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what is the point of watching it with the group when most of yall have seen it...? Itmakessensefor younger people on yt who make solo reactions or with 2 friends or their partner.
@@lalixlili Two of them haven't seen it, others haven't seen it in while, and the rest just wanted to rewatch a great trilogy. You still have just as many people who have never seen it as you would if you were to watch a solo reaction. You actually have one more than that. Not really a big deal if others who have seen it wanted to join in for fun.
@who cares I'm pretty sure that is a myth. They only met once and it was very briefly. Lee never said anything about Tolkien wanting him to play Gandalf that I can find. I think it is a composite of Lee having met Tolkien and Lee wanting to play Gandalf. I think John Rhys-Davies repeated the rumor (possibly started it) in an interview for the behind the scenes of LOTR, but he was likely conflating several stories as I said.
One of my old college professors got to meet Tolkien in Oxford (he went there in the 70's) a few years before he died. Apparently he was working on some stuff for Tom Bombadil when he happened across him. He said that he smelled. I don't know what to make of that.
This trilogy changed cinema, I'm not just hyping it up, it literally implemented such landmarks when it came to technical stuff and visual fx, it's insane once you dive into it. Cinematography, acting, music and adaptation wise this is a masterpiece only made better by the passage of time. They all made classics when they filmed this and you can feel how much heart was put behind it. For me personally I grew up with these movies, saw them when they came outon theaters, and I was a kid playing to be Aragorn or Legolas by the end of the first movie, I went to film school because of these movies, and they will always be a safe space for me, and I think I'm just glad when life feels like too much, I can just take a trip to middle earth and go on an adventure and forget about how shit life can be sometimes. In many ways, I feel like these movies changed my life and have saved me in several ocassions, it always feels weirdly personal when these movies come up. The Lord of the Rings in a way just feels like home to me, it makes me feel that warm sensation of peace when I was just watching these with my mom and brothers at home, when life was simpler. “The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can” J.R.R. Tolkien.
Since I havent seen any comments for this, this movie came out in 2001, not 2003. All three of them were filmed at once beginning in 1997, wrapping in (I believe) 1999, with 2000 being majority post-production. 2003 was when the final movie released, and all three were released right before Christmas each year, which is why they are widely regarded as Christmas movies. (Also, the Fellowship left the elf place ON Christmas day of the year 3018)
Twenty years later, and the Nazgul are still bloody terrifying. The design of them was spot on, and the performers inside those cloaks did a great job of giving them a sense of menace.
Aided by the momentary appearance of Barliman Butterbur, the innkeeper, wracked with terror as they glide into his tavern, weapons bared. That shot is still cemented for me as one of my favourite pieces of cinematography ever.
@@Muck006 Practical effects are superior to CGI in most cases. Hollywood's over reliance on CGI is one of it's biggest flaws and makes many movies age poorly.
With the extended cuts, I think at the time the consensus was that the additions to FOTR were nice for the fans, while in TTT and ROTK they were essential.
I'd say Fellowship and TT are essential, and as has been said already, only like two of ROTK's are needed. I just love having so much more Bilbo at the start of extended Fellowship, and you need the extra Boromir scenes here too.
@@MH90 yes! Context for Boromir is so good! And I think I’ll add one more to RotK but that’s it, outside of three new scenes/sequences in RotK, there is one outside of them which spoils something small but would be nice to not have that spoiled and repeat...after what say you??
Points to note: “Keep it secret. keep it safe”…. - 17 years later - “Is it secret? Is it safe?” And no its hasn’t been 2 days more like six months since they left the shire and reached rivendell
@@God-ec8ni true. Like, it’s impossible to know how much time passed between Gandalf giving Frodo the Ring and him returning to the Shire. For all the moviegoers know, it could’ve just taken him a week. Still, I feel like that’s a relatively minor thing.
Saruman's tower was not really meant to look evil, it's like...badass. It was built by Númenoreans, Aragorn's people. The look throws people off in the movies, because when you later see Minas Tirith, a Númenorean city, it's all white while Orthanc is all black. Well in the book, the outmost wall of Minas Tirith was made of the same unbreakable black stone. (and if you find the movie design for Sauron's tower to be similar - that'd make sense, since Sauron's creations were all twisted imitations of existing stuff. And he spent a bunch of time in Númenor.)
The amazing thing about these movies is even without knowing that Isengard was built by Númenoreans, you can tell that it was stylistically related to Gondor somehow. Like - you can tell Isengard (even from the name) was built by men, as opposed to elves, wizards or dwarfs.
The books became the inspiration for all the fantasy stories we have right now. And the films completely changed the way fantasy epics, actions scenes, and motion capture were done
The reason Frodo pulled out the ring when the rider came sniffing around is because they have the ability to compel the ring bearer to put it on, if they are in his presence. He was sniffing because the riders can’t actually see. But once you put the ring on they can see you plain as day, and always know where you are.
"The reason Frodo pulled out the ring when the rider came sniffing around is because they have the ability to compel the ring bearer to put it on, if they are in his presence." Well, no. The *Ring* seeks to have Frodo expose himself to the Nazgul (Riders). It's not something the Nazgul do or control. It's all the Ring. (It's helpful to read the books. And then all the other books....)
Didn't the riders see their campfire on the side of the abandoned watchtower thing? And how can they ride horses if they can't see? I thought the hobbits were just totally out of view under the roots.
@@teslainvestah5003 that's because during night they can see. Even more better and their senses would've grown. The nazgul in their physical form their given an minimal amount of power the strongest of them all is the witch king whose ties to the ring he would've sensed it more. The nazgul would've heard them anyways
@@koreancowboy42 It's not so much that they're given a minimum amount of power. It's more that they're less powerful the further away they are from Sauron, so they're relatively weak when Aragorn battles then at Amon Sûl, but much stronger at the battle of the Pelennor Fields and Minas Tirith. Thay're also not completely blind in the day time, but sunlight confuses and disorients them. Still, you're right, they have excellent vision/senses in the darkness of night.
“These guys are older than sin.” That’s literally true. They wouldn’t be Switzerland; their whole reason for being in Middle Earth is to guide people in the fight against Sauron.
The newer ppl dont know that as the movies don't reveal what the wizards true nature are or their purpose Also the elves do play a insular role in this time period. They obvious aren't neutral but many choose to flee instead of get involved
No. Melkor is sin, and Melkor is older than the wizards. Not by much, but he and the other Ainur precede the creation of the world, whereas to my knowledge the Maiar (to which the wizards and Sauron belong) have come into existence with the world.
@@sertaki "With the Valar came other spirits whose being also began before the World, of the same order as the Valar but of less degree. These are the Maiar, the people of the Valar, and their servants and helpers." Valaquenta; Of the Maiar
... unless the communists win and change people into mindless drones that accept whatever "shiny colours on the screen" entertainment Hollywood provides.
I'm old enough to remember people shouting "Trevelyan " from GoldenEye, when Boromir first appears, because the video game on N64 was super popular at the time.
Love this reaction. Pat will definitely get sucked in as it goes. And Rana is ALWAYS the best reactor. Her expressions and appreciation for character and lore makes any reaction she’s in very enjoyable.
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt. Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after. Ends life, kills laughter.” The answer is dark; the dark, dark (Gollum's Riddle is a song whose score was written by Maury Laws for the 1977 film adaptation of the The Hobbit. It follows the riddle Gollum proposes to Bilbo until the ending line).
When Bilbo left the Shire, he was 111 years old, what they don't expand on is that it was 17 years later when Frodo left. So by the time he sees Bilbo again, Bilbo is 128 years old.
@@sertaki I never said it was. The movies timeline was of course changed in order to make a watchable movie. But then again, how do you know that wasn't inferred? Hobbits and wizards don't age as fast as humans and any one with knowledge of the books would already know of the length of time passing. So whether or not it was "in the movie" is irrelevant.
Yeah, in the movie the implication is that the ring was drastically extending Bilbo's life. So in only a few months without the ring, he's gone from looking like he's in his early 50s to looking his proper age, as the power of the Ring wanes from his body.
@@sertaki I'm late, but the movies never stated how long it takes for certain events to happen, just that an indeterminate amount of time passed since Gandalf left then came back.
People dont get that writing a story with drama and events are not in the same ball park as what Tolkien did. I mean creating a world like a history book. With maps, races, dieties, several complete languages...
"I'd love to be a hobbit" those are words to live by! Living in a chill cottage house, smoking weed, drinking good ale and wine, eating pot roasts. Plus hobbits live a lot longer than humans.
and yet he isn't perfect, and that's what makes him and especially boromir such great characters. One of the reasons why I didn't like legolas in the movies that much was cuz he was portrayed as perfect.
The production design and execution of these films is unparalleled. Even watching the making of documentaries is fascinating. The fact that everything, every prop, every set, and every costume used in the film was crafted by hand is unreal!
The orcs aren't made out of Earth. Orcs are actually elves, deformed by torture and added evil sorcery. Saruman didn't even invent them, nor Sauron. They are made by an evil god called Melkor in "The First Era". Sauron was servant to him and learned to make them. His army in the flashback consisted mostly out of orcs. Saruman studied it's lore and made his own variation. The Uruk-hai of him are cross-breeds between orcs, men and mud to make them more resilient. They will act as leaders of legions of orcs. Being created out of heat, stone and slime is actually Tolkien's original idea for orcs he later changed..
That's, one version of how they were made. There are other ideas as well how they were made (from humans, lesser spirits). Though I think the elf-theory makes the most sense.
@Embran, technically uruks were created by sauron, first used 1000 years before the events of the books/movies. Saruman created his own however to ensure loyalty to himself rather than sauron.
Huge props to the editor for tackling this epic three part series (now, six parts due to the editing). I can't explain how fun this was and how excited I am for this whole series. Don't change this reaction group! It's perfect!
Elrond didnt push Isildur over because it would pretty much start a war. Imagine killing the human king. And going into the volcano and returning without him is sus as hell
The journey from the safe, happy, corny Shire to the epicness of fiery Mordor that is so intense, everything starts happening in slow motion...is such a cool story.
Original: _”You’re late.”_ _”A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”_ RiffTrax: _”You’re late.”_ _”Yeah? Well you’re short, but tomorrow I won’t be late anymore.”_
@@rabidsamfan It is implied that many years passed between Bilbo's party and Frodo's departure. When we meet Bilbo in Rivendell he looks much older. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin look like they haven't aged a day but I assumed that's because hobbits have a very long lifespan compared to men. After all, Frodo is supposed to be in his 50's when he leaves the Shire, though I guess Elijah Wood was a bit too young to play the character.
@@vetarlittorf1807 I always assumed Bilbo looked way older in Rivendell because since he no longer had the ring he wasn't blessed with unnatural long life anymore and time just caught up with him quick
You guys mentioned the incredible orc makeup/costumes: A friend of mine who was living in NZ a few decades ago likes to tell the story that he and a buddy were out driving one day and passed a couple of orcs sitting on the side of the road eating sandwiches. He and his friend did a double take and were like, what ARE those?! And later found out they were filming LOTR there and those were orcs on a lunch break. :) Also, I'm with you Chris, from a storytelling perspective, for a newbie to the LOTR experience, I think the theatrical cut is the way to go to start. It holds tension extremely well and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The extraneous scenes in the extended set are wonderful for a second viewing, but from a surprise/excitement perspective I really like the shorter version.
I'm so glad Suraj decided to go with the extended cut! It's obvious Pat wouldn't see be too enthralled early on, however I hope he stays along for the ride since The Two Towers and Return of the King add a whole lot more depth and excitement.
The thing about Boromir, he looks at the shards of Narsil like some trinket from the past he can use to boost his own ego rather than hold the relic in *actual* reverence. That is one of the great failings of Gondor at the time. The tendency to thump one's chest while speaking about history--but without embracing it with humility. And Sean Bean was PERFECT casting for Boromir. I've been a fan of his ever since the Sharpe series.
Lord of the Rings IS the cornerstone of modern fantasy. Probably half the fantasy tropes were solidified by this book series. That said, it is a bit dated in its story telling, since it was meant to be similar to epic stories like Beowulf. It still holds up, but doesn't have all the subplots and dramatic plot twists and romantic drama that more modern stories like Game of Thrones have.
Game of Thrones is hardly fantasy anyway (and literally a purposeful riff on classic LOTR-like fantasy), 80-90% of it is a period piece political thriller
Personally, that's why I love it so much. No unnecessary fat, it's all lean and they instead focus on the characters and build tension and emotion naturally, rather than rely on tropes. Not to say the tropes are bad, either, though.
thank god it doesn't have any additional drama and romcom love interests. yuck. i understand that times have changed and many people have the attention span of a goldfish and need new plots every few seconds to stay focussed but all these exchangeable und often completely unnecessary subplots bore me so much in many modern movies
The Lord of the Rings is still often considered the greatest work of fantasy fiction ever created. It has an entire subset of academia devoted to it (called Tolkien studies). It will 1,000% outlast Game of Thrones.
J. R. R. Tolkein pretty much created the fantasy genre. EVERYTHING else is influenced by these books. There would be no Harry Potter or Game of Thrones without Lord of the Rings.
He created the high fantasy genre. Sword and sorcery fantasy was around with Conan, which came decades before Lord of the Rings, or whimsical fantasy like Alice In Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz, which came decades before that. And Norse mythology wasn't considered mythology when it was written, it was just straight-up religion to the Norse.
@@rikk319 Conan and Middle-Earth are actually contemporaries. Tolkien started writing Middle-Earth stuff mostly as a hobby starting around his days in the Great War, and just never stopped. He and Robert E. Howard were basically doing the same sort of thing at the same time, an ocean apart.
Tolkien was a foot soldier in World War 1. Most of this trilogy (setting, characters, struggles) were directly influenced by his horrible experiences during the war. The orcs are a representation of the industrial revolution and the destruction of all things beautiful for the sake of progress and domination. Sam's character was based on a medic that was with Tolkien for a large part of the war.
Tolkien _explicitly_ stated that he HATED allegories and didn't want his work to be viewed as such. I'm not saying his experiences didn't affect his writing, of course they did, but he specifically never meant for anything he wrote to "represent" things he did, saw or experienced in his life.
@@sleepysera People are a culmination of their experiences. While he disliked allegories, that doesn't mean his life had no influence on his writing. One example of this is Christopher Lee disliking talking about his experiences in war but then telling Peter Jackson that the way he was being instructed to act when he was stabbed in LOTR was incorrect and that he knew how someone sounds when they are stabbed.
@@joshuawiedenbeck6944 I never said his life had no influence on his writing. In fact, I said the exact opposite: "I'm not saying his experiences didn't affect his writing, of course they did [...]" I'm saying it's incorrect to say "A in the book represents B that happened in his life".
I'm slightly worried that they don't seem to be getting either that the Ring is intrinsically evil and cannot be safely used ever or that it influences those around it.
Idk I'm more worried about these types of people that gets introduced to lotr and they overthink things and never pay attention to crucial details. Especially when their focused too much on TV shows like Game of thrones.
I was obsessed with these movies when they came out. I literally always forget how absolutely phenomenal Fellowship is until I watch it again every couple of years. It’s just such a great first movie.
Saruman didn't suddently turn evil, he had evil intentions for a long while he just kept it discreet and pretended he was doing thing for the sake of good. Saruman knew about the ring, it's his thing to know about all the old artifacts of Middle-earth. In fact Saruman knew about the ring even at the time The Hobbit was set and around that time Saruman searched the Anduin River (the River where it was said where the ring was dropped and lost in). However, Saruman noticed that orcs and other foul spies of Sauron were ALSO searching the river for the ring. That is why in the Hobbit movie Saruman agrees with the White Council that they should attack Dol Goldur, because his true intention is to get Sauron out of the picture so that he can search the Anduin River without any distractions from Sauron's spies. This is all expanded upon in the books. Also on top of his ill inentions, Saruman was kind of corrupted by Sauron through the Palantir (the ball thing). The more Saruman used that the more Sauron rotted his mind and turned him. Saruman was just playing along with the good guys and only unveiled himself at the most crucial time (when it was confirmed the Frodo actually had the one ring).
You have to treat the Ring as a character. It wants to be found, that's why its influence for Frodo to wear it is strongest when its masters agents are near.
One thing I'd like to add about when the black rider is sniffing for the four hobbits and all the bugs start squirming, Its not because he's summoning them. Even simple creatures that creep and crawl are actually terrified and trying to escape from the Riders presence. Things that barely have any actual sense know they are wrong and unnatural and an evil void that devour life. Just wanted to add that since you thought it was summoning them. CHEERS and loving the reaction.
Oooo I mean the editors deserve a lot of credit for everything in this - but I just got chills from the "It was picked up" says Galadriel "By Bilbo Baggins" says Bilbo cut.
Im loving all the reactors on TH-cam doing LOTR. And the fact that so many (yourselves included) are watching the extended editions brings a warmth to my heart. It’s arguably the greatest trilogy of all time. Hope you guys enjoy!
The stronger you are of the more power you have the easier it is for the ring to corrupt you. That's why the hobbits can hold it for years but Ganondorf cant even touch it.
Tolkien was a veteran of World War I and wrote The Lord of the Rings as a direct response to processing that. He survived incredibly horrific fighting, and commented in letters that by 1917 or 1918, all of his friends were dead. His experiences in fighting in WW1 with his "band of brothers" directly informed Lord of the Rings, especially the deep friendship between Frodo and Sam, and among the Fellowship.
Love, love, LOVE all three of these movies! So happy that you're reacting to them as well. Fun fact: Every item in all three movies (armor, clothing, furniture, prosthetics, etc.) were all made for the movies. None of it was recycled from anything else. Now that is hard work and incredible craftsmanship!
Introducing Saruman - "Christopher Lee...I love his voice" ~ Chris Fun Fact: Christopher Lee of all actors the biggest fan of Tolkien's work (even met him) and wanted to play Gandalf. They were wise in the different role casting, still... Imagine how Lee would have sounded as trolling Gandalf. Given his previous roles filled with wit and / or sarcasm I can't help wonder...
34:30 Rana has a keen sense. The Lord of The Rings book series is THE father of Fantasy. Elves, Orcs, you name it, it really started here. The movies are remarkably faithful to the books too (RIP Tom Bombadil). She really did miss out if this is the kind of fantasy she's into, but don't worry Rana....A new adaption is being done by Amazon. And at $450 million for just the first season, they are spending ALOT of money on it.
@@rostikskobkariov5136 yeah you’re wrong they spent 270 million for the rights and 450 million for the production of first season alone making it the costliest piece of entertainment/media in history! I’m very glad that the lore is getting the budget it deserves just as how Tolkien gifted literature with his nigh imagination of other worldly fantasy.
@@sawcondiznuts1422 Everyone is losing their shit about the $450 million spent on JUST the first season, but it has been confirmed that its all investment that will act as the foundation of the whole show and all the series, stuff like set design, costumes, etc. Stuff that they will continue to use in season 2 and 3 on onwards (there's 5 seasons planned). So expect the budget for future seasons of the LOTR show to be lower.
@@sameehkins5957 I’d agree that it could be lower but I still the last season will the be the costliest of them all. Ofc a lot would’ve spent on building prosthetics sets armours swords etc but haven’t you heard that they’ve moved the filming of season 2 from New Zealand to UK 👀 which means they’ve still gotta build or rebuild old and news sets there. Also if you don’t know the story spans for over 3000 years so it bound have a lot of background changes etc resulting more new sets ,actors and such things also dont forget the vfx! Also once the series gets popular actors will start demanding bigger wages .
Fun reaction. This is an epic story and more of a journey than a movie to be judged in early stages. Best not to compare it to anything else or by the time you are done, everything else just won't measure up. Just enjoy your time in Middle Earth.
You must be joking? Not that Dune is bad or anything, but LOTR was one of the most important moments in movie history, it was hyped beyond belief and it still overdelivered. I hope Dune is great. But modern Hollyphuckingwood is just critical race theory woke feminist insanity, only handful of people have enough authority to not allow that to trash their films and even those people will not last long anymore. It's the global agenda and they are happily ruining the culture and lose money in the process.
Imagine getting to watch this on the big screen in the theatre. It was something. Oh the blowing of the horn of Helm Hammerhand in the theater with that sound system, what an epic moment. (I know that's Two Towers).
Its actually insulting to even suggest that game of thrones is anywhere near as popular as lord of the rings. a few years from now there wont even be any game of thrones fans left, but 50 years from now there will still be tons of LOTR fans.
Game of Thrones and that world will always have fans, it’s more than just the show, it’s also books. So to claim that there’s gonna be no GOT fans is honestly just a disingenuous lie. GOT may not compare with LOTR in popularity given LOTR has been around much longer, but it doesn’t mean it’s not gonna have fans 50 years down the line. The books will still be there, the world will still be there, new viewers are still catching the show every single day, and they have a new upcoming shows set in that world. It’s not going anywhere.
That's honestly just rude to Martin. His books are, and have been, massively popular for a noteable time already and are overall very well-written (even though I personally don't enjoy them), making them a standard in fantasy literature. Sure, the internet pop culture significance dropped with the end of the TV show, but in the reading community, his influence is still as big as ever. LotR isn't any less amazing just because people like GoT too. It's okay to like both and have both be popular, no need for this tribalism bs.
@27:05 Bilbo hasn't been gone for "like two days", it was 17 years between the time Gandalf left to research the ring and returned to ask if the ring was still secret and safe. So Bilbo has been chilling out there for quite a while.
17 years between Bilbo and Frodo's departures. Gandalf visited somewhat regularly after Bilbo left, then his visits stopped for about 8 years (if my memory is correct). :-)
To be fair, the film doesn't really do a good job of conveying the passage of time between Bilbo's and Frodo's departure from the Shire (or even try to, since it isn't *that* important to the plot).
Lol, thought I was the only one to notice how he always has the odd outlook on everything. I sometimes don't even watch their videos when he is in it. But for LOTR, I will bear it.
The fact of the matter is that Bilbo Baggins had a will of absolute steel despite how he's portrayed here. He's had the ring for 50+ years and still wasn't completely corrupted by it, he was one of the only people in the series to hand the ring over as well and after those 50 years of it corrupting him. Meanwhile Golum and his best friend tried to kill eachother over the ring within a minute of laying eyes on it. And Golum succeeded. Even Frodo Goes mad after less than a year and most people fall to it's allure withing days or even hours.
To be fair, the reason Frodo fell to it so quickly is because he was constantly approaching Mordor and so the ring became more powerful over time. He would've probably been able to keep it safe for as long as Bilbo
Why does every reactor think the Nazgul are afraid of water? In the scene at the ferry it's the middle of the night, they are on a hobbit sized raft moving away from the shore. Of course the horse won't jump after them
Other than "there's swords and horses and stuff", the two series are completely different. A Song of Ice and Fire is more human drama based, realistic, and political. LOTR is more high fantasy, an epic versus a realistic drama.
@@jennaleclaire2654 I believe LOTR has more weight thematically then SOIAF. One is about enduring hard times and preserving what it is that makes people good, while the other is overwhelmingly bleak and seems to deliberately set up typical narratives just to pull the rug out from under them. Both have their appeals and those same qualities can also turn people off it. I know which I prefer.
My grandparents in the UK retired to a farm house on river bank in the town of Ludlow, right on the border of Wales and England. The countryside looked exactly like the Shire. Their next-door neighbors had converted their two-storey farmhouse into a restaurant and hotel, which they called Mr. Underhill's (and their cat shared the same name)!
It's very appropriate that Chris described the wizards as "older than sin" because it is literally true! They are both immortal spirits created before the world was made.
Nowadays, creatures like the Orcs and Uruk-Hai would be made through CGI ( The Hobbit ). But here, they’re all stuntmen in prosthetic makeup and clad in armor created by Weta Workshop, the guys who made all of the props. This is TRUE movie magic ladies and gentlemen. Take it in. Also, if you’re wondering how Sauron looks without his armor, think of him as how Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader looked after his duel with Obi-Wan in Star Wars Episode III, but FAR worse.
Most people don’t realize the effect the ring has on people, as soon as Bilbo let go of the ring his mind was freed. Immediately he could think freely so he thought of the ending of his story, as a storyteller myself I see these kinds of things, well hope you enjoy the story.
NO comparison to older shows or films should be compared to this series, it began it's journey in the Trenches of WW I by J.R.R. Tolkien, I read this series and the Hobbit when I was 12 years old.
Chris's reaction to the Evil Dead comment was my exact reaction! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of these reactions. It's cool seeing people with such apparent differences in sensibilities as Rana and Pat experience these for the first time.
I first read these books starting around 1980. Tolkien began inventing his mythology and languages before World War 1. His first writings that eventually became the mythology of Middle Earth was written in 1914. He served in the trenches of World War 1, and witnessed how "machinery of war" took over the souls of men on both sides. A sort of hopelessness, and unseen evil that swept and inflamed an entire continent. This modern machinery of war... machine guns, endless artillery barrages, poisonous gas, fighter planes and bombers, tanks... all this power was unleashed on people who were still living a 19th century mentality. The experiences of trench warfare made it into his stories. After the war he became a professor of language and history. He was always inventing stories for his kids, still working on bits and pieces of his "mythology", and eventually wrote "The Hobbit" as a children's book in 1937. He was surprised at it's popularity, so he began writing "Lord of the Rings" soon after. The story became so long, he had to break it up into 3 books. He began the work in the late 30's but because of World War 2, it was delayed. He finally published the first book "Fellowship of the Rings" in 1947. The final two books "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King" were published a few years after that. Almost, EVERY fantasy based book, movie, and video game that you know of was in some way inspired by Lord of the Rings... from Dungeons and Dragons to Harry Potter, to Game of Thrones. Everything we know today was spawned by Lord of the Rings. If you want to see a great movie about his real life, and what lead to his writings, watch the movie "Tolkien" from 2019. Very good movie. It doesn't give anything away of his books, but you get a glimpse into the final years of the Victorian age of the early 20th century, how Tolkien viewed the world as a Victorian age man, and how war world 1 changed him along with everyone else in his generation. It's also a Love Story. Lilly Collins plays his girlfriend/wife
For anyone interested in a deep dive into the books, look up Mythgard’s “Exploring the Lord of the Rings”, where an English professor and Tolkien nerd dissects the books one chapter at a time.
Love the meme counter! Fun reactions, thank you for sharing. I'm just going to make a list of quotes here: 5:55 "His fingers are like, the size of Fricking lobsters bro." 7:30 "Dude you need to bury that or give it to someone else." 12:10 He goin' over there bro, don't follow in my town. 12:22 "bro he learned too much. He knows too much. He knows way too much" 13:55 "What kind of life did his uncle put upon him" 14:00 "He said Hey bro I'm leave this nuke in the basement. I'm getting outta here" 17:32 "Bro. Do not breath" 18:02 "Put it in the pocket and sew it shut!" 19:16 Group "Put it away" 19:40 "Mine as well have set yourself on fire and stood a million feet tall." 20:02 "Boy's got straight heart." 20:55 "You guys actually suck at whispering." 21:46 "Thank GOD! I'm tired of watching you all walk." 23:17 "Dude Gandalf is, got his own problems." 24:46 "Is that human and elf in Looooove?" 25:25 "I like the idea that magic can't solve their problems all the way." 26:06 "Woah! Horse water!" 26:58 "Okay, I love your little friendship group." 28:23 "You bitch. Do it" 28:56 "There are other ways to test that." 29:59 "It's like, Thank God." 30:51 "Be humble." 32:03 "Alright, Frodo's earned my respect completely." 32: 35 "That's the name of the movie!" 32:39 "THAT isssss, the half way point." 32:44 "That is an ill-informed decision."
There's a reason that dwarves distrust elves, especially on Gimli's part. If you watch the Hobbit remember that Gimli is the son of Gloin. Gimli has a very personal reason for his distrust of elves that has nothing to do with being racist against them. Dwarves are also fierce fighters. That's why he's an asset to the Fellowship. As to the length, movies before the 80's or 90's were frequently 3 to 4 hours. I watched a lot of them.
It all goes back to the slaying of Elu Thingol by the Dwarves and their consequential massacre by the Elves of Doriath in the First Age. Those Dwarves who escaped brought back an army and sacked Doriath and thus perpetuated an animosity between the two races that lasted for thousands of years.
The Hobbit came out after WWI, and The Lord of the Rings came after WWII. Tolkien fought in both (that's why he was made a knight: _Sir_ John Ronald Reuel Tolkien), and the trauma of war, as well as the illusion and futility of glory and power are strong themes in his works. 24:48 In Tolkien's world Elves consider unthinkable to not wait until marriage, but in the meanwhile they do get very passionate otherwise. 38:43 Orthanc (Saruman's tower) was buil by the Númeróreans. Not sure if there's any relationship with Barad-dûr (Sauron's tower). BTW pipe-weed is just another name for tobacco. It's similar to how we call tobacco here in Brazil, for instance.
GoT wouldn't exist if LOTR wasn't written. George RR Martin's youth was built on Tolkien's works, that's what he read and 'nerded' out about during his younger years. Most old school authors would never have become author's if they didn't read Hobbit or LOTR.
I love GOT, I really do. The reason that GOT starts with an immediate bang, is that most younger people (and I’m sorry, but I’m including some of the people in this reaction video sat on the sofa watching LOTR), is that they have much shorter attention spans these days. LOTR on the other hand, was written in a time when TV wasn’t a thing, most people read books, actually had patience, and wanted the story to unfold more naturally. It makes for a much more rounded book, which intern makes for a much more rounded movie(s).
Great video. Whenever I hear talk about the look of everything, I remember that Weta Workshop HAND MADE all costumes and props. There is no “generic” piece. Can’t wait to see your reactions to the rest of the films.
Also LOTR was WWII era, but the first Tolkien book in this series “The Hobbit” was released in the 30’s before WWII. Tolkien conceived the inspiration for these books while serving in WWI.
Yes and no, he had been working on aspects of it before ww1 (like the langauges), but his firsts story, the fall of gondolin, was written in 1917 in the trenches. And while his experiance inspired aspects, his primary inspiration was mythologies (specifically of Scandinavia: Norway and Finland especially)
@@matthiuskoenig3378 the language part is cheating because he was already a linguist before the war. So languages in general were already his thing. Lol
The entire reaction trilogy of the extended edition LOTR is available NOW on our Patreon $5 Tier www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-of-56024801
Fellowship Part 2, Two Towers Parts 1 and 2, Return of the King Parts 1 and 2--Consider supporting The Normies and helping us continue to do more movie content!
Is y’all going to finish the seven deadly sins
2001 for Fellowship. 2003 was when last film came out
what is the point of watching it with the group when most of yall have seen it...? Itmakessensefor younger people on yt who make solo reactions or with 2 friends or their partner.
@@lalixlili Two of them haven't seen it, others haven't seen it in while, and the rest just wanted to rewatch a great trilogy. You still have just as many people who have never seen it as you would if you were to watch a solo reaction. You actually have one more than that. Not really a big deal if others who have seen it wanted to join in for fun.
The Fellowship of the Ring is of 2001
The Two Towers is of 2002
The Return of the King is of 2003
Christopher Lee was the only Cast member to actually meet J r.r Tolkien
And he was an enormous LOTR fan too which is awesome.
@who cares I'm pretty sure that is a myth. They only met once and it was very briefly. Lee never said anything about Tolkien wanting him to play Gandalf that I can find. I think it is a composite of Lee having met Tolkien and Lee wanting to play Gandalf. I think John Rhys-Davies repeated the rumor (possibly started it) in an interview for the behind the scenes of LOTR, but he was likely conflating several stories as I said.
One of my old college professors got to meet Tolkien in Oxford (he went there in the 70's) a few years before he died. Apparently he was working on some stuff for Tom Bombadil when he happened across him.
He said that he smelled.
I don't know what to make of that.
@who cares He also said that he had a "terrible" taste in pipes, so... Probably like old tobacco or something! He didn't specify...
And he used to read The Lord of the Rings every year. In fact, in the DVD extras he recites from memory the Ring phrase in the language of Mordor.
Rana’s genuine shock at the Saruman reveal gives me life.
Her shock that Meriadoc Brandybuck was the guitarist for Driveshaft made me very happy!
It was a twist and a half on first watch
so fake
Shes so cute
cringe acting
This trilogy changed cinema, I'm not just hyping it up, it literally implemented such landmarks when it came to technical stuff and visual fx, it's insane once you dive into it. Cinematography, acting, music and adaptation wise this is a masterpiece only made better by the passage of time. They all made classics when they filmed this and you can feel how much heart was put behind it.
For me personally I grew up with these movies, saw them when they came outon theaters, and I was a kid playing to be Aragorn or Legolas by the end of the first movie, I went to film school because of these movies, and they will always be a safe space for me, and I think I'm just glad when life feels like too much, I can just take a trip to middle earth and go on an adventure and forget about how shit life can be sometimes. In many ways, I feel like these movies changed my life and have saved me in several ocassions, it always feels weirdly personal when these movies come up.
The Lord of the Rings in a way just feels like home to me, it makes me feel that warm sensation of peace when I was just watching these with my mom and brothers at home, when life was simpler.
“The Road goes ever on and on down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can”
J.R.R. Tolkien.
Also they invented the “Massive” crowd AI for the helms deep battle, which became the foundation of all total war/battle sim games
It is Timeless...
@@ricardoavocado66 exactly, I believe the software was called Massive, and it's still widely used, which is insane to think about.
@@amy_yoshikawa Timeless indeed!
😭😭😭
YES. I'M CRYING. AND SO ARE YOU.💕
Since I havent seen any comments for this, this movie came out in 2001, not 2003. All three of them were filmed at once beginning in 1997, wrapping in (I believe) 1999, with 2000 being majority post-production. 2003 was when the final movie released, and all three were released right before Christmas each year, which is why they are widely regarded as Christmas movies. (Also, the Fellowship left the elf place ON Christmas day of the year 3018)
The production started from 1997 but it was filmed from late 1999 to early 2001. Though they had reshoots in later 2001, 2002, and 2003.
Awesome comment. Only thing was that filming started in 1999.
started filming mid 99
Of the third age
@@juzujuzu4555 The reshoots were for the extended editions. But the movie was already released in theaters in December of '01.
I really like Howard Shore's score for The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I never get tired of listening to it.
And now it looks like he and Bear McCreary are scoring the upcoming series.
It's the best movie score in my opinion
Dear god yes. His score for LOTR is easily in my top 3 movie scores ever. The music in the 3rd movie especially nearly brings me to tears every time.
@@OllieScambaiter The upcoming series is going to phuck up the last remaining good franchise. Shore's score is not going to save it.
@@juzujuzu4555 I'm cautiously optimistic
Twenty years later, and the Nazgul are still bloody terrifying. The design of them was spot on, and the performers inside those cloaks did a great job of giving them a sense of menace.
Aided by the momentary appearance of Barliman Butterbur, the innkeeper, wracked with terror as they glide into his tavern, weapons bared. That shot is still cemented for me as one of my favourite pieces of cinematography ever.
They are REAL CLOTH and HORSES and SWORDS ... instead of RIDICULOUS CGI with meaningless visuals.
@@Muck006 Practical effects are superior to CGI in most cases. Hollywood's over reliance on CGI is one of it's biggest flaws and makes many movies age poorly.
With the extended cuts, I think at the time the consensus was that the additions to FOTR were nice for the fans, while in TTT and ROTK they were essential.
Galadriel's gifts seem pretty essential, though, among other things.
The RotK really only needs two extra new scenes. Some of its extended scenes spoil some of the sequences, you know especially which one. What say you?
The "Avengers Assemble" moment in Return of the King that only makes sense in the extended edition
I'd say Fellowship and TT are essential, and as has been said already, only like two of ROTK's are needed. I just love having so much more Bilbo at the start of extended Fellowship, and you need the extra Boromir scenes here too.
@@MH90 yes! Context for Boromir is so good! And I think I’ll add one more to RotK but that’s it, outside of three new scenes/sequences in RotK, there is one outside of them which spoils something small but would be nice to not have that spoiled and repeat...after what say you??
Points to note:
“Keep it secret. keep it safe”….
- 17 years later -
“Is it secret? Is it safe?”
And no its hasn’t been 2 days more like six months since they left the shire and reached rivendell
yeah the movie is bad at showing time
@@God-ec8ni true. Like, it’s impossible to know how much time passed between Gandalf giving Frodo the Ring and him returning to the Shire. For all the moviegoers know, it could’ve just taken him a week. Still, I feel like that’s a relatively minor thing.
Yeah there is a hell of a time skip.
I've never read the book but on my first watch, assumed it was at least a couple of weeks. But bruh. Six months????
@@kingmasterbaiter it was actually 1 month. They left the Shire on 22nd September. Frodo woke up in Rivendell on 24th October.
Saruman's tower was not really meant to look evil, it's like...badass. It was built by Númenoreans, Aragorn's people. The look throws people off in the movies, because when you later see Minas Tirith, a Númenorean city, it's all white while Orthanc is all black.
Well in the book, the outmost wall of Minas Tirith was made of the same unbreakable black stone.
(and if you find the movie design for Sauron's tower to be similar - that'd make sense, since Sauron's creations were all twisted imitations of existing stuff. And he spent a bunch of time in Númenor.)
Yep, he spends quite some time in numenor.
Yeah Saruman didn’t build that tower. He just took it over and made it his home.
@ what is that?, some kind of a minecraft reference?.
The amazing thing about these movies is even without knowing that Isengard was built by Númenoreans, you can tell that it was stylistically related to Gondor somehow. Like - you can tell Isengard (even from the name) was built by men, as opposed to elves, wizards or dwarfs.
The books became the inspiration for all the fantasy stories we have right now. And the films completely changed the way fantasy epics, actions scenes, and motion capture were done
The reason Frodo pulled out the ring when the rider came sniffing around is because they have the ability to compel the ring bearer to put it on, if they are in his presence. He was sniffing because the riders can’t actually see. But once you put the ring on they can see you plain as day, and always know where you are.
I think it's more that the Ring senses the Nazgul and compels Frodo to put it on so that they can find him. The Ring has a mind of its own.
"The reason Frodo pulled out the ring when the rider came sniffing around is because they have the ability to compel the ring bearer to put it on, if they are in his presence."
Well, no. The *Ring* seeks to have Frodo expose himself to the Nazgul (Riders). It's not something the Nazgul do or control. It's all the Ring. (It's helpful to read the books. And then all the other books....)
Didn't the riders see their campfire on the side of the abandoned watchtower thing? And how can they ride horses if they can't see?
I thought the hobbits were just totally out of view under the roots.
@@teslainvestah5003 that's because during night they can see. Even more better and their senses would've grown.
The nazgul in their physical form their given an minimal amount of power the strongest of them all is the witch king whose ties to the ring he would've sensed it more.
The nazgul would've heard them anyways
@@koreancowboy42 It's not so much that they're given a minimum amount of power. It's more that they're less powerful the further away they are from Sauron, so they're relatively weak when Aragorn battles then at Amon Sûl, but much stronger at the battle of the Pelennor Fields and Minas Tirith.
Thay're also not completely blind in the day time, but sunlight confuses and disorients them. Still, you're right, they have excellent vision/senses in the darkness of night.
“These guys are older than sin.” That’s literally true. They wouldn’t be Switzerland; their whole reason for being in Middle Earth is to guide people in the fight against Sauron.
The newer ppl dont know that as the movies don't reveal what the wizards true nature are or their purpose
Also the elves do play a insular role in this time period. They obvious aren't neutral but many choose to flee instead of get involved
No. Melkor is sin, and Melkor is older than the wizards.
Not by much, but he and the other Ainur precede the creation of the world, whereas to my knowledge the Maiar (to which the wizards and Sauron belong) have come into existence with the world.
@@sertaki the Maiar are Ainur of a lesser stature
@@JoeMama410 I could have sworn they were their own kind of lesser being and were created with the world.
@@sertaki "With the Valar came other spirits whose being also began before the World, of the same order as the Valar but of less degree. These are the Maiar, the people of the Valar, and their servants and helpers." Valaquenta; Of the Maiar
"Was the bacon worth it?" - Marketa, asking the *real* difficult questions.
That felt very kosher-envy of her.
The bacon is always worth it even if you get poked by a morgul blade
I love that I didn't need to look and see what this was in reference to lol
Or what she said to Pat when discussing GoT. 🤣
@@Cydonius1 He lived. Thus, it was worth it
The lord of the rings is a timeless master piece.. It will remain relevant hundreds of years from now..
Most definitely 😊
Well that's hopeful, considering if we keep poisoning the planet our civilization will collapse before 2300, but maybe.
... unless the communists win and change people into mindless drones that accept whatever "shiny colours on the screen" entertainment Hollywood provides.
Lord of the rings will go down along side things such as romeo and juliet, and beowulf.
@@connorbosley4431 Shakespeare is overrated. Most of this work is bland nonsense.
I love Rana recognizing Dom from Lost in LOTR and not the other way around as people usually do 😂
I'm old enough to remember people shouting "Trevelyan " from GoldenEye, when Boromir first appears, because the video game on N64 was super popular at the time.
14:58 there’s a guy who has edited the entire movie in such a way that everytime Sam takes a step towards Mordor this clip plays.
How long is that edit?
@@محمدرضاپهلوی-ذ7ع more than nine hours
Let's elaborate. It's 9 hours and it doesn't even finish the first movie.
Immediately think of that video whenever this scenes comes up
Love this reaction. Pat will definitely get sucked in as it goes. And Rana is ALWAYS the best reactor. Her expressions and appreciation for character and lore makes any reaction she’s in very enjoyable.
yep she's my favorite especially for shows that she is really into. Plus she's good looking, that doesn't hurt either.
Shes def has the best reactions. Def excitable and vocal
Was rly excited when she raised her hand when they asked who was new
Doesn't hurt she a dimepiece too
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt.
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
and empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after.
Ends life, kills laughter.”
The answer is dark; the dark, dark
(Gollum's Riddle is a song whose score was written by Maury Laws for the 1977 film adaptation of the The Hobbit. It follows the riddle Gollum proposes to Bilbo until the ending line).
DOWN, DOWN
TO GOBLIN TOWN
DOWN, DOWN
TO GOBLIN TOWN
DOWN, DOWN
TO GOBLIN TOWN
YOU GO, MY LAD!
OH-HO, MY LAD!!
Suraj: thank god, I'm tired watchin' y'all walk
Chris: I've got bad news for you
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 i love you guys
When Bilbo left the Shire, he was 111 years old, what they don't expand on is that it was 17 years later when Frodo left. So by the time he sees Bilbo again, Bilbo is 128 years old.
That is not the case in the movies, the time frame was squished a lot.
@@sertaki I never said it was. The movies timeline was of course changed in order to make a watchable movie. But then again, how do you know that wasn't inferred? Hobbits and wizards don't age as fast as humans and any one with knowledge of the books would already know of the length of time passing. So whether or not it was "in the movie" is irrelevant.
@@philipglenn7995 That's fair.
Yeah, in the movie the implication is that the ring was drastically extending Bilbo's life. So in only a few months without the ring, he's gone from looking like he's in his early 50s to looking his proper age, as the power of the Ring wanes from his body.
@@sertaki I'm late, but the movies never stated how long it takes for certain events to happen, just that an indeterminate amount of time passed since Gandalf left then came back.
Everyone, multiple times: "It's nothing like GoT"
Pat when it's nothing like GoT: 👁👄👁
Pat is poorly suited for this sort of story.
GoT aint got shit on LotR
Not even close.
Never liked GoT, but always loved LotR since i am like 7 years old ❤
@@gianador2556 him.
@@barreloffun10 Pat isn't suited for anything.
@@BenTIStudios ah him sori..
Rana sees the ring: Ooooh, that's actually pretty.
Me: I think you mean it's precious.
Prrreccciiiooouuusss...
Don't mess with me. It's my precious!
The Game of Thrones lore is a fraction of the lore of Lord of the Rings…
People dont get that writing a story with drama and events are not in the same ball park as what Tolkien did. I mean creating a world like a history book. With maps, races, dieties, several complete languages...
@@Haxmaxxen absolutely. This is the most thrashed out impressive fantasy ever created and it deserves that respect!
Too bad it isn't the case for the story.
Ok.
lotr reigns even after a century. Got won’t last the decade imma be real 🤧
The REAL extended edition is the "THIS IS IT, IF I TAKE ONE MORE STEP...."
if you know you know :)
I love that in that video, there are legit long scenes that pass. Then he steps and back to the beginning
Fucking nine hours
That fool was gonna do the second film too
Literally never get tired of people reacting to this masterpiece of a trilogy!
"I'd love to be a hobbit" those are words to live by! Living in a chill cottage house, smoking weed, drinking good ale and wine, eating pot roasts. Plus hobbits live a lot longer than humans.
The more I watch this film the more I'm convinced Aragorn is perfect
aaa ...i thought that was always clear
@@annipsy2185 it was...and yet I did not have the wits to see it..
and yet he isn't perfect, and that's what makes him and especially boromir such great characters. One of the reasons why I didn't like legolas in the movies that much was cuz he was portrayed as perfect.
@@JeM130177 it was because you love the halfling's leaf too much.
The production design and execution of these films is unparalleled. Even watching the making of documentaries is fascinating. The fact that everything, every prop, every set, and every costume used in the film was crafted by hand is unreal!
The meme counter was the icing on the cake to this reaction
The orcs aren't made out of Earth. Orcs are actually elves, deformed by torture and added evil sorcery. Saruman didn't even invent them, nor Sauron. They are made by an evil god called Melkor in "The First Era". Sauron was servant to him and learned to make them. His army in the flashback consisted mostly out of orcs. Saruman studied it's lore and made his own variation. The Uruk-hai of him are cross-breeds between orcs, men and mud to make them more resilient. They will act as leaders of legions of orcs. Being created out of heat, stone and slime is actually Tolkien's original idea for orcs he later changed..
That's, one version of how they were made. There are other ideas as well how they were made (from humans, lesser spirits). Though I think the elf-theory makes the most sense.
@Embran, technically uruks were created by sauron, first used 1000 years before the events of the books/movies.
Saruman created his own however to ensure loyalty to himself rather than sauron.
Huge props to the editor for tackling this epic three part series (now, six parts due to the editing). I can't explain how fun this was and how excited I am for this whole series. Don't change this reaction group! It's perfect!
This trilogy is as close as we have to a perfect movie series. If ever something comes close, the world will be grateful
Saruman didn't build the tower. Humans did. He simply came to inhabit while he was still good.
Also, Orthanc Tower is entirely hewn from a single vein of black volcanic glass, so of course it looks evil.
@@TheZapan99 It looks cool and menacing. Pretty much the Numenorean aesthetic.
Elrond didnt push Isildur over because it would pretty much start a war. Imagine killing the human king. And going into the volcano and returning without him is sus as hell
RIP Ian Holm, pretty amazing older Bilbo Baggins...Martin Freeman is pretty good too as the young one !
Two Bilbos died in the same year.
@@PhilBagels which biblos
@@khalidmohamedwrestlingbray9762 Orson Bean, the voice of Bilbo in the Rankin-Bass animated versions.
The journey from the safe, happy, corny Shire to the epicness of fiery Mordor that is so intense, everything starts happening in slow motion...is such a cool story.
Original:
_”You’re late.”_
_”A wizard is never late. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.”_
RiffTrax:
_”You’re late.”_
_”Yeah? Well you’re short, but tomorrow I won’t be late anymore.”_
I forgot about rifftrax
You missed a meme.
"I was there Gandalf, i was there 3000 years ago..."
Is a common meme
Not to mention “And my axe!”
It's not revealed in this movie, but in the book, Gandalf was gone for 17 years after Bilbo moved to Rivendell.
It was 17 years from the time Bilbo left to when Frodo left. If I remember correctly, Galdalf's visits stopped for 8 years :-)
The movies changed the timeline. That is why Sam and Merry and Pippin haven’t changed much since the Party.
@@rabidsamfan It is implied that many years passed between Bilbo's party and Frodo's departure. When we meet Bilbo in Rivendell he looks much older. Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin look like they haven't aged a day but I assumed that's because hobbits have a very long lifespan compared to men. After all, Frodo is supposed to be in his 50's when he leaves the Shire, though I guess Elijah Wood was a bit too young to play the character.
@@vetarlittorf1807 I always assumed Bilbo looked way older in Rivendell because since he no longer had the ring he wasn't blessed with unnatural long life anymore and time just caught up with him quick
You guys mentioned the incredible orc makeup/costumes: A friend of mine who was living in NZ a few decades ago likes to tell the story that he and a buddy were out driving one day and passed a couple of orcs sitting on the side of the road eating sandwiches. He and his friend did a double take and were like, what ARE those?! And later found out they were filming LOTR there and those were orcs on a lunch break. :)
Also, I'm with you Chris, from a storytelling perspective, for a newbie to the LOTR experience, I think the theatrical cut is the way to go to start. It holds tension extremely well and keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The extraneous scenes in the extended set are wonderful for a second viewing, but from a surprise/excitement perspective I really like the shorter version.
I'm so glad Suraj decided to go with the extended cut! It's obvious Pat wouldn't see be too enthralled early on, however I hope he stays along for the ride since The Two Towers and Return of the King add a whole lot more depth and excitement.
The thing about Boromir, he looks at the shards of Narsil like some trinket from the past he can use to boost his own ego rather than hold the relic in *actual* reverence. That is one of the great failings of Gondor at the time. The tendency to thump one's chest while speaking about history--but without embracing it with humility.
And Sean Bean was PERFECT casting for Boromir. I've been a fan of his ever since the Sharpe series.
Did you catch the reference to Sharpe? when Sean Bean cuts his finger on the shard and says "still sharp"? One of Peter Jackson's jokes in the film.
Lord of the Rings IS the cornerstone of modern fantasy. Probably half the fantasy tropes were solidified by this book series. That said, it is a bit dated in its story telling, since it was meant to be similar to epic stories like Beowulf. It still holds up, but doesn't have all the subplots and dramatic plot twists and romantic drama that more modern stories like Game of Thrones have.
Game of Thrones is hardly fantasy anyway (and literally a purposeful riff on classic LOTR-like fantasy), 80-90% of it is a period piece political thriller
Personally, that's why I love it so much. No unnecessary fat, it's all lean and they instead focus on the characters and build tension and emotion naturally, rather than rely on tropes. Not to say the tropes are bad, either, though.
thank god it doesn't have any additional drama and romcom love interests. yuck.
i understand that times have changed and many people have the attention span of a goldfish and need new plots every few seconds to stay focussed but all these exchangeable und often completely unnecessary subplots bore me so much in many modern movies
The Lord of the Rings is still often considered the greatest work of fantasy fiction ever created. It has an entire subset of academia devoted to it (called Tolkien studies). It will 1,000% outlast Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is shit.
J. R. R. Tolkein pretty much created the fantasy genre. EVERYTHING else is influenced by these books. There would be no Harry Potter or Game of Thrones without Lord of the Rings.
LMAO that is not true at all he copied elves and dwarves from norse mythology
He created the high fantasy genre. Sword and sorcery fantasy was around with Conan, which came decades before Lord of the Rings, or whimsical fantasy like Alice In Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz, which came decades before that.
And Norse mythology wasn't considered mythology when it was written, it was just straight-up religion to the Norse.
So he's toriyama of fantasy genre?
@@rikk319 Conan and Middle-Earth are actually contemporaries. Tolkien started writing Middle-Earth stuff mostly as a hobby starting around his days in the Great War, and just never stopped. He and Robert E. Howard were basically doing the same sort of thing at the same time, an ocean apart.
Notice how Elrond is amused at Sam watching the secret meeting but annoyed by merry and pippin
"And you have my bow" is the only line Legolas speaks to Frodo in the whole trilogy.
only two minutes in and Chris already made me laugh talking about Pat and Gollum xD
Tolkien was a foot soldier in World War 1. Most of this trilogy (setting, characters, struggles) were directly influenced by his horrible experiences during the war. The orcs are a representation of the industrial revolution and the destruction of all things beautiful for the sake of progress and domination. Sam's character was based on a medic that was with Tolkien for a large part of the war.
Tolkien _explicitly_ stated that he HATED allegories and didn't want his work to be viewed as such. I'm not saying his experiences didn't affect his writing, of course they did, but he specifically never meant for anything he wrote to "represent" things he did, saw or experienced in his life.
@@sleepysera People are a culmination of their experiences. While he disliked allegories, that doesn't mean his life had no influence on his writing. One example of this is Christopher Lee disliking talking about his experiences in war but then telling Peter Jackson that the way he was being instructed to act when he was stabbed in LOTR was incorrect and that he knew how someone sounds when they are stabbed.
@@joshuawiedenbeck6944 I never said his life had no influence on his writing. In fact, I said the exact opposite:
"I'm not saying his experiences didn't affect his writing, of course they did [...]"
I'm saying it's incorrect to say "A in the book represents B that happened in his life".
@@sleepysera Well I'm sorry to have upset you.
Tolkien also hated allegory, so we can interpret it however we like.
I'm slightly worried that they don't seem to be getting either that the Ring is intrinsically evil and cannot be safely used ever or that it influences those around it.
These movies are so earnest that a rowdy-gang-joking viewing miiiiiiight not be the best venue for the first watch
@who cares If they pay attention, definitely.
Idk I'm more worried about these types of people that gets introduced to lotr and they overthink things and never pay attention to crucial details. Especially when their focused too much on TV shows like Game of thrones.
I was obsessed with these movies when they came out. I literally always forget how absolutely phenomenal Fellowship is until I watch it again every couple of years. It’s just such a great first movie.
Saruman didn't suddently turn evil, he had evil intentions for a long while he just kept it discreet and pretended he was doing thing for the sake of good. Saruman knew about the ring, it's his thing to know about all the old artifacts of Middle-earth. In fact Saruman knew about the ring even at the time The Hobbit was set and around that time Saruman searched the Anduin River (the River where it was said where the ring was dropped and lost in). However, Saruman noticed that orcs and other foul spies of Sauron were ALSO searching the river for the ring. That is why in the Hobbit movie Saruman agrees with the White Council that they should attack Dol Goldur, because his true intention is to get Sauron out of the picture so that he can search the Anduin River without any distractions from Sauron's spies. This is all expanded upon in the books.
Also on top of his ill inentions, Saruman was kind of corrupted by Sauron through the Palantir (the ball thing). The more Saruman used that the more Sauron rotted his mind and turned him. Saruman was just playing along with the good guys and only unveiled himself at the most crucial time (when it was confirmed the Frodo actually had the one ring).
You have to treat the Ring as a character. It wants to be found, that's why its influence for Frodo to wear it is strongest when its masters agents are near.
I wasn't expecting this at all, LETS GOOO! The Lord of the Rings is the best trilogy ever made
One thing I'd like to add about when the black rider is sniffing for the four hobbits and all the bugs start squirming, Its not because he's summoning them. Even simple creatures that creep and crawl are actually terrified and trying to escape from the Riders presence. Things that barely have any actual sense know they are wrong and unnatural and an evil void that devour life. Just wanted to add that since you thought it was summoning them. CHEERS and loving the reaction.
Oooo I mean the editors deserve a lot of credit for everything in this - but I just got chills from the "It was picked up" says Galadriel "By Bilbo Baggins" says Bilbo cut.
One does not simply make that sublte of a cut.
Im loving all the reactors on TH-cam doing LOTR. And the fact that so many (yourselves included) are watching the extended editions brings a warmth to my heart. It’s arguably the greatest trilogy of all time. Hope you guys enjoy!
The stronger you are of the more power you have the easier it is for the ring to corrupt you. That's why the hobbits can hold it for years but Ganondorf cant even touch it.
Tolkien was a veteran of World War I and wrote The Lord of the Rings as a direct response to processing that. He survived incredibly horrific fighting, and commented in letters that by 1917 or 1918, all of his friends were dead. His experiences in fighting in WW1 with his "band of brothers" directly informed Lord of the Rings, especially the deep friendship between Frodo and Sam, and among the Fellowship.
Love, love, LOVE all three of these movies! So happy that you're reacting to them as well. Fun fact: Every item in all three movies (armor, clothing, furniture, prosthetics, etc.) were all made for the movies. None of it was recycled from anything else. Now that is hard work and incredible craftsmanship!
Yo, that cut from "It was picked up," to Bilbo saying "by Bilbo Baggins," was freakin' smoooth!
I’m unreasonably excited to watch this
The Wizard fight is so awesome, even after all these years it's done so well, better than anything in Harry potter movies.
"One does not simply post a single part at a time"O\
Good one
Introducing Saruman - "Christopher Lee...I love his voice" ~ Chris
Fun Fact: Christopher Lee of all actors the biggest fan of Tolkien's work (even met him) and wanted to play Gandalf. They were wise in the different role casting, still... Imagine how Lee would have sounded as trolling Gandalf. Given his previous roles filled with wit and / or sarcasm I can't help wonder...
Even that read the LOTR and silmarillion every year.. props to the man..
34:30 Rana has a keen sense. The Lord of The Rings book series is THE father of Fantasy. Elves, Orcs, you name it, it really started here. The movies are remarkably faithful to the books too (RIP Tom Bombadil). She really did miss out if this is the kind of fantasy she's into, but don't worry Rana....A new adaption is being done by Amazon. And at $450 million for just the first season, they are spending ALOT of money on it.
I could be wrong but i think they spent $450 million just for the rights
@@rostikskobkariov5136 yeah you’re wrong they spent 270 million for the rights and 450 million for the production of first season alone making it the costliest piece of entertainment/media in history! I’m very glad that the lore is getting the budget it deserves just as how Tolkien gifted literature with his nigh imagination of other worldly fantasy.
@@sawcondiznuts1422 Everyone is losing their shit about the $450 million spent on JUST the first season, but it has been confirmed that its all investment that will act as the foundation of the whole show and all the series, stuff like set design, costumes, etc. Stuff that they will continue to use in season 2 and 3 on onwards (there's 5 seasons planned). So expect the budget for future seasons of the LOTR show to be lower.
@@sameehkins5957 I’d agree that it could be lower but I still the last season will the be the costliest of them all. Ofc a lot would’ve spent on building prosthetics sets armours swords etc but haven’t you heard that they’ve moved the filming of season 2 from New Zealand to UK 👀 which means they’ve still gotta build or rebuild old and news sets there. Also if you don’t know the story spans for over 3000 years so it bound have a lot of background changes etc resulting more new sets ,actors and such things also dont forget the vfx! Also once the series gets popular actors will start demanding bigger wages .
The show is gonna blow hard
Fun reaction. This is an epic story and more of a journey than a movie to be judged in early stages. Best not to compare it to anything else or by the time you are done, everything else just won't measure up. Just enjoy your time in Middle Earth.
The casting is so out of this world...To me, Dune that is gonna come out soon is at the same level of hype !! It's gonna be amazing !
You must be joking? Not that Dune is bad or anything, but LOTR was one of the most important moments in movie history, it was hyped beyond belief and it still overdelivered.
I hope Dune is great. But modern Hollyphuckingwood is just critical race theory woke feminist insanity, only handful of people have enough authority to not allow that to trash their films and even those people will not last long anymore. It's the global agenda and they are happily ruining the culture and lose money in the process.
is this supposed to be a joke?
Not sure about the actors in Dune in comparison
I don't have much hope for Dune. The story seems to be unfilmable. You can't just add Jason Momoa to something and trust that good things will happen.
Well, care for a follow up? I've always been a huge fan of Dune and it was pretty fucking rad.
Imagine getting to watch this on the big screen in the theatre. It was something. Oh the blowing of the horn of Helm Hammerhand in the theater with that sound system, what an epic moment. (I know that's Two Towers).
Pound for Pound LOTR is the greatest trilogy ever! Yes, better than the Star Wars OT.
Watching this takes me back to opening day in the theater when many people didn't know the story in the audience. This is AWESOME!!
I never knew how much I needed The Normies to react to The Lord of the Rings until just now.
Its actually insulting to even suggest that game of thrones is anywhere near as popular as lord of the rings. a few years from now there wont even be any game of thrones fans left, but 50 years from now there will still be tons of LOTR fans.
Game of Thrones and that world will always have fans, it’s more than just the show, it’s also books. So to claim that there’s gonna be no GOT fans is honestly just a disingenuous lie. GOT may not compare with LOTR in popularity given LOTR has been around much longer, but it doesn’t mean it’s not gonna have fans 50 years down the line. The books will still be there, the world will still be there, new viewers are still catching the show every single day, and they have a new upcoming shows set in that world. It’s not going anywhere.
That's honestly just rude to Martin. His books are, and have been, massively popular for a noteable time already and are overall very well-written (even though I personally don't enjoy them), making them a standard in fantasy literature. Sure, the internet pop culture significance dropped with the end of the TV show, but in the reading community, his influence is still as big as ever. LotR isn't any less amazing just because people like GoT too. It's okay to like both and have both be popular, no need for this tribalism bs.
@27:05 Bilbo hasn't been gone for "like two days", it was 17 years between the time Gandalf left to research the ring and returned to ask if the ring was still secret and safe. So Bilbo has been chilling out there for quite a while.
17 years between Bilbo and Frodo's departures. Gandalf visited somewhat regularly after Bilbo left, then his visits stopped for about 8 years (if my memory is correct). :-)
To be fair, the film doesn't really do a good job of conveying the passage of time between Bilbo's and Frodo's departure from the Shire (or even try to, since it isn't *that* important to the plot).
The films have clearly cut that time much shorter.
@@sertaki yes, they don't make it very clear how much time has passed was my point
@@Noggahide it's one of the few things this trilogy does wrong
The fact that pat doesn't rate it is the biggest compliment the fellowship could ever get. In my opinion the best movie of the trilogy.
Pat...man...I don't even know what to do with you and I honestly shouldn't be surprised. You're just programmed different. It's not your fault.
Lol, thought I was the only one to notice how he always has the odd outlook on everything. I sometimes don't even watch their videos when he is in it. But for LOTR, I will bear it.
The fact of the matter is that Bilbo Baggins had a will of absolute steel despite how he's portrayed here. He's had the ring for 50+ years and still wasn't completely corrupted by it, he was one of the only people in the series to hand the ring over as well and after those 50 years of it corrupting him. Meanwhile Golum and his best friend tried to kill eachother over the ring within a minute of laying eyes on it. And Golum succeeded. Even Frodo Goes mad after less than a year and most people fall to it's allure withing days or even hours.
To be fair, the reason Frodo fell to it so quickly is because he was constantly approaching Mordor and so the ring became more powerful over time. He would've probably been able to keep it safe for as long as Bilbo
Why does every reactor think the Nazgul are afraid of water? In the scene at the ferry it's the middle of the night, they are on a hobbit sized raft moving away from the shore. Of course the horse won't jump after them
It's amazing how well this series has held up. Something to be said for using real props and CGI properly versus relying on CGI all the time.
Game Of Thrones wishes it was like Lord Of The Rings.
Not really. They're thematically and tonaly completely different
Other than "there's swords and horses and stuff", the two series are completely different. A Song of Ice and Fire is more human drama based, realistic, and political. LOTR is more high fantasy, an epic versus a realistic drama.
@@jennaleclaire2654 I believe LOTR has more weight thematically then SOIAF.
One is about enduring hard times and preserving what it is that makes people good, while the other is overwhelmingly bleak and seems to deliberately set up typical narratives just to pull the rug out from under them.
Both have their appeals and those same qualities can also turn people off it. I know which I prefer.
I love the beginning of the first movie so much. The interaction between the two Ian's is an absolute masterclass of stagecraft and acting.
Some of the greatest movies of all time. Timeless masterpiece.
My grandparents in the UK retired to a farm house on river bank in the town of Ludlow, right on the border of Wales and England. The countryside looked exactly like the Shire. Their next-door neighbors had converted their two-storey farmhouse into a restaurant and hotel, which they called Mr. Underhill's (and their cat shared the same name)!
It's very appropriate that Chris described the wizards as "older than sin" because it is literally true!
They are both immortal spirits created before the world was made.
Nowadays, creatures like the Orcs and Uruk-Hai would be made through CGI ( The Hobbit ). But here, they’re all stuntmen in prosthetic makeup and clad in armor created by Weta Workshop, the guys who made all of the props. This is TRUE movie magic ladies and gentlemen. Take it in.
Also, if you’re wondering how Sauron looks without his armor, think of him as how Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader looked after his duel with Obi-Wan in Star Wars Episode III, but FAR worse.
Most people don’t realize the effect the ring has on people, as soon as Bilbo let go of the ring his mind was freed. Immediately he could think freely so he thought of the ending of his story, as a storyteller myself I see these kinds of things, well hope you enjoy the story.
NO comparison to older shows or films should be compared to this series, it began it's journey in the Trenches of WW I by J.R.R. Tolkien, I read this series and the Hobbit when I was 12 years old.
Crazy bit of storyline : the time it takes Gandalf to leave and research the Ring and return to Frodo is 17 years!
Chris's reaction to the Evil Dead comment was my exact reaction! I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of these reactions. It's cool seeing people with such apparent differences in sensibilities as Rana and Pat experience these for the first time.
I'm so hyped. There is no universe I love more than Tolkien's! Can't wait to see the newbies react to some of the most key moments.
I first read these books starting around 1980. Tolkien began inventing his mythology and languages before World War 1. His first writings that eventually became the mythology of Middle Earth was written in 1914. He served in the trenches of World War 1, and witnessed how "machinery of war" took over the souls of men on both sides. A sort of hopelessness, and unseen evil that swept and inflamed an entire continent. This modern machinery of war... machine guns, endless artillery barrages, poisonous gas, fighter planes and bombers, tanks... all this power was unleashed on people who were still living a 19th century mentality. The experiences of trench warfare made it into his stories. After the war he became a professor of language and history. He was always inventing stories for his kids, still working on bits and pieces of his "mythology", and eventually wrote "The Hobbit" as a children's book in 1937. He was surprised at it's popularity, so he began writing "Lord of the Rings" soon after. The story became so long, he had to break it up into 3 books. He began the work in the late 30's but because of World War 2, it was delayed. He finally published the first book "Fellowship of the Rings" in 1947. The final two books "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King" were published a few years after that. Almost, EVERY fantasy based book, movie, and video game that you know of was in some way inspired by Lord of the Rings... from Dungeons and Dragons to Harry Potter, to Game of Thrones. Everything we know today was spawned by Lord of the Rings.
If you want to see a great movie about his real life, and what lead to his writings, watch the movie "Tolkien" from 2019. Very good movie. It doesn't give anything away of his books, but you get a glimpse into the final years of the Victorian age of the early 20th century, how Tolkien viewed the world as a Victorian age man, and how war world 1 changed him along with everyone else in his generation.
It's also a Love Story. Lilly Collins plays his girlfriend/wife
For anyone interested in a deep dive into the books, look up Mythgard’s “Exploring the Lord of the Rings”, where an English professor and Tolkien nerd dissects the books one chapter at a time.
Love the meme counter!
Fun reactions, thank you for sharing.
I'm just going to make a list of quotes here:
5:55 "His fingers are like, the size of Fricking lobsters bro."
7:30 "Dude you need to bury that or give it to someone else."
12:10 He goin' over there bro, don't follow in my town.
12:22 "bro he learned too much. He knows too much. He knows way too much"
13:55 "What kind of life did his uncle put upon him"
14:00 "He said Hey bro I'm leave this nuke in the basement. I'm getting outta here"
17:32 "Bro. Do not breath"
18:02 "Put it in the pocket and sew it shut!"
19:16 Group "Put it away"
19:40 "Mine as well have set yourself on fire and stood a million feet tall."
20:02 "Boy's got straight heart."
20:55 "You guys actually suck at whispering."
21:46 "Thank GOD! I'm tired of watching you all walk."
23:17 "Dude Gandalf is, got his own problems."
24:46 "Is that human and elf in Looooove?"
25:25 "I like the idea that magic can't solve their problems all the way."
26:06 "Woah! Horse water!"
26:58 "Okay, I love your little friendship group."
28:23 "You bitch. Do it"
28:56 "There are other ways to test that."
29:59 "It's like, Thank God."
30:51 "Be humble."
32:03 "Alright, Frodo's earned my respect completely."
32: 35 "That's the name of the movie!"
32:39 "THAT isssss, the half way point."
32:44 "That is an ill-informed decision."
There's a reason that dwarves distrust elves, especially on Gimli's part. If you watch the Hobbit remember that Gimli is the son of Gloin. Gimli has a very personal reason for his distrust of elves that has nothing to do with being racist against them. Dwarves are also fierce fighters. That's why he's an asset to the Fellowship.
As to the length, movies before the 80's or 90's were frequently 3 to 4 hours. I watched a lot of them.
@@warheartwarheart5389 Mahal, known as Aulë the Smith.
@@warheartwarheart5389 The Silmarillion is the one I haven't read yet. Thanks for the info.
It all goes back to the slaying of Elu Thingol by the Dwarves and their consequential massacre by the Elves of Doriath in the First Age. Those Dwarves who escaped brought back an army and sacked Doriath and thus perpetuated an animosity between the two races that lasted for thousands of years.
The Hobbit came out after WWI, and The Lord of the Rings came after WWII. Tolkien fought in both (that's why he was made a knight: _Sir_ John Ronald Reuel Tolkien), and the trauma of war, as well as the illusion and futility of glory and power are strong themes in his works.
24:48 In Tolkien's world Elves consider unthinkable to not wait until marriage, but in the meanwhile they do get very passionate otherwise.
38:43 Orthanc (Saruman's tower) was buil by the Númeróreans. Not sure if there's any relationship with Barad-dûr (Sauron's tower).
BTW pipe-weed is just another name for tobacco. It's similar to how we call tobacco here in Brazil, for instance.
i couldnt belive when she said its not as good as game of thrones. In my opinion its the other way around.
GoT wouldn't exist if LOTR wasn't written. George RR Martin's youth was built on Tolkien's works, that's what he read and 'nerded' out about during his younger years. Most old school authors would never have become author's if they didn't read Hobbit or LOTR.
I love GOT, I really do. The reason that GOT starts with an immediate bang, is that most younger people (and I’m sorry, but I’m including some of the people in this reaction video sat on the sofa watching LOTR), is that they have much shorter attention spans these days.
LOTR on the other hand, was written in a time when TV wasn’t a thing, most people read books, actually had patience, and wanted the story to unfold more naturally. It makes for a much more rounded book, which intern makes for a much more rounded movie(s).
22:36 "even their shoes are evil" 🤣
Great video. Whenever I hear talk about the look of everything, I remember that Weta Workshop HAND MADE all costumes and props. There is no “generic” piece. Can’t wait to see your reactions to the rest of the films.
Also LOTR was WWII era, but the first Tolkien book in this series “The Hobbit” was released in the 30’s before WWII. Tolkien conceived the inspiration for these books while serving in WWI.
Yes and no, he had been working on aspects of it before ww1 (like the langauges), but his firsts story, the fall of gondolin, was written in 1917 in the trenches.
And while his experiance inspired aspects, his primary inspiration was mythologies (specifically of Scandinavia: Norway and Finland especially)
@@matthiuskoenig3378 the language part is cheating because he was already a linguist before the war. So languages in general were already his thing. Lol