Filmmaker reacts to Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2022
- Hope you enjoy my filmmaker reaction to Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. :D
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Original Movie: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
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I almost have seen more lotr reactions than lotr itself... who am i kidding.. its not even close and i have seen a lot lotr reactions already.. 🤦♂️😅 a whole lotr love ❤
Already i have to tell you to please watch at least the third one in the extended version.. just for the beginning with Saruman alone, then you can do whatever you like ;D
I know its one of the biggest changes to the books, but Saruman and Christopher Lee just really didnt deserve that.. (i mean the theatrical version of RotK)
Ian Mckellen said he very much preferred to play Gandalf the Grey..(compared to nothing special in case you really have no idea about the next two movies;)) for obvious reasons ❤
Bro i am sorry for spamming but in case you are really interested there are very rich and long official making of's to these movies (almost the lenght of the movies itself.. so you really got to love it tho.. but how could you not;))
I think you would absolutely love the making of the films features.
The extended version improves the movies even for non fans. I had never read the books.
They didn’t have to beg for a sequel, they filmed all three films back to back to back.
I consider this to be one complete film split into three parts. Like the books.
peter Jackson didn't even ask permission lol he just started filming scenes from the later movies when they did the first. when it was time to talk about more movies he already had a bunch filmed i think
Love how when Bilbo finally managed to drop the ring, it doesn't bounce, emphasizing that it has a metaphysical weight that actually affects physics. It's a subtle thing, but it's disturbing even if you don't consciously realize it
if you add to that think how light it is when it chooses to be" Bc that just be sitting pretty in a pocket, held in your hand weightless light as a feather but then just a heavy thud when left behind abandoned. You don't really think about it.
Many people miss how the ring gets progressively heavier in the movies, to the point where Frodo's neck is bruised. It's symbolism of the physical and emotional weight the ring carries.
I believe they made a magnetic version for that effect
@@erikawilliams9558 Thats a common misconception. In a behind the scenes video they talk about how they made a 18-inch(45cm) diameter version of the ring for this close up scene
@@thedeep6570 They used a big ring for the close ups but they did use a magnetic floor for that one shot because the ring kept bouncing and rolling away. I watch the commentary too back in the day. @ErikaWilliams is correct.
the amount of "how the heck did they do that"s is making my inexplicably happy. i'm so glad you're watching my favorite series
xD this is the film that’ll perform magic tricks that even I can’t seem to crack.
@@JamesVSCinema they really had to use everything in their playbooks. Just as CGI was getting better, they even pioneered some mo-cap techniques and getting up-close, CGI facial movements. But they couldn't rely on only CG for most things, so a lot of physical and practical effects that really grounds everything very well!
@@JamesVSCinema Get the Special Edition opticals (DVD/BluRay).
Tons and tons of featurettes.
Also 4 commentary tracks for each film.
@@zvimur Second recommendation - if you REALLY want to know about all the tricks and forced perspective - and all the design and just sheer PASSION FOR THE ART - and RESPECT for Tolkien's works themselves - you'll find it all there!
some of the little things they do are almost unnoticeable, but set the tone so well - an early one is when Bilbo drops the Ring - it lands with a thud, no bounce ... the implied weight of it, how heavy the burden is ...
I've watched thousands of films from all over the world over the last 50 years. The Lord of the Rings, taken as a whole single story, is my choice for the finest. Hard to beat. No, it's not the books, which are great in their own right, but this film is a MONUMENTAL achievement in the art of cinema.
Nothing more to say.
Very very well stated my friend.
Facts. Absolute perfection.
Couldn't say it better myself.
Well, the book set the bar very high. For years, everybody thought that no movie could ever do justice to the source material.
I must say, the movies, especially the 1st, are far from perfect. And it's not wonder that the weakest parts are the ones that Hollywood added. Rewriting the story to add more screen time for Liv Tayler is ok-ish. But it should be done in the spirit of the books
If not, you're bound to create the premise for one of the cringiest scenes in modern cinema, dad Elrond scorning 17-yo Arwan for the "bad boy" (Aragorn) she's dating.
A conversation that in the books, in which both carry the weigh of immortal beings (Elrond was born in the First Ege, making him 6000+ yo, Arwen at the beginning of the Third Age, she was 2778 yo when she married), never existed. At 2778 yo she's old and wise enough to make her own choices, Elrond never even came close to questioning them.
There's only a slight hint of a "dad" moment, but in a conversation with Aragorn, not with Arwen. In short Elrond reminds him who he (Aragorn) is, all his lineage and his titles. He just adds that while he might be a King among Men, the leader of the lastest big alliance of the free people of Middle Earth in the final battle against Evil, he's still marrying up. And he's right, Arwen shares the same bloodline of Aragorn, the Kings of Men (they are cousins, like 30 generations apart cousins) but also that of the Kings of the Elves. And she has the beauty of Luthien. I mean every dad has the right of thinking of his daughter as the most beautiful and noble creature on the Earth, even Elrond. He just reminds Aragorn that in this case that's literally true.
Man, Viggo Mortensen really put part of his soul into these films. His dedication to the role is in top form. He asked the armorer if he could keep the real sword to himself and used it for practice, to train, to use it as much as possible in every day life, to be familiar with it, to actually get good with it for real. He maintained the weapon from cleaning to sharpening. That one shot of him cutting the thrown knife out of the air towards the end wasn't supposed to happen. The stuntman actually threw the knife incorrectly and Viggo deflected it by reflex! He did countless stuff with other cast and crew members. He actually bought the main horse that portrayed Shadowfaux, Gandalf's horse, and gifted it to the woman that took care of the horse behind the camera, because she had grown attached to it. She never would have seen the horse again if not for Viggo. I love how Aragorn had respect for Sam when they first met. When Sam bust in the hotel room ready to throw hands, Aragorn knows Sam poses no threat to him, but still admires his courage. "You have a stout heart, little hobbit." And you see his respect he has for all the hobbits grow throughout the films. You love to see it.
And the Two Towers incident. All I’ll say for now about that is OUCH.
@@0okamino He said, "Aaaauughhh!!!"
He did very well in these sets of movies. Hildago is easy a close second this *smiles*
@@theshadowfax239 This is accurate. Well.... assuming they still named that horse Asfaloth lol. It was actually the horse Arwen rides in the first movie, the woman was Arwen's riding double for stunts and also took care of all the horses on set. She fell in love with the horse she rode, but it was a top bred stallion, worth way more than she could ever afford. Viggo bought himself the horse he rode in Two Towers, Brego, and also bought the other horse, the stallion, the woman loved, outbidding a studio exec to do it, and gifted it to her for nothing, as he felt it was just right that she have that horse.
the stuntman also accidentally threw a real knife, was obviously suppose to be a stunt knife, but he used the wrong one
I love how Legolas looks downright terrified when Gandalf informs the group there is a Balrog approaching, like he's the only one in the group other than Gandalf who knows exactly what it is, like he's heard the stories and it's one of the few things that scares him. It's probably the most scared he looks in the whole series.
Exactly. The sheer stunned terror.
Surely Gimli would’ve known about it as well? That Balrog is, after all, Durin’s Bane, the one that killed the greatest Dwarven king of all.
"A Filmmaker is never late, nor is he early...he reacts precisely when he means to..."
I have always said first timers should not watch the extended versions. I saw the originals for years before they came out and appreciated it so much more. Smart on you.
Thanks hahaha. Appreciate you for getting it 🙏🏽
42:00 Another reason why this trilogy was a lightning in a bottle event. They didn't have to wait to find out if they had a sequel, they were greenlit for the entire trilogy from the start, with a $300m budget. They shot for 14 months straight in New Zealand, and then Peter spent the better part of 3 years in the editing room!! Completely unheard of, especially considering Peter Jackson had almost exclusively made campy horror comedies up to that point. It was an absurd risk, and one of the only smart decisions Harvey Weinstein has every made.
I could write an entire essay on the brilliance of these movies but the appendices/bts extras will do that for me. Era defining in every way imaginable
I came looking for this comment.
One definite exception to the campy horror stories he and Fran Walsh made was Heavenly Creatures, which stars Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey.
Worth noting that the films were actually made despite Harvey Weinstein. Harvey and Miramax wanted one film and threatened to replace Jackson with Tarantino. Credit goes to New Line and Bob Shaye and Mark Ordesky for taking the chance. HW (who still demanded a producers credit) was such a thorn in the side of Jackson and crew that they actually made an orc costume that looked like him as a final "fuck you" to him
@@Owlyross That is hilarious (& interesting). I think it's the one with the bulbous head in Two Towers who says "The Age of Men is over...The Age of Orcs has begun" (I'm paraphrasing). -x-
A Tarantino Version of Lord of the Rings?! Oh God nooooo..... nononono.... no!!!
@@bluelagoon1980 I think it’s probably fair to say that without Heavenly Creatures (which also got them an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay) they would not have been able to convince New Line to let them make LotR.
The absolute best part of Boromirs death scene to me is when Aragorn runs up to him the first thing he says is "They took the little ones." Even on deaths door he was only thinking about the others. Boromir was a bro all along. It really shows how powerful the ring is to influence people like Boromir.
These movies have it all, man… It’s no wonder they have literally all the Oscars in a way no fantasy before or since has ever dreamed of.
It’s definitely in a tier of its own.
@@JamesVSCinema Hey James, if you think the characters and the lore, is deep in the film, the books the lord of the rings trilogy and the Simarillion, the Hobbit and the unfinished works of Tolkien, is so deep, its literally like taking a college level course. it's been 20 years of watching these movies, and learning about the lore and I still don't know everything about the characters and the lore. Its probably the deepest and richest lore there is.
@@isasooner5 The books suck dude. And Tolkien's writing style is gay.
I was talking to a young person about this story and they said, "But its got so many cliches in it." Made me laugh. I had to explain to them that the reason why this story seems to have so many fantasy tropes in it is because this is the story that originated so many of those tropes.
Kids these days! Lol
So true haha
^_^
This. People have just seen the million copies
Except Joseph Campbell would be the more responsible
@@willemreyniers9187 Well, yes and no. Campbell was publishing his books about the Hero's Journey at around the same time Tolkien was inventing Middle Earth.
"One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them."
"Bars."
That was pure millennial, and hilarious. Lmao
Gandulf the Godson. Hahaha
@@Drax514 It's a Hip-hop reference derived from the musical term. Rappers who put together a particularly impressive lyrical display are described as "spitting bars", and its use has extended to basically any scenario where someone says something profound or articulate.
@@JamesVSCinema I recommend you go back and watch the extended cuts privately. They are more than worth it. The last 2 movies had about 30 minutes of footage added, so that's not a small insignificant amount, and the extra scenes do add even more weight and epic feel to the trilogy. Please don't do yourself a disservice and watch them.
What does it mean?
@@retromillenium didnt he watch the extended version? The fight with the water and Isildur at mount doom are only in the extended version, right?
There will be plenty of comments talking about how in the books it’s tobacco they’re smoking but Peter Jackson intentionally gave it a weed vibe (which I personally think adds to the overall mood especially when you think of the characteristics given to hobbits:peaceful, hungry, nature loving). So don’t let anyone ruin what Peter Jackson clearly intended to portray with their biases or gate keeping.
The director's cuts of these films regularly play in our house, it's practically background noise around here. These movies and their soundtracks are absolutely beautiful, well worth the long run times.
Extended Editions for the win!!
Fellowship was my favourite in terms of the extended versions as it only added little bits you wouldn’t notice until you compared.
@@andrewburgemeister6684 yeah, of the extended editions, Fellowship has the smoothest pacing and every extra scene feels like it belongs
@@sir_maim_iii9716 I watched the Theatrical Cut with my parents and it felt weird without those extra scenes that added so much!
@@sir_maim_iii9716 it’s the only one of the three where the Extended Edition is an improvement over the Theatrical Edition.
James - one of the reasons I absolutely love this channel is that you focus on different story and technical beats than other reactors. I've seen probably 20 or more other reactors react to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and nearly all of them focus on the same moments in the story. The focus of your channel, on great storytelling and the technical aspect of films, puts a fresh new twist on every movie you review. Keep up the great work!
Super happy to hear. Always happy to give value in places that are often overlooked. Main point of this channel so thank you!
To be fair, it makes sense that not a lot of reactors have a more technical film perspective. People like that tend to be movie buffs, while being a reactor inherently requires limited film experience.
"other reactors"
They're just people, you can't "do reacting", it's a natural thing that even cats do when they see basically anything, just like us.
Ooh what are your favorite ones? I've seen a bunch of reactors too and I'm really picky 😅
Tolkien explicitly states in the opening paragraphs of LotR that it's Tobacco. But for most of the book its referred to as Pipeweed. Presumably to make it more fantasy. I'm honestly really curious bc LotR was really popular in the 60s with the hippy crowd, whether LotR had any influence on the adoption of the word weed to mean marijuana.
Well it was written in the 30s back then Marijuana in England wasn't as prominent as something you smoke
Not to be more fantasy but to pay homage to the hippy crowd.
@@jima6545 He wrote these long before hippies were a thing. The book was written between the 30’s and 50’s, and published in 1955. Pipe weed was just another form of tobacco, like Tolkien smoked. He didn’t smoke marijuana. As a matter of fact, he commented that he didn’t like the hippie culture when they all took notice and became fans of the story.
@@Ryotsu2112 I was referring to the movies, not Tolkien himself. One of the pop culture references in the movies I found annoying. I'm certain he didn't mean marijuana
Tolkien didn't want to use the word "tobacco" because it's a Carib word for a New World crop and he felt it would have been incongruous because Middle-earth is supposed to be our own world in a remote past, i.e. before contact between Europe and the Americas. Didn't stop him from using "potato" and "tater" though, and after all he could always have justified it by saying it's part of the translation convention, since the books are supposed to be translated into English from the original Westron
In the books, the initial exposition opened with a really good poem:
“Three rings for the Elven Kings, under the sky;
Seven for the Dwarf Lords in their halls of stone;
Nine for Mortal Men, doomed to die;
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne;
In the Land of Mordor, where the shadows lie;
One Ring to rule them all;
One Ring to find them;
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them;
In the Land of Mordor, where the shadows lie”
I love watching the behind the scenes for LOTR trilogy. There is one very special ingredient that made these movies so great, and it's passion. Everyone on set looked like they loved what they were doing, everyone was full of energy, and everyone seemed like they not only wanted to get another movie shoot over with, but more like they wanted to give it their all. And you can really feel that warmth and effort on screen. It's something special, and it makes me appreciate this trilogy so much more. Perfect trilogy to kill 11 hours and 20 minutes with. Loved watching them when I was sick. The day went by so fast.
" How the heck did they do that?"
There are hours upon hours of behind the scenes and how we did this or that for the movies. They are the appendices for each of the films. As a filmmaker, I think you would find quite a bit of this interesting. I see the appendices uploaded on TH-cam from time to time, but there are others that are interesting that never get uploaded. You have to be a real Tolkien and/or film geek to love some of those. For example the WETA workshop episodes.
These DVDs were the peak of "bonus content". It was like a Ken Burns documentary.
i wonder if the lord of the rings trilogy was the last time i experienced special effects like it was proper magic tricks. nowadays i hardly think about it at all.
The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book and movies. Here are some notes:
The score is arguably the greatest ever scored. It underscores the action and emotions perfectly.
The intro seems like it would be a horrible way to start a movie with 7 minutes of exposition but the executed it so perfectly. Plus having Cate Blanchett narrate it is epic.
For the longest time this story was thought to be unfilmable and this was a massive risk for New Line. They had to knock it out of the park with Fellowship.
You see Tolkien's theme of nature v industry come through a lot in the films.
The scene where Gandalf talks to Frodo in Moria is one of my absolute favorites. This film came out right after 9/11 and the theme of carrying on even in the darkest times just hit.
Boromir's death scene is amazing. The scene in the film is actually one of the few things the movies do better than the books. Be at peace son of Gondor.
The Ring is the main villain and they do a great job reminding you of that.
Sam is the MVP. We all need a friend like Sam and need to strive to be Sam.
This story was forged in the trenches of WWI. Sam and Frodo's friendship is based on the bonds he saw in that hellish nightmare.
I went in knowing the story. I knew Gandalf was going to get pulled off that bridge but the emotional execution of that scene and others caused me to have tears rolling down my cheeks. If you accomplish that you know you have one hell of a movie.
Thanks for reacting.
" We all need a friend like Sam" why? Why says no one, every boddy can be a sam, I can be a sam?
"This story was forged in the trenches of WWI"
Yupp, Mordor influenced by The Furnace of Verdun' and Gandalf's line You Shall Not Pass was definitely taken from the 'They shall not pass' Nivelle's slogan about Verdun. Tolkien never fought in the battle but would have heard the stories and the propaganda line was everywhere on posters.
I've read these books at leat 10 times since the 6th grade. I'm 44 years old and when insane this opening night in theater I was literally in tears. Yes there are some things that don't match the book, but my god, to see the characters I grew up with come to life!!! One of the best theatrical events of my life.
I was 39 when this was released... Opening night for all three movies, like a kid :-D
I even treated some friends to Return Of The King just to see it again... and that's the only time I've been to the theater to watch a movie a second time.
I'm reading now book and I understand why they changed so much,if they make it movie like a books they must be 6 movies 10 hours long,I think the movies are masterpiece
Tolkien was a brilliant world builder but a sub par writer. His writing style is meandering and he trivializes shit.
Dude this was such a pleasure watching you go from, “listen, I can’t watch the extended versions, I don’t know these movies, maybe I will one day” to just complete awe and excitement as you watch the film unfold. If you aren’t a super fan yet, just wait til ROTK.
I'm glad you gave the music credit. To this day, I think this is the most complete film soundtrack ever written. Every character, every location has its own theme, and all of the are distinct, recognizable and just fantastic.
I love how you keep bringing up Howard Shore's score, man! And I totally agree with you, the music fits everything & flows so naturally. And that we get specific melodies for specific characters & things that keeps showing up when the characters does. We haven't gotten such music for a series of films since John Williams gave us the music for the original SW trilogy. I wonder if we ever will again.
I read unlike other composers who view a rough cut of the film and build the score around it, Shore actually went to New Zealand to be on set with the cast and crew and started building the score for all three films from the dailies and the filming he was witnessing.
It’s why I feel it’s really unique in terms of film scores!
I haven't seen the theatrical editions of these films in so long. Love this trilogy. It had such a huge impact on me in the early 2000s. It showed the world that fantasy could indeed be universally appreciated and related to.
Generally speaking, I think the Theatrical editions are well easier to digest. (Especially for first time viewings.) Overall, there's only so many scenes from the Extended I wish they kept in the general release. They may fill the story out more fully, but they can be more tedious for many to sit through.
@@maximillianosaben Plus, there's actually footage in the theatrical (FotR especially) that isn't in the extended.
Hbomax has all the extended versions
i think the theatrical are the superior versions. I feel like a lot of stuff cut was cut for a reason. The last 2 films are bloated with a lot of unnecessary comic relief.
@@garyjones2561 is that some of the stuff in Lothlorien?
As far as I know, they did use a different sort of scene they shot for the Extended version.
Totally understand why you'd want to watch the theatrical cuts, particularly if you haven't seen them in a while. So glad you're checking these out again though, without a doubt I think the greatest fantasy legacy ever brought to screen
Thanks for understanding man! Excited for you guys to run through the video haha. A lot of good moments!
@@JamesVSCinema There is a plot resolution in the third movie that was cut from the theatrical. But we can let you know what was left out if you want to stick to the TE. 😁
@@the-NightStar I'm not really sure there's anything pressing in TTT EE that he'd miss out on. But it's been years since I've seen it, and even longer for the TE. It's the ROTK TE that leaves a plot thread unresolved. And the way it's resolved in the movie completely deviates from the books anyway.
@@the-NightStar Everyone who loves the extended versions saw the regular version in theaters and loved them enough that they were down for twice the length a second time. Let him have that too.
Just in case you haven't picked up on this: the Ring isn't merely a "temptation" (although its invisibility power alone would certainly make it a tempting trinket) - it is a character in its own right. It may not speak or move about on its own...but it manipulates and corrupts the other characters around it with the goal of making its way back to its maker and master, the Dark Lord Sauron. Individuals who can get the Ring closer to its goal will be shown visions of the power they'd be able to wield just by taking it for their own...although, of course, they're all deceived as the Ring serves ONLY its master. But its hold over them - especially if they've carried it for a long time, as Bilbo had - never goes away. And that's why Bilbo underwent that frightening, if blessedly brief, transformation when he spied the Ring on its chain around Frodo's neck. Hobbits are more resistant than others to the Ring's machinations....but only up to a point.
My man, you’re going on a goddam journey here. ‘Masterpiece’ doesn’t even do this trilogy justice - it’s that good
Hell yeah!
It is funny you should mention at the end how the scene with Frodo and Sam was almost like them hoping for a sequel, in actual fact Peter Jackson the director did something very few directors have ever done before or since. When he was going around attempting to get people to fund the film, he pitched it as a trilogy, even going as far as declining offers from people who just wanted it to be one film, he said no to many offers like that and finally got someone to agree to funding the trilogy, and due to having 3 films confirmed, they shot all 3 films at the same time, which I am sure you as a Filmmaker can appreciate how rare that is, especially with todays cinema.
1000% you can tell when someone LOVES their story. Even amongst some bigger directors now, there’s a special tier for people like this..true artists which is so cool and inspiring to witness.
Not strictly true. Peter Jackson actually pitched the project as two films, because he didn't think that any studio would agree to fund a trilogy. It was actually the Exec producer at New Line who said "Why are you pitching us two films when it should be 3?" Jackson couldn't believe his luck!
@@richieclean This.
The other impressive thing is how each film has a sort of internal arc, so even though the end of each of the two parts is not the end, there is still a feeling of completion, and there is also the faith in the viewer that no reprise was made at the beginning of the new movies, showing complete confidence in the audience. There's a lot of skill in this, and even a good director in Denis Villeneuve wasn't able to achieve the same thing with Dune. Jackson will never be able to match this film making again, but what a legacy!
2 thoughts… the extended editions are hella-tight, just as great as the theatrical versions. And, this is essentially the greatest indie movies ever made - they had large budgets, but not really large large enough, so the ingenuity is off the charts.
Literally one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history. The behind the scenes content is also incredible. The amount of love, heart and dedication that went into making them will possibly never be surpassed
The shot near the end you liked so much where the camera flies over the battle? They basically put the camera on a modified zip line. I love that you noticed that shot, its one of my favorites across the whole trilogy.
If you didn't see this ending in the theater back then, you don't know the meaning of pain. Having to wait a full year after THAT ride was pure torture. And then again after Two Towers. Insane.
One of my favorite theater moments of all time was during this movie. The scene where Pippen knocks the skeleton and bucket down the well caused the entire audience to gasp and then sit in complete silence through the echoes, holding its collective breath. Marvelous
You saw it in theater dude?
23:47 'This music, it's a character in itself.'
Yes! That's what I've kept saying all the time (and will continue to do so)👍 One cannot imagine this trilogy without its marvellous score. You can even listen to the soundtrack afterwards and 're-watch' the film in your head.
24:40 It's epic and you like it because that theme symbolizes the whole fellowship in its full force. At the end when the characters part their ways, their theme splits as well.
24:55 Exactly! Every time I see the scene I stand in awe at Aragorn's readiness to defend the ring and its bearer.
This trilogy is nearly 20 years old now, and you'll still see nothing like it. Production values were through the roof, and they did stuff that was not only amazing for the time, but still looks incredible today.
Once in a lifetime kind of project.
I don't think LOTR will ever be topped. King of the fantasy genre.
The soundtrack of this trilogy is one of the best compositions in the history of cinema. You can just hear the music and feel the story unfold before you, without the need for any images. The melodies, the motifs, the development... Howard Shore forever defined Middle-earth.
An army of super fans demanding the extended editions awaits you...
THEY SHALL NOT PASS!
I grew up reading this book every year. Seeing them recreated with such beauty and respect to the source material. I wept like a baby in the theatre.
42:02 fun fact about the trilogy is that they actually shot all the movies at the same time to save money and time!
If my memory serves me correct, all 3 of these were filmed continuously without a break. Also I think these are the best book to film adaptations I’ve seen, they do such a great job at following the books and staying true to the original story.
The amount of time and love and detail put into the entire production of this trilogy is honestly astonishing
I think some of us super-fans forget that most of us saw the theatrical versions first, then watched the extended versions to satisfy our need for more.
I think you made the right choice.
1. Gotta do the extended editions they basically are considered the official version by most fans at this point.
2. As a filmmaker you might really appreciate the behind the scenes stuff for these movies, the way they were made was 1 of a kind, the work they did with miniatures and forced perspective (including moving forced perspective rigs that changed position with camera movements), the complexity and logistics of the practical effects and props. The schedule for the movies where they filmed all 3 at the same time with years and years of both pre-production and production will never happen again.
I cannot think of a single reason to deny myself all the great content of the extended editions.
The fans don't determine what's official. The theatrical is the best cut for all 3 films. The extended versions ruin the gritty serious nature of Lord of the Rings and turn the trilogy into a comedy.
@@DestinyAwaits19 "the fans don't determine what's official" followed by "the theatrical is the best cut", do you even read what you type
@@aidanrock8719 The theatrical is superior.
@@DestinyAwaits19 lol, what? :)
I'm no cinematographer or movie critic but the LOTR trilogy does seem like a master class in all aspects of movie making.
Yes! Imo the LotR trilogy is one of (if not THE) best trilogy to ever be made. These films are the definition of lightning in a bottle.
Definitely see it now more than ever!
The
Amazing to see 2 of my fav yters commenting on my fav movie lmao
That head turn when Bilbo said "the finest weed in the south" was so hilarious 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Dude, I've lost count of how many times I've seen these movies. Watching how excited you get at each part is so fun to see. Whoever is editing is doing a great job of putting all the key points together as you watch. Good stuff.
The making of documentaries around the trilogy are fantastic btw.
7:26 Basically, they filmed two separate shots one with Gandalf on a green screen and when he passed off his staff and hat he dropped it to someone off screen and filmed the opposite for Bilbo. But a lot the film used scaling and forced perspective for scenes that had Hobbits, it's really fire. If you have a chance here's the BTS of it: th-cam.com/video/PB8db3PMZ9s/w-d-xo.html
Literally every single department gave their all, down to the tiniest details. My personal favorite is the fact that the costume department made the hobbits' clothes with thicker thread so that it looked right in proportion. They didn't have to go that far, but this film was truly a labor of love for every team member.
This reaction is a huge testament to why I enjoy your reactions. Your perspective is always twofold - that of a movie lover and a movie maker. You’re of course here to react to my favorite scenes similarly to how I did on my first watch. But DAMN I love hearing you geek out over the details behind making movies or seeing you scratch your head when you can’t figure out how it was made! Your voice is a perfect bridge between full immersion and critical analysis. Really awesome work, man!
Ah that’s so great to hear man!! Beautifully summarized the entire goal of this channel. Cheers man!
Love this! Thank you for doing these. Totally agree that the theatrical editions are the way to go in your case - and this is coming from a HUGE fan. Hey, it’s the theatrical editions that won them all their Oscars so you can’t go wrong.
appreciate this! Hahaha definitely seeing some heat for it but honestly I already know it’s the best approach for watching these after so long.
I absolutely love LOTR in all its incarnations, but I have to agree. The theatrical editions are better films by almost every metric, and IMO are the way they should be experienced for newcomers.
@@JamesVSCinema you don't deserve any "heat" for not watching the extended versions but, imho, they really don't "change" anything, other than giving you more detail. They really are "better," with no downside, imho, but your reasons for not doing it are understandable.
@@topperformanceify Honestly I think the extended editions are awesome to watch first, especially because you can just watch them in the comfort of your own home instead of having to sit in a theater for 4 hours.
These movies were so brilliantly adapted. Yes, they took liberties or changed certain things, but the attention to detail and love for the story that Jackson, Walsh and Boyens put into this trilogy was exceptional. It's truly one of, if not the greatest trilogy ever put to film. Especially considering nearly everybody considered it an impossibility to put to film because of the size and scope of the story and huge amount of characters.
James, I'd highly recommend to watch the Extendeds for the Appendices (Behind The Scenes). It goes into hours of huge detail of all aspects of the movies (writing, filming, all the tricks they used for the size differences, sets, music, VFX, costumes, weapons, models, etc). It will pretty much answer any question you have about the movies.
Boromir's death is top 10 moments in cinema for me. I think it's arguably the best single moment in the entire trilogy. He's so human and so vulnerable yet so noble at the same time. I can't not well up when I watch it. It's beautiful.
"This dude said let me raise my spiritual pressure"
Brilliant
This trilogy will always be my favorite films all time. There’s nothing like it, from immersion to storytelling and filmmaking. The characters, the art of the cinematography and mix of cgi/real designs they toiled through to make these films feel real, and to be apart of the journey itself. Love this!
Lotr and the Godfather triology are movies I try to rewatch at least once per year. :)
When I were still living with my parents my dad literally boight a home cinema 5-1 set just for Lotr and we had a tradition to watch one at the time during 23-25 december together.
I feel a bit sad that Gimli is only really used as a comic relief. I mean, I get that you need a character like that. But there was so much more to him in the books.
Gimli is one of the most intelligent and open minded dwarves in Tolkiens history. He is always willing to put give his 100% whenever required, although he is grumbling about it. He has a very keen eye for architecture and engineering. Hell, he even becomes best friends with an Elf, which his father would consider unfathomable. And as most of us know, after the events of LOTR, he travels with Legolas, showing him the Dwarven natural wonders, as Legolas shows him around the Elvish parts.
Been waiting on this one and i can't wait for the next two reactions. Man this film is a masterpiece in story telling I am so pysched to see that you are reacting to this 🙂 and I would definetly recommend reading the books because they are so good
Happy to hear it Andrew! Yeah this is going to be a damn good ride!
Gandalf: Reciting the ancient poem of Doom that heralds the end of the time of magic in the realm and tells the story of several thousands of deaths and betrayals past.
James: Bars.
If/when you dig into the making ofs, one of my favorite is one titled “scale.” Hobbits tend to be around 3’6” tall and naturally most actors who play hobbits aren’t that short, so the logistical troubles of making them look short is an amazing array of tricks and techniques. Some shots are forced perspective, where actors playing smaller characters are literally just further away from the camera and pretend as though they are level with the taller characters closer to the lens. Others are composite shots using blue or green screen, and still others use scale doubles, short people who put on wigs and occasionally life cast masks of the lead actors for wide shots or shots where they have their back to camera. It’s a truly fascinating blend that never makes you question how Elijah Wood is approximately half his own height on screen.
I still remember the atmosphere with my friends and family and coworkers when the trailers for this first started showing. There was such breathless anticipation for this story that just watching a trailer felt like magic.
Fun fact about early development: Peter Jackson initially pitched Lord of the Rings to Miramax. The intent was to have an adaptation of The Hobbit, followed by a two part adaption of Lord of the Rings to round out the trilogy. Miramax was unsuccessful in obtaining the rights for The Hobbit and didn't have enough faith to greenlight both LotR films after seeing how much it would cost. They urged Jackson to cut the story down to a single two hour film, which he told them wasn't possible. Jackson then met with the head of New Line Cinema, who agreed to pick up the project if it was expanded into three films.
I always found that hilarious, one studio wanted less films and another wanted more.
I love how they built two versions of Bilbo's house, one smaller and one bigger so they could film the perspective.
Lets go bro! Been waiting for this one. Keep up the good work man. Please watch the extended editions! They are so worth it!
Thanks homie!
The greatest film trilogy of all time let’s go
Also, extended edition or go home 😂🙏🏻
This is one of my fav LOTR reactions ever. I love how you were interested in the music and the story pace and how they shot it.
This was a brilliant reaction!! I love that you understood and appreciated Boromir as a character and how well he was written. This movie is a masterclass on how to show friendship, loyalty, platonic love, and so many other themes. Not to mention what it establishes for the other two movies. You picked up on literally every aspect, story and cinematography-wise, that I could have wished you noticed throughout. ESPECIALLY the friendships forged through the fire of these movies. Can't wait to watch the next two videos!!
Definitely recommend watching how they filmed for different scales. They had to make two Hobbitons. Any prop or whatnot the hobbits and humans might come in contact with, there had to be two. They had MANY tricks for angles for how to film two actors to give a size difference. They really went all out. I'll share a link to a good vid on it once you've seen all 3. There are lots of spoilers
Sam was one of the original Ride or Die homies.
Fun fact: when it comes to the size differences. .. they actually made 3 different sets for most of the interiors. An overly large one for the hobbit actors to look small against, an overly small one to make the regular actors looks huge, and a blended one made with different levels so the actors could be together on the set and still look the proper size. They also employed quite a few dwarfs and one man (Tall Paul) who was over 7 foot tall to help accomplish the size issues and make it all look as real as possible.
In the scene inside Bilbo's house, they built one set for Bilbo, and one identical but scaled down set for Gandalf. They shot the scene with each actor interacting with their set, then layered the scenes on top of each other with some CGI magic to make them blend together.
Viggo was so aggressive in his fighting scenes that he was able to actually damage some of his co-actors. IIRC in the Weathertop scene he hurt someone pretty badly.
they actually did videos showing how they did the perspective filming to keep the hobbits so much smaller than the others (at least in the indoor scene!) that you can find online. it's super interesting and awesome
The Lord of the Rings is the ultimate story about "The Power of Friendship"
Fun fact: They filmed all 3 movies together with no breaks. A few prominent actors turned down roles due to the huge time commitment and living in New Zealand for a long time
I don’t even know where to start, first of all I’m STOKED that you’re re-watching my favorite trilogy in existence. 🤩 Second, your reaction is priceless, I just love how invested you are in the story, the cinematography, the music, e.t.c. Although I’m a huge LOTR fan, books and movies, I actually think watching the theatrical first makes more sense than watching the extended. It reels you in so that by the time you do watch the extended, you have a better idea of what’s going on. Anyways I cannot wait for you to watch the next two movies, I’m seriously gonna be on the edge of my seat for those 👍👍👍
🥰♥️
i was gonna play some Elden Ring before dinner but you uploaded this so...
Edited to add: you NEED to watch the extras, the appendices. Its like 10 hours explaining everything behind the making of this masterpieces. You're gonna love it so much, being a film maker!!
Play right after dinner homie 🙏🏽
@@JamesVSCinema I'm too sleepy usually haha. Them Souls games require 100% focus!!
22 years since they filmed this still one of the greatest movies of all time
This trilogy is, in my opinion, the greatest three films ever recorded. They cover so many genres flawlessly and even at the end of the extended cuts you sit there like "what? It's over already?! I need more!" I struggle to put into words how much I love these films.
They were of course helped massively by the mind blowing world that Tolkein created.
In the extended cut box set, there are over 6 hours of the 'making of' footage. They cover every aspect of the creation of the films. As an aspiring film maker, I'm confident they would provide an enormous amount of information you would love to see. If you get the chance, check it out!
The amount of love put into these movies by everyone involved is amazing and it really shows in the final result. Nothing less could have done this epic tale the justice it deserves.
This trilogy is incredible, I loved the books when I was young and always thought a proper adaptation would be impossible. When I saw this theatrically as a 34 year old I was transported to my youth and was only upset that I had to wait another year for the Two Towers.😂👍
Hahaha the fact the second movie came out the next year is hilariously awesome.
@@JamesVSCinema the best part of the story is my best friend at the time went with me but had no idea it was part one of a trilogy. He loved the movie but was so pissed that I didn’t tell him ahead of time.😂
@@JamesVSCinema iirc they filmed the movies back to back to back so they could achieve that
Strictly speaking, The Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy. It is a single novel that was broken up into three volumes for economic reasons. In the 1950s when they were published, the average book buyer would not be able to afford it in a single volume. But you can certainly see why these movies had a built-in audience of millions of fans anxiously awaiting their appearance on the big screen. Peter Jackson did a masterful job translating the books visually.
@@jimtatro6550 my Uncle took his parents to see it Boxing Day on the premiere in 2001, his Dad was not a Tolkien fan and also had lower back pain from surgery that made sitting for long periods uncomfortable, so he kept looking at his watch to see when it would end.
After it was all over thinking it was just one film, he was horrified to hear that two more were coming out the next two years and that they were going to take him to see them!
Absolutely loved your reaction James!!! The Fellowbroship just keeps getting better haha!
there's a reason these three films have a special place in millions of hearts, everything from the tone, camera shots, and lore behind each intention is incredibly well done!
In disagreement with everyone else, I actually appreciate that you're watching the theatrical cut. You're experiencing how movie goers experienced it at the time (and what won the Oscars originally), and the theatrical cut is the cleanest and most efficient story-telling possible. Cut of any fat that slows down the pace.
I think extended is great if you're already familiar with the story, or are interested in more context and callbacks to the original texts, but theatrical is where it's at for a first time viewer because it's the most powerful and covers the most in a reasonable runtime. You get all the character and plot development without fun extras to distract you, and tbh the extended gets quite indulgent sometimes.
"Bars" - James vs. Cinema. 😁😁😁
Bro, is this week just you reacting to my favorite movies?! So stoked for this
Having read the book , The Hobbit , in 7th grade & imagining the world of Middle Earth & growing up watching Hammer Dracula movies, I came out of my seat seeing Christopher Lee as Saruman! Perfect casting! ❤
I have to say, sticking to the theatrical for your first real viewing is fine but you should defff revisit on your own to the extended versions. They contain so many great details that only heighten and tighten the experience of these films and the story of lotr. Theyre worth watching in full at some point is all I'm saying lol.
what is pipeweed ? well , it`s not what everyone thinks it is ! In the prologue to The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien stated specifically that it is "a variety probably of Nicotiana", i.e. tobacco.
I love that you reacted to this movie and can't wait for your reaction of the rest of the trilogy. You have great intuition and you discern details in movies that would usually be picked up after the second or third watch. So it is especially great for me to watch you react to movies I love and saw several times. And it is always really interesting to have you commenting on the camera work, editing, music, etc. All that to say : love your channel, loved this reaction 😊
I've recently discovered you're videos and I'm so happy that my second ever video of yours (my first being the Princess Bride) was this. LoTR is my favorite film series ever and I am excited to see you enjoying it the way I do. Like, I'm not a mega fan, I don't know much about the series aside from just enjoying the movies, especially the way they are made. I'm glad to see a TH-camr loving and paying tribute to the little things that I also enjoyed and aren't always addressed. This is awesome.
Funnily enough, speaking of broships, from what i remember in the making-of documentaries, The actor who plays Sam was actually very much a watchful 'older brother' type on set as well, always making sure everyone was okay and prepared, especially Elijah Wood. Definitely check out the making-ofs, they are just as magical as the movies and packed full of amazing insights and touching moments. (y)
The LOTR trilogy really is a generational masterpiece, i've yet to see anything come close to the achievement (though some strong contenders are in the making right now, lookin at you Dune ;-) )
Yes, he was very much like Sam to Elijah. Also, the four hobbits were really close (they still are) and spent time together even in their spare time. I love how the cast speaks with so much love about the films and their experience to this day.
@@tedito1231 i only recently discovered Merry and Pippin have a podcast together nowadays :P
@@Musabre Yes, and it’s what you would expect. They already had Elijah and Sean as guests.
By the way they filmed all three movies at the same time, so they didn’t have to ask for a sequel, just hope that people liked it.
beyond happy that u r checking these out again 🔥
Please watch THE NEVERENDING STORY!
Well noted!
Hi James, I have been enjoying your reactions. I appreciate your perspective on the film-making process. Unfortunately, with these movies, they are more like mini-series than movies. So skipping the extended scenes strips out character and relationship beats. I saw them on all on release, and while dazzled technically, I found major continuity problems with the story, and was left with much less investment in the characters as a result. The extended editions helped fix this. That said, I know the story from the books, and realize that not everything can or should be included in these adaptations. Regardless of your reviews now, I hope you will check out the extended editions on your own time in future. Those extra scenes are not merely tacked on or filler. They do help connect to the characters and clear up some story issues.
But the film-making is all remarkable! And as for the "pipe weed", from the books it is merely pipe tobacco. In the movies, who knows..?
My favorite reactor on youtube. Awesome insights, always, and here's one of my favorite trilogies. Much love
Jus found ur channel bro! Ur one of my new favorite reactors! Really like u notice and appreciate all the details especially with the filming. Not many notice the little things! People are so immersed they don’t really how complex this piece of art of a trilogy is, they won oscars for a reason.