The last installment of our LOTR journey! Is LORT the greatest trilogy in cinema? What is your favorite out of the 3? Full reaction on Patreon: www.patreon.com/baddmedicine Facebook - facebook.com/Baddmedicine... Twitter - twitter.com/DiamondDave_22 Instagram (The Appleton Oak) instagram.com/davidbaye79?utm... Email - baddmedicinepodcast@gmail.com
If you are planning on watching the hobbit trilogy, dont go for the extended edition (in my opinion). The trilogy is long enough for being based of a single book, the only one that you might want to see extended is the last one. In it there is a scene at the end that is really good and makes the ending much better, but other than that just go with the theatrical edition. Anyway long rant over, I really enjoyed this reaction and the reaction to the whole trilogy!
@@sigururmagni1730 I would disagree with that.. I think the extended versions show better explanations and bring in more of the story. particularly in the 2nd movie.
Peter Jackson did a huge disservice to Denethor by not showing a quick 5 minute scene of Denethor wrestling with Sauron through the seeing stone and being driven mad with despair. Movie Denethor just seems like a big dick with no redeeming qualities but he was a good man in the book.
After many years of happiness with Rosie and their children, when she passed Sam sailed across the sea and met up with Frodo again. He had the Ring for a short time so was also considered as one of the Ringbearers.
Eomer's scream upon finding Eowyn always feels really heart-wrenching. Remember, for all Eomer knew, his sister was safe back in Edoras. To then find your sister on the battlefield, seemingly dead, would be terrifying.
It's a weird one for me, mainly because the buildup to that scene in the movies is weirdly made from the books. Theoden's speech didn't end with "death!". He does his speech, charges, yadayada, fights a southern king in an epic battle, kills him, then comes the nazgul. Men try to save the king but their horses panick. Eowyn steps up, drops the witch king, then falls herself paralysed by the kill. Eomer finds her, cries a moment, then is taken by rage and rallies the Rohirrim being pushed back at that point. Vengeance for the king and Eowyn, inhabits them, an they forget all other battle cries to just scream "DEATH" as they massacre anything in their way. I highly recommend reading the "Mounds of Mundburg", a very short poem about the battle, naming all the dead and the events. It's not a glorious victory, but a very gut-wrenching one because of the losses.
@@drix4275 I doubt everybody read the books. But don't take me wrong, I love the movies, and I'm very aware of the challenges of adapting books to screen, which was made well. But forgive me if my take on that particular scene wasn't identical to your own. I'm such a criminal...
The joke about Sam following the elves in a rowboat is actually kind of true in the books. He lives a full life with Rosie and a bunch of kids and when the kids are all grown up and she passes away from old age, he's invited to go to the Undying Lands because he technically counts as a Ring Bearer like Frodo and Bilbo
@@mr.stuffdoer8483 Not really. Valinor is for the elves. The mortal races have a different fate for their souls. They leave Arda (the universe) and join the creator, Eru, to live with him in eternal paradise. Gandalf was describing the arrival to this paradise to Pippin in Minas Tirith before the siege began. Mortals that are allowed to go to Valinor do not become immortal. They will still live out their life, age, and die. As splendorous as Valinor is, not even the Valar themselves know just how wonderful the final destination for mortal souls is.
@@mr.stuffdoer8483 its not heaven its "the undying lands", which is a place reserved for elves (who are immortal) to live out their eternity away from all the troubles of middleearth . As far is I know, Bilbo, Frodo and Sam are the only mortals who ever went there.
Frodo was invited to go to the Undying lands due to him being a Ring bearer. He also never fully healed from being stabbed on weathertop and is going to be healed (think heaven in a way) Fun fact, Gimli and Legolas traveled for awhile together and then Legolas built a boat and sailed them both to the Undying lands as well, making the Gimli the only dwarf to go there
Good stuff here! Two other points to add to the pile: 1. The line from Bilbo about wanting to see the Ring again (and how Frodo responds) is pretty telling about any lingering feelings Frodo may have. As awful as it is, there may still be a piece of him that wishes he had kept the Ring after all, despite knowing what it would have done. 2. Frodo didn't purposefully destroy the Ring, more like it got destroyed on a fluke, and he got lucky. This isn't criticism of Frodo's character (it's implied the Ring can't be willingly destroyed) but it's easy to imagine Frodo feeling like he failed at the end or like a pretender. Magnify that by all the BS the Ring put in his head while carrying it, and I don't think it's a stretch to infer the guilt and shame Frodo must be feeling.
@@CancerMage lol man it's crazy how many "but wait, there's MORE!" moments I have when talking LotR lol I'm sure most everyone in this comment section is the same haha
There's also some sentences in the book that explain Frodo was so changed by the ring and what he'd experienced, people in the Shire started to think he was a bit of a weirdo after they returned home and it forced him to become a recluse. He felt that Sam was spending too much time looking after him and needed to have a life of his own.
You expect to find your aging uncle whom you followed into battle dead on the battlefield. You don’t expect to find your baby sister whom you last saw days a go at base camp seemingly dead on the battlefield. I think Eowyn was the only one that Eomer loved. And he did everything to protect her. That horrendous scream when he thought he had failed and she was lost breaks the heart. Urban deserves the highest praise.
In a list of A-list cast, I feel that the actor who played King Theoden is so underrated to the credit he deserves. His ending scene with Eowyn was incredibly moving.
@@johnnyjohnny2650 yeah that is in the book. Tolkien said Frodo’s failure was no more a failure than having your body crushed by a boulder. Nobody, not even Sam, would have been able to take it as far as Frodo did.
His last defense and ultimate backfire. The symbolism is: good can't always destroy evil, but evil always destroys itself. And Frodo did not fail at all, he brought all the way to Mt. Doom without giving it and wanting to throw it in most of the time. I think the guy at the very beginning premeditated his betrayal.
@@maximillianosaben I beg to differ. The very definition of acting is artifice, not reality. It is not the exhibition of real actions and emotions. It might be born of the actor's real-life experiences, but it's always acting. This three-year-old was not acting. She was just joyfully running to daddy to be picked up.
I'm really glad you all realized just how resilient Frodo was. In most reactions, people are extremely frustrated with him, but it's like... literally, no one else could have carried the ring that close to Mount Doom without falling into darkness. Frodo is being poisoned little by little, plus he has the wound given to him by the Witch King- which intensifies the closer he gets to Mordor- and he STILL managed to move forward. Yes, he wouldn't have made it without Sam- but people need to give Frodo more credit than they do. Even Sam was tempted after carrying the ring for just a few hours. He definitely resisted, but Frodo had been carrying that ring for years and maybe he didn't want to let it go, but he willingly sacrificed himself to save Middle Earth and it was only at Mount Doom where it fully overtook him- as it would for anyone else.
Actually, Sam wasn’t tempted. While Sam had the ring Sauron tempts him with promises of having authority to turn Mordor into a garden of his choosing and Sam simply rejects it because he believed Mordor is too big and wouldn’t be able to tend to a garden so vast! He’s reluctant to give Frodo the ring because he sees how much the ring has deteriorated his friend, it’s not out of temptation. But I do think that Peter Jackson wanted to portray it as if Sam was tempted, and it probably worked better for the movie. I do prefer how it plays out in the book though, gives Sam more character and better reflects the nature of hobbits.
@@lucko1979Everyone was affected by ring to varying degrees and prolonged exposure deepens the effects. Hobbits are more resistant to the ring than most but it's not immunity. Frodo had the ring for 17 years before their quest began and wasn't as deeply affected it until the witch King stabbed him.
@@sofiamartakis2497 I know, I was just summing up what had happened in the book, not really my opinion, though my summary might be a little off, it’s there about. I think the last time I read the book was 8 years ago.
@@lucko1979I actually read the scene in the movie as Sam being reluctant due to the effect it has on Frodo, and maybe even his concern and care for Frodo being the thing that is his temptation by the Ring, as the music in the scene does suggest that the Ring is trying to work on Sam there (as the movie omits the stuff about gardening). I feel it works because Sam does offer earlier on to share the Ring's burden between them, so that Frodo can have a reprieve, and if he did try to hold onto the Ring in that scene, it would be with that intention (at first). I think Frodo's line after getting the Ring back supports this, as he almost immediately explains that the Ring is his burden alone, it cannot be shared.
@@Persewna4 I know, as I mentioned I like how Peter Jackson changed this scene, it works better for how the movie progressed prior to this scene, but it’s quite different to the book, I do prefer how it plays out in the book though.
It's powerful, but I have to disagree. The best line (imo) is also the most subtle and overlooked, and it's also the finale words of the whole trilogy when Sam sighs "Well, I'm back..." which are also the last words in the books. It's significant and poetic because it's also prefaced by Frodo's monologue about the impossible task of returning to normal life and how Sam must remain one and whole for many years, which is a burden as heavy as the ring itself. In his heart of hearts, Sam also knows there is no 'going back' and that will forever be his own burden, much like a soldier returning from his perilous life in the greatest of wars, a war he KNEW he wouldn't survive. There is so much in those words. Relief, guilt, disappointment, happiness... I truly believe those words are Tolkien's words and not Sam's.
@@Tooba-K123 yes, as far as I know (being watching reactions to this movie and comentaries on it, and comenting myself, not to mention I am in the Nerd category now being finally read the Silmarillion (had the hobit and LotR read in my 20ies) after seeing the movies and reading all the books acessible in Latvia) from other comentators and my own research, the little girl was really his daughter, could't find any realations to him and Rosie or the little boy though, so...
The Eagles would not have worked for multiple reasons: 1. The task of the Ring required secrecy, and Sauron never contemplating anyone want to destroy the power of the Ring, otherwise Sauron would just bring his army down on any host. Giant Eagles flying to Mount Doom are pretty conspicuous. 2. The Eagles are Maiar (Lesser angels or spirits), like the wizards, the Balrog, and Sauron. Thus, just as Gandalf couldn't touch the ring for fear of how it would twist his power, the same goes for the Eagles. 3. The Eagles serve Manwë, the lord of the Valar (Greater angels or spirits), and so they can't just be ordered around by anyone except him. Gandalf can request their aid because he is also a Maiar in service to Manwë.
Exactly. People like to just throw out these "solutions" out there like it's just a simple thing like that, without really thinking about the world's rules in place or the dangerous repercussions that such acts could have brought.
@@BaddMedicine Also, the tower of Barad Dur that housed the eye of Sauron would see them coming. The Nazgul would have pursued them, as well as million of arrows from the ground. The eagles also fear the evil of Mordor and would not have flown over with the eye of Sauron present, and they would not carry the ring.
You gotta love the visual symbolism of the Ring not getting destroyed until Frodo chooses to let it go and reaches for Sam, choosing to live. At least that's how I always saw that particular scene.
@@susanhaney3437 Yeah... That's not what I was talking about. I was talking about Frodo struggling for his life clinging to the side of the cliff as the Ring was SLOWLY falling into the lava. The camera kept switching between Frodo and the Ring, and the moment when Frodo ultimately chooses to live, the Ring finally is destroyed. It's similar to the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Indiana doesn't PHYSICALLY let go of the Grail, he lets go of his OBSESSION with it. Frodo is letting go of his OBSESSION, his ADDICTION. Frodo is choosing Life over Death.
The moment when Sam hesitates before giving the Ring back to Frodo is standing in place of another scene in the book. There, after taking the Ring, Sam puts on the Ring and tries to continue into Mordor. He only makes it a couple of hundred yards before he hears the Orcs talking and turns back. But during that little interval, the Ring tries to get to him. He sees a vision of himself as Sam the Mighty, striding into Mordor to defeat Sauron and throw down the Dark Tower, and then reseeding Mordor, bringing it back to life as an immense garden, and healing all the hurts of Middle Earth. But Sam - being Sam - realizes it's all a cheat and a lie. He's only a hobbit, and a gardener, not a lord of war or a king. And so, just as with Bilbo and his pity of Gollum, the Ring could not get hold of Sam because he carried it out of love and loyalty, with no desire for glory or power.
"His thought turned to the Ring, but there was no comfort there, only dread and danger. No sooner had he come in sight of Mount Doom, burning far away, than he was aware of a change in his burden. As it drew near the great furnaces where, in the deeps of time, it had been shaped and forged, the Ring's power grew, and it became more fell, untameable except by some mighty will. As Sam stood there, even though the Ring was not on him but hanging by its chain about his neck, he felt himself enlarged, as if he were robed in a huge distorted shadow of himself, a vast and ominous threat halted upon the walls of Mordor. He felt that he had from now on only two choices: to forbear the Ring, though it would torment him; or to claim it, and challenge the Power that sat in its dark hold beyond the valley of shadows. Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dur. And then all the clouds rolled away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was his love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command. 'And anyway all these notions are only a trick, he said to himself."
@@fantasywind3923 Yes, that's what I said. Thanks for posting the passage, though. It's one of the most touching moments for me - how Sam fought that battle and thus learned more clearly what his master was enduring.
@@Serai3 well we can say that the quote was exactly to illustrate the good point :). In the book naturally also Sam actually wears the Ring very briefly, but takes it off before crossing into Mordor so he becomes de facto another Ringbearer which gives him much later the privilege of going beyond the sea when his time comes. I like this part in Lotr appendices: " On September 22 Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to the Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens. and passed over Sea, last of the Ring-bearers."
@@fantasywind3923 I rather love the fact that Tolkien doesn't say he _did_ cross over the sea, but only that that is what the family held as a tradition. That bit of mystery - did he or didn't he? - is one of those great details that make his characters seem so real.
The author considered Sam the hero of the story. Frodo failed to destroy the ring (failed in exactly the way Isildur does right at the beginning) but carried it most of the way and paid the price. In the book, Gollum does not fight Frodo on the edge but basically just is just so overjoyed at getting the ring that he missteps and falls.
Just to clarify a point that kinda requires book knowledge to understand: When Merry and Eowen kill the Witch King, they get poisoned. His essence is toxic and harmful to anything that lives, so when they each stabbed him they were contaminated. Aragorn saves them with Elvish medicine. They only briefly hint at this when they show Merry recoil after stabbing the Witch King in the leg. Hard to communicate when the movie is already so long 😕
What's really wild is that Merry stabs him with a blade he picked up in the barrow downs outside the shire if the very first part of the Fellowship (this part isn't in the movies). Which had been made by the elves in the first age literally like 7000 years before specifically to kill servants of Morgoth. If he had stabbed him with a normal blade it wouldn't have hurt him and given Eowyn her chance.
@@DracoSolon I'm pretty sure Merry's sword was made by the men of Cardolan, ~3000 years ago. And it wasn't a general-purpose anti-Morgoth blade, but was really a dagger of +5 "We hate the Witch-King in particular. Like, _really_ hate him."
@@reedhoward27 even Gandalf says, that no lesser blade could have done that much harm, so it really took them two to finish the Which King of Angmar - Marry, with his stab, took away his immortality, and then eowyn finished him ...
28:26 Even though everyone wants to kill Sméagol at basically every point he's on screen, if they'd done so at any one of those points they'd have lost. It's something that most people I've seen watching these movies don't get, but by not killing someone who deserves it they saved themselves. The mercy of Bilbo decided the fates of everyone. It's just like Gandalf said, even the very wise cannot see all ends. I'm really happy y'all recognized it.
@@trequor "Eye for an eye" is a good scare tactic, but not a good punishment. Revenge might give some closure to the victims and their families, but with proper repentance a transformed criminal could aid more lives than they had previously taken. Sadly, with current levels of human greed and population, not many would believe in the power of repentance.
@@anthonymcrooster3703 The thing is that revenge does not give closure. We have ten thousand years of literature to tell us this, much of which comprises our most important works. The goddamn *Iliad* is primarily about the futility of revenge! The bible-before-the-bible existed to teach Greek warriors that forgiveness, not vengeance, would bring peace to their hearts.
@@anthonymcrooster3703 It is an interesting look at how our societal thinking has progressed, because when it was first introduced, "an eye for an eye" was actually a very progressive take on punishment that stated that punishments should be kept in line and proportion with the crime they're punishing. It came from a time when people were flat-out killing each other over minor insults or disagreements. "An eye for an eye" meant that, even if you were wronged, you did not have the right to retaliate beyond all reason.
to clarify two things. Eowyn was never the heir. She would have been if Eomer and Theoden died in the war. Eomer was crowned king after the funeral of Theoden. And secondly, the reason Eowyn, Merry and Faramir survived was because Aragorn used elvish medicine to heal them. Otherwise all three of them would have died.
Lots of other survivors of Nazgul attacks like the trebuchet crews had the "Black Breath". It was also what had Faramir in a coma. None of the healers could figure it out. Aragorn cured them all and the main healer remembered the old prophesy that "The hands of a healer are the hands of a king" and everyone recognized Aragorn for who he was.
Also good to note that while Faramir was, technically, the heir to the Stewardship of Gondor at that point (in fact.... at THAT point he was the Steward, since his father was dead) -- it had become a moot point. The King was back -- no more need for the Stewards of Gondor. But, their marriage definitely represented a union of Rohan and Gondor, for sure. (The whole role of "Steward" being "to keep the kingdom going until a king returns. But of course, you saw that tension when a king finally DID return -- it had been *centuries* since Gondor last had a king, and the Stewards had become *like* kings, used to holding power. This is why Boromir had such a hard time accepting the idea that Aragorn was the king, and why Boromir calling Aragorn his king in his last words was such a powerful thing. Denethor would have been a pain in the ass about it, you just know it. But Faramir knows history and knows his role. After Aragorn became King, Faramir was named the Prince of Ithilien -- that ruined city they got chased out of -- and he and Eowyn built it back to its former glory.)
In the books, it made it a little more clear why Frodo went with the Elves, it was the wound he received on Weathertop when the Ringwraith stabbed him, and it still caused a lot of pain years later. And in my opinion, since Tolkien was a war vet, it was his commentary on the emotional damage and PTSD, because Frodo would never really be the same after a journey like that.
He would suffer on each anniversary of not only the stabbing on Weathertop but also Shelob's bite and then a few days later would be the anniversary of the destruction of the Ring and that would send him into an awful downer.
Tolkien commented on this and said what Frodo was suffering was not shell shock. His trouble was something only one other person had ever experienced, and that was Gollum, of course.
@@dionnel8882 Good question. I like to think its because Bilbo was somehow able to give up the Ring. Which is amazing, considering how long he had it. Bilbo was always the strange one: The ring didn't try to come to him, nor did it try to leave him. Some might think his experience with witnessing Dragon Sickness played a part. I like to think that Bilbo's memories of his adventures helped him take the plunge. Making it true that, down in Gollum's caves, he found his courage.
@@dionnel8882 Bilbo *IS* pretty much the only being who ever voluntarily gave up the Ring. (Though, let's be fair -- Frodo willingly offered it to others a few times, which was also a huge deal.) Even so, since Bilbo had been a Ringbearer, that's why they took him into the West, too. The Ring left its mark on all its bearers, one way or another.
In the book after the "Battle of the Pellenor Fields", the people of Gondor are still unsure if Aragorn is really the true king & one of the things that helps convince them is his ability to heal the wounds that Eowyn sustained killing the Witch-King. "The hands of the King are a healer's hands" is an old Gondorian saying.
Considering how many great kings are considered so due to being great conquerors (or defenders, either way with a good amount of military prowess), it’s great to see a setting where kings are associated with healing
@@jordinagel1184 Tolkien most probably took inspiration from real world for this. Starting from the Capetian dynasty, a lot of queens, kings or even very high nobles in western europe were thought to possess healing powers, due to their status being given by God. So no, that's definitely not an original thing; but to me that's what makes it even more enjoyable: if you know a lot of history and mythology, you can read LotR and all Tolkien's books seeing tons of smart references to real things, adapted, recrafted and molded in a new, but realistic way.
And Tolkien got it from English history. For centuries, it was believed that kings had the gift of healing owing to their divine right to rule. God gave them the power, so to speak.
@@jordinagel1184 Healing and gardening are the highest and most honorable of professions, after all they are the givers of life. The line of Faramir, that gardeners must be held in high regard in the Shire is played as a joke, but Faramir certainly didn't said it as a joke, after all he became a gardener along with Eowyn. The wiser and most noble of people are not warriors, but givers of life, and a king as such must have the hands of a healers. The rest of the commenters here are right in giving the historical context, but they are missing the point that Tolkien was trying to make: do not try to earn honor in violence, as Eowyn was trying to, but look instead to nurture and give life, like she ended up doing, and Sam always tried to.
According to Tolkien himself, no one, no matter his will, could have destroyed the ring, or even discarded it, while standing in the Cracks of Doom. It was the will of Eru Illuvatar and the mercy of both Bilbo and Frodo that brought Gollum to that place, so that the ring might be destroyed at last. Gollum, too, might have been saved - in a sense. If he had truly repented of his former evil and devoted himself to Frodo, Tolkien stated that he would have seized the ring at the Cracks of Doom, and deliberately thrown himself and it into the Fire to save his master.
For non-Tolkien geeks: Eru Iluvatar is God. Capital G. "Eru" means "The One" and "Iluvatar" means (basically) "Father of All". And I agree with what Conor said.
I think the movie really doesn't explore the whole idea of how there is something working in the background for the good side. In the movie Elrond calls everyone to the council, but in the books they all are just there for different reasons. That sort of thing, showing that something is moving pieces and working toward an end.
If no one else has mentioned it, Samwise's daughter added to the book after he did. He raised his family and eventually, once they were settled and living their lives, he went on a journey, and his daughter proposed that he set out and caught yet another boat across the sea. I always thought that was a cool idea.
I saw it on Trilogy Tuesday -- where we got to the theater early in the day, and watched the Extended Fellowship, Extended Two Towers, and then the premiere of the (regular length) Return of the King. Amazing experience.
Fun fact: in real Medieval warfare, heads really were launched into castles by catapult because, not only did it demoralize them enemy, but it spread disease into the walls. Ok not fun, but educational.
Bilbo and Frodo boarded the ship to the Undying Lands. But they are not immortal so they will eventually pass. But being in the Blessed Realm will allow them to live pain free. Sam (after serving 7 terms as the mayor of the Shire) eventually takes a ship and follows Frodo. He was granted that honor since he technically was a ring bearer for a short while.
He stays in middle earth, right until his wife dies. Legolas and Gemil stay till Arqgon finally dies at age like 200. Then they head over, Gimli being aloud due to his friendship with Galadriel.
@@azazello1784 to be fair he was still almost a child in LotR. People grow, people learn - and with his contact to great kings and wise men, he most definitely had ways to learn how to be a good mayor.
I have no idea what Tolkien's view on women truly was, but for someone who wrote something so long ago he wrote some badass female characters. Eowyn, Galadriel, and even Rosie Cotton ( In the book, the Hobbits actually have to save The Shire and Rosie has a fearless attitude and helps them save it). Growing up it was great to see characters like that to look up to. Even Shelob scarred you for life.
@@susanhaney3437 It's just my opinion, but not every story has to give an equal amount of time to men/women. There are stories from men's perspective, and stories from women's perspective. The LotR is mostly male-focused, that's true. But that doesn't diminish the importance of the women in the story. Tolkien always writes about women with the utmost respect. Whenever they show up, they are basically the focus of the room: Arwen, even if she doesn't really appear in the books; Goldberry; Galadriel; Éowyn; Rosie Cotton; even Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Shelob... In other Tolkien works, you also have great women everywhere you look: half of the Valar are women, there's Melian, Lúthien Tinúviel, Elwing, etc.
Very true. I see it as a kind of "progressive misogyny". He had zero issue with strong and independent women but he did not let them get involved a lot even though they logically should have. Considering him being a religious conservative and his period of life, that is still massively progressive. Especially Eowyn and Luthien are straight up feminist icons. Really impressive
One think that most people miss is that Gandalf brought three eagles to rescue the hobbits. One for Frodo. One for Sam. And one for Sméagol. Gandalf knew that Sméagol was guiding them, and he didn’t know but that Sméagol might survive the journey, and need healing afterward. Because Gandalf knew that, while they yet lived, no one was beyond redemption.
I love that there’s louder cheers for Sam’s wedding than there is for anything else in all three of these movies, these guys just love to see a good lad thriving.
That moment with Sam and Frodo on the rock going to black - I still remember sitting in the theater, screaming along with everyone in anger cuz we all thought it was the end. 🤣🤣
I always felt, Frodo going to the Undying Lands at the end was like a metaphor for Tolkien: for a soldier, who came home from a war so damaged, he would never recover from it and never be the same again. Sam, Merry and Pippin seemed to slot into the life of the Shire again, but not Frodo. ("The Shire has been saved. But not for me.") It's like an extensive study on psychological trauma and what a being can endure. He has endured so much, that he cannot seem to find happiness and rest in the things anymore that normal beings on this earth do, not even in the Shire. That smile at the end also always seemed like relief to me. He will now go to a place where he can finally rest, and where his trials and nightmares will be far far behind him. In a way, everyone was right, and Frodo did not return from his quest. His body returned, but he was never able to have a normal life again.
Agree - from the work of smiths up to the neverending list of carpenters involved. That's why the scenes are so believable, because they inserted CGI only there where necessary. Everything else - from masks and costumes to models - was made by hand. Fantastic effort.
Twenty years ago, as you can see, it was well worth the wait in line each year to see the start, continuation and conclusion of such an Awesome Epic story!🏹🗡️🛡️
And under appreciated detail, for almost 2 movies you see aragorn following theoden. Theoden is a flawed character but a good king and you get to see the influence of it through the movies culminating in aragorns grand speech at the black gate which was very theoden-esque
Even at 4 hours long, there were a couple minor things the movie couldn't properly explain...with what happened to Eowyn, anybody who fights the Witchking of Angmar and his mount gets hit with an incredible amount of fear (referred to as "the Black Breath") which basically puts you into a coma (assuming you survive the fight to begin with). Nobody in the city knew how to heal it, but there's an old phrase they toss around (in the books at least) that 'the hands of the king are the hands of a healer.' It's a double reference, in that it's a way to tell the true king, and also a reference to the plant athelas, or kingsfoil, which people thought was just a weed, but actually has some pretty insane healing properties if used correctly. That's why Aragorn was tending to people after the fight, including Eowyn...he's the true king and he knows how to use the athelas plant correctly to heal people from the "Black Breath.' As for Frodo leaving with the Elves, the Ring still held sway over him despite being destroyed, just as it did over all of the other Ring-bearers. Frodo would get sick every year around the anniversary of him getting stabbed at Weathertop, and he was never really happy or at peace in the Shire because he was still thinking about the Ring. Even Bilbo, who could barely stay awake, was still asking about the Ring. Their leaving Middle-Earth for the Gray Havens (basically Elf Heaven) allows them to finally be free of the influence of the Ring and find peace, as well as removing the last vestige of the Ring's power from Middle-Earth (well, almost...technically Sam was also a Ring-bearer for a while, and would also need to leave eventually). So "Swolo Baggins" was right about Frodo leaving to be healthy, it's just mental health more so than physical health. It's very similar to the idea of a combat vet never truly leaving the battlefield and PTSD (or shell-shock, as it was called in Tolkien's time).
When the orcs start killing each other in the tower that Frodo is captured in, the book sets the mood for it a lot more. There are two races of orcs, only working together under Sauron. They don't like or respect each other at all. The same thing happened in movie 2 when they were talking about eating Merry and Pippin before the horsemen came and killed them all.
The orcs were from Sauron and Sauraman. They constantly argued and had a lot of animosity toward each other. Galadriel had also cast a spell from afar to help in their demise.
Hey guys great reaction, just a little backstory or lore; the reason why Saruman turned bad was because he wanted the ring for himself and also had that crystal ball , a Palantiri , he was talking to Sauron and getting deceived. Also, Denethor ( Boromir’ s dad) had a Palantiri, and Sauron used it to deceive and enslave Denethor that there was no chance of defeating the power of the ring. Take care, Would like to see your reactions to Cinderella Man, and Field of dreams
@@anthonyprezioso8115 Yeah, even though they show (I think only in this extended version) that there is a Palantir at Minas Tirith, the film sold Denethor short a bit. He was the way he is because he'd been looking into the Palantir -- which were originally tools meant to allow the far-flung cities a way to communicate, until Sauron got his hands on them -- thinking he could gain knowledge of what Sauron was doing. But he wasn't strong enough to withstand Sauron's deceit, as well as his attempts to cause despair. We also saw that a bit with Aragorn picking up the Palantir and revealing himself to Sauron. That was part of Aragorn's plan to create a distraction, to keep Sauron's attention off the possibility of Frodo getting into Mordor. But even in that moment, Sauron's response was to show Aragorn a vision of Arwen dying -- to cause despair and cause Aragorn's courage to fail. Didn't work, but you could see that it shocked Aragorn and caused him to drop the Palantir. And Aragorn is supposed to be much stronger-willed than Denethor was. So it's a bit of a shame that Denethor comes off as badly as he does. (He was of the same royal line as Aragorn, just of a junior branch.) Although, Denethor was always going to be difficult to find sympathetic, because he DID treat Faramir badly, even in the books. That was a combination of blaming his wife's death on Faramir (she died in childbirth with him), and the fact that Faramir was bookish and liked to study with Gandalf, and Denethor suspected that Gandalf was trying to restore the King to the throne. The Stewards had been ruling for so long that Denethor didn't want to relinquish power. The way he saw it, his line of Stewards had been the ones truly defending and taking care of Gondor, while the king's line (i.e. Aragorn) had abandoned their duty; so Aragorn didn't deserve to be king. Thus, Denethor was against Gandalf's plans, and Denethor didn't like that Faramir listened so much to Gandalf.
I think the movie does an excellent job of this to be honest. They use different makeup/prosthetic styles for each type of orc. It's visual storytelling which is exactly what a movie should do.
from a pure cinematic value, this is probably the best trilogy ever created in the sense that the first movie is a fair bit slower than the other movies but it really does a lot of world building/backstories. 2nd movie really furthers the plot and really reinforce a lot of characteristics of a lot of characters in the trilogy. Where as the 3rd movie is the grand finale where they close up all of the different plots throughout the entire trilogy. Also Sam is the best character.
When it comes to the eagles, the thing most people don’t realize is they are a sentient race of giant eagles. Gandalf doesn’t command or lead them, they come to him at Saruman’s tower when he essentially sends a message through the moth. Having them fly straight into Mordor would have been just as much a threat to them as it was to any of the fellowship. They join in the final battle because fundamentally, lord of the rings centers around a battle over middle earth. At the end of the movie, when Frodo leaves with the elves, he is going to the Undying Lands. Elves don’t exactly “die” the way men do, they change into a different immortal forms. Only elves and some wizards like Gandalf, and ring bearers can go there. Frodo and Bilbo were given special permission as ring bearers. I’m not totally certain if Frodo will have an immortal life there, or if he will eventually pass on (I think it’s the latter), but a lot of people see the Undying Lands as a symbolic “after life”. Frodo leaves because he was too traumatized by the whole experience, and the Undying Lands are a place to heal/find peace.
I think of the undying lands as something like the Isle of Avalon in Arthurian legend. I mystical land where only heros and the pure of heart can travel.
Tolkien said that if anything, Frodo and Bilbo would have expired *faster* in the Undying Lands, because their relatively frail mortal bodies could not withstand the spiritual intensity of living there. But they would live out their days in bliss....
Eowyn is not King Theoden's daughter, she is his niece. His son is the one who died in Two Towers while he was corrupted by Saruman. Eowyn's brother is Eomer (Karl Urban). Whe she killed the Wraith King a curse took over and almost killed not only her, but Merry as well since he stabbed him too.
The dagger that Merry stabbed the Witch-king with was also a "special dagger". It was made a long time ago in one of the northern Kingdoms, who was in war with Angmar at the time - with the specific intent and capability to hurt the Witch-king. This made it possible for Eowyn to do lay the final "in your face" blow..
@@SilverJackLeg yes but the question is - does Merry in the movie use this special sword (made for the war with Nazguls) or rather regular sword of Rohan? :) In the movie there were not swords from the Barrow Downs and Eowyn gives Merry his armor and his sword.
Absolutely my favorite movie series. I have fond memories of my Dad faking a family emergency and picking me up from school early whenever a LOTR marathon was on TV 🥺😭♥️ Thanks guys for giving it a chance! It was great to experience this fantastical world again through your eyes. I recommend The Hunger Games series next!
Oak realizing the memes was an absolute JOY! Don’t apologize🤗 you did great! The Lord of the Rings community should take a screenshot of Oak laughing and make that a meme now haha
“ Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spears shall be shaken, Shields be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the Sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor! DEATH! DEAAAAATTHH!!! DEAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! “
I can still remember being in the theater, watching this movie. When Theoden rode down the line, touching all the spears with his sword, I had full body goosebumps.
I think with Eomer crying over eowyn it was less about thinking she was dead, and more being freaked out that she was there in the first place, because like his uncle he didn’t know. Just one interpretation.
It’s one of the biggest gripes I have about the extended edition. They just didn’t add any context to so many of the extra scenes. The first time I watched the ee and I saw that (after seeing the theatrical version at least 10 times) I also was just completely baffled at what was going on lol
My husband and I saw these as soon as they came out on video. But then we saw them all back to back at our local Alamo Draft House movie theater. For $50 each, We saw all 3 movies (not the extended versions), and a fantastic local chef and his staff prepared first breakfast, second breakfast, tea, lunch, dinner, and supper. The only foods I remember after all this time are tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon; rabbit stew; and lembas bread. And beer, of course. (We took care of the pipe weed ourselves beforehand.) It was an all day thing. I can hardly believe it was only 50 bucks apiece.
The trilogy has been re-released in theaters several times. Even the extended versions. The last was during the pandemic when theaters reopened. Glad you guys enjoyed these films.
I went to see this movie in theater the year my father passed. I was crying because of the scene and my son, who was 9 years old at that time, he wanted to be nice so he stroked my back and whispered "Are you thinking of Grandpa?" I AM NOW!
Also... it was the mercy of both Bilbo and Frodo, that actually saved the day. Why? Because they let Gollum live- whilst everyone else wanted him dead. If you think about it, Gandalf and Frodo's conversation in the mines makes perfect sense and ties everything together. The mercy and understanding that both Bilbo and Frodo had for Gollum, led Gollum to the very fires of Mount Doom, where he would battle with Frodo until the destruction of the ring.
The only thing that annoyed me about the trilogy wasn't actually about the trilogy: bookshops had placards "You've seen the films, no read the books!" as if the books were mere novelisations of the films.
This makes me tear up even just watching it vicariously through you guys. That moment when Eomer finds Eowyn on the battlefield gets me every time. I have several sisters and the thought of dying in battle is much more comfortable than the thought of finding them on one.
Yes and he has always appeared as an old man. He has been walking around Middle Earth for two thousand years by the time the events in the story begin.
The grey wanderer, a little like Odin. For the people, kinda like Moses. Sent as a rep, akin to an angel, as well. Tolkien really blended paganism and Christianity in such a unique way.
Yep! This is correct! He says he has walked the earth 300 lives of men, which would be roughly 27,000 years, but only walked in the form of an old man for a few thousand years. Sauron, the balrogs and the wizards are all older than the world itself, being involved in its initial creation and molding.
As for the many endings, that people are sometimes complaining about... it actually makes complete sense to me in regards to the books. I always loved reading the extra info - what happened next, everyone's children and further lifes.
If anyone in the comments hasn’t yet mentioned it, the giant spider that paralyzed Frodo and Sam successfully fought off is Shelob, who is literally the mother and progenitor of all spiders great to small. The book gives more detail into her backstory, but succinctly, she’s lived for countless ages and grew so large because of her insatiable hunger and sheer force of hatred and desire to kill every living thing. Also, Gollum worships her as his goddess. Additionally, when Sam is killing the orcs on the tower staircase and shouts “That’s for my old gaffer!”, it means “That’s for my dad!”. Sam’s father Hamfast Gamgee was a master gardener with a thriving landscaping business he passed on to Sam, and Hamfast’s nickname was “Old Gaffer”.
I would love to see the edited/cut footage of Faramir and Eowyn. I think in an interview or commentary one of the actors stated that they filled a lot more of these two getting closer. In fact, in the BOOKS, there is a LOT more of Faramir/Eowyn than there is Aragorn/Arwen. We see that although it was Aragorn who saved her life (based on a prophecy) in the Houses of Healing, it was Faramir's LOVE that drew her out of her darkness (Aragorn's rejection and the poisoning of the witch king). Faramir: "Eowyn, do you not love me or WILL you not?" Along with his words about NOT believing there was "darkness unescapable". That is what did it. It broke her despair. His hope and love.
Meme bro, you're on point! Frodo has been hurt too many times - by a sword, a spear, a sting and Gollum's teeth. The only way he could heal was to go with the Elves. That's why he finally smiled when he stepped on the ship. This was a great journey with you guys, thank you all very much!
Samwise had a reputation in The Shire as being an uncommonly good cook. His pots and pans were his prized possessions. For him to just toss them was a heavy blow indeed. Also, the eagles were servants of the same people that sent Gandalf. They would not have been permitted to interfere, nor would it have been in their nature to take on such a task without being ordered by their masters.
Tolkien dealt with PTSD from War and so Frodo is a projection of him dealing with it as it never really seems to go away. So him leaving to the undying lands was the best move for Frodo as he was dealing with extreme mental health issues from his trauma that he could not mask. If I'm not mistaken Christopher Lee was in the British Army as well and I think he actually talked to Tolkien a few time after he became obsessed with the books... I could be wrong, but I thought I remember watching a video about that...
The canon (I believe) is that the stab literally left pain since it was special, and carrying the ring so long left an impression that wouldn't fade. Unofficially, Tolkien served in the Great War and the entire Lord of the Rings can be read in that context. He survived, came home, and became a legendary author of his century, but many of his childhood friends did not come back with him. One can physically return to their little English town, but the soul can never really go back to the way it was.
When I watched this in theaters live, the two things I remember were. 1. The crowd cheered when Sam marries Rosie. 2. Figuring out in real time who in theatre who had arachnophobia, lol. (Soundtrack for the spider scene is pretty amazing track though)
You guys were a blast reviewing these movies. I remember watching each film in the theater and still believe it is one of the best trilogies of all time next to the original Star Wars.
As a little extra: Sam went to the undying lands as well when he was old, since technically he also was a ringbearer for a short time when Frodo was knocked out cold in Mordor.
@@NiteAngyl Technically they would have been allowed to go, but all died in Middleearth before going. In Deagols case I’m not sure since he never donned the ring, while all the others did. Also I can’t tell whether the Valar would have let them in.
@@NiteAngylIn spirit yes but otherwise no. When men die their souls linger in the Halls of Mandos for a brief time until they go to wherever Eru Illuvatar has set aside for them. Gollum's soul would linger for a bit but Deagol and Isildur's would already had departed.
the fact that i burst into tears when you guys cheers for Sam and Rosie 😭 i think you all are so adorable 🤣 and i've watched too many reaction for LOTR. For me, you guys one of the best reactor. Thank you guys. Can't wait for your reaction to The Hobbit
Surely on of the best trilogies out there. As a book reader and fantasy lover, my favorite one was actually the first one. Seeing your book come to life sooo well on the Big screens was just mind blowing. Back pre 2000 all fantasy movie were just just crap so this leap in special effects was so magical. Think the memes since have diluted some scenes of their power a bit like Gandalfs epic stand versus the Balrog - the whole passage through Mines of Moria had the theater screaming and on edge throughout.
Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, Conan the Barbarian, Indiana Jones, Jumanji, 13 Warrior, Edward Scissorhands, The Wizard of Oz, The Princess Bride, Jason and the Argonauts.... To name some that aren't animated - and depending on the definition of "fantasy".
@@Sageddegas It isn't really about you. I'm telling you that, because you responded to my response to the OP. What the OP said was wrong, why I made a small list of the movies that sprang to mind at the time. You saying that LOTR is of higher quality is irrelevant to the point I was originally making. I'm not arguing against LOTR being the better movie(s), it obviously is. I was just slightly baffled by a "fantasy lover" not knowing old movies :)
Every year my sister and I waited and watched the three films together in the theater over three years. I hope someday they will return into the cinema! LOTR is the best trilogy. Enjoyed your reactions guys.
I know this video is a year old but I have to answer Oak about the theater. I have been watching these movies almost since they came out but just missed seeing them in theaters. I watched for the first time while we were waiting for Return of the King to come out on dvd. I recently got the chance to watch all three extended versions in the theater at the same time (shoutout to Alamo Drafthouse) and it was a completely different experience to watching them at home. There is just something about watching movies like these in a theater full of people that love them as much as you do. There's just an energy there that can't be beaten or replicated. (And yes, I was at that theater for about 14 hours. Worth every minute)
Not a single living being could have destroyed the ring by its own will. It would have even corrupt the eagles. The third eagle that came to mount doom was for smeagol 🙏🔥 Great reaction guys
Sorry, but nowhere in the Tolkien lore there is any proof of that, the third eagle is there as a guard, because he is the fastest and most skilful flyer, that is clear in the books.
@@nw2861 yes, they were mentioned in the book. One was the kind of all eagles, Gwaihir the Windlord, the one Gandalf rides. Do not recall the others. They were in fact sentient beings, although they never show it in the movies
35:16 In a way, yes. It’s worth watching Alan Lee’s portraits / sketches of the characters as the credits roll and Annie Lennox’s Into the West plays. 🥰🥰🥰 That said, every second of The Appendices are worth watching as well.
Frodo goes with the elves due to the wound and probably feeling different to everyone due to carrying the ring so long. After Rosie's death Sam sets off in a boat and sails alone across the ocean that's the last we have from the books.
Again, the parallels of Tolkein returning home from WW 1 come into play here. He saw most of his childhood / lifelong friends, who were also in his unit, die. Tolkein fought in the Battle of the Somme, which was terrible. Much like Gulf War and Iraq/Afghanistan vets, these soldiers have a hard time coming home mentally, even when they return physically. Frodo had multiple wounds that would not heal (imagine a disabled soldier), and the constant reminder of his lost finger, along with all the terrible things he had seen and experienced. He couldn't just reinsert himself in society. He tries - it's about 3 years after he left on his ring journey, and about 2 years after he returned, when he joins Bilbo in the grey havens ships. He gave it a good couple of years being back in the Shire, but it didn't take. He spent most of his time recounting the experiences in his book. I'm sure someone else mentioned it, but Gimli is also given the honor of joining the elves in the undying lands late in his life. He makes the journey with Legolas as his honored guest.
@@nineradvocate and also legolas and gimli. Galadrial who got permission for gimli. And he was the only dwarf who went to undying land and met aule( their maker)
Thanks for replying and informing me of what I had wrong it's been a decade since I read any of the books so I was 8 at that time so I forgot most of the information
I loved watching your reactions to these movies! These are my favorite movies of all time, seen all of them more than 100 times. Watching the behind the scenes stuff for them is fascinating too! I’d highly suggest watching them, they answer a lot of the questions y’all had about the story! Great time watching the reactions though!
To give some after credit Story info: Samwise inherited Bagend from Frodo, where he had 13 children with Rosie: Elanor the Fair Frodo Rose Merry Pippin Goldilocks Hamfast Daisy Primrose Bilbo Ruby Robin and Tolman He also got elected Mayor of the Shire 7 terms in a row (49 years) Chosen to be one of the Councilmembers of the re-build Kingdom of the North Proclaimed to be one of the personal Friends and confidant. When his wife died at the age of 61, Samwise passed down the Book to his daughter Elanor (Who was also a high Maiden to Queen Arwen) and followed Frodo onto a boat to sail into the undying lands.
In the book, Gollum was making a happy dance and while doing so he accidently stepped over the edge and fell down into the lava with The Ring. This was meant as it was fate that "pushed" Gollum through the planning of Eru, the grand god who created the world of Arda (where Middle Earth is located), though that is hard to show o film and requires a lot of explaining which you can't have too much of in a film. Peter Jackson thought that was anti-climatic so the first version Frodo wasn't going for The Ring, instead he pushed Gollum off the edge (and fell over as a result) but that looked like he was murdering Gollum and Sméagol, which didn't fit in with Tolkien's theme of the sparing of Gollum led to The Ring's desctruction. He then filmed the happy dance from the book and on Andy Serkis' last day of shooting pickups (as well as Elijah Wood's pen-ulitmate day) they shot the final version where Frodo tries to take The Ring back to harken back to the Sméagol and Déagol scene at the start.
For those who are interested there is a new audiobook version of The Lord Of The Rings which is narrated by Andy Serkis (Sméagol/Gollum) that came out recently. It has gotten excellent reviews by audiobook readers.
I was seven years old when my dad took me and my sister to see this in theaters. I had seen the others, knew what was going on, paid attention throughout, and never fell asleep. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and now more than 20 years later, these movies (and the books) are still my favorite. I loved all of your reactions throughout the series. Three of you came in not knowing what to expect, were a bit skeptical, but really paid attention to the characters and the story. It was really refreshing to see. The whole series is impeccable in my opinion. There will never be another cinematic venture like this one, and Return of the King won 11 Oscars, every single one it was nominated for, including best picture.
As I'm sure others have mentioned, while LotR isn't a direct allegory, Tolkien did write about his experiences in WW1 in this story. The dead bodies in the marsh, the naive qualities of the country folk (hobbits), the endless marching, the dilemmas when you take an enemy as a prisoner, the internal battle of fear / despair versus courage / hope, etc. To me, Frodo's spiritual wound ... that's basically PTSD, where some people physically return home from war, but not as whole spirits, and they are always kind of wounded and lost.
Actually, Frodo continued writing in Bilbo's book. Bilbo wrote about his story, what happened in The Hobbit. Frodo added his journey in the book and after he gives the book to Sam, in the novels (or at least in the appendences) Merry and Pippin adds their respective journeys through Rohan and Gondor plus all the things Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf tells them.
Greatest trilogy of all time hands down! RotK was a clean sweep at the Oscars. 11 Academy awards including Best Picture tieing with most Oscar wins ever with Titanic and Ben Hur
Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.
In the book, Frodo also suffered from echoes of Shelob's bite every year around the time it happened. So, in addition to being stabbed by the Morgul Blade, and no longer feeling at home in the Shire, he had that pain to contend with.
Grond, the wolf shaped battering ram, is named after Morgoth's (Sauron's master) war hammer. Sam's "I'm back." Was actually the last sentence in the end of the third book.
Im a bit late but hopefully y'all don't mind. As others have stated, Frodo sails to the Undying Lands as he would have been miserable had he stayed in Middle-Earth. From being stabbed at Weathertop with a morgul blade from the Nazgul to Shelob (the giant spider back in Mordor) stabbing him as well and just the overall toll the One Ring had on him would have caused him to lead a sickly, troubled life. He had PTSD and Valinor was the only place he would be able to heal and find peace as no other place would do so. Sam does eventually sail as well but only until Rosie passes and his kids are settled and he even becomes Mayor of Hobbiton but its unknown whether Frodo is still alive by that time (I personally like to think that he does get to see them though). Merry and Pippin are the only two that don't sail. There are quite a number of things that are not addressed in the movies but I commend Peter Jackson for doing what he was able to do even if the script was changing every day. For example, originally it's only Gandalf, Galadriel, Bilbo, Frodo and Elrond who leave. Celeborn (the elf with the silver hair who is Galadriel's husband and father in law of Elrond) stays and does not leave until the beginning of the Fourth Age (think of it as kinda like a doting grandparent who wants to make sure their children are good to go before leaving). As for the question, the eagles are not a taxi service, Gandalf can ask them for aid but they can't call them whenever they want and order them around. But either way, i love to see people watch these movies for the first time and get introduced to the world of Tolkien.
there are many little details that stay unnoticed by a lot of people even if they watch the movies multiple times, but my favourite must be the swordsmanship of Aragorn being the same style of fighting (including the fighting stance at the beginning of every combat when he always holds the sword in both hands in front of his face) as the style used by the 9 ex-kings of men now known as Ringwraiths, or Nazguls, following the Witch King of Angmar. And it's not a style of just any men, as Boromir, Faramir, Theoden or any other man was never seen using this same style - only Aragorn and the Nazguls. I'm always amazed at little things like that whenever I pick a new one up when rewatching the series. Consistency, coherency and complexity cranked up to 11. as always great reaction guys.
Easily the best fantasy trilogy ever made... Cast, cinematography, music, sets, all kind of book details, all perfect. It also helped immensely that they made all 3 movies together, a mamooth task but this way it was consistent all throughout from beginning to end. A huge gamble budget-wise for sure, but one that paid off because they poured all their heart in it, and they paid attention to everything that mattered. That's what happens when you make something with love and attention. How many times have we seen a consistent trilogy where the quality and actors stay the same all throughout from 1st movie to the 3rd? Basically this never happens. Plus they usually make stuff that is not source material, ruining the original stories which alienates the fans. Here the feelings of the books were preserved, as much as they could be for an adaptation. Simply amazing. I had also read the books, and couldn't believe what I was seeing in the theaters back in 2001. Glad you guys liked it, a timeless story for sure. Most of your questions are more or less answered either from the books, or from Tolkien letters to fans.
Fan fact (I don't know if someone has said in the comments already): When Frodo woke up in the end at the bed and saw Gandalf, it was actually the time he saw that Gandalf was not dead. Both Frodo and Sam thought all their journey that Gandalf was dead.
The characters' depth, the psychology, the quality of the dialogue, the stakes that seem so real - set LOTR apart from other contemporary fantasy (not to mention that it came first) IMHO. In its essence it is a very human story and we can relate to a lot of the struggles. Also, while there are several varieties of evil, there is also true and deep virtue to be found, and wisdom as well. We are left with aspirations to be better. The cinematography, score, and acting made these movies near perfect adaptations. BTW Tolkien was also an artist and some of the sets are based on his drawings. Bottom line for me is that a film that is based not on a script written to maximize profitability but rather on a great literary work that was suffused with deep scholarship, soul, and artistry, is going to be a cut above, if done well.
I watched a review of one of the trilogy - well, part of it! They kept comparing it to Harry Potter, as if Tolkien got his ideas from JKR ps: I nearly dislocated my shoulder with wincing so much.
@@franl155 Thank you. I feel the same way. It makes me sick when people compare Harry Potter to Lord of the rings and especially Dumbledore and Gandalf. 😊
Eowyn technically just dealt the final blow, that's all. The Witch King has had torches stuck in his face, swords slashed across him, drowned by Arwen (in the movies not the books), a sword isn't gonna necessarily kill him. The dagger of the Noldorin, which is what Galadriel gave Merry and Pippin, is what killed him. Merry stabbed him with a magical Elven knife which dispurses evil. Basically, the dagger removed his ability to "respawn" or keep coming back to life after dying, and then Eowyn dealt the final blow. Honestly, Merry is the reason the Witch King died. I just wanted to throw that out as I see a lot of people cheering for her killing him when it was really Merry. Also, want to add that I saw someone else say this on another reaction and really loved it and it helped make the scene more emotional. When Rohan charges the Mordor army, they shout Death. The reason Peter Jackson added this (in the book Eomer saw Eowyn lying on the field and screamed death as he went on a rage killing orcs on his way to her), was to show the courage and might of Men. Men are mortal and the only thing they really can't control and truly do fear, is death. So, them screaming death, is to symbolize them looking death in the eyes and charging no matter what. Whether they live or die, they will charge into battle to protect those who cannot protect themselves. They will die with honor, not cowering behind a wall. They challenge death and all that they fear, because this moment will not die. This charge of theirs, their names in the Rohan army, will go down in the books and be remembered for enternity. Death cannot take this courageous and mighty deed away. So, they shout Death! to the enemies as they charge them letting the Orcs of Mordor know they fear nothing and will give everything they have to this cause. Loved your reaction guys!
In the book we get more of the sense why Frodo leaves. It's been a while since I've read it (exactly before the movies came to theaters), but I remember that Tolkien gives us a sense of how changed Frodo is by the whole experience: being stabbed, carrying the One Ring for so long, seeing the Ring be destroyed. It's like he doesn't feel like himself anymore and doesn't feel like the Shire is his home anymore. I remember the feeling - while reading the book - that the whole thing left a void in Frodo.
There aren't that many Eagles, and Sauron would have found out that one of them was carrying the Ring of Power back to Mt. Doom. He would have brought all of his forces to bear and wiped out all of them. Also, there is no way to know what the Ring's influence would have done to the Eagle who carried it. So maybe they could not take possession of it for the the same reason that Gandalf refused to take it. On a side note, it's interesting that when Gandalf came with the Eagles to rescue Sam and Frodo, he brought three. The third Eagle was for Smeagol, because Gandalf didn't know he had died. The last he knew Smeagol was with them.
I saw each movie in the trilogy multiple times in the theaters when they came out. They were that amazing and ground breaking for the time! Nothing really compares to sitting in a huge theater on a big screen with lots of other people experiencing the same emotional rollercoaster together. I think I saw The Two Towers 4 times in the theater. It was my favorite of the 3, but they're all fantastic in their own. It was awful waiting a year to see the next one right after watching one! People who haven't seen these are truly missing out. They won over a dozen academy awards... back when they would actually give out awards to movies the people have actually seen and enjoy.
The last installment of our LOTR journey! Is LORT the greatest trilogy in cinema? What is your favorite out of the 3?
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If you are planning on watching the hobbit trilogy, dont go for the extended edition (in my opinion). The trilogy is long enough for being based of a single book, the only one that you might want to see extended is the last one. In it there is a scene at the end that is really good and makes the ending much better, but other than that just go with the theatrical edition. Anyway long rant over, I really enjoyed this reaction and the reaction to the whole trilogy!
@@sigururmagni1730 I would disagree with that.. I think the extended versions show better explanations and bring in more of the story. particularly in the 2nd movie.
Peter Jackson did a huge disservice to Denethor by not showing a quick 5 minute scene of Denethor wrestling with Sauron through the seeing stone and being driven mad with despair. Movie Denethor just seems like a big dick with no redeeming qualities but he was a good man in the book.
After many years of happiness with Rosie and their children, when she passed Sam sailed across the sea and met up with Frodo again. He had the Ring for a short time so was also considered as one of the Ringbearers.
Have all of y'all seen the Harry Potter franchise?
Eomer's scream upon finding Eowyn always feels really heart-wrenching. Remember, for all Eomer knew, his sister was safe back in Edoras. To then find your sister on the battlefield, seemingly dead, would be terrifying.
That is the only scene that has ever made me instantly hyperventilatingly sob.
I have watched these movies really hundreds of times, everytime I see Eomer crying in despair, it gets me.
It's a weird one for me, mainly because the buildup to that scene in the movies is weirdly made from the books. Theoden's speech didn't end with "death!". He does his speech, charges, yadayada, fights a southern king in an epic battle, kills him, then comes the nazgul. Men try to save the king but their horses panick. Eowyn steps up, drops the witch king, then falls herself paralysed by the kill. Eomer finds her, cries a moment, then is taken by rage and rallies the Rohirrim being pushed back at that point. Vengeance for the king and Eowyn, inhabits them, an they forget all other battle cries to just scream "DEATH" as they massacre anything in their way.
I highly recommend reading the "Mounds of Mundburg", a very short poem about the battle, naming all the dead and the events. It's not a glorious victory, but a very gut-wrenching one because of the losses.
@@k.v.7681 We've all read the books. Just enjoy the movie adaptation.
@@drix4275 I doubt everybody read the books. But don't take me wrong, I love the movies, and I'm very aware of the challenges of adapting books to screen, which was made well. But forgive me if my take on that particular scene wasn't identical to your own. I'm such a criminal...
The joke about Sam following the elves in a rowboat is actually kind of true in the books. He lives a full life with Rosie and a bunch of kids and when the kids are all grown up and she passes away from old age, he's invited to go to the Undying Lands because he technically counts as a Ring Bearer like Frodo and Bilbo
It’s kinda fucked how you need permission from elves to go to heaven in this world.
@@mr.stuffdoer8483 Not really. Valinor is for the elves. The mortal races have a different fate for their souls. They leave Arda (the universe) and join the creator, Eru, to live with him in eternal paradise. Gandalf was describing the arrival to this paradise to Pippin in Minas Tirith before the siege began. Mortals that are allowed to go to Valinor do not become immortal. They will still live out their life, age, and die. As splendorous as Valinor is, not even the Valar themselves know just how wonderful the final destination for mortal souls is.
@@d4rk0v3 is there a source for that? Always sounded like he was describing Valinor, which would be his “afterlife”
@@mr.stuffdoer8483 What heaven?
@@mr.stuffdoer8483 its not heaven its "the undying lands", which is a place reserved for elves (who are immortal) to live out their eternity away from all the troubles of middleearth . As far is I know, Bilbo, Frodo and Sam are the only mortals who ever went there.
Frodo was invited to go to the Undying lands due to him being a Ring bearer. He also never fully healed from being stabbed on weathertop and is going to be healed (think heaven in a way)
Fun fact, Gimli and Legolas traveled for awhile together and then Legolas built a boat and sailed them both to the Undying lands as well, making the Gimli the only dwarf to go there
Sam also sailed after his wife died, he was a Ring-bearer too
it was a long time that passed in the books i think too, Frodo lived in pain for a long time
Good stuff here! Two other points to add to the pile:
1. The line from Bilbo about wanting to see the Ring again (and how Frodo responds) is pretty telling about any lingering feelings Frodo may have. As awful as it is, there may still be a piece of him that wishes he had kept the Ring after all, despite knowing what it would have done.
2. Frodo didn't purposefully destroy the Ring, more like it got destroyed on a fluke, and he got lucky. This isn't criticism of Frodo's character (it's implied the Ring can't be willingly destroyed) but it's easy to imagine Frodo feeling like he failed at the end or like a pretender. Magnify that by all the BS the Ring put in his head while carrying it, and I don't think it's a stretch to infer the guilt and shame Frodo must be feeling.
@@CancerMage lol man it's crazy how many "but wait, there's MORE!" moments I have when talking LotR lol I'm sure most everyone in this comment section is the same haha
There's also some sentences in the book that explain Frodo was so changed by the ring and what he'd experienced, people in the Shire started to think he was a bit of a weirdo after they returned home and it forced him to become a recluse. He felt that Sam was spending too much time looking after him and needed to have a life of his own.
You expect to find your aging uncle whom you followed into battle dead on the battlefield. You don’t expect to find your baby sister whom you last saw days a go at base camp seemingly dead on the battlefield. I think Eowyn was the only one that Eomer loved. And he did everything to protect her. That horrendous scream when he thought he had failed and she was lost breaks the heart. Urban deserves the highest praise.
In a list of A-list cast, I feel that the actor who played King Theoden is so underrated to the credit he deserves. His ending scene with Eowyn was incredibly moving.
Theoden is fantastic and was captured wonderfully
The only actor to have been in multiple films to have won 11 Oscars. Titanic and The Return of the King
Bernard Hill
@@MasonBryant yep! Love him
Yes! He's my favorite supporting character ♥️ that scene at Theodred's grave is one of brilliantly acted.
The ring could not *willingly* be destroyed by anyone, that was Sauron's last defence.
Really? Is that in the book? That puts a whole new spin on things
@@johnnyjohnny2650 yeah that is in the book. Tolkien said Frodo’s failure was no more a failure than having your body crushed by a boulder. Nobody, not even Sam, would have been able to take it as far as Frodo did.
His last defense and ultimate backfire. The symbolism is: good can't always destroy evil, but evil always destroys itself. And Frodo did not fail at all, he brought all the way to Mt. Doom without giving it and wanting to throw it in most of the time. I think the guy at the very beginning premeditated his betrayal.
@@ethanrodriquez5543 But - according to Tolkien's "Letters" - knowing about this Ring's power Frodo was prepared to jump in with the Ring.
So Elrond being all down on men, HE wouldn't have been able to throw it in. He just didn't know it since he was never in possession of the ring.
Trivia: The little girl who ran to Sam in the last scene wasn't acting: She's Sean Astin's daughter. She was just running to Daddy.
Method acting at its finest
The kid Rosie is holding is hers as well.
Peter Jackson still yelled “action”, bub. And she was in costume, surrounded by crew. Real actions and emotions still can qualify as acting.
@@maximillianosaben Dude, you do realize she was THREE years old, right?
@@maximillianosaben I beg to differ. The very definition of acting is artifice, not reality. It is not the exhibition of real actions and emotions. It might be born of the actor's real-life experiences, but it's always acting. This three-year-old was not acting. She was just joyfully running to daddy to be picked up.
I'm really glad you all realized just how resilient Frodo was. In most reactions, people are extremely frustrated with him, but it's like... literally, no one else could have carried the ring that close to Mount Doom without falling into darkness. Frodo is being poisoned little by little, plus he has the wound given to him by the Witch King- which intensifies the closer he gets to Mordor- and he STILL managed to move forward. Yes, he wouldn't have made it without Sam- but people need to give Frodo more credit than they do. Even Sam was tempted after carrying the ring for just a few hours. He definitely resisted, but Frodo had been carrying that ring for years and maybe he didn't want to let it go, but he willingly sacrificed himself to save Middle Earth and it was only at Mount Doom where it fully overtook him- as it would for anyone else.
Actually, Sam wasn’t tempted. While Sam had the ring Sauron tempts him with promises of having authority to turn Mordor into a garden of his choosing and Sam simply rejects it because he believed Mordor is too big and wouldn’t be able to tend to a garden so vast! He’s reluctant to give Frodo the ring because he sees how much the ring has deteriorated his friend, it’s not out of temptation. But I do think that Peter Jackson wanted to portray it as if Sam was tempted, and it probably worked better for the movie. I do prefer how it plays out in the book though, gives Sam more character and better reflects the nature of hobbits.
@@lucko1979Everyone was affected by ring to varying degrees and prolonged exposure deepens the effects. Hobbits are more resistant to the ring than most but it's not immunity. Frodo had the ring for 17 years before their quest began and wasn't as deeply affected it until the witch King stabbed him.
@@sofiamartakis2497 I know, I was just summing up what had happened in the book, not really my opinion, though my summary might be a little off, it’s there about. I think the last time I read the book was 8 years ago.
@@lucko1979I actually read the scene in the movie as Sam being reluctant due to the effect it has on Frodo, and maybe even his concern and care for Frodo being the thing that is his temptation by the Ring, as the music in the scene does suggest that the Ring is trying to work on Sam there (as the movie omits the stuff about gardening). I feel it works because Sam does offer earlier on to share the Ring's burden between them, so that Frodo can have a reprieve, and if he did try to hold onto the Ring in that scene, it would be with that intention (at first). I think Frodo's line after getting the Ring back supports this, as he almost immediately explains that the Ring is his burden alone, it cannot be shared.
@@Persewna4 I know, as I mentioned I like how Peter Jackson changed this scene, it works better for how the movie progressed prior to this scene, but it’s quite different to the book, I do prefer how it plays out in the book though.
"--but I can carry you!"
Best line in the whole trilogy.
It's powerful, but I have to disagree. The best line (imo) is also the most subtle and overlooked, and it's also the finale words of the whole trilogy when Sam sighs "Well, I'm back..." which are also the last words in the books.
It's significant and poetic because it's also prefaced by Frodo's monologue about the impossible task of returning to normal life and how Sam must remain one and whole for many years, which is a burden as heavy as the ring itself. In his heart of hearts, Sam also knows there is no 'going back' and that will forever be his own burden, much like a soldier returning from his perilous life in the greatest of wars, a war he KNEW he wouldn't survive.
There is so much in those words. Relief, guilt, disappointment, happiness... I truly believe those words are Tolkien's words and not Sam's.
"You bow to no one" is also right up there! Crying for both every time I watch the trilogy :D
Mine will always be "Let him go, you filth...!"
“My friends, you bow to no-one”
"But I can carry you," Samwise said to the trilogy
You guys cheering for Sam and Rosie's wedding had me smile ear to ear. Loved the reaction.
Oh big moment there. Had to clap😁🤙 thank you and thanks for watching 🤙 we appreciate it.
@@alligatorscrublord That's so cute!
@@BaddMedicine Eowyn is Theoden's niece, not daughter
@@alligatorscrublord as far as I know only the little girl was Sean Austin’s real daughter in last scene.
@@Tooba-K123 yes, as far as I know (being watching reactions to this movie and comentaries on it, and comenting myself, not to mention I am in the Nerd category now being finally read the Silmarillion (had the hobit and LotR read in my 20ies) after seeing the movies and reading all the books acessible in Latvia) from other comentators and my own research, the little girl was really his daughter, could't find any realations to him and Rosie or the little boy though, so...
The Eagles would not have worked for multiple reasons:
1. The task of the Ring required secrecy, and Sauron never contemplating anyone want to destroy the power of the Ring, otherwise Sauron would just bring his army down on any host. Giant Eagles flying to Mount Doom are pretty conspicuous.
2. The Eagles are Maiar (Lesser angels or spirits), like the wizards, the Balrog, and Sauron. Thus, just as Gandalf couldn't touch the ring for fear of how it would twist his power, the same goes for the Eagles.
3. The Eagles serve Manwë, the lord of the Valar (Greater angels or spirits), and so they can't just be ordered around by anyone except him. Gandalf can request their aid because he is also a Maiar in service to Manwë.
Gandalf also saved the Eagle King so they have a debt to him for that. At least as far as I understand it.
Exactly.
People like to just throw out these "solutions" out there like it's just a simple thing like that, without really thinking about the world's rules in place or the dangerous repercussions that such acts could have brought.
Thank you for this🤙
The Eagles are not Maiar. In a very early version Tolkien thought they should be but later he removed that because it doesn't work.
@@BaddMedicine Also, the tower of Barad Dur that housed the eye of Sauron would see them coming. The Nazgul would have pursued them, as well as million of arrows from the ground. The eagles also fear the evil of Mordor and would not have flown over with the eye of Sauron present, and they would not carry the ring.
You gotta love the visual symbolism of the Ring not getting destroyed until Frodo chooses to let it go and reaches for Sam, choosing to live. At least that's how I always saw that particular scene.
That's what I get from that scene too.
I've never thought of that and in blew my mind bro
He didn't let go of it, Gollum bit it off his finger!
@@susanhaney3437 Yeah... That's not what I was talking about. I was talking about Frodo struggling for his life clinging to the side of the cliff as the Ring was SLOWLY falling into the lava. The camera kept switching between Frodo and the Ring, and the moment when Frodo ultimately chooses to live, the Ring finally is destroyed. It's similar to the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: Indiana doesn't PHYSICALLY let go of the Grail, he lets go of his OBSESSION with it. Frodo is letting go of his OBSESSION, his ADDICTION. Frodo is choosing Life over Death.
@AjaofShanghai aah, I understand. That part isn't in rhe book, but I think it works ok in the movie.
The moment when Sam hesitates before giving the Ring back to Frodo is standing in place of another scene in the book. There, after taking the Ring, Sam puts on the Ring and tries to continue into Mordor. He only makes it a couple of hundred yards before he hears the Orcs talking and turns back. But during that little interval, the Ring tries to get to him. He sees a vision of himself as Sam the Mighty, striding into Mordor to defeat Sauron and throw down the Dark Tower, and then reseeding Mordor, bringing it back to life as an immense garden, and healing all the hurts of Middle Earth. But Sam - being Sam - realizes it's all a cheat and a lie. He's only a hobbit, and a gardener, not a lord of war or a king. And so, just as with Bilbo and his pity of Gollum, the Ring could not get hold of Sam because he carried it out of love and loyalty, with no desire for glory or power.
"His thought turned to the Ring, but there was no comfort there, only dread and danger. No sooner had he come in sight of Mount Doom, burning far away, than he was aware of a change in his burden. As it drew near the great furnaces where, in the deeps of time, it had been shaped and forged, the Ring's power grew, and it became more fell, untameable except by some mighty will. As Sam stood there, even though the Ring was not on him but hanging by its chain about his neck, he felt himself enlarged, as if he were robed in a huge distorted shadow of himself, a vast and ominous threat halted upon the walls of Mordor. He felt that he had from now on only two choices: to forbear the Ring, though it would torment him; or to claim it, and challenge the Power that sat in its dark hold beyond the valley of shadows. Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dur. And then all the clouds rolled away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was his love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command. 'And anyway all these notions are only a trick, he said to himself."
@@fantasywind3923 Yes, that's what I said. Thanks for posting the passage, though. It's one of the most touching moments for me - how Sam fought that battle and thus learned more clearly what his master was enduring.
@@Serai3 well we can say that the quote was exactly to illustrate the good point :). In the book naturally also Sam actually wears the Ring very briefly, but takes it off before crossing into Mordor so he becomes de facto another Ringbearer which gives him much later the privilege of going beyond the sea when his time comes. I like this part in Lotr appendices:
" On September
22 Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to the Tower Hills, and is
last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the
Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise
passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens. and passed over Sea, last of the
Ring-bearers."
@@fantasywind3923 I rather love the fact that Tolkien doesn't say he _did_ cross over the sea, but only that that is what the family held as a tradition. That bit of mystery - did he or didn't he? - is one of those great details that make his characters seem so real.
The author considered Sam the hero of the story.
Frodo failed to destroy the ring (failed in exactly the way Isildur does right at the beginning) but carried it most of the way and paid the price.
In the book, Gollum does not fight Frodo on the edge but basically just is just so overjoyed at getting the ring that he missteps and falls.
Just to clarify a point that kinda requires book knowledge to understand:
When Merry and Eowen kill the Witch King, they get poisoned. His essence is toxic and harmful to anything that lives, so when they each stabbed him they were contaminated. Aragorn saves them with Elvish medicine. They only briefly hint at this when they show Merry recoil after stabbing the Witch King in the leg. Hard to communicate when the movie is already so long 😕
What's really wild is that Merry stabs him with a blade he picked up in the barrow downs outside the shire if the very first part of the Fellowship (this part isn't in the movies). Which had been made by the elves in the first age literally like 7000 years before specifically to kill servants of Morgoth. If he had stabbed him with a normal blade it wouldn't have hurt him and given Eowyn her chance.
@@DracoSolon I'm pretty sure Merry's sword was made by the men of Cardolan, ~3000 years ago. And it wasn't a general-purpose anti-Morgoth blade, but was really a dagger of +5 "We hate the Witch-King in particular. Like, _really_ hate him."
@@reedhoward27 Yes you're correct.
@@reedhoward27 Lol, I'm putting that on an item card, somehow XD
@@reedhoward27 even Gandalf says, that no lesser blade could have done that much harm, so it really took them two to finish the Which King of Angmar - Marry, with his stab, took away his immortality, and then eowyn finished him ...
28:26 Even though everyone wants to kill Sméagol at basically every point he's on screen, if they'd done so at any one of those points they'd have lost. It's something that most people I've seen watching these movies don't get, but by not killing someone who deserves it they saved themselves. The mercy of Bilbo decided the fates of everyone. It's just like Gandalf said, even the very wise cannot see all ends. I'm really happy y'all recognized it.
🤙🤙🤙
It might be silly, but this is why I don't agree with capital punishment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends.
@@trequor "Eye for an eye" is a good scare tactic, but not a good punishment. Revenge might give some closure to the victims and their families, but with proper repentance a transformed criminal could aid more lives than they had previously taken. Sadly, with current levels of human greed and population, not many would believe in the power of repentance.
@@anthonymcrooster3703 The thing is that revenge does not give closure. We have ten thousand years of literature to tell us this, much of which comprises our most important works.
The goddamn *Iliad* is primarily about the futility of revenge! The bible-before-the-bible existed to teach Greek warriors that forgiveness, not vengeance, would bring peace to their hearts.
@@anthonymcrooster3703 It is an interesting look at how our societal thinking has progressed, because when it was first introduced, "an eye for an eye" was actually a very progressive take on punishment that stated that punishments should be kept in line and proportion with the crime they're punishing.
It came from a time when people were flat-out killing each other over minor insults or disagreements. "An eye for an eye" meant that, even if you were wronged, you did not have the right to retaliate beyond all reason.
to clarify two things. Eowyn was never the heir. She would have been if Eomer and Theoden died in the war. Eomer was crowned king after the funeral of Theoden.
And secondly, the reason Eowyn, Merry and Faramir survived was because Aragorn used elvish medicine to heal them. Otherwise all three of them would have died.
Actually.. Aragorn had the "healing hand", that only the true king of Gondor had.
Lots of other survivors of Nazgul attacks like the trebuchet crews had the "Black Breath". It was also what had Faramir in a coma. None of the healers could figure it out. Aragorn cured them all and the main healer remembered the old prophesy that "The hands of a healer are the hands of a king" and everyone recognized Aragorn for who he was.
Yep! Eomer becomes known as Eomer 'Eadig', which means 'the blessed' in Rohirric or Old English.
@@favanniva yeah, thats what a romantasiced legend said.
In reality he knew how to use athelas to heal the black breath of the nazgul.
Also good to note that while Faramir was, technically, the heir to the Stewardship of Gondor at that point (in fact.... at THAT point he was the Steward, since his father was dead) -- it had become a moot point. The King was back -- no more need for the Stewards of Gondor. But, their marriage definitely represented a union of Rohan and Gondor, for sure.
(The whole role of "Steward" being "to keep the kingdom going until a king returns. But of course, you saw that tension when a king finally DID return -- it had been *centuries* since Gondor last had a king, and the Stewards had become *like* kings, used to holding power. This is why Boromir had such a hard time accepting the idea that Aragorn was the king, and why Boromir calling Aragorn his king in his last words was such a powerful thing. Denethor would have been a pain in the ass about it, you just know it. But Faramir knows history and knows his role. After Aragorn became King, Faramir was named the Prince of Ithilien -- that ruined city they got chased out of -- and he and Eowyn built it back to its former glory.)
In the books, it made it a little more clear why Frodo went with the Elves, it was the wound he received on Weathertop when the Ringwraith stabbed him, and it still caused a lot of pain years later. And in my opinion, since Tolkien was a war vet, it was his commentary on the emotional damage and PTSD, because Frodo would never really be the same after a journey like that.
He would suffer on each anniversary of not only the stabbing on Weathertop but also Shelob's bite and then a few days later would be the anniversary of the destruction of the Ring and that would send him into an awful downer.
Tolkien commented on this and said what Frodo was suffering was not shell shock. His trouble was something only one other person had ever experienced, and that was Gollum, of course.
@@Serai3 I wonder why not Bilbo as well?
@@dionnel8882 Good question. I like to think its because Bilbo was somehow able to give up the Ring. Which is amazing, considering how long he had it. Bilbo was always the strange one: The ring didn't try to come to him, nor did it try to leave him. Some might think his experience with witnessing Dragon Sickness played a part. I like to think that Bilbo's memories of his adventures helped him take the plunge. Making it true that, down in Gollum's caves, he found his courage.
@@dionnel8882 Bilbo *IS* pretty much the only being who ever voluntarily gave up the Ring. (Though, let's be fair -- Frodo willingly offered it to others a few times, which was also a huge deal.) Even so, since Bilbo had been a Ringbearer, that's why they took him into the West, too. The Ring left its mark on all its bearers, one way or another.
Four big, hairy-arsed, rough, tough blokes cheering at a wedding! Bloody priceless! Totally made my day 👍 Great reaction, guys.
🤣🤣🤣 Hell yeah! Thank you and thanks for watching. We appreciate it 🤘
In the book after the "Battle of the Pellenor Fields", the people of Gondor are still unsure if Aragorn is really the true king & one of the things that helps convince them is his ability to heal the wounds that Eowyn sustained killing the Witch-King. "The hands of the King are a healer's hands" is an old Gondorian saying.
Considering how many great kings are considered so due to being great conquerors (or defenders, either way with a good amount of military prowess), it’s great to see a setting where kings are associated with healing
@@jordinagel1184 Tolkien most probably took inspiration from real world for this. Starting from the Capetian dynasty, a lot of queens, kings or even very high nobles in western europe were thought to possess healing powers, due to their status being given by God.
So no, that's definitely not an original thing; but to me that's what makes it even more enjoyable: if you know a lot of history and mythology, you can read LotR and all Tolkien's books seeing tons of smart references to real things, adapted, recrafted and molded in a new, but realistic way.
And Tolkien got it from English history. For centuries, it was believed that kings had the gift of healing owing to their divine right to rule. God gave them the power, so to speak.
If someone rushed in and saved everyone in the nick of time, I'd say they were king whether they were or not 😂
@@jordinagel1184 Healing and gardening are the highest and most honorable of professions, after all they are the givers of life. The line of Faramir, that gardeners must be held in high regard in the Shire is played as a joke, but Faramir certainly didn't said it as a joke, after all he became a gardener along with Eowyn.
The wiser and most noble of people are not warriors, but givers of life, and a king as such must have the hands of a healers. The rest of the commenters here are right in giving the historical context, but they are missing the point that Tolkien was trying to make: do not try to earn honor in violence, as Eowyn was trying to, but look instead to nurture and give life, like she ended up doing, and Sam always tried to.
According to Tolkien himself, no one, no matter his will, could have destroyed the ring, or even discarded it, while standing in the Cracks of Doom. It was the will of Eru Illuvatar and the mercy of both Bilbo and Frodo that brought Gollum to that place, so that the ring might be destroyed at last.
Gollum, too, might have been saved - in a sense. If he had truly repented of his former evil and devoted himself to Frodo, Tolkien stated that he would have seized the ring at the Cracks of Doom, and deliberately thrown himself and it into the Fire to save his master.
For non-Tolkien geeks: Eru Iluvatar is God. Capital G. "Eru" means "The One" and "Iluvatar" means (basically) "Father of All". And I agree with what Conor said.
I think the movie really doesn't explore the whole idea of how there is something working in the background for the good side. In the movie Elrond calls everyone to the council, but in the books they all are just there for different reasons. That sort of thing, showing that something is moving pieces and working toward an end.
In the scene of the Eagles picking up Frodo and Sam, there was another Eagle meant to carry Sméagol. Poor thing went home disappointed!
fun fact. Gimli was the only person that attacked the ring
@@andrewgood4230 Not a fact.
If no one else has mentioned it, Samwise's daughter added to the book after he did. He raised his family and eventually, once they were settled and living their lives, he went on a journey, and his daughter proposed that he set out and caught yet another boat across the sea. I always thought that was a cool idea.
I was lucky enough to watch this in the theater on opening weekend. The entire place went wild when Sam's scene at 24:50 happened. What a movie.
hahaha yes! I bet that was an amazing experience.
I saw it on Trilogy Tuesday -- where we got to the theater early in the day, and watched the Extended Fellowship, Extended Two Towers, and then the premiere of the (regular length) Return of the King. Amazing experience.
Everyone was in tears! It was spectacular.
Fun fact: in real Medieval warfare, heads really were launched into castles by catapult because, not only did it demoralize them enemy, but it spread disease into the walls.
Ok not fun, but educational.
And then the rest of the bodies, to help that along ...
And feces...bon appétit!
Hey, you can’t spell slaughter without laughter
Don't feel bad, I always laugh at that part of the movie. His joke about releasing the prisoners always gets me.
Without a doubt this is the most consistent series of films ever made. An amazing achievement in film-making.
Bilbo and Frodo boarded the ship to the Undying Lands. But they are not immortal so they will eventually pass. But being in the Blessed Realm will allow them to live pain free.
Sam (after serving 7 terms as the mayor of the Shire) eventually takes a ship and follows Frodo. He was granted that honor since he technically was a ring bearer for a short while.
tnx for the info dude
He stays in middle earth, right until his wife dies.
Legolas and Gemil stay till Arqgon finally dies at age like 200. Then they head over, Gimli being aloud due to his friendship with Galadriel.
And Gimli was really, really old. Even for a Dwarf.
And they were the last of the original Fellowship to leave Middle Earth
Sam was a doofus . He shouldn't have been a major.
@@azazello1784 to be fair he was still almost a child in LotR. People grow, people learn - and with his contact to great kings and wise men, he most definitely had ways to learn how to be a good mayor.
I have no idea what Tolkien's view on women truly was, but for someone who wrote something so long ago he wrote some badass female characters. Eowyn, Galadriel, and even Rosie Cotton ( In the book, the Hobbits actually have to save The Shire and Rosie has a fearless attitude and helps them save it). Growing up it was great to see characters like that to look up to. Even Shelob scarred you for life.
True, but there are so few of them
@@susanhaney3437 It's just my opinion, but not every story has to give an equal amount of time to men/women. There are stories from men's perspective, and stories from women's perspective.
The LotR is mostly male-focused, that's true. But that doesn't diminish the importance of the women in the story. Tolkien always writes about women with the utmost respect. Whenever they show up, they are basically the focus of the room: Arwen, even if she doesn't really appear in the books; Goldberry; Galadriel; Éowyn; Rosie Cotton; even Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and Shelob... In other Tolkien works, you also have great women everywhere you look: half of the Valar are women, there's Melian, Lúthien Tinúviel, Elwing, etc.
And then we have Beren and Lúthien that subverts basically every single trope of women's roles in fantasy.
Very true. I see it as a kind of "progressive misogyny".
He had zero issue with strong and independent women but he did not let them get involved a lot even though they logically should have. Considering him being a religious conservative and his period of life, that is still massively progressive. Especially Eowyn and Luthien are straight up feminist icons. Really impressive
@@connorbosley4431 Tolkien and his wife are buried together. You know what's carved on their gravestone? The names 'Beren' and 'Luthien'.
One think that most people miss is that Gandalf brought three eagles to rescue the hobbits. One for Frodo. One for Sam. And one for Sméagol. Gandalf knew that Sméagol was guiding them, and he didn’t know but that Sméagol might survive the journey, and need healing afterward. Because Gandalf knew that, while they yet lived, no one was beyond redemption.
Not a fact
wow, never thought of this
I love that there’s louder cheers for Sam’s wedding than there is for anything else in all three of these movies, these guys just love to see a good lad thriving.
That moment with Sam and Frodo on the rock going to black - I still remember sitting in the theater, screaming along with everyone in anger cuz we all thought it was the end. 🤣🤣
😂😂😂😂 that fade.... I would have loved to seen a theater reaction
I always felt, Frodo going to the Undying Lands at the end was like a metaphor for Tolkien: for a soldier, who came home from a war so damaged, he would never recover from it and never be the same again. Sam, Merry and Pippin seemed to slot into the life of the Shire again, but not Frodo. ("The Shire has been saved. But not for me.") It's like an extensive study on psychological trauma and what a being can endure. He has endured so much, that he cannot seem to find happiness and rest in the things anymore that normal beings on this earth do, not even in the Shire. That smile at the end also always seemed like relief to me. He will now go to a place where he can finally rest, and where his trials and nightmares will be far far behind him. In a way, everyone was right, and Frodo did not return from his quest. His body returned, but he was never able to have a normal life again.
Frodo should have just jumped from a cliff.
I agree. That is how I always took it.
Highly recommend watching The behind the scenes appendices for these movies. The amount of work and detail that went into them is incredible.
This!! I cannot tell people this enough, haha.
Definitely going to check it out🤙
Agree - from the work of smiths up to the neverending list of carpenters involved. That's why the scenes are so believable, because they inserted CGI only there where necessary. Everything else - from masks and costumes to models - was made by hand. Fantastic effort.
The feature length audio cast commentary is awesome. I actually put that on instead of the movie usually.
The "Can't carry it for you, but I can carry you" line gets me every single time. 😭
You guys cheering when Sam got married made me laugh so hard with amusement and happiness - four grown men cheering for a wedding - thanks for that!
It's because Sam deserved a happy ending after all that.
Twenty years ago, as you can see, it was well worth the wait in line each year to see the start, continuation and conclusion of such an Awesome Epic story!🏹🗡️🛡️
I'm sure it was exciting times🤘🤘🤘
And under appreciated detail, for almost 2 movies you see aragorn following theoden. Theoden is a flawed character but a good king and you get to see the influence of it through the movies culminating in aragorns grand speech at the black gate which was very theoden-esque
Just goes to show you can learn from you get generations just like aragorn did
keep in mind that when Frodo woke up after everything he didnt know that Gandalf was alive. He had no idea that he survived Khazad-dûm or Moria
Even at 4 hours long, there were a couple minor things the movie couldn't properly explain...with what happened to Eowyn, anybody who fights the Witchking of Angmar and his mount gets hit with an incredible amount of fear (referred to as "the Black Breath") which basically puts you into a coma (assuming you survive the fight to begin with). Nobody in the city knew how to heal it, but there's an old phrase they toss around (in the books at least) that 'the hands of the king are the hands of a healer.' It's a double reference, in that it's a way to tell the true king, and also a reference to the plant athelas, or kingsfoil, which people thought was just a weed, but actually has some pretty insane healing properties if used correctly. That's why Aragorn was tending to people after the fight, including Eowyn...he's the true king and he knows how to use the athelas plant correctly to heal people from the "Black Breath.'
As for Frodo leaving with the Elves, the Ring still held sway over him despite being destroyed, just as it did over all of the other Ring-bearers. Frodo would get sick every year around the anniversary of him getting stabbed at Weathertop, and he was never really happy or at peace in the Shire because he was still thinking about the Ring. Even Bilbo, who could barely stay awake, was still asking about the Ring. Their leaving Middle-Earth for the Gray Havens (basically Elf Heaven) allows them to finally be free of the influence of the Ring and find peace, as well as removing the last vestige of the Ring's power from Middle-Earth (well, almost...technically Sam was also a Ring-bearer for a while, and would also need to leave eventually). So "Swolo Baggins" was right about Frodo leaving to be healthy, it's just mental health more so than physical health. It's very similar to the idea of a combat vet never truly leaving the battlefield and PTSD (or shell-shock, as it was called in Tolkien's time).
Swoledo Baggins said about Sam, "Two years on a practice squad. You got this." That one killed me.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤘🤘🤘🤘
Rudy can do anything! -Oak
When the orcs start killing each other in the tower that Frodo is captured in, the book sets the mood for it a lot more. There are two races of orcs, only working together under Sauron. They don't like or respect each other at all. The same thing happened in movie 2 when they were talking about eating Merry and Pippin before the horsemen came and killed them all.
Well, the same holds true for the movie. There are both orcs and uruk-hai there, and they don't get along.
The orcs were from Sauron and Sauraman. They constantly argued and had a lot of animosity toward each other. Galadriel had also cast a spell from afar to help in their demise.
Hey guys great reaction, just a little backstory or lore; the reason why Saruman turned bad was because he wanted the ring for himself and also had that crystal ball , a Palantiri , he was talking to Sauron and getting deceived. Also, Denethor ( Boromir’ s dad) had a Palantiri, and Sauron used it to deceive and enslave Denethor that there was no chance of defeating the power of the ring. Take care, Would like to see your reactions to Cinderella Man, and Field of dreams
@@anthonyprezioso8115 Yeah, even though they show (I think only in this extended version) that there is a Palantir at Minas Tirith, the film sold Denethor short a bit. He was the way he is because he'd been looking into the Palantir -- which were originally tools meant to allow the far-flung cities a way to communicate, until Sauron got his hands on them -- thinking he could gain knowledge of what Sauron was doing. But he wasn't strong enough to withstand Sauron's deceit, as well as his attempts to cause despair.
We also saw that a bit with Aragorn picking up the Palantir and revealing himself to Sauron. That was part of Aragorn's plan to create a distraction, to keep Sauron's attention off the possibility of Frodo getting into Mordor. But even in that moment, Sauron's response was to show Aragorn a vision of Arwen dying -- to cause despair and cause Aragorn's courage to fail. Didn't work, but you could see that it shocked Aragorn and caused him to drop the Palantir. And Aragorn is supposed to be much stronger-willed than Denethor was.
So it's a bit of a shame that Denethor comes off as badly as he does. (He was of the same royal line as Aragorn, just of a junior branch.) Although, Denethor was always going to be difficult to find sympathetic, because he DID treat Faramir badly, even in the books. That was a combination of blaming his wife's death on Faramir (she died in childbirth with him), and the fact that Faramir was bookish and liked to study with Gandalf, and Denethor suspected that Gandalf was trying to restore the King to the throne. The Stewards had been ruling for so long that Denethor didn't want to relinquish power. The way he saw it, his line of Stewards had been the ones truly defending and taking care of Gondor, while the king's line (i.e. Aragorn) had abandoned their duty; so Aragorn didn't deserve to be king. Thus, Denethor was against Gandalf's plans, and Denethor didn't like that Faramir listened so much to Gandalf.
I think the movie does an excellent job of this to be honest. They use different makeup/prosthetic styles for each type of orc. It's visual storytelling which is exactly what a movie should do.
from a pure cinematic value, this is probably the best trilogy ever created in the sense that the first movie is a fair bit slower than the other movies but it really does a lot of world building/backstories. 2nd movie really furthers the plot and really reinforce a lot of characteristics of a lot of characters in the trilogy. Where as the 3rd movie is the grand finale where they close up all of the different plots throughout the entire trilogy. Also Sam is the best character.
When it comes to the eagles, the thing most people don’t realize is they are a sentient race of giant eagles. Gandalf doesn’t command or lead them, they come to him at Saruman’s tower when he essentially sends a message through the moth. Having them fly straight into Mordor would have been just as much a threat to them as it was to any of the fellowship. They join in the final battle because fundamentally, lord of the rings centers around a battle over middle earth.
At the end of the movie, when Frodo leaves with the elves, he is going to the Undying Lands. Elves don’t exactly “die” the way men do, they change into a different immortal forms. Only elves and some wizards like Gandalf, and ring bearers can go there. Frodo and Bilbo were given special permission as ring bearers. I’m not totally certain if Frodo will have an immortal life there, or if he will eventually pass on (I think it’s the latter), but a lot of people see the Undying Lands as a symbolic “after life”. Frodo leaves because he was too traumatized by the whole experience, and the Undying Lands are a place to heal/find peace.
I think of the undying lands as something like the Isle of Avalon in Arthurian legend. I mystical land where only heros and the pure of heart can travel.
Tolkien said that if anything, Frodo and Bilbo would have expired *faster* in the Undying Lands, because their relatively frail mortal bodies could not withstand the spiritual intensity of living there. But they would live out their days in bliss....
Eowyn is not King Theoden's daughter, she is his niece. His son is the one who died in Two Towers while he was corrupted by Saruman. Eowyn's brother is Eomer (Karl Urban).
Whe she killed the Wraith King a curse took over and almost killed not only her, but Merry as well since he stabbed him too.
Haha whoops. Our bad. 🤙🤙
Merry :)
@@TallisKeeton Ops haha
The dagger that Merry stabbed the Witch-king with was also a "special dagger". It was made a long time ago in one of the northern Kingdoms, who was in war with Angmar at the time - with the specific intent and capability to hurt the Witch-king. This made it possible for Eowyn to do lay the final "in your face" blow..
@@SilverJackLeg yes but the question is - does Merry in the movie use this special sword (made for the war with Nazguls) or rather regular sword of Rohan? :) In the movie there were not swords from the Barrow Downs and Eowyn gives Merry his armor and his sword.
Absolutely my favorite movie series. I have fond memories of my Dad faking a family emergency and picking me up from school early whenever a LOTR marathon was on TV 🥺😭♥️
Thanks guys for giving it a chance! It was great to experience this fantastical world again through your eyes.
I recommend The Hunger Games series next!
Dude my dad did the same thing
That's awesome your dad did that! 🤘 Hunger games is definitely on the list🤙
Also great to see your pops did that too! 🤘🤘🤘
A true Giga Dad
Oak realizing the memes was an absolute JOY! Don’t apologize🤗 you did great! The Lord of the Rings community should take a screenshot of Oak laughing and make that a meme now haha
THANK YOU! I had an absolute blast with these movies - Oak
I want a compilation 😁
“ Arise, arise,
Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
Spears shall be shaken,
Shields be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the Sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!
DEATH!
DEAAAAATTHH!!!
DEAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! “
I can still remember being in the theater, watching this movie. When Theoden rode down the line, touching all the spears with his sword, I had full body goosebumps.
Chills every time!!!
Same. Saw ROTK in the theaters when I was 15. I remember feeling them too, still do everytime I watch it!
Death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As the sun rises!!!!!!!!
I think with Eomer crying over eowyn it was less about thinking she was dead, and more being freaked out that she was there in the first place, because like his uncle he didn’t know. Just one interpretation.
It’s one of the biggest gripes I have about the extended edition. They just didn’t add any context to so many of the extra scenes. The first time I watched the ee and I saw that (after seeing the theatrical version at least 10 times) I also was just completely baffled at what was going on lol
My husband and I saw these as soon as they came out on video. But then we saw them all back to back at our local Alamo Draft House movie theater. For $50 each, We saw all 3 movies (not the extended versions), and a fantastic local chef and his staff prepared first breakfast, second breakfast, tea, lunch, dinner, and supper. The only foods I remember after all this time are tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon; rabbit stew; and lembas bread. And beer, of course. (We took care of the pipe weed ourselves beforehand.) It was an all day thing. I can hardly believe it was only 50 bucks apiece.
The trilogy has been re-released in theaters several times. Even the extended versions. The last was during the pandemic when theaters reopened. Glad you guys enjoyed these films.
I went to see this movie in theater the year my father passed. I was crying because of the scene and my son, who was 9 years old at that time, he wanted to be nice so he stroked my back and whispered "Are you thinking of Grandpa?"
I AM NOW!
Also... it was the mercy of both Bilbo and Frodo, that actually saved the day. Why? Because they let Gollum live- whilst everyone else wanted him dead. If you think about it, Gandalf and Frodo's conversation in the mines makes perfect sense and ties everything together. The mercy and understanding that both Bilbo and Frodo had for Gollum, led Gollum to the very fires of Mount Doom, where he would battle with Frodo until the destruction of the ring.
For me, absolutely the greatest trilogy of all time! Epic in every single way.
The only thing that annoyed me about the trilogy wasn't actually about the trilogy: bookshops had placards "You've seen the films, no read the books!" as if the books were mere novelisations of the films.
This makes me tear up even just watching it vicariously through you guys. That moment when Eomer finds Eowyn on the battlefield gets me every time. I have several sisters and the thought of dying in battle is much more comfortable than the thought of finding them on one.
Gandalf really isn't an old man, or a human. That's how he can fight with sword so well. Same with Saruman and the other 3 wizards.
Yes and he has always appeared as an old man. He has been walking around Middle Earth for two thousand years by the time the events in the story begin.
The grey wanderer, a little like Odin. For the people, kinda like Moses. Sent as a rep, akin to an angel, as well. Tolkien really blended paganism and Christianity in such a unique way.
Yep! This is correct! He says he has walked the earth 300 lives of men, which would be roughly 27,000 years, but only walked in the form of an old man for a few thousand years. Sauron, the balrogs and the wizards are all older than the world itself, being involved in its initial creation and molding.
As for the many endings, that people are sometimes complaining about... it actually makes complete sense to me in regards to the books. I always loved reading the extra info - what happened next, everyone's children and further lifes.
If anyone in the comments hasn’t yet mentioned it, the giant spider that paralyzed Frodo and Sam successfully fought off is Shelob, who is literally the mother and progenitor of all spiders great to small.
The book gives more detail into her backstory, but succinctly, she’s lived for countless ages and grew so large because of her insatiable hunger and sheer force of hatred and desire to kill every living thing. Also, Gollum worships her as his goddess.
Additionally, when Sam is killing the orcs on the tower staircase and shouts “That’s for my old gaffer!”, it means “That’s for my dad!”. Sam’s father Hamfast Gamgee was a master gardener with a thriving landscaping business he passed on to Sam, and Hamfast’s nickname was “Old Gaffer”.
The conversation between Gandalf and Pippin about death made me cry in the theater. I wish I had a Gandalf in my life.
I would love to see the edited/cut footage of Faramir and Eowyn. I think in an interview or commentary one of the actors stated that they filled a lot more of these two getting closer. In fact, in the BOOKS, there is a LOT more of Faramir/Eowyn than there is Aragorn/Arwen. We see that although it was Aragorn who saved her life (based on a prophecy) in the Houses of Healing, it was Faramir's LOVE that drew her out of her darkness (Aragorn's rejection and the poisoning of the witch king). Faramir: "Eowyn, do you not love me or WILL you not?" Along with his words about NOT believing there was "darkness unescapable". That is what did it. It broke her despair. His hope and love.
Meme bro, you're on point! Frodo has been hurt too many times - by a sword, a spear, a sting and Gollum's teeth. The only way he could heal was to go with the Elves. That's why he finally smiled when he stepped on the ship. This was a great journey with you guys, thank you all very much!
“Meme bro” never gets old!!! -Oak
Samwise had a reputation in The Shire as being an uncommonly good cook. His pots and pans were his prized possessions. For him to just toss them was a heavy blow indeed.
Also, the eagles were servants of the same people that sent Gandalf. They would not have been permitted to interfere, nor would it have been in their nature to take on such a task without being ordered by their masters.
The actor that plays Faramirs father (Denethor) is John Noble and plays Walter Bishop in Fringem one of my favorite characters ever!
Tolkien dealt with PTSD from War and so Frodo is a projection of him dealing with it as it never really seems to go away. So him leaving to the undying lands was the best move for Frodo as he was dealing with extreme mental health issues from his trauma that he could not mask. If I'm not mistaken Christopher Lee was in the British Army as well and I think he actually talked to Tolkien a few time after he became obsessed with the books... I could be wrong, but I thought I remember watching a video about that...
Christopher Lee is in fact the only cast member too have known and met Tolkien.
The canon (I believe) is that the stab literally left pain since it was special, and carrying the ring so long left an impression that wouldn't fade.
Unofficially, Tolkien served in the Great War and the entire Lord of the Rings can be read in that context. He survived, came home, and became a legendary author of his century, but many of his childhood friends did not come back with him. One can physically return to their little English town, but the soul can never really go back to the way it was.
When I watched this in theaters live, the two things I remember were.
1. The crowd cheered when Sam marries Rosie.
2. Figuring out in real time who in theatre who had arachnophobia, lol. (Soundtrack for the spider scene is pretty amazing track though)
You guys were a blast reviewing these movies. I remember watching each film in the theater and still believe it is one of the best trilogies of all time next to the original Star Wars.
Thank you! And thank you for watching. Star Wars will be happening eventually. We are going to force Diamond Dave to watch them!
As a little extra: Sam went to the undying lands as well when he was old, since technically he also was a ringbearer for a short time when Frodo was knocked out cold in Mordor.
And Gandalf was also a ring bearer, he has one of the three Elvish rings. Of course this isnt touched on at all in the films.
So... Isildur, Deagol and Smeagol are there also?
@@NiteAngyl Technically they would have been allowed to go, but all died in Middleearth before going. In Deagols case I’m not sure since he never donned the ring, while all the others did. Also I can’t tell whether the Valar would have let them in.
@@NiteAngylIn spirit yes but otherwise no. When men die their souls linger in the Halls of Mandos for a brief time until they go to wherever Eru Illuvatar has set aside for them.
Gollum's soul would linger for a bit but Deagol and Isildur's would already had departed.
the fact that i burst into tears when you guys cheers for Sam and Rosie 😭 i think you all are so adorable 🤣 and i've watched too many reaction for LOTR. For me, you guys one of the best reactor. Thank you guys. Can't wait for your reaction to The Hobbit
Surely on of the best trilogies out there. As a book reader and fantasy lover, my favorite one was actually the first one. Seeing your book come to life sooo well on the Big screens was just mind blowing. Back pre 2000 all fantasy movie were just just crap so this leap in special effects was so magical. Think the memes since have diluted some scenes of their power a bit like Gandalfs epic stand versus the Balrog - the whole passage through Mines of Moria had the theater screaming and on edge throughout.
Labyrinth, The Neverending Story, Conan the Barbarian, Indiana Jones, Jumanji, 13 Warrior, Edward Scissorhands, The Wizard of Oz, The Princess Bride, Jason and the Argonauts.... To name some that aren't animated - and depending on the definition of "fantasy".
@@fastertoveI’d argue none of those even come close to touching the quality of lotr. They’re good stories but not the same caliber at all
@@Sageddegas
Not relevant to the point I was making.
Saying fantasy movies were "just crap" pre 2000 is nonsense.
@@fastertove I don’t know why you’re telling me that. I didn’t say that.
@@Sageddegas
It isn't really about you. I'm telling you that, because you responded to my response to the OP.
What the OP said was wrong, why I made a small list of the movies that sprang to mind at the time. You saying that LOTR is of higher quality is irrelevant to the point I was originally making.
I'm not arguing against LOTR being the better movie(s), it obviously is. I was just slightly baffled by a "fantasy lover" not knowing old movies :)
40:30 I guess that’s why it’s called Many Partings. There were many threads of the story that needed to be closed down and said goodbye to.
Every year my sister and I waited and watched the three films together in the theater over three years. I hope someday they will return into the cinema! LOTR is the best trilogy. Enjoyed your reactions guys.
That's awesome that you and your sis do that. Thank you and thanks for watching 🤙
I know this video is a year old but I have to answer Oak about the theater. I have been watching these movies almost since they came out but just missed seeing them in theaters. I watched for the first time while we were waiting for Return of the King to come out on dvd. I recently got the chance to watch all three extended versions in the theater at the same time (shoutout to Alamo Drafthouse) and it was a completely different experience to watching them at home. There is just something about watching movies like these in a theater full of people that love them as much as you do. There's just an energy there that can't be beaten or replicated. (And yes, I was at that theater for about 14 hours. Worth every minute)
Not a single living being could have destroyed the ring by its own will. It would have even corrupt the eagles. The third eagle that came to mount doom was for smeagol 🙏🔥 Great reaction guys
Sorry, but nowhere in the Tolkien lore there is any proof of that, the third eagle is there as a guard, because he is the fastest and most skilful flyer, that is clear in the books.
@@hansgrundberg6839 does the eagles have name?
I think if Tom Bombadil was in mount doom, he could destroy the ring
@@nw2861 yes, they were mentioned in the book. One was the kind of all eagles, Gwaihir the Windlord, the one Gandalf rides. Do not recall the others. They were in fact sentient beings, although they never show it in the movies
@@janserak6480 Have fun trying to convince Tom Bombadil to give a shit. He would much rather sing and dance around all day. lol
35:16 In a way, yes. It’s worth watching Alan Lee’s portraits / sketches of the characters as the credits roll and Annie Lennox’s Into the West plays. 🥰🥰🥰
That said, every second of The Appendices are worth watching as well.
Frodo goes with the elves due to the wound and probably feeling different to everyone due to carrying the ring so long.
After Rosie's death Sam sets off in a boat and sails alone across the ocean that's the last we have from the books.
Again, the parallels of Tolkein returning home from WW 1 come into play here. He saw most of his childhood / lifelong friends, who were also in his unit, die. Tolkein fought in the Battle of the Somme, which was terrible. Much like Gulf War and Iraq/Afghanistan vets, these soldiers have a hard time coming home mentally, even when they return physically. Frodo had multiple wounds that would not heal (imagine a disabled soldier), and the constant reminder of his lost finger, along with all the terrible things he had seen and experienced. He couldn't just reinsert himself in society. He tries - it's about 3 years after he left on his ring journey, and about 2 years after he returned, when he joins Bilbo in the grey havens ships. He gave it a good couple of years being back in the Shire, but it didn't take. He spent most of his time recounting the experiences in his book.
I'm sure someone else mentioned it, but Gimli is also given the honor of joining the elves in the undying lands late in his life. He makes the journey with Legolas as his honored guest.
They're not sailing across the ocean to another land.
@@nineradvocate and also legolas and gimli. Galadrial who got permission for gimli. And he was the only dwarf who went to undying land and met aule( their maker)
Thanks for replying and informing me of what I had wrong it's been a decade since I read any of the books so I was 8 at that time so I forgot most of the information
I cannot express how much I loved watching you guys watch these movies. One of the best reactions I've ever seen to them.
I loved watching your reactions to these movies! These are my favorite movies of all time, seen all of them more than 100 times. Watching the behind the scenes stuff for them is fascinating too! I’d highly suggest watching them, they answer a lot of the questions y’all had about the story! Great time watching the reactions though!
Thank you and thanks for watching 😁🤘
To give some after credit Story info:
Samwise inherited Bagend from Frodo, where he had 13 children with Rosie:
Elanor the Fair
Frodo
Rose
Merry
Pippin
Goldilocks
Hamfast
Daisy
Primrose
Bilbo
Ruby
Robin
and Tolman
He also got elected Mayor of the Shire 7 terms in a row (49 years)
Chosen to be one of the Councilmembers of the re-build Kingdom of the North
Proclaimed to be one of the personal Friends and confidant.
When his wife died at the age of 61, Samwise passed down the Book to his daughter Elanor (Who was also a high Maiden to Queen Arwen) and followed Frodo onto a boat to sail into the undying lands.
The genuine cheers when Sam got married 😂 So wholesome. Thanks for this reaction, lads!
In the book, Gollum was making a happy dance and while doing so he accidently stepped over the edge and fell down into the lava with The Ring. This was meant as it was fate that "pushed" Gollum through the planning of Eru, the grand god who created the world of Arda (where Middle Earth is located), though that is hard to show o film and requires a lot of explaining which you can't have too much of in a film. Peter Jackson thought that was anti-climatic so the first version Frodo wasn't going for The Ring, instead he pushed Gollum off the edge (and fell over as a result) but that looked like he was murdering Gollum and Sméagol, which didn't fit in with Tolkien's theme of the sparing of Gollum led to The Ring's desctruction. He then filmed the happy dance from the book and on Andy Serkis' last day of shooting pickups (as well as Elijah Wood's pen-ulitmate day) they shot the final version where Frodo tries to take The Ring back to harken back to the Sméagol and Déagol scene at the start.
For those who are interested there is a new audiobook version of The Lord Of The Rings which is narrated by Andy Serkis (Sméagol/Gollum) that came out recently. It has gotten excellent reviews by audiobook readers.
Might have to check that out
I was seven years old when my dad took me and my sister to see this in theaters. I had seen the others, knew what was going on, paid attention throughout, and never fell asleep. It was a once in a lifetime experience, and now more than 20 years later, these movies (and the books) are still my favorite. I loved all of your reactions throughout the series. Three of you came in not knowing what to expect, were a bit skeptical, but really paid attention to the characters and the story. It was really refreshing to see.
The whole series is impeccable in my opinion. There will never be another cinematic venture like this one, and Return of the King won 11 Oscars, every single one it was nominated for, including best picture.
As I'm sure others have mentioned, while LotR isn't a direct allegory, Tolkien did write about his experiences in WW1 in this story. The dead bodies in the marsh, the naive qualities of the country folk (hobbits), the endless marching, the dilemmas when you take an enemy as a prisoner, the internal battle of fear / despair versus courage / hope, etc. To me, Frodo's spiritual wound ... that's basically PTSD, where some people physically return home from war, but not as whole spirits, and they are always kind of wounded and lost.
In the books, the eagles don't always fly down to help because... People shoot arrows at them and they really hate it. Gotta use their help sparingly.
"...Can we get an eagle, please?"
Love it
My favorite line as well;)
Actually, Frodo continued writing in Bilbo's book. Bilbo wrote about his story, what happened in The Hobbit. Frodo added his journey in the book and after he gives the book to Sam, in the novels (or at least in the appendences) Merry and Pippin adds their respective journeys through Rohan and Gondor plus all the things Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf tells them.
Greatest trilogy of all time hands down!
RotK was a clean sweep at the Oscars. 11 Academy awards including Best Picture tieing with most Oscar wins ever with Titanic and Ben Hur
Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.
In the book, Frodo also suffered from echoes of Shelob's bite every year around the time it happened. So, in addition to being stabbed by the Morgul Blade, and no longer feeling at home in the Shire, he had that pain to contend with.
Grond, the wolf shaped battering ram, is named after Morgoth's (Sauron's master) war hammer. Sam's "I'm back." Was actually the last sentence in the end of the third book.
Genuinely, its all downhill from here. You've now seen the absolute, undisputed pinnacle of movie history.
Im a bit late but hopefully y'all don't mind.
As others have stated, Frodo sails to the Undying Lands as he would have been miserable had he stayed in Middle-Earth. From being stabbed at Weathertop with a morgul blade from the Nazgul to Shelob (the giant spider back in Mordor) stabbing him as well and just the overall toll the One Ring had on him would have caused him to lead a sickly, troubled life. He had PTSD and Valinor was the only place he would be able to heal and find peace as no other place would do so. Sam does eventually sail as well but only until Rosie passes and his kids are settled and he even becomes Mayor of Hobbiton but its unknown whether Frodo is still alive by that time (I personally like to think that he does get to see them though). Merry and Pippin are the only two that don't sail.
There are quite a number of things that are not addressed in the movies but I commend Peter Jackson for doing what he was able to do even if the script was changing every day.
For example, originally it's only Gandalf, Galadriel, Bilbo, Frodo and Elrond who leave. Celeborn (the elf with the silver hair who is Galadriel's husband and father in law of Elrond) stays and does not leave until the beginning of the Fourth Age (think of it as kinda like a doting grandparent who wants to make sure their children are good to go before leaving).
As for the question, the eagles are not a taxi service, Gandalf can ask them for aid but they can't call them whenever they want and order them around.
But either way, i love to see people watch these movies for the first time and get introduced to the world of Tolkien.
Exactly, from the battle scenes to the story, to epic heroism..... absolutely amazing.
there are many little details that stay unnoticed by a lot of people even if they watch the movies multiple times, but my favourite must be the swordsmanship of Aragorn being the same style of fighting (including the fighting stance at the beginning of every combat when he always holds the sword in both hands in front of his face) as the style used by the 9 ex-kings of men now known as Ringwraiths, or Nazguls, following the Witch King of Angmar. And it's not a style of just any men, as Boromir, Faramir, Theoden or any other man was never seen using this same style - only Aragorn and the Nazguls.
I'm always amazed at little things like that whenever I pick a new one up when rewatching the series. Consistency, coherency and complexity cranked up to 11.
as always great reaction guys.
Easily the best fantasy trilogy ever made... Cast, cinematography, music, sets, all kind of book details, all perfect. It also helped immensely that they made all 3 movies together, a mamooth task but this way it was consistent all throughout from beginning to end. A huge gamble budget-wise for sure, but one that paid off because they poured all their heart in it, and they paid attention to everything that mattered. That's what happens when you make something with love and attention.
How many times have we seen a consistent trilogy where the quality and actors stay the same all throughout from 1st movie to the 3rd? Basically this never happens. Plus they usually make stuff that is not source material, ruining the original stories which alienates the fans. Here the feelings of the books were preserved, as much as they could be for an adaptation. Simply amazing. I had also read the books, and couldn't believe what I was seeing in the theaters back in 2001.
Glad you guys liked it, a timeless story for sure. Most of your questions are more or less answered either from the books, or from Tolkien letters to fans.
Fan fact (I don't know if someone has said in the comments already): When Frodo woke up in the end at the bed and saw Gandalf, it was actually the time he saw that Gandalf was not dead. Both Frodo and Sam thought all their journey that Gandalf was dead.
The characters' depth, the psychology, the quality of the dialogue, the stakes that seem so real - set LOTR apart from other contemporary fantasy (not to mention that it came first) IMHO. In its essence it is a very human story and we can relate to a lot of the struggles. Also, while there are several varieties of evil, there is also true and deep virtue to be found, and wisdom as well. We are left with aspirations to be better. The cinematography, score, and acting made these movies near perfect adaptations. BTW Tolkien was also an artist and some of the sets are based on his drawings. Bottom line for me is that a film that is based not on a script written to maximize profitability but rather on a great literary work that was suffused with deep scholarship, soul, and artistry, is going to be a cut above, if done well.
I watched a review of one of the trilogy - well, part of it! They kept comparing it to Harry Potter, as if Tolkien got his ideas from JKR
ps: I nearly dislocated my shoulder with wincing so much.
@@franl155 Thank you. I feel the same way. It makes me sick when people compare Harry Potter to Lord of the rings and especially Dumbledore and Gandalf. 😊
@@giannag4581 - And Sméagol being inspired by Dobby - and the One Ring being like a Horcrux
But what didn't seem real is the amount of protagonists killed during battles.
Eowyn technically just dealt the final blow, that's all. The Witch King has had torches stuck in his face, swords slashed across him, drowned by Arwen (in the movies not the books), a sword isn't gonna necessarily kill him. The dagger of the Noldorin, which is what Galadriel gave Merry and Pippin, is what killed him. Merry stabbed him with a magical Elven knife which dispurses evil. Basically, the dagger removed his ability to "respawn" or keep coming back to life after dying, and then Eowyn dealt the final blow. Honestly, Merry is the reason the Witch King died. I just wanted to throw that out as I see a lot of people cheering for her killing him when it was really Merry.
Also, want to add that I saw someone else say this on another reaction and really loved it and it helped make the scene more emotional. When Rohan charges the Mordor army, they shout Death. The reason Peter Jackson added this (in the book Eomer saw Eowyn lying on the field and screamed death as he went on a rage killing orcs on his way to her), was to show the courage and might of Men. Men are mortal and the only thing they really can't control and truly do fear, is death. So, them screaming death, is to symbolize them looking death in the eyes and charging no matter what. Whether they live or die, they will charge into battle to protect those who cannot protect themselves. They will die with honor, not cowering behind a wall. They challenge death and all that they fear, because this moment will not die. This charge of theirs, their names in the Rohan army, will go down in the books and be remembered for enternity. Death cannot take this courageous and mighty deed away. So, they shout Death! to the enemies as they charge them letting the Orcs of Mordor know they fear nothing and will give everything they have to this cause.
Loved your reaction guys!
In the book we get more of the sense why Frodo leaves. It's been a while since I've read it (exactly before the movies came to theaters), but I remember that Tolkien gives us a sense of how changed Frodo is by the whole experience: being stabbed, carrying the One Ring for so long, seeing the Ring be destroyed. It's like he doesn't feel like himself anymore and doesn't feel like the Shire is his home anymore. I remember the feeling - while reading the book - that the whole thing left a void in Frodo.
There aren't that many Eagles, and Sauron would have found out that one of them was carrying the Ring of Power back to Mt. Doom. He would have brought all of his forces to bear and wiped out all of them. Also, there is no way to know what the Ring's influence would have done to the Eagle who carried it. So maybe they could not take possession of it for the the same reason that Gandalf refused to take it. On a side note, it's interesting that when Gandalf came with the Eagles to rescue Sam and Frodo, he brought three. The third Eagle was for Smeagol, because Gandalf didn't know he had died. The last he knew Smeagol was with them.
I saw each movie in the trilogy multiple times in the theaters when they came out. They were that amazing and ground breaking for the time! Nothing really compares to sitting in a huge theater on a big screen with lots of other people experiencing the same emotional rollercoaster together. I think I saw The Two Towers 4 times in the theater. It was my favorite of the 3, but they're all fantastic in their own. It was awful waiting a year to see the next one right after watching one!
People who haven't seen these are truly missing out.
They won over a dozen academy awards... back when they would actually give out awards to movies the people have actually seen and enjoy.