatch the films, it's amazing how good the story telling and lore is, and the fact they let you see and experience a lot of things rather than heavy handedly explaining it all to you.
If only, between the two of them, they could have kept the ring in Frodo’s pocket at all times like Gandalf told him to 🤷♀️ it would have been a much shorter trilogy.
@@DeAnne1233 you’re not always conscious as the ring has the life gourde of a literal Maiar spirit. One of the Ainur. It manipulates all around it. It’s more like noticing the puppet strings moving your hand around before you make yourself stop. Same as how the ring changes shape to the wearer like when Frodo fell on his back and the ring changed shape as it was falling as well as when isildur held the ring. Speaking of isildur: he sss never bad in the books. Nor did he have a fight with Elrond. He was even going to bring it to Rivendell and relinquish it as it was meant to only be a blood for blood heirloom because Sauron killed his father and brother who together with GilGalad slain Sauron’s physical body.
@@Makkaru112 Thank you. I appreciate the extra info as I haven’t read the books. My comment was meant as a little tongue in cheek. I see now how it didn’t come across that way. :)
These books are the reason for D&D (despite legal filings to the contrary in Tolkien estate lawsuits. For instance, "He looks just like a halfling in D&D!" LOL They're called "halflings" because they got sued for calling them Hobbits.) People wanted to continue playing and adventuring in Middle Earth, and from war gaming RPGs were born, the progenitors of today's MMOs and first person shooters. Tolkien transformed literature and transformed the fantasy genre by being the first to attempt a cohesive fictional mythology. This paved the way for modern fandom, which mythologizes all sorts of franchise canons, across many genres now. I think Marvel, in particular, has an exceptional pantheon. Star Trek, likewise, built notable heroic epics with its series and films. And Star Wars split the difference between a full pantheon and heroic cycles, being based itself upon the heroic journey as described by Joseph Campbell's studies in comparative mythology. Many online book communities and literary organizations gave The Lord of the Rings trilogy The Book of the Millennium, for having the most profound influence on human philosophy and metaphysics since the Arthurian Grail myths.
This story is for everyone. I truly hope you enjoy your journey to Middle Earth, and am certain you’ll find your own meaning along the way. I echo others in tackling the Extended Editions for the next two. There’s so much more detail and immersion you won’t want to miss out on, especially as DnD players. May the Blessings of Elves, Men, and Free Folk go with you!
The languages you hear are actual languages. Tolkien was a philologist and created the languages even before he created the whole legendary world inhabited by the people who spoke them :D
Thank you Jordan for suppressing any instinct to spoil anything. You let her enjoy it naturally without dropping constant factoids. Only where necessary
(Missed) Galadriel's gift to Gimli has deeper meaning behind it, like most things in this movie & reflects the expanded lore of the middle earth universe. Galadriel is one of the 2-3 most powerful & wise elves remaining in Middle Earth since the time the land was young. She was born in a place called Valinor, or the Undying land... which is basically the place of residence of the Valar, the local pantheon, the local "gods" as you may call them. Back then, the world was not illuminated by the sun&moon, (only the stars, but rather by 2 trees of gold and silver, Telperion and Laurëlin that lit the world before the sun & moon were born from their last flower & fruit as they were basically killed by Melkor when he struck them with his Lance and Ungoliant the primordial Eldrich Terror, Ungoliant she was named by the Eldar). It is said that Galadriel's hair had somehow captured some of the shine of those two trees. Her uncle Fëanor, who was a great king of the Elven people after his father Finwë was slain by Morgoth(Formally known as Melkor). Fëanor arguably was their greatest craftsman to ever live, asked if she could give him a lock of hair, so that he could use it to fashion 3 gems that would shine of the same light as the trees. Sensing his pride & a shadow that wasn’t exactly belonging to him brewing from within, she refused his request 3 times. He stopped asking and made the gems anyway, managing to complete the task he had set for himself even without her hair. Around these 3 gems, the possession of which became the driving force for many of the great events in the world, entire wars that lasted for centuries exploded, and other events. The gems actively shaped the fate of the races of middle earth to the point that the aforementioned Valar got involved directly. During these times, events surrounding the gems brought about the traditional enmity between Dwarves and Elves... the same enmity that Gimli still feels towards them. That enmity however does not survive his encounter with the wise Galadriel, whom Gimli basically falls platonically in love with. By giving him 3 of her hair, Galadriel is opening a door, offering an olive branch that might one day close the gap that divides these two races. Legolas, himself being an Elven prince and centuries old, knows of the story through his father Thranduil & grandfather Oropher, as it shaped the lives of all Elves, and his subtle smile is possibly the first act of acknowledgment and reconciliation. it is also a way for Peter Jackson, the director of the film, to give a nod to all of the fans who know these facts and backstories... a way to make us feel seen, and to make us appreciate just how deeply the makers of the film respect the books and larger universe created by Tolkien. The thing with the hair may seem weird, but there is a significance to it in real life as well as in the lore of the story. In real life, it was not uncommon for wives, fiancés, or even girlfriends to give their men (who were going off to war), a lock of their hair as a keepsake, particularly in WWI, which Tolkien fought in. The lore part of it comes into play in The Silmarillion, Tolkien's tales of the creation of Arda, the Undying Lands of Valinor, and Middle Earth. Galadriel is many, many thousands of years old, & was born in Valinor before the sun & moon were even created. At the time, the world was lit by two trees, one gold and one silver which would shine at different times from each other, but would shine together once a day when one would fade and the other brighten. Galadriel's hair was said to look like the light of the mingled light from the two trees, which may have inspired Feanor, a master craftsman and heir to the high king of the Ñoldor, to craft the Silmaril's which were three jewels that captured the light of the two trees, one golden light, one silver light, & one co-mingled light. Fëanor had a bit of a thing for Galadriel and begged her for her hair three different times, which she rejected because she could perceive the inner darkness of his heart and rejected him, which made them "un-friends" after that. There is a lot more to the lore than that, so this is the super crib-notes version. But the point is, it was VERY significant that she granted Gimli three of her hairs to a dwarf, when she would not to the son of her king many 10s of thousands of years ago of which she is related to all three kings who were brothers and Elu Thingol of Doriath was one of the brothers that didn’t stay in Valinor even though he was one of the elven ambassadors along with his three brothers and that king I mentioned was VERY close friends with Thingol)
If its endlessly rewatchable react to the extended editions and use this as a way to sit back and relax, noticing things you didn't before. Many channels do this as soon as they realize there is a true extended version out there.
The language the Elves speak in this film feels like an actual language because it is an actual language. Tolkien was a professor of Philology (linguistics) at Oxford University and he created his own languages for his books. Seriously, there's all kinds of TH-cam content that teaches the viewer how to speak Quenya (Elvish).
Sindarin is OG elvish, Quenya was after those who went to Valinor via the great journey that resulted in many branches of clans coming to existence as the different groups changed their path along the way etc. Such as Beleriand which held the greatest elvish realm ever: Doriath. Which Lothlórien is like the 2.0 version after it became that name after Galadriel was there, enhancing it both with her songs but also her Valinorean talents regarding tending to the world around her to the great benefit of nature.
One major change from the books was Saruman summoning the storm that hit them as they tried to cross the mountain… In the books, that’s the mountain itself that does that, as it doesn’t like human feet upon it… it’s not evil, just a force of nature that doesn’t like humans intruding on its domain. But I think it would’ve been hard to show in the movie, and this gave them another chance to illustrate the power of Saruman. But that may be why you thought there were less wizard battles (if you read the book). Great reaction! 👍
Peter Jackson, before he did Lord of the Rings, was a B-movie horror film director. It shows. These movies barely skated under R-rated, and the monster effects are just about perfect.
Another great choice! I just signed up to Patreon to support y'all. I look forward to watching the full length reaction but for now the condensed version will have to do! Hope y'all enjoy the film. Cheers!
When the video first started and I noted your name is the Maplenuts and the girl was happy and talking excitedly it reminded me of the Canadians with the flapping heads on South Park lol.
“It feels like an ancient world” I think I know what you were trying to say, which is, “It felt less like we were watching this happen on sets that were made for us, and more like we were observing parts of an entire world that already exists.”
Yup. That's exactly how Alan Lee and John Howe and Peter Jackson did it. The same way Tolkien created all 25 of his books before trilogy books came out.
Shondra caught that which I noticed as well. Years ago someone remarked about a lady who went down stairs so elegantly that she “descended the stairs,” instead of going down them. Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) did exactly that. 👏🏻
I'll never forget the first time I saw this in the cinema back on release - this reaction was almost close to how I felt. It was a lovely experience. Please do more - but you do need to do the extended editions if you can. It'll be interesting to see if you like the next two, but the finale of the third movie (and by that I mean an hour at least) is the most I've wept in a cinema ever.
The shot where the nazgul is coming and Frodo says to "get off the road" is done with either a Dolly shot on a long track or a Techno Crane (extendable mechanical arm with a camera on the end). As you move the camera backwards, you zoom in with a zoom able lens. It creates that elongating corridor horror effect. Oh and Elven is an actual fully fleshed out language. As is dwarvish, dothraki, klingon, amongst others.
The ring feels heavy in those shots for a few reasons. Sometimes they used oversized prop replicas of the ring to give it that heft and so you could really zoom into it without losing detail, and another thing they did was put magnets under the floor to make it immediately stick.
1) I haven't watched this yet, but I hope that this is the Extended Edition. Please tell me that this is the Extended Edition. 2) I would have advised you to watch The Hobbit (1977) first BEFORE this movie. It's an adaptation of the book that comes BEFORE this movie. I highly recommend that you watch that movie as well. 3) Please tell me that this is the Extended Edition! Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍
OMG NOOOO! The Extended Edition is wayyy better. Always check for an extended or director's version of a movie. Nine times out of ten, they are much better. I hope that you switch to the Extended Edition for the rest of the movies. Go with God and Be Safe from Evil. 😎 👍
Funny thing about reading The Hobbit in school. I had it on my summer reading list in high school. When I actually looked at it I said "this can't be right, the book is way too short. They must have meant the first book in the main series" so I read Fellowship, a much longer and harder book, and got a Fail.
Great reaction! Cant wait to see you check out the next two. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Extended versions for the next two. They provide even more meaningful detail. Also - fun fact- in the last fight scene between Aragorn and the lead Uruk Hai, the actor mistakenly threw that dagger at Aragorn’s head during filming. He was supposed to throw it to the side. But when Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) actually hit the dagger out of the air, they kept that take.
The Shire still exists in New Zealand. Tourists visit it regularly. The actor playing the evil wizard Sarurman is Christopher Lee, a British legend whom I got to know in the classic Hammer horror films. He was a huge fan of Tolkien his entire life so this had to be a high point for him. He also played the evil General Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. The fact that you made a Cthulhu reference, and even pronounced it properly, made me fall in love with you guys.
The movie set is located in New Zealand. I went there years ago and was a little worried, it was a guided tour and was concerned it would be one of those tourist spots where they just push through visitors very quickly. It was quite beautiful, the movie trivia shared was very interesting, and my spouse(not a fan of the movies)really liked it, too. If you’re ever in that part of the world, it’s a must visit kind of place.
Love this reaction! Can see the joy on your face from the very start😊And not an over-reaction as many seem to do. As others have said, you'd get a lot from the extended editions - if not the Two Towers then 100% for Return of the King. I'd actually recommend watching the FotR extended before TT anyway - just for the fun of it!😊
I cant stress how much more you will enjoy the extended versions of the films. Please watch them. When i did many things just came together more clearly.
The extended edition includes a lot of junk along with good stuff. And it's got poorer pacing. Peter Jackson said the theatrical edition is closest to a director's cut. The people recommending the extended editions for first viewers are usually people who did not see it as their first viewing. The theatrical ed. was their first experience, then they viewed extended, and loved it, after already being won over by the first one. If the extended edition is your first time, you're much more affected by the slow pacing and bad filler bits like: Gimli getting drunk, and Eowyn being an incompetent cook just because the writers didn't want you to think too much of her and want her to be with Aragorn. Etc., etc., etc.
Part 2 of “I shall NOT be dark!” - All creatures whose flesh are nourished by the matter of Arda have a tendency towards Melkor AKA Morgoth, for greater or lesser. Since Melkor poured his evil power into the very existence and essence of the world(Morgoth’s Ring” book explains a lot including how and when he put a portion of his remaining power into the earth itself. Sure, Galadriel was born in the Undying Lands where there was supposed to be no evil (souls of the Elves are greatly less subject to making faulty decisions), but Galadriel & the rest of her father's kin were directly targeted by the Evil Lord himself. Melkor corrupted a decent portion of the Noldor, basically telling them things along the lines of “My Valarin kin are cooping you all up in Valinor.”, which wasn’t their ancestral homeland to begin with, like Middle Earth was, Some were affected little, most were affected to greater degrees, and Galadriel was the least affected woman by the lies of Melkor, which were “sweet but poisoned honey" as she’d call his words. Her natural pious tendency towards goodness & kindness as shown by her ability to read the hearts of everyone and all living beings around her which aids her to provide what anyone truly needs. Due to the magic bleeding from the world as the ages went on; thanks to Morgoth’s Ring poisoning the earth long ago; lead to a what if scenario in her mind as she’d be the only living creature left with the skills & power to even use the ring. She didn’t need her ring at all to block him out of her realm telepathically as well as read his mind from afar without him knowing. But there is a difference between good people who are a bit morally challenged and the evil people. The evil folk act upon their impulses and unlawful desires, while the good folk overcome such flaws within themselves (and for some not always they can masterfully do this). Galadriel WOULD NEVER listen to Melkor and tread the path of toxic pride and ambition. Galadriel has a Fëa spirit that’s only grown larger as the ages passed on and on. Enough to channel into an effect that threw down fortress walls, without tiring her at all. And with that much Fëa, she is capable of holding her own against Maiar for a good long while, much like her brother Finrod did against Sauron, or her uncle Fëanor did against Balrogs. Even with a lesser ring like Nenya, Galadriel had enough of a boost in her Fëa(spirit) , that she could sustain an unassailable magical realm against Maiar and virtually anything on Middle-Earth. Only problem was when Sauron wore the one ring, she had to take off Nenya, and had to lose that Maia level Fëa spirit from the modernly termed “boosted power up” With the one ring, Galadriel would have such a boost in her Fëa spirit, that she’d literally become stronger than the foundations of the Earth. Due to Galadriel’s immense native Fëa, she was prone to a super healthy pride and a small lust for dominion/ but not domination, her goodness kept this pride from going over to the dark side. Galadriel at heart was extremely good so she’s definitely not evil. She never once is called queen or desires to be called such a thing, she and her husband Celeborn became the wiseman and wisewoman of that realm; after the previous elven lord Amroth died and his wife Nimrodel disappeared ontop of the fact Amroth’s Successor later died as well in the “Last Alliance”, (same battle shown in the prologue to Fellowship Of The Ring), All Evil Despairs at her presence let alone hearing her name on the wind. The Nazgûl themselves avoid her realm every chance they get to the point of choosing to go the long way around for over 100 miles just to avoid her. (So she’s definitely scary to foul entities that have turned away from Eru Îlluvatar the one AllFather.) She’s a totally good character. Aragorn even says to the Fellowship as they enter Lothlórien, “There is in her and this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware!” If you’re going by her portrayal in the movies, you might think she has an evil element to her character, but that came from Peter Jackson’s portrayal of the addictive, coercive power of the Ring. When Frodo offered her the Ring, it presented her with visions of herself as the all-powerful Goddess of Middle-Earth. Luckily, she was smart & intuitive enough to realize that the Ring was totally evil, and despite the best of intentions, it would have turned her evil in the end-but she still would have appeared to be beautiful and good. I don’t agree with Jackson’s “drowned Galadriel” portrayal of her being tempted by the Ring-I think she’d have appeared as a supernatural being of divine beauty, and her regular appearance was close to that already, but how do you show that in a movie? Apparently, in her youth in Valinor, she was somewhat of a rebel, but that’s not necessarily evil. She certainly could have fallen into the same trap as her uncle Fëanor did, of thinking that everyone was entitled to her opinion-but she kept her ego in check. (If you’re not sure what I’m referring to there; please read The Silmarillion and “Unfinished Tales”.) No matter how noble her reason was to use the ring as a last resort, especially if said fellowship fell off the “edge of the knife” as she called it. she had a change of heart which happened in the middle of talking to Frodo. Galadriel left Valinor(The Undying Lands) for a reason - and it was different from most of the other elves. She wasn’t with her uncle Fëanor, who wished to make war against Morgoth and retrieve the Silmarils - she was not wishing to go to war, and had no interest in the Silmarils in which Melkor stole from Fëanor which was the surviving light of the two trees of Valinor within them that the only Fëanor; the master of all elven smiths could have accomplished but it could not be done a second time as is any pure creation of one’s heart, especially in regards to the elves and Valar alike. Though she traveled with her other uncle, Fingolfin, her goals were not aligned completely with his either despite her full support of her noble and regal uncle Fingolfin in general. - They both wished to keep an eye on Fëanor and make sure the Noldor were in good hands - Galadriel wasn’t interested in Fëanor and wanted her own realm. After spending some time in Doriath, Galadriel and her husband Celeborn passed to the east out of Beleriand and passed eastward through Eriador and over the Misty Mountains; to where she founded her own realm in what became renamed as Lothlórien. Her motivation and goal was to preserve her realm, possibly at any means necessary. With Sauron’s return in the Third Age, Galadriel was forced to ask herself how far she would go to preserve her realm. If Frodo failed, she must forsake her own ring & her realm. If he succeeds, her ring will lose power and her realm with fade. Would she seize the ring, taking Sauron’s power for her own, to save her realm? She decided she would not. She had decided to “test” the Fellowship, to find some flaw that would allow her to justify seizing the ring, and she did find a flaw - in herself. She stated to Frodo, that by telling her that he would offer her the ring if she asked, that she had come to test his heart, but found that he was testing hers. She had a change of heart, she would pass into the West, and remain Galadriel. Which one is better? Being born completely good and living your whole life without any evil inside, or having a character growth ?
I remember introducing this trilogy to my folks about 15 years ago. They had previously not been into fantasy. They became obsessed with this story. We watch it at least once a year, the whole extended trilogy.
Bucklebury Ferry is named after the real village of Bucklebury not too far from Oxford where JRR Tolkien was a professor. I lived just a few miles from Bucklebury and there is a river running through the village! They speak a real language, Tolkien invented a complete one and then wrote the books….that language you ask about , Elvish, is a real one and they are speaking it. He also made up Dwarf, Orc and other languages. Remember the eleven capes have attributes 😉. Really enjoyed your reactions. Please, extended versions!
Part 2 of “Galadriel’s Mark of Tragedy” - Here is more stuff that connects to when Morgoth killed Fëanor’s father Finwë (as I described in the beginning of this message above): •The First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë. It took place in the city of Alqualondë on the shores of Aman when the Noldor, led by Fëanor, stole the ships of the Teleri (which also that clan didn’t like the energy coming from Fëanor but also didn’t want to start another war with Morgoth ontop of Teleri being rather peaceful in general; along with the fact it was all just a bit rash on their perspective so to speak to leave for Middle-earth, resulting in the deaths of many Teleri. This act was a major turning point in the history of the Elves and led to the estrangement of the Noldor and the Valar. This is the battle where I may have mentioned in the Galadriel hair comment. Where she was defending her mothers people from Fëanor and his army which is one of the main reasons he backed the hell off. She’s a very cool character. One of the most beloved still alive in middle ear to after so many ages of the world had passed into the third age that you’re watching this movie in!) •The decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was a choice made by the Noldor, led by Fëanor, on their own. They were driven by their desire to reclaim the Silmarils, which had been stolen by Morgoth, and to avenge the deaths of their kin who had been killed in the pursuit of the jewels. The journey through the Helcaraxë was a difficult one, and many of the Noldor perished along the way. However, it was not seen as a punishment, but rather as a test of endurance and resilience. Those who survived the journey were strengthened by it and became more powerful as a result. In summary, the First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë, and the decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was made by the Ñoldor on their own. The Helcaraxë was a difficult journey, but it was seen as a test of endurance on its own rather than a punishment. This isn’t even 10 percent of the whole story just with her life and the life of her family shaped middle earth as we know it and made sure survival into the ages was even possible. Especially for both men and elves. She even among many elves is a living example of a bygone era for both kindreds.
I know maybe many have said it, but I think you would enjoy the extended versions. You seems to like the lore and the worldbuilding, and the extended versions gives us more of that. In addition in the next 2 movies we get some story points that I feel are actually missing from the theatrical versions. :) This was a great reaction. subbing to see more :)
Awesome reaction!! So glad that you enjoyed it!! How long did those long hours of film felt!? ;) Please for the next 2 movies watch the extended version!! Otherwise bits of the plot are lacking!! ... A fantasy film, but way older and much less epic would be: Willow (1988) [it would be classified as a "sword and sorcery film"]
Gandalfs speech in his last stand against the Balrog of Morgoth actually hints to who and what he is. "I am servant of the secret fire" The secret fire is the fire of creation the thing which allows Eru'Eluvitar (God) to make the world and all things "Wielder of the flame of Anor" Anor is the elvish word for sun and is probably the name of the Sun in this time (we call it Sol now) Gandalfs power comes from purity and light. "The dark fire will not will not avail you" Here he is calling out the fruitlessness of the Balrogs attacks as it was of corrupted impure fire and Gandalf is beyond him "Flame of Udun" Udun is the elvish word for hell or the underworld Mordor is sometimes called Udun as well. Gandalf is a Maia, a lesser angelic spirit and servant to the Valar which were demigod like greater spirits all servants to Eru. The Balrog is a Maia too but fallen and evil. When Eru sent Gandalf (whose real name is Olorin) he said that he and the other Maia sent could not use their true powers and put them in the bodies of old men. However this was an exception as Gandalf was facing his equal here and the rules were laid aside for this battle.
Your enthusiasm was wonderful! To answer your question, My father read “The Hobbit” aloud when I was 11 and my brother was 7. It was a family tradition to read aloud at the beach, where there was no TV in those days. A year later I read LOTR in my father’s fine hardcovers.
Flash forward to 2001. When I took my 73-year-old dad to see this in the theater, he commented afterward, “It’s so good to have lived long enough to see this made into a perfect movie.” And he lived long enough to see the others with me, too.
That's frikken awesome!
Beautiful, perfect.
Did he read Silmarillion? Children Of Hùrin? BookOfLostTales and Unfinished Tales? Which expands Silmarillion greatly too. Supplements it all nicely.
Between us, my father and I acquired three of those, but neither of us ever got around to reading them. He spent his older years reading commentaries on Shakespeare, ancient classics, and lots of history (his degree was in history). I have read mountains of general and classical literature, SF, folklore, and history (especially Civil War and exploration history).@@Makkaru112
Between us, my father and I acquired three of those, but neither of us ever got around to reading them. He spent his older years reading commentaries on Shakespeare, ancient classics, and lots of history (his degree was in history). I have read mountains of general and classical literature, SF, folklore, and history (especially Civil War and exploration history).
Thanks to Boromir's mishandling of the sword, all museum displays are behind glass now.
😂
Never happened in the books
Yeah, lack of respect leads to that. Unfortunately, the glass case for La Pieta was late in arriving.
@@Makkaru112 I'm a fan from before the movies but honestly...? I like the movies more.
How dare you 😮
"3 hours? How do you justify that?"
*3 hours later "I wanna watch it again, right now!"
😂😂 this happens to everyone every time
@@di3486It happened to me! 😊
yeah the movies ain’t that good. Almost fell asleep in part 1 and 3. Too many overly stylized speeches and head shots. The fight scenes were good especially Legolas’
@@Orbitalbomb sure Jan🤣 you are too basic to appreciate elegant poetic language
@@OrbitalbombI get action is fun, but to prioritize it and dismiss dialogue and world building is truly something. Narrative and setup is what made those fights payoff in the first place.
The next two films are full on war, fellowship is meant to introduce characters, lore and stakes.
Dialogue and the love for linguistics, theology and Tolkien’s use of old English is what makes it immersive. It may not be enjoyable for you, but many fans enjoy it specifically for those moments.
Sindarin (the main Elvish language) feels like an actual language because it is. Tolkien started developing it modeling it after Welsh and then for the movies another linguist, David Salo worked it out more, so that it became almost a functional language. Fun fact: Liv Tyler (Arwen) is fluent in it to this day.
Another Elvish language, older and less used, mainly for ceremonial occasions (almost like an Elvish Latin) is Quenya, you hear it only a few times in the movies, it was based on Finnish.
The Dwarves' language, Khuzdul has only a few words established in canon because according to the lore they keep their language secret, they very rarely speak it in front of others. It is Semitic in structure resembling closely languages like Hebrew and Arabic.
The only Khuzdul phrase that others hear often is their battle cry: Barukh Khazad! Khazad ai-menu! = Axes of the Dwarves, the Dwarves are upon you!
You'll also hear a bit of the language of Rohan, for which they used Old English in the movies.
The Black Speech of Mordor is a language developed in lore by Sauron, but Orcs being rather stupid can't really learn it, they speak a debased form of it mixed with words of Westron, the common Mannish tongue (English in the book/movies).
There are very few words known, mainly the inscription of the ring:
Ash nazgh durbatuluk
Ash nazgh gimbatul
Ash nazgh thrakatuluk
Agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
As for the music, it is probably the best movie soundtrack of all time, Howard Shore's absolute masterpiece. I teach musical illustration (essentially film music) to Digital Media majors at a university and this soundtrack makes out a large part of the curriculum.
I didn’t know that about the orcs language being a mixture of 2 languages. Or how badass the dwarf battle cry is. I love all the lore Tolkien fans put in the comments.
We hear the Black Speech version of the Ring inscription whispered 'by the Ring' during the argument at the Council of Elrond, a nice touch. We hear Quenya in the chorus during the passage of the Argonath (the large stone figures): it is the Oath of Elendil, which we will hear chanted in 'Return of the King' by Elessar. Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinomë maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta. Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world. Details like this are one of the reasons that even mostly 'purist' fans of the books are fond of the films; and they remind us of how far Jackson missed his own high standards in making the Hobbit films. Then there's Amazon*grumble*mumble*…
As for the Orc speech, we do well to remember Tolkien's explanation of how their words were translated to English: "But Orcs and Trolls spoke as they would, without love of words or things; and their language was actually more degraded and filthy than I have shown it. I do not suppose that any will wish for a closer rendering, though models are easy to find. Much the same sort of talk can still be heard among the orc-minded; dreary and repetitive with hatred and contempt, too long removed from good to retain even verbal vigour, save in the ears of those to whom only the squalid sounds strong."
@@majkus We'll also hear a bit of Quenya in Return of the King: Aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!
Even the outro credits song "May It Be" is a masterpiece. And I love that it contains Elvish words.
@@kunglaoshat1250 in the 3rd film, there are inscriptions on Grond (the wolf-shaped battering ram) that the sculptors in the prop department misspelled. the language advisors caught it but Peter jackson left them on; he reasoned that the orcs weren't great at spelling anyway.
The deepest cave in Australia was named Khazad-Dum by the person who discovered it - obviously a Tolkien freak.
Leave it to the Aussies to dig too deep. As if their local wildlife isn't dangerous enough smh
@@MrrynMaybe a healthy population of balrogs will take care of these nasty toads they got? I'm sure there will be no ill side effects.
@@karabenomar Balrogs? Piece of piss mate, ain't got nuttin' on me boomerang. If that dun work just whip out ma didge, play em some tunes... she'll calm down right quick. Then we'll relax by the billabong for some snags n' a few cold ones.
In their greed@@Mrryn
speak "friend " and enter?
Lady was a joy to watch her reactions,
And Dude gets props for keeping a pretty good poker face and just letting Lady experience it without putting his own spin on it ☮️🏆
Yes, it was a relief. The dude gets major props for keeping his mouth shut.
@@johnmackendrick5173how long has it been since he seen the movie? How many “casual movie fans” realize how deep this stuff goes ontop of the feats this scholarly war veteran achieved ? ❤
@@Makkaru112 Tolkien is truly a warrior-poet, if ever there was one.
Yeah initially for a reaction channel it seems a bit weird subduing your reactions, but for him he absolutely handled it right. He's seen it already and is letting his partner experience it all for herself. His effort is appreciated!
It was because neither of them are smart enough or have sufficient imagination to figure out what is the obvious and decipher for themselves what the HECK was going on all around them!!!! The average 12 year old could do better!!
You know how, when you read a book, you envision what things look like, then you see a movie adaptation, and you're disappointed that it looks different from how you imagined? Well, I had my imaginings of the Lord of the Rings and the famous paintings by the Hildebrandt brothers shaping my expectations, and Peter Jackson's movies looked different from what I expected, but instead of being disappointed, I thought "I had it wrong. THIS is what it should look like!" I can't remember any other movie adaptation of a book that I thought looked truer to the book than what I imagined while reading the book.
I couldn't agree more, and everything feels like Middle Earth, I've never been able to explain it but I'm sure somebody could show me a random still from a LoTR film and I would know it's Middle Earth immediately, even without landmarks, iconic scenery, or people. The lighting, the hues, it's so unique
I was talking with a guy I know back when LOTR:FotR first came out and he said something that I agreed with... the casting was so good that when Gandalf first appears (in his wagon), we were smiling ear to ear because it was like seeing a dear friend we hadn't seen for over a decade. I remember seeing a trailer before another movie I was watching. It was before the FotR came out. The first frame of it was the scene where The Fellowship are walking between the two boulders at 31:01 here. I didn't even know a trailer was out but when I saw those frames, I instantly knew exactly what movie it was because they *looked* like they should be the characters. I literally yelled out in the theater I was so happy.
I felt the same. It took my imagination and made it even better. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on screen.
if you watch LotR behind the scenes 'appendices' - you see that for the art and design departments working for more than 2 years before they started filming they brought in two famous artist to help the New Zealand team at WETA who had been painting artwork for LotR for decades.
Brilliant comment, and I agree with you.
The 20 minutes of credits at the end of "Fellowship" included everybody that had been involved in the fan website that was launched when the movie series was announced. Anyone that took part in online discussions was given the opportunity to have their name listed. I was one of those fans. I won tickets to the Fellowship premiere in Orlando,Fl. I have a 18" replica statue of Gandalf that I won on-line. I have a replica "Sting" sword that looks like and is as heavy as a real sword. But when you slide a switch, it glows blue and hums! I also have polystone statues of Golem and Smeagol, The Argonath and Minas Tirith. My wife an I attended a LOTR marathon when the "Return of the King" was released. It included the Extended editions of the first two movies as well. It started @ 9:30 am, included meals & breaks between the movies and movie related giveaways. It ended the next morning at 1:30 am... and 10 years later we did the "Hobbit" movies at the same theater the same way!!!
Actually it was every member of the Tolkien society.
@@jamesoflaherty7332 No, The One Ring Network site (TORN).
Not jealous at all, I hate you :(
That and it was the 3000 people involved who made this happen. TS didnt link 100s of chainmail shirts and armor by hand, for thr actors AND the doubles. did you aee the long behind the scenes passion project documentary playlist?@@jamesoflaherty7332
@@jamesoflaherty7332That and it was the 3000 people involved who made this happen. TS didnt link 100s of chainmail shirts and armor by hand, for thr actors AND the doubles. did you 👀 the long behind the scenes passion project documentary playlist? @jamesoflaherty7332
7:10 I love that Bilbo, at his own birthday, chose to tell stories to the kids. It's not like they would make him play babysitter at his own party; he *wanted* to tell them stories :)
Well kids are receptive and interested in his stories. The adults have all been socialized into thinking adventures are silly things that take away from home and family.
In the Shire, hobbits give gifts to all their family and friends on their own birthdays.... And since it's someones bday almost every day, it's year round presents!!!
Bilbo seemed intent on creating some legend surrounding himself to live on long after he left.
he absolutely did create that legend “The second disappearance of Mr. Bilbo Baggins… became a fireside story for young hobbits, and eventually Mad Baggins, who used to vanish with a bang and a flash and reappear with bags of jools and gold, became a favourite character of legend and lived on long after all the true event were forgotten.” (FotR, ch. 2)
@@terrylandess6072
Yes! But do not forget a key ingredient of a Hobbit's birthday: They GIVE presents AWAY for their birthday, they do not RECEIVE them.
Fun fact : When Aragorn is fighting the Uruk-Hai leader, the uruk throws a knife and Aragorn deviates it with his sword. That wasn't supposed to happen, the knife should have been thrown much to the side but the stunt guy mised his shot so Viggo Mortensen deflected it it with his sword out of pure reflex. Peter Jackson (director) loved that shot so much he decided to keep it.
Brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
Imagine P.Jackson was like "nah, that was lame. Do it again, but now throw the feckin dagger three meters left" and erased that shot
this is the most repeated fact about the lord of the rings!
@@alexandercummins You must not pay attention when Viggo kicks the helmet. THAT is the most repeated fact. This is probably the second. Sean Astin stepping on glass would probably be the third and Sir Christopher Lee (spoiler) correcting PJ about being stabbed in the back is most likely the fourth. This definitely isn't the most repeated, though.
@@runtwer5700 How nice for you to correct me in such a friendly manner. With that attitude is it any wonder no one followed you on Twitch. By the way this is YOU! th-cam.com/video/A4OtvRj_Ij8/w-d-xo.html
I know it may seem daunting but you really should see the extended editions going forward. None of it is bad and some of it is actually quite important to the plot. Some things might not make sense if you haven't read the books and one character just isn't in the third movie at all, in the theatrical version.
I concur. Extended editions are so much better than the theatrical cuts, which themselves is great.
Watch the Extended Editions. You will not regret it.
@@ncvogt I will say, though, that the extended cut of this film adds the least amount in terms of significant story/lore/character development than any of the other 5 films.
No don’t do the extended! For a first time viewing the theatrical is enough. The extended ruins the pacing of the main story. If you love it you can always go back and watch the extended as a cool bonus.
@@SparksDrinker I disagree. The extended cuts add more to the story and lore. The theatrical cuts are for normie douches.
At the very least for the third one!
Don't do our man Christopher Lee like that
What utterly amazes me everytime I watch any of the trilogy movies is the incredible *subtility* of some of the effects. The scaling of the characters is nothing short of astonishing. Everytime I see him, I find it so hard to believe that John Rhys Davies - Gimili - is actually one of the tallest members of the cast at 6' 2".
Elvish is an actual language, Tolkien was a professor of linguistics at Oxford university. He made languages and then basically wrote books to feature the languages he made. I am sure other people have said this lol, but good to know.
And naturally as a Finn I must tell that Tolkien was really into Finnish, and got lots of inspiration from it into Elvish languages.
And one of his first stories was Story of Kullervo, basing on the Finnish epic Kalevala.
@@toniheikkila5607 Quenya was based on Finnish. The one that you hear most often, Sindarin was based on Welsh.
@@ferencercseyravasz7301 I stand corrected, been a while 🙂
Boromir’s last stand never ceases to impress me. I had a guy I worked with in college get me into bow-building and man, real war-bows are scary! An English longbow with heavy draw weight hits with more energy than a .44 magnum at close range. The fact that it took three arrows to take that man down makes him an absolute beast!
In the books he took 16 in the back and like 7 in the front.
@@Makkaru112 holy shit, what? LMAO
Good reminder of a big reason for the French defeat at Agincourt. Cue Kenneth Branagh's "Henry V"...
@@Makkaru112 Citation needed. Boromir's struggle takes place offstage in the books, and Aragorn finds him, and "saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows: his sword was still in his hand but it was broken near the hilt; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet."
@@majkus that was a fantastic rendition of Henry V. But yes, Agincourt was a perfect storm of factors; not least of which were England’s heavy war bows.
Aragorn took Boromir's bracers and put them on as a reminder of his promise to Boromir to not let the White City fall or their people fail. They formed a strong kinship and they grew to admire and love each other as brothers in arms. Boromir was a phenomenal man.
Aragorn wears the bracers throughout the rest of the films, and in the future scene with his effigy on the tomb, he is still wearing them.
The removing of their lament for him was weird
Not surprised this so often reminded you of D&D. The creators were heavily inspired by Lord of the Rings.
The fact nobody remembers it was inspired by the professors work is kind of scary
@@Makkaru112 Assisted by not giving credit where it's due ...
The entire genre was created by The Lord of the Rings ... literature and all variations. We must remember that Tolkien's book was voted not only 'Book of the Century' ... but 'Book of the Millennium' in 2000. Think of all the books written between year 1000 to 2000. Of course, not too many voters were up on their reading of ancient texts, but it's still as impressive as it gets.
Indeed, D&D even had hobbits before they were sued by the estate and changed them to halflings. Same with Ents which became Treants.
@@30noir And the balrog became a "balor" instead too.
"Is that the first time they dropped this music?"
Yes, that is the "Fellowship theme". Notice that after Gandalf dies, we never hear the theme in its complete form again.
Is that right? Such a lovely detail.
the same melody is used both before and after but its always different instruments/ energy. so this french horn version is not used otherwise
@@KineticSymphony and even more deeep detail is every single song is tied together in ways many never knew, watch or react to “How Howard Shore Uses Voices”
@@KineticSymphony “How Howard Shore Uses Voices” it goes deeper
@@bartsimpson6708 it goes much deeper in “How Howard Shore Uses Voices”. ❤️
Extended Editions going forward. They’re the only movies where it’s absolutely non-negotiable. 😂
Yes, if you don't watch the extended, may Christopher Lee come back and haunt you... ;o) Wait, you may like that...
Nah, she needs to see the theatrical releases first. To see what we all saw, first. After she needs to see the extended cuts. That’s the correct way to view them.
@Heathen9 what?!? Why would anyone do that?
@@minnesotajones261 If Christopher Lee came back to haunt me, I'd honestly just hang out with him, and listen to his stories. Both his experience in real life things and his experience in show business would be absolutely fascinating to hear about.
Viggo was actually a fantastic swordsman for these movies. Bob Anderson, the master of arms, the fight choreographer, who had a 50year career training actors for combat scenes, said that Viggo was the best he'd ever trained. So skilled was Viggo that he was allowed to perform all of his combat stunts, and use a real sword instead of a foam replica.
Anderson also trained Mandy Patinkin and Cary Elwes for The Princess Bride, I believe.
@@genny5309 Correct. Also worked with Antonio Banderas for Zorro, Johnny Deep in the Pirates of The Caribbean movies, Christophe Lambert and Sean Connery for Highlander, Mark Hamill in Star Wars, and he also performed a lot of the combat scenes wearing Darth Vader's costume.
Bob Anderson may or may not have been originally introduced to fencing by Christopher Lee. 😅
I'm going to be pedantic, because that's kind of what the internet is for!
Mortensen wore the "Hero" version of his swords in all of his non-combat scenes. The Hero swords were full-weight "Real" swords (albeit blunt) because he wanted that weight to be realistic and to seem comfortable with wearing it, as Aragorn would be. For his combat scenes, there were a few safe "stunt" versions of the sword - lightweight aluminium, safe polymer etc - depending on the type of action being filmed. He didn't use the Hero swords in any of the combat scenes. It would have been too dangerous and exhausting.
@@genny5309 Elwes sounds like Elwë to me! Greatest elven king in the elven ancestral lands of Beleriand ❤️
That is a perfectly summerized description of this trilogy: it's endlessly rewatchable
Absolutely amazing to see a D&D player finally watching all the things they imagined while playing perfectly and lovingly presented in film. That made this particular reaction special.
I don’t play D&D, I never had friends that were into it, but seems to me the guy who developed the game took a lot from Tolkien’s invented world. It wouldn’t exist w/out LotR, imo.
@@sylvanaire Oh yeah, D&D was created when Tolkien was growing and rippling out to have a big influence on American culture - the 60's and 70's had tons of popular music, movies, and art centered around Tolkienesque themes and imagery, and in books the fantasy genre was starting to really take off. Not all fantasy has elves and dwarves and orcs, but Tolkien's popularity made them almost a requirement. Gygax, Arneson, and D&D (and a lot of fantasy role playing games that came out later) were no different.
@@sylvanairemiddle earth is our Midgard. Just long ago.
I'm an old gamer who have been playin RPG since 1989 totally loved this movie when it came out! Of course we all had read LOTR several times before that and always imagined Middle-Earth and other places in our role-playing campaigns and seeing these movies making Middle-Earth come to life so perfectly was like a dream come true!
I'm seriously hyped to go back to the classic role-playing again... Run through some cool campaigns and adventures again just to get that "feeling" again.
@@sylvanaire In one of the appendices of one of the manuals, there is a list of fantasy books that Gary Gygax all but admits to borrowing from when he created the game. To no one's surprise, The Lord of the Rings is on that list.
LOTR is the basis for pretty much all modern fantasy, you see its influence everywhere in movies and games and D&D especially. One of the reasons why it’s so beloved by so many.
And just being a straight up masterpiece.
I’m not sure what’s better: seeing the reaction of someone watching for the first time, or the excitement of the person who’s seen it before, just waiting to show the other all the things they enjoy about this movie. Well done!
FYI- the stone Trolls are mentioned in the Extended version. Background of the Hobbits and all the gifts that Galadriel gave to the Fellowship are also highlighted. Worth the watch!
Except for poor Boromir. 😥
I like how the story changes from 'really, three hours . . . ' to the extended versions the next time.
@@terrylandess6072the credits are 40 minutes long
@@Makkaru112 Yes? How does that relate to a first time viewer being daunted by the run time of the theatrical release, and then being impressed enough to watch a longer version the next time? (Unless you replied to me by accident)
What's this "extended version" stuff? I think you meant to say the real, unabridged LORT movies. 🐱
They are who central casting sends over when you say you need a “wholesome and charming couple” for your next film. So fun and refreshing watching these two.
I won't subtract any points for not watching the extended editions, but will suggest that you do. They fill out the story and the characters even further, subtracting nothing from the whole. Very worth while.
A little factoid: Christopher Lee was the only member of the cast to have ever met Tolkien, who thought he would have been a great Gandalf.
For the elven language, Tolkien created that entirely, and Liv Tyler loved it so much that she became fluent in it.
And in the final fight, where Aragorn deflects the knife with his sword, that was not intended. The man wearing the Uruki suit misjudged where he was throwing, and Viggo Mortensen managed to knock it aside - creating that awesome scene.
This trilogy has become a yearly watch for me, and with the extended editions that is 9 incredible hours!
Peter Jackson wanted people to see the long versions. The studios forced the shorter versions, for various practical reasons. The reasons for "directors cuts" can vary wildly, and sometimes it's nothing more than a marketing trick, but in this case the director prefers the extended cut. These movies are so well made, that even with extended versions, people want "more".
It will always astonish and impress me, how of ALL the world's Directors/Producers/Crew(s), it was Sir Jackson and 'Party' who got handed the reins of this amazing Saga, and then created what has to be the most respectful, most impressive story/film possible.
I cannot imagine anyone else pulling this feat, now!
Part of what makes these movies so good is that they were all shot at once. They were released 1 year apart each, but they were filmed all in one go.
Lots of sequels are made, and unfortunately ruined, because the first one is successful, and then the sequel tries to pander to the fandom. For example, making a character do too much or something out of character in a sequel because that character was especially liked.
These movies are continuous, well written, you can tell there is a story to be told throughout all the movies, and the care and passion put into them is astounding.
All movie adaptations can’t 100% be accurate to the books, so there are some changes, but these are still very faithful to the books, so much so, that even lore purist don’t really complain about the changes. It’s just amazing.
Usually the producers leave themselves an out. Make sure the first movie does well before they commit to a sequel.
Luckily it is impossible to "overstate" how good this Trilogy is, everyone is more than impressed when they watch for the first time, it always "exceeds" expectations.
Amazing video and so cool to see I caught this relatively recent to you two watching. Thanks for watching and recording - felt like watching with friends. My wife and I watch the trilogy every couple of months! The lore of these stories (books and movies) continually gives and gives and never gets old, arguably the best stories ever written and some how never gets old... either way it's just a damn good tale.
Watch LOTR : Two Towers and Return of the King next (extended editions)!
The extended editions are they way to go if you enjoyed it that much. Pretty much all the fantasy movies of the 80s are worth watching. Willow, legend, dark crystal to name a few
All inspired by Tolkien. Haha
Nah. The extended cut offers so few to the actual story. Best world building is, when it is not pushed into your face. Like the map at the very beginning of the lonely mountain. Lotr exceeds in soft world building by dropping lines all the time which hint at "there is more".
The extended cut contain many scenes which just lengthens the movies for basically no benefit to the story or the pacing of the movies.
They are fine to extend the world, but just not to extend the movies.
There are few exceptions but only one which really hurts the movie by beeing cut: the scene with "mouth...". The follow up scene with the "charge" gets a complete different meaning for the audience with the knowledge this cut scene provides. The stakes are higher when you know what the characters think to know.
@@SilverViper1000 Sorry but that is just not true. There are at least 3 scenes in the extended Edition that are pretty essential, dont affect the Pacing at all imo and to this day i dont understand why they were cut. They are: SPOILERS:
1. Boromir taking back Osgiliath and establishing his relationshipt with Faramir and Denethor
2. The Discussion with Saruman and his following Death
3. The one you mentioned even tho i dont think its that importat personally, but its definetly nice to have.
Especially the Saruman scene being cut, makes me kind of angry thinking about it. Its the Conclusion of the story of our secondary Main Villain who has been the Main, visible Threat for two of the three Movies, had so much impact on the Story, an amazing Performance by the late great Christopher Lee, it gives more time for Theoden and Gandalf to shine, even Grima gets a conclusion to his Arc and more characterization, the Palantir just doesnt end up randomly at Pippins feet for no apparent reason, etc. etc.
Sorry, but you can not honestly sit here and tell me that the movie is better without all of that. I refuse to accept that. Its an integral Part of the Story and ripping it out makes you really feel that somethings missing there. When i watched the Movies in the Theatrical Version for the first time when i was like 12 or something, dont remember exactly, I immediatly noticed how weird it felt that Sarumans Story ended with "He has no power anymore" and that was it. Nothing. No Resolution, no emotional Catharsis, just... yeah thats it lol, pack it up bois. That felt so weak and weird, even to my uncritical 12 year old child mind.
Enjoy the magnificent lore of LOTR ❤
I'm already loving it so far! Haha
"Endlessly Rewatchable" truer words have never been spoken
There is a famous quote that may apply here, "don't meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger". I could counter that with another one, "don't meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and tasty with a bit of ketchup".
Then there's Harry Dresden's version: "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger. F*** subtle!" Blows door off hinges...
There is another quote. " No matter how powerful the Wizard, no matter how powerful the spell, a dagger in the back will severely cramp their style". 😂
The song Aragorn sings has huge importance! Here is the full version: “The leaves were long, the grass was green, The hemlock-umbels tall and fair, And in the glade a light was seen; Of stars in shadow shimmering, Tinúviel was dancing there, To music of a pipe unseen
And light of stars was in her hair
And in her raiment glimmering
There Beren came from mountains cold; And lost he wandered under leaves; And where the Elven-river rolled. He walked alone and sorrowing. He peered between the hemlock-leaves; And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves
And her hair like shadow following
Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet
And grasped at moonbeams glistening
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening
He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves
Or music welling underground
In hidden hollows quavering
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves
And one by one with sighing sound
Whispering fell the beachen leaves
In the wintry woodland wavering
He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering
Her mantle glinted in the moon
As on a hill-top high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering
When winter passed, she came again
And her song released the sudden spring
Like rising lark, and falling rain
And melting water bubbling
He saw the elven-flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling
Again she fled, but swift he came
Tinúviel! Tinúviel!
He called her by her elvish name
And there she halted listening
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came
And doom fell on Tinúviel
That in his arms lay glistening
As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering
Tinúviel the elven-fair
Immortal maiden elven-wise
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering
Long was the way that fate them bore
O'er stony mountains cold and grey
Through halls of ireon and darkling door
And woods of nightshade morrowless
The Sundering Seas between them lay
And yet at last they met once more
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless”
The true elvish version is far greater and so full of beauty & nuanced mournful sadness that’s break the hearts of mortals from its beauty and sadness so the true song has been sort of taboo and the mannish tongues that retell it is stated to only be a shadow beneath the tree of the true story!
One thing I don't see people mention is when Sam follows Frodo and almost drowns. I always notice Frodo's reaction, because we know from the book that Frodo's parents drowned in a boating accident, so watching Sam go underwater like that must have been terrifying. (Idk if Peter Jackson and Elijah Wood took that into account for that moment, but I wouldn't be surprised)
Yes! Watch the extended edition and break them into 2 parts. It seems to be easier.
Loved your reaction.
More please! Like tomorrow?
I'm gonna throw my 2cent in and say the Extended Editions will be well worth it. They may slightly longer but once you've watched fotr, you will want so much more. Thanks for this reaction!
I’m sure I’m not the only one to suggest it but… Extended Editions are a must! None of the added scenes are throw aways. You won’t regret it.
Exactly. Here’s why! Scenes at risk of being missed: 1• Frodo/Sam's first meeting with the elves, providing context for Valinor and the elves journey there, as referenced throughout the films and seen at the end of the Return of the King(connects to the passing of the elves in the beginning of their leaving the shire when Frodo and Sam are near the Old Forest by the Shire which leads them to eventually bumping into Merry And Pippin!
(An epic scene with Gandalf in Rivendell was also removed as well.)
2. Aragorn singing the Lay of Luthien, providing a parallel between the events of the Beren and Luthien and Aragorn's relationship with Arwen of which every reactor channel I’ve seen makes the connection and it pulls them into a deeper understanding of their relationship every single time.
3. Aragorn kneeling at his mother's grave, giving him some additional backstory for the viewer.
4. Gandalf explaining to Frodo about the corruptive power of the Ring, and how it will strain the Fellowship from the inside, foreshadowing Boromir's downfall.
5. Sam singing a lament for Gandalf, providing more emotional weight to Gandalf's death, referencing the start of the movie and strengthening the connection between him and the Hobbits ( also highlights Tolkien's love of song and poetry in the books).
6. Galadriel giving the gifts to the Fellowship, providing context for their appearance in later films, as well as drawing a parallel between Gimli's gift and the events of the Silmarillion (Fëanor & Galadriel).
That’s just the beginning. Including several removed scenes between Aragorn & Galadriel and Aragorn with her husband Celeborn!
7• also the opening explaining Hobbits & their culture to the viewers, so they have a better understanding of these peoples we will be following which also was the direct full chapter called Concerning Hobbits.
I’m definitely on the side of watching the extended versions first, especially if you’ve never read the books. I can’t stress that enough. There are parts of the story you’ll understand so much more by doing so. I’ll say the same thing for The Hobbit movies as well. The additional scenes are so important.
The extended versions are the way Peter Jackson intended the movies to be seen but the theater chains wanted them cut down so they could get in one more showing a day. Extended versions all the way.
Extendes versions are absolutely horrific. If i had seen them first, i would not be a fan. All the jokes added are cringe to the 10th degree and is mostly the added content. Which is why they were all cut and why the blemish free theatrical cut is a flawless masterpiece. Anyone who says otherwise would never make it in a directing chair or as head of a production company.
@@WheresWaldo05 Bullshit. they were cut at the behest of the theater chains so they could fit one more showing a day. The theatrical cut left way too much on the cutting room floor. The extended cuts are the way PJ meant for them to be seen You are the one who has no idea what makes them great.
@@WheresWaldo05nonsense!
@@ronweber1402 Womp womp. Hilarious watching the incel community with their hurt little egos.
Seeing Fellowship of The Ring on the week it opened was such an experience; as was seeing all the films in the cinema.
Hobbiton is a really practical set. The set crew did something clever & that was to build it & plant all the additional foliage….& then they left it for a year prior to filming on it. That way, it allowed the plants to become established & give it a more natural look.
The scale issue between Hobbits, Humans, Dwarfs was accomplished with the clever use of forced perspective, shooting scenes on two different scale sets & the digitally compositing them, as well as scale doubles for certain scenes. The technological accomplishments of the trilogy are amazing & still stand up today. It’s worth watching the making of to get a insight into what WETA workshop did.
Fun Fact: the reason Sean Bean has his head in his hand during the council of Elrond scene is because he had his lines taped to his leg.
The cast got numerous script re-writes; sometimes daily & he had issues remembering them.
I have a personal connection to the Lord of The Rings, through my uncle. He was part of the cast for the BBC Radio Adaptation in the early 1980s. He played several roles; namely the Black Rider who utters the immortal line ‘Shire. Baggins’ as well as the character Beregond who despite being in the book, doesn’t appear in the film. Other notable cast members for the radio adaptation are Ian Holm as Frodo (Holm played Bilbo in the films), Bill Nighy as Sam, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo (he’s best known for as Wilson from cult tv show Dads Army) & Michael Hordern as Gandalf (best known for narrating the Paddington animated series).
In 2007 I had the immense honour of being able to meet & have a conversation with Sir Christopher Lee; it is something I’ll never forget. We spoke at length about his career with Hammer Films & also The Wicker Man.
Most of the effects used to make the Hobbits looks smaller is a lot of shot perspective, for example when Frodo and Gandalf are on the horse and cart in the beginning, Elijah Wood is actually sitting about 2 feet back from Ian McKellen, but with using certain camera angles it makes it appear they are sitting next to each other and Frodo is just smaller. It's another example of the brilliant filmmaking of Peter Jackson
“It feels like a real language”
That’s because it actually is. Tolkien was fascinated with language and created several fully functional languages and even sub dialects for this universe. Some of the more diehard fans out there actually speak these languages.
The first time you hear the Fellowship theme, is when Sam takes his farthest step from home. It’s subtle, but it’s there.
The extended version explains things so much better, especially boromir
The more I re-watch the trilogy, the more amazed I am at the brilliance of its conception. The idyllic tone set at the onset by the innocence and simplicity of the Shire, for example. The finest films ever made, IMHO.
I read the books in elementary school. Years before the movies. I also grew up with the Hobbit animated movie, so this story has been a constant in my life. I was definitely tearing up in theaters, seeing it come to life. It always makes me happy to see people discover, and appreciate this story. ❤️
Fun fact: the 9 actors in the "fellowship" all got a tattoo of the number 9 in Elvish.
Yeah if you love D&D this is absolutely a must see. The characters, the Inn, mines, orcs, goblins, trolls. Gandalf and the Balrog was just so good.
Love that you picked up on the ring being heavy.
So fun to see someone who is coming from the perspective of a D&D player seeing one of the major inspirations for the game being visualized in such a remarkable way.
It can be argued that the entire reason we have so many dungeon crawls in D&D is because of Moria alone.
I look forward to y'all watching the rest!
Excellent reaction. Him for staying quiet and not spoiling, and her for hitting all the beats. 👏
But I agree, extended editions for the next two.
Especially the second shouldn't be watched in extended for the first time. It has the worst pacing as extended cut.
Just saw all 3 extended in the theatres in a row and the second felt lengthy at times... Even for a nerd like me.
Disagree, first viewing should be theatrical.
wasnt this the extended edition also? I could be misaken but im pretty sure i saw a couple of scenes that are Extendo Editiono in this video.
@@datzfatz2368 nope. It’s the abridged theatrical lol
@@SilverViper1000 again. Reactors don’t get a chance for second time viewing half the time unless they’re showing it to. Friend or family member for more views and subscribers. It stemmed from a desire for people to experience the movie like we did before Peter Jackson and crew put out the original edition via DVD. There is a special anniversary edition coming out very soon to theatres too!
Loving it so far!... two things to consider... (1) post each movie in two parts (allows for more content and doubles your views) and... (2) consider the extended edition for the last movie which you could do in three parts (triple your views).
When Liv Tyler started dialect training, she was so taken with the Elvish languages that she successfully argued for a bunch of her English scenes to be filmed in Elvish instead. There was actually a lot of this sort of adaptation in the films; for instance, one actor's performance at a karaoke night led to his character getting to sing on-screen, and it's a highlight of that film.
I don’t know if you live near a theater like Alamo Drafthouse, but many theaters show all 3 movies on the big screen once a year. Sometimes with food and drinks! It’s the best time ever. Everyone there is a fan, and people cheer and cry, and it’s a wonderful experience. You have to do it at least once. I’ve done all 3 movies in one day at least 4 times. It’s such a blast. Can’t wait to see more from you two. Cheers!
The Shire was a fertile land in area about the size Great Britain. It had been depopulated by war and plague about 1500 years before the events in the books. There was a large settlement of Hobbits in the area of Bree Hill . The High King of Arnor gave it to the Hobbits 400 years before the kingdom fell. The only condition was that they keep The Great East-West road, that ran through its Northern bordor, and its bridges in good repair.
One big omission in the movies is the timeline as it would have confused the audience.
Gandalf, alarmed by Bilbo's behavior spent 17 years researching the ring and tracking how it came into Gollum's possession.
Hobbits are counted as Mortal Men but their lifecycle is different. They mature more slowly and aren't considered adults until the age of 33. Frodo shared a birthday with Bilbo and turned 33 the day of the party. Bilbo had wanted to leave The Shire for some time, but had waited until Frodo achieved his majority and could own Bag End and its contents free and clear, including the ring. Frodo set out from the Shire when he was 50, but because of the ring he still seemed a young adult. ( The equivalent of our 21.) Samwise Gamgee's family had worked at Bag End as gardeners and domestics for three generations. He was in his late 30s when he accompanied Frodo to Rivendell. Merry, 31, was the eldest son of The Master of Buckland, on the Eastern side of the Brandywine River. Pippin Took, 29 and still an adolescent, was the eldest son of The Thain of the Shire, somewhere between a chieftain and a king. Both of the younger Hobbits threw their futures to the wind to help their friend and cousin Frodo.
The Nazgul avoid water when they can because Ulmo, the demigod who sang it into existence, still dwells within it along with his servants. They really hate the Ringwraiths. So if a powerful Elf lord asks the river that borders his land to set up a flood trap that can be triggered at need, The River spirit is likely to do do it. And if a Wizard suggests foam horses would look impressive would probably agree with that. Also the cloaks The Nine use to give shape to their nothingness got washed away so they had to make their way back to their master anyway they could.
Gandalf lured the Balrog onto the bridge on purpose. He knew two things. There was nothing to prevent it from chasing after the company and in the past one method for killing a Balrog had been to make it fall from a great height, so he broke the bridge. Aragorn 's mission was to protect the ring bearer and the remnant of the bridge couldn't have taken any more weight. That's why Gandalf told them to run, before one of the orc's arrows killed them.
The names Balin, Norri, and Orri you would probably remember. Balin died as leader of a colony expedition to Khazad-Dum. Norri died as victim of the Kraken-like creature in the dark water. Orri was the corpse holding on to the book before Balin's tomb.
If you're interested, I can tell you a few things, without spoilers, that aren't detailed enough in the film:
Galadriel (the Lady of the Light, from the elven word "galad") is a very powerful sorceress who in her millennial life fought many battles (most likely as heavy artillery) against the original dark lord Morgoth, the one who taught Sauron the way to the "dark side".
Galadriel and Elrond, the elven king of Rivendell, have telepathic powers, can communicate at a distance and he also has the gift of foresight.
Galadriel's daughter married Elrond and therefore Arwen, the one who swears eternal love to Aragorn, is Galadriel's granddaughter.
Galadriel's gifts to the company are enchanted and the two daggers given to Merry and Pippin have already been used in combat, as she tells them.
the palantir, Saruman's seer stone, is not the only one, there are others (another is kept in the city of Gondor, where Gandalf went to find information about the ring) and looking into it for too long can lead to addiction and folly.
Saruman doesn't actually seek the ring for Sauron but he believes he can bend its powers to his will.
Pippin comes from a noble family and he is the heir to the title of earl of the shire.
Thought I replied to this. Fëanor created all of the Palantiri. First one or two I guarantee he created with his two eldest of 7 sons Maedhros and Maglor. ❤
Enjoy these classics! I also recommend the extended editions of the next two, but at the VERY least doing the extended version of the third film, Return of the King which has some material that never should have been cut from the theatrical version.
Wonderful reaction, Candra (and Jordan)... best of all, you'll enjoy the movies second (or third) time around even more!
I'm actually so excited to watch the other two films with you I can't wait, cos you're so stoked and got so much out of the first one. It's true you really feel the vastness of Middle Earth and the depth of lore to all the different races, it feels like a real place with different languages and cultures. And I agree you also do see new things whenever you rewatch the films, it's amazing how good the story telling and lore is, and the fact they let you see and experience a lot of things rather than heavy handedly explaining it all to you.
She is so cleaver. She immediately realized how important Sam was to this story.
If only, between the two of them, they could have kept the ring in Frodo’s pocket at all times like Gandalf told him to 🤷♀️ it would have been a much shorter trilogy.
@@DeAnne1233 you’re not always conscious as the ring has the life gourde of a literal Maiar spirit. One of the Ainur. It manipulates all around it. It’s more like noticing the puppet strings moving your hand around before you make yourself stop. Same as how the ring changes shape to the wearer like when Frodo fell on his back and the ring changed shape as it was falling as well as when isildur held the ring. Speaking of isildur: he sss never bad in the books. Nor did he have a fight with Elrond. He was even going to bring it to Rivendell and relinquish it as it was meant to only be a blood for blood heirloom because Sauron killed his father and brother who together with GilGalad slain Sauron’s physical body.
@@Makkaru112 Thank you. I appreciate the extra info as I haven’t read the books. My comment was meant as a little tongue in cheek. I see now how it didn’t come across that way. :)
This bro just lived his dream come through.
Gf loving this amazing film and also d&d.
Lucky bastard 😅
These books are the reason for D&D (despite legal filings to the contrary in Tolkien estate lawsuits. For instance, "He looks just like a halfling in D&D!" LOL They're called "halflings" because they got sued for calling them Hobbits.) People wanted to continue playing and adventuring in Middle Earth, and from war gaming RPGs were born, the progenitors of today's MMOs and first person shooters. Tolkien transformed literature and transformed the fantasy genre by being the first to attempt a cohesive fictional mythology. This paved the way for modern fandom, which mythologizes all sorts of franchise canons, across many genres now. I think Marvel, in particular, has an exceptional pantheon. Star Trek, likewise, built notable heroic epics with its series and films. And Star Wars split the difference between a full pantheon and heroic cycles, being based itself upon the heroic journey as described by Joseph Campbell's studies in comparative mythology. Many online book communities and literary organizations gave The Lord of the Rings trilogy The Book of the Millennium, for having the most profound influence on human philosophy and metaphysics since the Arthurian Grail myths.
Let’s hope they read this awesome comment ❤
@@Makkaru112 Hey, thanks.
This story is for everyone. I truly hope you enjoy your journey to Middle Earth, and am certain you’ll find your own meaning along the way.
I echo others in tackling the Extended Editions for the next two. There’s so much more detail and immersion you won’t want to miss out on, especially as DnD players.
May the Blessings of Elves, Men, and Free Folk go with you!
The languages you hear are actual languages. Tolkien was a philologist and created the languages even before he created the whole legendary world inhabited by the people who spoke them :D
Ya he created the languages and then thought these languages need a world to reside in so he created Middle Earth. Simply amazing.
Thank you Jordan for suppressing any instinct to spoil anything. You let her enjoy it naturally without dropping constant factoids. Only where necessary
Nominated for 13 Oscars including Best Picture but won for
Best Visual Effects
Best Cinematography
Best Sound Editing
Best Makeup
Yep. And 90 percent was all practical effects and raw talent snd love for Tolkiens scholarly works. ❤
They were saving the majority of the Oscars for the third movie.
And for Best Musical Score too.
(Missed) Galadriel's gift to Gimli has deeper meaning behind it, like most things in this movie & reflects the expanded lore of the middle earth universe. Galadriel is one of the 2-3 most powerful & wise elves remaining in Middle Earth since the time the land was young. She was born in a place called Valinor, or the Undying land... which is basically the place of residence of the Valar, the local pantheon, the local "gods" as you may call them. Back then, the world was not illuminated by the sun&moon, (only the stars, but rather by 2 trees of gold and silver, Telperion and Laurëlin that lit the world before the sun & moon were born from their last flower & fruit as they were basically killed by Melkor when he struck them with his Lance and Ungoliant the primordial Eldrich Terror, Ungoliant she was named by the Eldar). It is said that Galadriel's hair had somehow captured some of the shine of those two trees. Her uncle Fëanor, who was a great king of the Elven people after his father Finwë was slain by Morgoth(Formally known as Melkor).
Fëanor arguably was their greatest craftsman to ever live, asked if she could give him a lock of hair, so that he could use it to fashion 3 gems that would shine of the same light as the trees. Sensing his pride & a shadow that wasn’t exactly belonging to him brewing from within, she refused his request 3 times. He stopped asking and made the gems anyway, managing to complete the task he had set for himself even without her hair. Around these 3 gems, the possession of which became the driving force for many of the great events in the world, entire wars that lasted for centuries exploded, and other events. The gems actively shaped the fate of the races of middle earth to the point that the aforementioned Valar got involved directly. During these times, events surrounding the gems brought about the traditional enmity between Dwarves and Elves... the same enmity that Gimli still feels towards them. That enmity however does not survive his encounter with the wise Galadriel, whom Gimli basically falls platonically in love with. By giving him 3 of her hair, Galadriel is opening a door, offering an olive branch that might one day close the gap that divides these two races. Legolas, himself being an Elven prince and centuries old, knows of the story through his father Thranduil & grandfather Oropher, as it shaped the lives of all Elves, and his subtle smile is possibly the first act of acknowledgment and reconciliation. it is also a way for Peter Jackson, the director of the film, to give a nod to all of the fans who know these facts and backstories... a way to make us feel seen, and to make us appreciate just how deeply the makers of the film respect the books and larger universe created by Tolkien.
The thing with the hair may seem weird, but there is a significance to it in real life as well as in the lore of the story. In real life, it was not uncommon for wives, fiancés, or even girlfriends to give their men (who were going off to war), a lock of their hair as a keepsake, particularly in WWI, which Tolkien fought in. The lore part of it comes into play in The Silmarillion, Tolkien's tales of the creation of Arda, the Undying Lands of Valinor, and Middle Earth. Galadriel is many, many thousands of years old, & was born in Valinor before the sun & moon were even created. At the time, the world was lit by two trees, one gold and one silver which would shine at different times from each other, but would shine together once a day when one would fade and the other brighten. Galadriel's hair was said to look like the light of the mingled light from the two trees, which may have inspired Feanor, a master craftsman and heir to the high king of the Ñoldor, to craft the Silmaril's which were three jewels that captured the light of the two trees, one golden light, one silver light, & one co-mingled light. Fëanor had a bit of a thing for Galadriel and begged her for her hair three different times, which she rejected because she could perceive the inner darkness of his heart and rejected him, which made them "un-friends" after that. There is a lot more to the lore than that, so this is the super crib-notes version. But the point is, it was VERY significant that she granted Gimli three of her hairs to a dwarf, when she would not to the son of her king many 10s of thousands of years ago of which she is related to all three kings who were brothers and Elu Thingol of Doriath was one of the brothers that didn’t stay in Valinor even though he was one of the elven ambassadors along with his three brothers and that king I mentioned was VERY close friends with Thingol)
If its endlessly rewatchable react to the extended editions and use this as a way to sit back and relax, noticing things you didn't before. Many channels do this as soon as they realize there is a true extended version out there.
It's the only film I've seen in the cinema where, once the final credits came up, the whole audience stood up and applauded.
The language the Elves speak in this film feels like an actual language because it is an actual language. Tolkien was a professor of Philology (linguistics) at Oxford University and he created his own languages for his books. Seriously, there's all kinds of TH-cam content that teaches the viewer how to speak Quenya (Elvish).
Sindarin is OG elvish, Quenya was after those who went to Valinor via the great journey that resulted in many branches of clans coming to existence as the different groups changed their path along the way etc. Such as Beleriand which held the greatest elvish realm ever: Doriath. Which Lothlórien is like the 2.0 version after it became that name after Galadriel was there, enhancing it both with her songs but also her Valinorean talents regarding tending to the world around her to the great benefit of nature.
One major change from the books was Saruman summoning the storm that hit them as they tried to cross the mountain… In the books, that’s the mountain itself that does that, as it doesn’t like human feet upon it… it’s not evil, just a force of nature that doesn’t like humans intruding on its domain. But I think it would’ve been hard to show in the movie, and this gave them another chance to illustrate the power of Saruman. But that may be why you thought there were less wizard battles (if you read the book).
Great reaction! 👍
Peter Jackson, before he did Lord of the Rings, was a B-movie horror film director. It shows. These movies barely skated under R-rated, and the monster effects are just about perfect.
I like how you just sit there smiling and not giving any details while she’s reacting! Good job of not spoiling it for her!
Another great choice!
I just signed up to Patreon to support y'all. I look forward to watching the full length reaction but for now the condensed version will have to do!
Hope y'all enjoy the film. Cheers!
Awww yay, that's so exciting!! Thank you so much!! ❤❤❤
When the video first started and I noted your name is the Maplenuts and the girl was happy and talking excitedly it reminded me of the Canadians with the flapping heads on South Park lol.
“It feels like an ancient world”
I think I know what you were trying to say, which is, “It felt less like we were watching this happen on sets that were made for us, and more like we were observing parts of an entire world that already exists.”
Yup. That's exactly how Alan Lee and John Howe and Peter Jackson did it. The same way Tolkien created all 25 of his books before trilogy books came out.
See the extended then! I've seen the movies at least once every year, and I still see new things!
Shondra caught that which I noticed as well. Years ago someone remarked about a lady who went down stairs so elegantly that she “descended the stairs,” instead of going down them. Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) did exactly that. 👏🏻
I'll never forget the first time I saw this in the cinema back on release - this reaction was almost close to how I felt. It was a lovely experience. Please do more - but you do need to do the extended editions if you can. It'll be interesting to see if you like the next two, but the finale of the third movie (and by that I mean an hour at least) is the most I've wept in a cinema ever.
The shot where the nazgul is coming and Frodo says to "get off the road" is done with either a Dolly shot on a long track or a Techno Crane (extendable mechanical arm with a camera on the end). As you move the camera backwards, you zoom in with a zoom able lens. It creates that elongating corridor horror effect.
Oh and Elven is an actual fully fleshed out language. As is dwarvish, dothraki, klingon, amongst others.
wrong about dwarvish, there are only a handful of know phrases
@corberus3119 oh my mistake. I thought someone had fleshed out the rest of the language after the novels came out
The ring feels heavy in those shots for a few reasons. Sometimes they used oversized prop replicas of the ring to give it that heft and so you could really zoom into it without losing detail, and another thing they did was put magnets under the floor to make it immediately stick.
1) I haven't watched this yet, but I hope that this is the Extended Edition. Please tell me that this is the Extended Edition.
2) I would have advised you to watch The Hobbit (1977) first BEFORE this movie. It's an adaptation of the book that comes BEFORE this movie. I highly recommend that you watch that movie as well.
3) Please tell me that this is the Extended Edition!
Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍
Haha I'm so sorry, it's the Theatrical Release! It's really fun knowing there's a whole bunch more in the Extended Edition though!
OMG NOOOO! The Extended Edition is wayyy better. Always check for an extended or director's version of a movie. Nine times out of ten, they are much better.
I hope that you switch to the Extended Edition for the rest of the movies.
Go with God and Be Safe from Evil. 😎 👍
@@BigGator5exactly my friend exactly. Many channels now you can see looking for end credit scenes now for every movie that watch which is a smart move
This Trilogy is a hand hammered Masterpiece! Made with love & admiration for Tolkien.
40:15 😄 I know exactly that face when I first saw 😁 and yes, Balrog is the coolest character I've ever seen 😉
Funny thing about reading The Hobbit in school. I had it on my summer reading list in high school. When I actually looked at it I said "this can't be right, the book is way too short. They must have meant the first book in the main series" so I read Fellowship, a much longer and harder book, and got a Fail.
Great reaction! Cant wait to see you check out the next two. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Extended versions for the next two. They provide even more meaningful detail.
Also - fun fact- in the last fight scene between Aragorn and the lead Uruk Hai, the actor mistakenly threw that dagger at Aragorn’s head during filming. He was supposed to throw it to the side. But when Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) actually hit the dagger out of the air, they kept that take.
The Shire still exists in New Zealand. Tourists visit it regularly. The actor playing the evil wizard Sarurman is Christopher Lee, a British legend whom I got to know in the classic Hammer horror films. He was a huge fan of Tolkien his entire life so this had to be a high point for him. He also played the evil General Dooku in the Star Wars prequels. The fact that you made a Cthulhu reference, and even pronounced it properly, made me fall in love with you guys.
The movie set is located in New Zealand. I went there years ago and was a little worried, it was a guided tour and was concerned it would be one of those tourist spots where they just push through visitors very quickly. It was quite beautiful, the movie trivia shared was very interesting, and my spouse(not a fan of the movies)really liked it, too. If you’re ever in that part of the world, it’s a must visit kind of place.
Love this reaction! Can see the joy on your face from the very start😊And not an over-reaction as many seem to do.
As others have said, you'd get a lot from the extended editions - if not the Two Towers then 100% for Return of the King. I'd actually recommend watching the FotR extended before TT anyway - just for the fun of it!😊
you've got a sharp lady there friend. Many reactors ive seen for these films dont pick up on half the details she's caught. Well done
I cant stress how much more you will enjoy the extended versions of the films. Please watch them. When i did many things just came together more clearly.
The extended edition includes a lot of junk along with good stuff. And it's got poorer pacing. Peter Jackson said the theatrical edition is closest to a director's cut. The people recommending the extended editions for first viewers are usually people who did not see it as their first viewing. The theatrical ed. was their first experience, then they viewed extended, and loved it, after already being won over by the first one. If the extended edition is your first time, you're much more affected by the slow pacing and bad filler bits like: Gimli getting drunk, and Eowyn being an incompetent cook just because the writers didn't want you to think too much of her and want her to be with Aragorn. Etc., etc., etc.
Part 2 of “I shall NOT be dark!” - All creatures whose flesh are nourished by the matter of Arda have a tendency towards Melkor AKA Morgoth, for greater or lesser. Since Melkor poured his evil power into the very existence and essence of the world(Morgoth’s Ring” book explains a lot including how and when he put a portion of his remaining power into the earth itself.
Sure, Galadriel was born in the Undying Lands where there was supposed to be no evil (souls of the Elves are greatly less subject to making faulty decisions), but Galadriel & the rest of her father's kin were directly targeted by the Evil Lord himself. Melkor corrupted a decent portion of the Noldor, basically telling them things along the lines of “My Valarin kin are cooping you all up in Valinor.”, which wasn’t their ancestral homeland to begin with, like Middle Earth was, Some were affected little, most were affected to greater degrees, and Galadriel was the least affected woman by the lies of Melkor, which were “sweet but poisoned honey" as she’d call his words.
Her natural pious tendency towards goodness & kindness as shown by her ability to read the hearts of everyone and all living beings around her which aids her to provide what anyone truly needs. Due to the magic bleeding from the world as the ages went on; thanks to Morgoth’s Ring poisoning the earth long ago; lead to a what if scenario in her mind as she’d be the only living creature left with the skills & power to even use the ring. She didn’t need her ring at all to block him out of her realm telepathically as well as read his mind from afar without him knowing. But there is a difference between good people who are a bit morally challenged and the evil people. The evil folk act upon their impulses and unlawful desires, while the good folk overcome such flaws within themselves (and for some not always they can masterfully do this). Galadriel WOULD NEVER listen to Melkor and tread the path of toxic pride and ambition.
Galadriel has a Fëa spirit that’s only grown larger as the ages passed on and on. Enough to channel into an effect that threw down fortress walls, without tiring her at all. And with that much Fëa, she is capable of holding her own against Maiar for a good long while, much like her brother Finrod did against Sauron, or her uncle Fëanor did against Balrogs.
Even with a lesser ring like Nenya, Galadriel had enough of a boost in her Fëa(spirit) , that she could sustain an unassailable magical realm against Maiar and virtually anything on Middle-Earth. Only problem was when Sauron wore the one ring, she had to take off Nenya, and had to lose that Maia level Fëa spirit from the modernly termed “boosted power up”
With the one ring, Galadriel would have such a boost in her Fëa spirit, that she’d literally become stronger than the foundations of the Earth.
Due to Galadriel’s immense native Fëa, she was prone to a super healthy pride and a small lust for dominion/ but not domination, her goodness kept this pride from going over to the dark side. Galadriel at heart was extremely good so she’s definitely not evil. She never once is called queen or desires to be called such a thing, she and her husband Celeborn became the wiseman and wisewoman of that realm; after the previous elven lord Amroth died and his wife Nimrodel disappeared ontop of the fact Amroth’s Successor later died as well in the “Last Alliance”, (same battle shown in the prologue to Fellowship Of The Ring), All Evil Despairs at her presence let alone hearing her name on the wind. The Nazgûl themselves avoid her realm every chance they get to the point of choosing to go the long way around for over 100 miles just to avoid her. (So she’s definitely scary to foul entities that have turned away from Eru Îlluvatar the one AllFather.)
She’s a totally good character. Aragorn even says to the Fellowship as they enter Lothlórien, “There is in her and this land no evil, unless a man bring it hither himself. Then let him beware!” If you’re going by her portrayal in the movies, you might think she has an evil element to her character, but that came from Peter Jackson’s portrayal of the addictive, coercive power of the Ring. When Frodo offered her the Ring, it presented her with visions of herself as the all-powerful Goddess of Middle-Earth.
Luckily, she was smart & intuitive enough to realize that the Ring was totally evil, and despite the best of intentions, it would have turned her evil in the end-but she still would have appeared to be beautiful and good. I don’t agree with Jackson’s “drowned Galadriel” portrayal of her being tempted by the Ring-I think she’d have appeared as a supernatural being of divine beauty, and her regular appearance was close to that already, but how do you show that in a movie? Apparently, in her youth in Valinor, she was somewhat of a rebel, but that’s not necessarily evil.
She certainly could have fallen into the same trap as her uncle Fëanor did, of thinking that everyone was entitled to her opinion-but she kept her ego in check. (If you’re not sure what I’m referring to there; please read The Silmarillion and “Unfinished Tales”.)
No matter how noble her reason was to use the ring as a last resort, especially if said fellowship fell off the “edge of the knife” as she called it. she had a change of heart which happened in the middle of talking to Frodo.
Galadriel left Valinor(The Undying Lands) for a reason - and it was different from most of the other elves.
She wasn’t with her uncle Fëanor, who wished to make war against Morgoth and retrieve the Silmarils - she was not wishing to go to war, and had no interest in the Silmarils in which Melkor stole from Fëanor which was the surviving light of the two trees of Valinor within them that the only Fëanor; the master of all elven smiths could have accomplished but it could not be done a second time as is any pure creation of one’s heart, especially in regards to the elves and Valar alike.
Though she traveled with her other uncle, Fingolfin, her goals were not aligned completely with his either despite her full support of her noble and regal uncle Fingolfin in general.
- They both wished to keep an eye on Fëanor and make sure the Noldor were in good hands -
Galadriel wasn’t interested in Fëanor and wanted her own realm. After spending some time in Doriath, Galadriel and her husband Celeborn passed to the east out of Beleriand and passed eastward through Eriador and over the Misty Mountains; to where she founded her own realm in what became renamed as Lothlórien. Her motivation and goal was to preserve her realm, possibly at any means necessary.
With Sauron’s return in the Third Age, Galadriel was forced to ask herself how far she would go to preserve her realm. If Frodo failed, she must forsake her own ring & her realm. If he succeeds, her ring will lose power and her realm with fade. Would she seize the ring, taking Sauron’s power for her own, to save her realm? She decided she would not. She had decided to “test” the Fellowship, to find some flaw that would allow her to justify seizing the ring, and she did find a flaw - in herself. She stated to Frodo, that by telling her that he would offer her the ring if she asked, that she had come to test his heart, but found that he was testing hers.
She had a change of heart, she would pass into the West, and remain Galadriel.
Which one is better? Being born completely good and living your whole life without any evil inside, or having a character growth ?
"Stardust" by Matthew Vaughn is also a great Fantasy-Movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Daines, Charlie Cox, Robert deNiro, Henry Cavill, etc.
An underrated movie, but a really good one!
Great choice
Stardust is my fav. fantasy movie except for the trilogy. It's so perfect in many ways.
Serenity is cool too
I remember introducing this trilogy to my folks about 15 years ago. They had previously not been into fantasy. They became obsessed with this story. We watch it at least once a year, the whole extended trilogy.
Fricken awesome man!!! Keep doing that. Get ready for war of the rohirrim. Learn more about it between nerd of the rings and Philippa Boyens
Bucklebury Ferry is named after the real village of Bucklebury not too far from Oxford where JRR Tolkien was a professor. I lived just a few miles from Bucklebury and there is a river running through the village! They speak a real language, Tolkien invented a complete one and then wrote the books….that language you ask about , Elvish, is a real one and they are speaking it. He also made up Dwarf, Orc and other languages. Remember the eleven capes have attributes 😉. Really enjoyed your reactions. Please, extended versions!
Part 2 of “Galadriel’s Mark of Tragedy” - Here is more stuff that connects to when Morgoth killed Fëanor’s father Finwë (as I described in the beginning of this message above):
•The First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë. It took place in the city of Alqualondë on the shores of Aman when the Noldor, led by Fëanor, stole the ships of the Teleri (which also that clan didn’t like the energy coming from Fëanor but also didn’t want to start another war with Morgoth ontop of Teleri being rather peaceful in general; along with the fact it was all just a bit rash on their perspective so to speak to leave for Middle-earth, resulting in the deaths of many Teleri.
This act was a major turning point in the history of the Elves and led to the estrangement of the Noldor and the Valar. This is the battle where I may have mentioned in the Galadriel hair comment. Where she was defending her mothers people from Fëanor and his army which is one of the main reasons he backed the hell off. She’s a very cool character. One of the most beloved still alive in middle ear to after so many ages of the world had passed into the third age that you’re watching this movie in!)
•The decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was a choice made by the Noldor, led by Fëanor, on their own. They were driven by their desire to reclaim the Silmarils, which had been stolen by Morgoth, and to avenge the deaths of their kin who had been killed in the pursuit of the jewels.
The journey through the Helcaraxë was a difficult one, and many of the Noldor perished along the way. However, it was not seen as a punishment, but rather as a test of endurance and resilience. Those who survived the journey were strengthened by it and became more powerful as a result.
In summary, the First Kinslaying occurred before the Helcaraxë, and the decision to leave Aman and journey to Middle-earth was made by the Ñoldor on their own. The Helcaraxë was a difficult journey, but it was seen as a test of endurance on its own rather than a punishment.
This isn’t even 10 percent of the whole story just with her life and the life of her family shaped middle earth as we know it and made sure survival into the ages was even possible. Especially for both men and elves. She even among many elves is a living example of a bygone era for both kindreds.
So, when will you move on to "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King"???
I know maybe many have said it, but I think you would enjoy the extended versions. You seems to like the lore and the worldbuilding, and the extended versions gives us more of that. In addition in the next 2 movies we get some story points that I feel are actually missing from the theatrical versions. :)
This was a great reaction. subbing to see more :)
Awesome reaction!!
So glad that you enjoyed it!!
How long did those long hours of film felt!? ;)
Please for the next 2 movies watch the extended version!! Otherwise bits of the plot are lacking!!
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A fantasy film, but way older and much less epic would be:
Willow (1988)
[it would be classified as a "sword and sorcery film"]
Gandalfs speech in his last stand against the Balrog of Morgoth actually hints to who and what he is. "I am servant of the secret fire" The secret fire is the fire of creation the thing which allows Eru'Eluvitar (God) to make the world and all things "Wielder of the flame of Anor" Anor is the elvish word for sun and is probably the name of the Sun in this time (we call it Sol now) Gandalfs power comes from purity and light. "The dark fire will not will not avail you" Here he is calling out the fruitlessness of the Balrogs attacks as it was of corrupted impure fire and Gandalf is beyond him "Flame of Udun" Udun is the elvish word for hell or the underworld Mordor is sometimes called Udun as well. Gandalf is a Maia, a lesser angelic spirit and servant to the Valar which were demigod like greater spirits all servants to Eru. The Balrog is a Maia too but fallen and evil. When Eru sent Gandalf (whose real name is Olorin) he said that he and the other Maia sent could not use their true powers and put them in the bodies of old men. However this was an exception as Gandalf was facing his equal here and the rules were laid aside for this battle.