FIRST TIME WATCHING The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | *REACTION/COMMENTARY* (1/2)

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[@cassesvultus43]

The three books in The Lord of the Rings (written by J.R.R. Tolkien) were published between 1954 and 1955. JK Rowling wasn't born until 1965. Tolkien's work was highly influential for many fantasy writers who came later, it is likely that Rowling was influenced by him.

[@jphogannet]

And the "prequel" to it, Hobbit, was even older, it was written in 1937. Almost EVERY Sci-fi and Fantasy author of the last half century or more has aped Tolkien in some way.

[@CritterPaladin]

Anf Tolkien was using themes and mythological tropes that were much, much older.

[@nathanmcdowell4731]

So true, he influenced the chronicles of Narnia, A Song of Ice and Fire, and more...

[@SighDontWantAHandle]

And the Lord of the Ring was based loosely on the Nibelungenlied. A Germanic story from 1200. Though Tolkien had his initial inspiration from seeing Wagner's opera The Ring of the Nebelung.

[@shademoriq]

Also JK Rowling may have been influenced by Neil Gaimans mini series "The Books of Magic" about a magical world hidden in plain sight, and a bespectacled young boy about 12 years old who learns magic and obtains a pet owl. First published in 1990 the same time JK Rowling came up with the idea of Harry Potter.

[@peterreist2882]

Sir Ian McMcKellen, Gandalf, was neither of the actors who portrayed Dumbledore.

[@flugsven]

But he was under serious consideration after Richard Harris left us! Only, McKellen knew Harris didn't think much of his acting skills (!) so he prevented the deceased from having a tantrum/meltdown in his grave, and graciously declined the part.

[@LightsOut25KP]

I can’t ever bash him too bad because I’ve made the same mistake before lol

[@dirtsa2828]

For a time... I may or may not have thought legolas was the same actor who played the eldest brother in Malcom in the middle... ... not all of us are great with faces.... 😅

[@dracoargentum9783]

That’s it, my next Wizard will be named Gandalf Merlin Elminster Fizban Dumbledore…

[@wednesdaay_]

​@@dirtsa2828hahahaha I can't even pretend to see it if I try, but I love this so much 😂

[@posmanager44]

Tolkien is the father of the modern fantasy genre. Pretty much everything that came after took some inspiration from him. Good call about the rolling hills being in the southern hemisphere. All of the movies were filmed exclusively in new zealand.

[@laziojohnny79]

The rolling hills as seen in NZ in this movie can be found in many places, he just knows it was filmed in NZ, don't be fooled by reaction channels, they want to gain as much views as possible and thus lie A LOT, for which I can't blame them of course.

[@firsealtonberry9712]

Technically George MacDonald is the father of the modern fantasy genre, who was writing something like eight decades before Tolkien started. Tolkien is the father of high fantasy, fantasy that is decoupled from the real world and functions separate from our world with internally consistent rules and history. This is not to denegrate Tolkien's work in the least, but Tolkien himself noted the huge influence MacDonald had.

[@DrewSwenson]

Tolkien, Moorcock, Le Guin, Robert E. Howard. And Lovecraft all credit Lord Dunsany as part of their inspiration as well.

[@lynnjohanssen6552]

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien was published in 1954. JK Rowling may have been heavily inspired by Tolkien's work.

[@piotrswat169]

May?

[@NotoriousMinion]

“May” as if the entire idea of fantasy epics, goblins, dwarves, elves, and all that jazz was mainstreamed, if not outright founded, by Tolkien. EDIT: Jesus Christ the lack of reading comprehension is insane. “mainstreamed, if not outright founded, by Tolkien” does not mean Tolkien NECESSARILY founded all these things. He either founded them OR mainstreamed them. As I explicitly point out in this comment. Before relying, please finish high school.

[@lynnjohanssen6552]

@piotrswat169 Well I didn't want to sound outright accusatory toward the Harry Potter author as I haven't read any of the HP books or seen the movies so I can't speak to how much inspiration she did or didn't take. Dumbledore certainly seems like a Gandalf rip off, though. :)

[@laziojohnny79]

@@NotoriousMinion Tolkien didn't founded those thing at all, he took inspiration from old European and Arabian fairytales, saga and legends as did Disney later on.

[@NotoriousMinion]

@@laziojohnny79 “was mainstreamed, if not outright founded, by Tolkien”

[@Murdo2112]

Elrond taking the ring from Isildur by force would have been the worst possible thing he could have done. Far worse than letting him walk away with it. The ring corrupts: sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. The manner in which it is acquired, and the motivation of its bearer is of profound consequence. Moreover, its power to corrupt, and the power it offers the bearer, is directly proportional to the inherent power of the bearer. That's why Gandalf was so vehement in his refusal to take it. Elrond is one of the most powerful beings still residing in Middle Earth. He has a mix of human, elven and even maia blood (Maia won't mean much to you, but you can think of them as angels, of a sort). If Elrond had taken the ring by force, he would not have been able to give it up, much less destroy it. He would have fallen to its corruption and have been almost as much of a threat to the world as Sauron was.

[@DiegoSanchez-jh2oz]

I think everyone should read this.

[@bwv8267]

Aside from all that, Isildur is not an ordinary person there, he is the warrior commander of a colossal victorious army and the mightiest king of Middle-earth at that moment since his father is dead in the battle. You cannot take the ring from him like you take a toy from a child. Also, It is not shown in the movie, but they are not two people there, they are a delegation accompanied by guards and there is an army behind them. Most likely, Elrond would be neutralized before he could touch Isildur, and this would be the beginning of an enmity between elves and men that would last for many years.

[@Makkaru112]

The movies are masterpieces but they do Isildur some injustice. In the books, while he later ‘succumbs’, he spends his time being a fair ruler who practically gave power away to the people instead of being power hungry. He comes to realize that he is not powerful enough to truly bend the ring to his will. That it will eventually overcome him. Isildur resolves to give the ring to Elrond but is killed on the way to Rivendel. It's a tragic story of a man that tries to right his wrong but ultimately fails. In the books isildur literally repented and was about to bring the ring to Rivendell and apologize as he recognized it was beyond him even for a great numenorean connected to the faithful line of the mighty Elendil I preface the prologue & war, other depictions I LOVE, captured the themes WELL, the vibe of the whole trilogy! The significance of the duel between Elendil & Sauron was Nerffed; (He wasn’t some random old bloke in armour getting smacked around) This man was MIGHTY and gleaming with power which you’ll find out in the great videos you’ll soon react to with joy! * He and Gil-Galad; last true Elven King battled Sauron and slayed Sauron’s physical body and both died in the process. GilGalad was held high by the face for all free peoples to see as he then incinerated his bodily form to a crisp of ash! Isildur was part of the fight too but not as prominently and he just comes up to the body to cut the ring finger off and…. So one example is how easily Sauron is killed in the intro. * He's set up as this super powered badass, but all you have to do is cut off his finger? That's not how it went down in the book, where the greatest man-king and the greatest elven-king had to double-team Sauron to strike down his body, but were killed in the effort (Isildur then cuts the ring from the corpse). Especially for elves the title of king has many meanings & by the Third Age there isn’t a population large enough to even attempt to such a thing as creating a unified kingdom which would put a target on their backs, let alone many of them are beyond all of that anyway as it’s seen as doing more harm than anything good. * They also seen what happened when the elves fell upon the swords of their own hubris and passion no matter if it was for the right reasons some of the time. That it always ended up in some sort of tragedy which sometimes even damaged the earth itself. They had long known about what’s called the Long Defeat as ever since Morgoth’s marring of the land itself; pouring his remnants into it that caused the “magic” to slowly drain away from the land itself which is sad because for ages several clans of elves were born there. even the greatest ancestors were “born” in middle earth awakening to the stars ! Many of who are left have accepted the next phase of their life which is to become councillors, healers and loremasters to those within the heart to listen and the desire to learn. But above all the guardians and custodians of several things and the world itself for as long as they can remain!❤

[@Makkaru112]

@@bwv8267check out the comment I left in this thread. On the same note. Love your comment ❤

[@SighDontWantAHandle]

The reason the bluescreen looked so good is there was no bluescreen. At least most of the time. They built split sets and used forced perspective to get the effect. It's pretty amazing. As a photographer, you would be fascinated. I highly highly recommend you react to a making of Lord of the Rings video. The forced perspective work will blow your mind. It may even inspire some of your future work.

[@acrefray]

As you may have noticed, a quick way to genuinely offend Lord of the Rings fans is to genuinely insinuate that it is a rip-off, or heavily inspired by Harry Potter. I, like most others, have strong feelings on the matter, but I figure that you'd prefer the heads up. I'm really glad you're watching and enjoying this.

[@rklong1790]

I had this argument in high school. A friend insisted that LotR ripped off the Shannara series. She never read the Hobbit or LotR. Didn't want to hear about publication dates, DOB or DOD. I had to drop the argument, she didn't want to know.

[@steviekc9057]

​@@rklong1790whaaaaaaa 🤯

[@koreancowboy42]

That is indeed one of the quickest way to not only insult Tolkien and its fans but also the father of fantasy that inspired GoT and Harry potter.

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

If no one else said it, most of this isn’t green screen which is why it looks so good. Hobbiton is actually built there, you can visit it. They filmed this all in New Zealand and the majority is practical and used various size models (next film you’ll see a place called helms deep, they had models full scale to tiny scale, they built shells of towns on locations cause then it looked real like it was there). Primarily these films are practical effects, they filmed all 3 at once over 18 months (though even when the third film was out and won all the awards Peter Jackson was filming more scenes still which is why everyone says watch the extended)

[@RyoHazuki224]

The original Hobbiton was built, then taken down, then re-built again for The Hobbit films, and those are still there last I checked.

[@richieclean]

I'm not sure you know what green screen is or how it's used, it's a technique that was used extensively in these films. Those miniatures you mentioned; they were shot separately and digitally composited with the on set footage or digital backgrounds. The Isengard "miniature" was actually too big for the studio so they built it in the studio Car Park and shot the plates with green (or blue) screen backgrounds. In order to create the illusion that the Hobbits were half the height of the other characters, they often used green screen to shoot the different sets of actors and composite them together, but that was just one technique of several that they used; forced perspective and body doubles enabled them to create the effect in-camera, but they also used digital doubles as well. The reason these films look so good, even by today's standard, is because they didn't rely on one single technique to achieve what they needed to achieve. And where they used CGI, the VFX artists were given the time and budget to perfect the shots (generally speaking, if a film has CGI that looks crap, it's because there wasn't enough time and resources factored in to the post-production schedule before the release date, which in the case of some of the big franchises is determined before they even start shooting)

[@Makkaru112]

Nice to see you again

[@Makkaru112]

@@richiecleanthey literally showed the rebuilding of it and keeping it life sized. Many people can live in hobbit homes in New Zealand in the exact place they left the set in. Took many months to grow the crops and so forth on a guys farmland.

[@Makkaru112]

@@richiecleanit as Alan Lee and John Howes artwork brought to life with practical effects. Now so much VFX like we do nowadays.

[@Spartan1312]

"Mostly CGI here guys" Not really lol, a very large chunk of this movie was shot in NZ using practical effects with CGI just used for cleanup.

[@Makkaru112]

He will eat his words when he watches the giant behind the scenes movies. I can send him a playlist in order if he wants to make himself available to receive it to react to though!

[@robbinsnest6163]

It is coincidental because jk Rowling, like all fantasy authors and film makers, have taken inspiration from J.R.R Tolkien's works. His masterpiece inspired others to create worlds not exactly like his but definitely with similar themes and stories. I love the Harry Potter series but The Lord of the Rings has a special place in my heart!❤ Also, the actor that plays Gandalf is Ian McKellen the actors that played Dumbledore are different actors.

[@Taewills]

And to add on to this, the only writer Tolkien sat with is C.S. Lewis. The Narnia books

[@drakeswarchannel2530]

Can I throw up now? No offense meant.

[@cathyaldridge4550]

Took inspiration from or just plain copied? It's a fine line hey.

[@hornorsilk2901]

@@Taewills no, he had a whole club of friends, the Inklings, which talked about their works together, not just Lewis.

[@nathanmcdowell4731]

Potter (imo) is much more like the Chronicles of Narnia with a Sauron/rings aspect in Voldemort/Horcruxes (young, orphan, mythical beasts, journey into the unknown etc)

[@cjpolett2055]

Lord of the Rings (and it's precursor, The Hobbit) were originally published 1937-1955. Harry Potter was published 1997-2007. So no, the writers did not sit down together to plot similar books. HOWEVER! Neil Gaimen did write The Books of Magic in 1990 about a bespectled english boy with an owl for a pet going to magic school, so, ya know, draw your own conclusions...

[@hornorsilk2901]

and Harry Potter is the main character of the movie Troll

[@Henngist]

Good luck. Good review. Trying to watch this movie through Harry Potter's glasses....won't work.

[@tamarleigh]

And the Earthsea Trilogy was written by Ursula LeGuin when Neil Gaiman was a little kid. 😄

[@greenman4946]

Rowling is like a fricking magpie.

[@eirrenia]

@@greenman4946 _All_ authors are fricking magpies, especially in the fantasy genre. Most, like _both_ Rowling and Tolkien, are drawing on a pool of mythology, legends, folklore, and superstitions. There is very, very little that is truly original in fiction in terms of ideas, even science fiction. The “originality” comes from how ideas are put together.

[@Spikeelsucko]

the part where Mr. B reveals he has no idea LotR is older than J.K. Rowling is had me absolutely rolling

[@Dron-to4uy]

About that moment with a Nazgul, i don't think that this was mentioned in the movies, but in the books it was established that hobbits are masters of sneaking, they can move unseen and unheard if they want to. Additionally, it was day and Nazgul and other creatures of darkness hate sun and its light and their perception is greatly reduced compared to nighttime

[@MaRodney07]

This is by far the BEST trilogy to ever be made..nothing will ever be able to touch them..all 3 films are 10/10..Return is probably a 15/10. Excellent world building, top notch special effects that will always stand the test of time, and a story to always keep you wanting to watch it again

[@Muck006]

It isnt "a trilogy" ... it is one 12-hour movie in three chapters!

[@cliff_rogers7919]

They started building the Shire and planting all the plants a year before filming that way it would look completely natural when it was time to film. The movie was filmed in New Zealand and the Shire is still there and people can go a tour it.

[@steviekc9057]

Gandalf is not Dumbledore, but he is Magneto! Time to watch the X-Men! ❤

[@VaeluX]

Gandalf is a wizard, it's true. But his species is more closer to an angel or a demigod. Dumbledore is just a man that can use magic.

[@poppletop8331]

Dumbledore is a man who happens to also be a wizard who can use magic.

[@Makkaru112]

Demigod is a child of a god. Lúthien is child of Melian of the Maiar

[@Marleyjr00X]

Oh dang my man finally got to the greatest film trilogy in cinema history.

[@CritterPaladin]

If Elrond, had taken the ring from Isildur using violence there in the heart of Mordor, he would have immediately fallen under it's sway, and likely have been a bigger danger to the world than a mere human.

[@emanonn]

You're right about Oceania! Many, many of these scenes were filmed in New Zealand. There is a very restricted use of green screen in these films, which I'm sure you'll notice. Edit: For diehard LOTR fans, it's easy to criticize the (over)use of greenscreen in the Hobbit series.

[@Muck006]

-many- ALL

[@pacio49]

It would be very difficult for JK Rowlings to have consulted with JRR Tolkien since Tolkien published LOTR before Rowlings was born and had the discourtesy to pass away before she began to write LOTR - Hogwarts Edition. All of the 'brilliance' of the later work was built in the genre that Tolkien built. LOTR is the ur-Fantasy Story. Very, very, very few works predate it, and very, very, very few works that followed have not been influenced by it, either because they simply accept its tropes, or because they reacted against them. As I'm sure others will keep saying. LOL

[@ReadersOfTheApocalypse]

"she began to write LOTR - Hogwarts Edition" - had to read that twice. Brilliant!

[@jaytucker7873]

In Elrond's defense, Isildur is distantly related to Elrond and is the new high king of Gondor and Arnor. They spent the last 7+ years fighting together in the war. It's not like he's gonna turn around and threaten him over a piece of jewelry. Plus that happened 3,000+ years ago and no one really knew what would happen if the ring wasn't destroyed. Isildur died (possibly because he took the ring) and Elrond has watched generations of the kingdoms of men fray and fall apart. So Elrond has a lot of hindsight going on in this scene with Gandalf.

[@darrenjones5885]

Elrond and his brother Elros had complex ancestry, mostly Elf and Man-kind. They were given an irrevocable choice as to which race they would belong. Elrond chose Elf and Elros chose Man and mortality. Isildur was descended from Elros so Elrond was limited in what he could do when Isildur would not destroy the ring. Middle-Earth has a long, deep, and complex history that the films often do not have time to even hint at. It’s 45 years since I read the book, delving into the appendices and being amazed when the Silmarillion, until then a figment of mythical history, was published. Nothing else comes close to Tolkien’s world building.

[@similarrose5811]

It’s not that Isildur is descended from Elros, it’s that Elrond straight up would not do that to any human in that situation.

[@nikostsiantis4641]

​@@similarrose5811Could Elrond at that point have defeated Isildur in combat even if he was willing to? I have often read into the characters of Lotr over the years but I am by no means an expert. I know that there are far too many things that translate as power in this world, like honor, bloodlines etc. But I am wandering. If Elrond actually could act in a "do a little bad for the greater good" way at that moment. Could he have defeated Isildur when he had the One ring in his possession? (Or the ring had him in its possession) I might be mistaken but I think in the book Isildur hides the fact that he has taken the ring at least at first... does that mean that he was afraid it will be taken from him? Or did he simply not want to cause friction with Elrond at the time? Do we have any Tolkien notes on that part of the story?

[@Dron-to4uy]

@@nikostsiantis4641 no, Isildur never hid this fact, but nobody pressured him to destroy it, because they didn't know that Sauron could return, so they saw One ring just as extremely dangerous artefact, and nothing more

[@nikostsiantis4641]

@@Dron-to4uy oh must have been my misunderstanding then... but could Isildur have defeated Elrond with the ring if it came to a fight?

[@Dron-to4uy]

@@nikostsiantis4641 if Isildur would actively use the Ring like Sauron did, then Elrond wouldn't stand a chance. If he would fight without using it, just to protect it, then i have no idea. I would personally bet on Elrond, since he is much older, hence more experienced and wise, but that's just my take on it

[@natalieannex]

Ain’t no way!!! How have you not seen this masterpiece. Anyway enjoy! ❤

[@flugsven]

Lucky b*stard!

[@jbryan8864]

@@flugsven Lying**

[@flugsven]

@@jbryan8864 Maybe, maybe not. I have got plenty of friends that have never seen it. I doubt my siblings have, other than maybe snippets here and there when their kids were watching.

[@melissa5051]

@@jbryan8864lots of people I know never seen this. They just aren’t into fantasy. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@flavioromano8754]

Boromir (sean bean's character) is usually underrated or misunderstood by youtubers reacting to LOTR, but hopefully you will understand his character as the movies go on.

[@genny5309]

Another example of where the extended versions help a lot, especially for those who haven’t read the books.

[@rklong1790]

Hopefully he watches the extended edition of the movies. For the theatrical release, several family interactions are cut for time. Even then most of the information of the dead mother is not there and the omitting of the Palantíri. The despair and depression of Denethor is not well explained. In high school and college, I had to write so many papers on literature and draw out deeper connection of characters. I was never allowed to write about fantasy or sci-fi. I have at least 10 pages already written about this family in my head.

[@Kodisage]

I’m one of the few who actually dislikes the extended versions. The context doesn’t add anything that isn’t added in previous movies and really just ruins the flow that the theatrical versions have. Especially the scene with Eomer in the third one.

[@koreancowboy42]

​@sarahkrig6375 extended versions add for better reactions and reviews.

[@Kodisage]

@@koreancowboy42 I disagree

[@tygerfisk7519]

If you know D&D, which was completely inspired by LotR, you can reverse engineer some basic world concepts, Hobbits have crazy high stealth because of their size and quiet footsteps(cause of the hair) and ok resistance to evil, swy bilbo and frodo can hold the ring longer than most

[@traverserred]

I think gandalf knew bilbo had a magic ring but he didnt know it was the One Ring. until bilbo didnt age and called it the precious and then when gandalf went to pick it up he saw the eye, so he had suspicions about it but wasnt sure till he did more research on it.

[@DrewSwenson]

Pretty much... And it took FAR longer in the book.

[@Jonas_æ]

Respect to the late great Andrew Lesnie. Some of the most beautiful cinematography in film history.

[@rodentnolastname6612]

Gandalf was the inspiration for Dumbledore

[@bmaster5324]

the ring changes size based on the person holding it.

[@rightmunted7538]

Tolkein was a linguist who thought up this world and its lore originally as a project for his languages while fighting in world war 1, that's why every language spoken in the movies are actually real well thought out languages that could be used instead of conventional languages if for some reason a nation desired to. Eventually he wrote the hobbit books, then the lord of the rings and Silmarillion all telling the stories of the world he created. Alot of his themes are influenced by his experiences in WW1, a big message overall is how evil cannot always be overcome by good but that evil will always eventually destroy itself.

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

In the books another wizard, Radagast, he was why the eagles came but they cut radagast from here (there were five wizards but the two blue aren’t named and radagast is a brown wizard so much below the power level of the white and grey) Also in the books that didn’t happen with Isildur. He had the ring and was heading to Elrond to seek council and he got ambushed and killed by orcs. The movies made it that he went greedy instead

[@sheliatolar8295]

Others have already explained the timing of LotR and HP so I won't repeat it. I will encourage you to turn on subtitles, though. There are some conversations in other tongues that are important. I'll also encourage the extended versions for the next two films even though they are long. There are important backstories that add depth and explain some characters' motivations. I discovered the books in middle school just after finishing The Hobbit and have reread them countless times. Modern fantasy springs from Tolkien. He fully imaged Middle Earth and created a history and languages for it. It's simply stunning. Like most fans of the books, I was anxious when they announced the movies, but I was pleasantly surprised. They truly are amazing. As you said, beautifully shot and gorgeous. As others have said, most effects are practical rather than green screen. I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of them. I hope you enjoy the journey. I'm excited to go on it with you.

[@johns881]

What’s amazing is it’s not green screens, it’s all perspective tricks and scaled doubles. Truly incredible, MUST watch the making of appendices.

[@khaoss9992]

This was filmed in New Zealand. Which is why all the background scenes look great!

[@vanyadolly]

The movie looks so good because they avoided CGI wherever they could. Everything from hand-crafted props, miniatures, prosthetics, hand-painted leaves, and flying their actors to remote mountain tops so they could get the best location shots. Even some of the scale scenes with the hobbits were filmed using perspective tricks. It's a rare case of a movie (trilogy) where few corners were cut, and I think it shows. You can tell how much love and care went into the production. 😊

[@BunBun299]

Bilbo’s 111th Birthday was also Frodo’s 33rd. Frodo is actually 50 when Gandalf returns to tell Frodo what he learned of the Ring. The movies never mention that time skip. Bilbo didn’t instantly age, but he did start aging again normally after he gave it up. Bilbo’s maternal grandfather was known as The Old Took, and lived to be 130, which is the record for Hobbit lifespan. So Bilbo never connected his long life to the Ring. 111 is old to a Hobbit, but not unheard of. Frodo, Merry & Pippin are all descended from The Old Took, so they’re all cousins. Only Samwise is not of that bloodline. Also, minor detail, but the youngest of the main Hobbits is Pippin Took at 29, which is roughly equivalent to 19 for a modern human. If you ever visit New Zealand, the set for Hobbiton still exists to this day. It’s a tourist destination.

[@TheSpectre223]

You'll definitely get some stick for the Harry Potter comparisons, because everyone does and rightly so, and it's worth noting that the actor isn't Dumbledore (Gandalf being Ian McKellen, Dumbledore being Richard Harris or Michael Gambon) but I look forward to seeing the rest of your reactions to this trilogy. LOTR /is/ fantasy, it defines the genre, and is therefore an unmissable section of the experience.

[@steffurness]

Some context for you Mr L Boyd - LotR was published in the 1950s while Harry Potter and Game of Thrones were both first published in the 1990s. JK Rowling, author of Harry Potter, was not even 10 yrs old when JRR Tolkien passed away in the 1970s. JRR Tolkien, author of LotR, was born in the 1890s. George RR Martin, author of Game of Thrones, has to-date finished only 5 of his planned 7 books, but was a full-blown deadhead in his mid-20s by the time JRR Tolkien passed away. HP Lovecraft could be a close contemporary to JRR Tolkien in terms of style and influence, but he died before LotR was ever published.

[@ThatShyGuyMatt]

If you go to New Zealand, you can visit the Hobbiton city! It's still there and attracts tourists from all over!

[@johnwalters1341]

The original bodies from the battle in the Prologue were not being dug up by Saruman's Orcs. Isengard is hundreds of miles away from the scene of the battle. Presumably Saruman was creating them by his magic. Tolkien doesn't elaborate, so the screen-writers' solution is as good as any, I guess.

[@pvthurley]

I love when bilbo drops the ring and the ring falls down and doesn’t move. It symbolizes the weight of the ring and how heavy the effects on the bearer.

[@herbertragan5849]

The Lord of the Rings published in 1954 Harry Potter published in 1997

[@tomre2769]

Not that much green screen actually compared to now. They used forced perspective and tiny actors for all size difference I believe. Oh, and you should do some research some times, sir. Tolkien wrote this during the war. As fun as Rowling made her story, this is something else all together.

[@steffurness]

"the war"? there's been at least one every 20 years for the last 100+ :: squints :: are you British? according to Peaky Blinders, "it's always about the war w Brits." (Think they were referring to the first World War, though, to be specific.)

[@lylakoehlmoos5391]

Yes, WWI.

[@steffurness]

@@lylakoehlmoos5391 got it. apppreciate the clarification. ;-)

[@behrmann9431]

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, a.k.a. JRR Tolkien, the creator of Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit. He was the OG when it came to this type of magical mythology and lore. His books help inspire not only Harry Potter, but things like Dungeons and Dragons. That being said. My thoughts you should keep these longer episodes and do the full movie at once... Just my opinion. You do what you want.

[@cgrimes34]

Here we go! The grandfather of all modern fantasy!

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

You’re going to see huge parallels between Hp and LotR. Dementors - Nazgûl, Horcrux - ring, Sauron - Voldemort, Albus - Gandalf… there’s many many other parallels but Tolkien came first, much of this film is based on his experience in WWI

[@poppletop8331]

Oh I see, Hitler being Sauron, wanting to enslave/rule the world etc...

[@PatrickMadison]

So an explanation of the Eagle. It is a common question and thing to people that don’t know the very in depth details about Tolkien’s world. The eagles are basically the most devote mortal servants of the creator god of the world, and the reason why it helps Gandalf is because Gandalf is more than just a human wizard but the physical body of a lesser angel walking the world.

[@shanehebert396]

And that wasn't just any eagle :)

[@moneyshots4life]

Can’t do one without doing all of them!🎉

[@Grizzly_6623]

Dawg these books were written before jk was born

[@spyro257]

from when Gandalf says "Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe" about the ring and leaving, to him coming back saying "Is It Secret, Is It Safe" is 17 years... they didnt even try to tell u in the movie, but that's why Bilbo looks so much older

[@jamestaylor3805]

Sharing the ring among friends he suggests at the beginning of the movie. I hope he realizes how bad of a friend that would make him by the end. 😂

[@g2a126]

The intro to Return of the King more or less puts that idea to rest...

[@kobarsos82]

You are absolutely right. Zero fillers, perfectly constructed movie. They simply don't make them like this any more, pure and simple. Its a one of a kind journey, cherish it. ^^

[@gurulimbo]

Sir Ian Murray McKellen wasn’t Dumbledore. That was Richard Harris and Michael Gambon. (The two you have seen so far)

[@MellonVegan]

23:24 Gwaihir, the eagle, is a minor deity of this universe. So are the wizards, like Saruman and Gandalf. They are not human. There's also a lot of soft magic going on in middle earth (soft magic being less rigidly defined than hard magic, sometimes resulting in details that don't seem like the most likely thing to happen without background info and the films obviously had to cut back on that).

[@kilroy1976]

Well, it's nice that you're brainstorming how to best handle the longevity that the ring imparts, and there are no bad ideas, but... it will probably become clear that anything involving the ring is a bad idea.

[@The5Ronin]

J.R.R. Tolkien created an entire world, with original languages, lore, genealogies, and religions. He created fantasy culture as we know it today. He created orcs. He also fought in WW1 in the Somme and taught and ran the Oxford English Department. There is a movie about him that came out a few years ago. His books had so much more detail, like the lord of the Eagles who rescued Gandalf in return for a favor in them. The movies are considered the absolute best book to film adaptation ever made. J.K. Rowling isn't in his league.

[@ReDEclipsE28]

Feel like I’m watching a silent movie half the time with this reaction

[@DioIsTheBest]

Something you should know that will help with some plotholes like the hobbits running away but the rider not hearing them : the realm of lotr consist of different races hobbits/handlings/elves/dwarves/goblins/humans/orcs and a few more. Each race has unique abilities like the elves that have supreme vision and are imortal. The hobbits have the unique ability as a race to be more resilient to magic and enchantment, and they are also very quiet and stealthy! In a future scene you will see them sneak into the council something with amazes even the 3.000 year old elf master.

[@bmaster5324]

funny thing is gandalf and dumbledore are not played by the same actor, but they do look remarkably similar.

[@dracoargentum9783]

To quote Aragorn: people are confused by the beards

[@johnwalters1341]

Speaking of inter-racial relations, the movie doesn't mention it, but in the book Elrond Halfelven had an Elvish mother and a human father. He is a very distant relative of Isildur (through his brother Elros) and therefore of Aragorn. Unions between Elves and Men were exceedingly rare; there were only two others recorded in the book.

[@Spartan1312]

Something to keep in mind is that ring is the absolute embodiment of corruption and domination. If Elrond took the ring from Isildor, it would have ended up a fight to the death and whoever was the winner would have been completely possessed by the ring... The more evil the person the easier it is for it. If Gandalf took the ring when Frodo offered it, he would have taken longer to be possessed but in the end the ring would have won and then had all of Gandalf's power (Think of a Angel) to wield against others. He would have still been corrupted, the more powerful the being the greater the danger.

[@Makkaru112]

The movies are masterpieces but they do Isildur some injustice. In the books, while he later ‘succumbs’, he spends his time being a fair ruler who practically gave power away to the people instead of being power hungry. He comes to realize that he is not powerful enough to truly bend the ring to his will. That it will eventually overcome him. Isildur resolves to give the ring to Elrond but is killed on the way to Rivendel. It's a tragic story of a man that tries to right his wrong but ultimately fails. In the books isildur literally repented and was about to bring the ring to Rivendell and apologize as he recognized it was beyond him even for a great numenorean connected to the faithful line of the mighty Elendil I preface the prologue & war, other depictions I LOVE, captured the themes WELL, the vibe of the whole trilogy! The significance of the duel between Elendil & Sauron was Nerffed; (He wasn’t some random old bloke in armour getting smacked around) This man was MIGHTY and gleaming with power which you’ll find out in the great videos you’ll soon react to with joy! * He and Gil-Galad; last true Elven King battled Sauron and slayed Sauron’s physical body and both died in the process. GilGalad was held high by the face for all free peoples to see as he then incinerated his bodily form to a crisp of ash! Isildur was part of the fight too but not as prominently and he just comes up to the body to cut the ring finger off and…. So one example is how easily Sauron is killed in the intro. * He's set up as this super powered badass, but all you have to do is cut off his finger? That's not how it went down in the book, where the greatest man-king and the greatest elven-king had to double-team Sauron to strike down his body, but were killed in the effort (Isildur then cuts the ring from the corpse). Especially for elves the title of king has many meanings & by the Third Age there isn’t a population large enough to even attempt to such a thing as creating a unified kingdom which would put a target on their backs, let alone many of them are beyond all of that anyway as it’s seen as doing more harm than anything good. * They also seen what happened when the elves fell upon the swords of their own hubris and passion no matter if it was for the right reasons some of the time. That it always ended up in some sort of tragedy which sometimes even damaged the earth itself. They had long known about what’s called the Long Defeat as ever since Morgoth’s marring of the land itself; pouring his remnants into it that caused the “magic” to slowly drain away from the land itself which is sad because for ages several clans of elves were born there. even the greatest ancestors were “born” in middle earth awakening to the stars ! Many of who are left have accepted the next phase of their life which is to become councillors, healers and loremasters to those within the heart to listen and the desire to learn. But above all the guardians and custodians of several things and the world itself for as long as they can remain!❤

[@Spartan1312]

@@Makkaru112 But its a fact nobody could ever "willingly" give up the ring and that was what made what Bilbo did so impressive. If Elrond had tried to force the issue in that scene it would have ended in a fight.

[@lcbonastre2418]

Trilogy The Lord Of The Ring Extended Edition: (1) The Felloship Of The Ring Extended Edition (2) The Two Tower Extended Edition (3) The Return Of The King Extended Edition Trilogy The Hobbit Extended Edition Of The Adventures Of Bilbo Baggin: (1) An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (2) The Desolation Of Smaug Extended Edition (3) The Battle Five Armie Extended Edition

[@woahblackbettybamalam]

I'm massively offended you compared the masterpiece Lord of The Rings to Harry Potter 😂 Don't ever utter such blasphemy again

[@dylanmiller3962]

Would you like it if I compared it to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants cuz I can 😅😂

[@Wade_Fucking_Wilson]

Least obnoxious Tolkien purist

[@jonathangange]

Heresyyyy 🤺

[@vanyadolly]

It is pretty sad! So much work, care and passion went into LotR while the HP movies are the definition of cash grabs. 😭

[@ianwestc]

​@@vanyadollyI think the third Harry Potter movie is pretty great, but it's the only one with of the eight with some real artistry in it. All of the rest are pretty much just performative. Although goblet of fire has some pretty fantastic camera shooting and lighting.

[@shamlotbestrhapsever7437]

Gimli's Axe wasn't broken when attempting to break the ring. He took the one next to him (presumably that of his companion's). The continuity is quite strong in these films.

[@trekkiexb5]

probably his dad's

[@twylanaythias]

Peter Jackson's Prime Directive to the cast, crew, costumers, prop masters, and everyone else involved in these movies was "We're not making a movie - we've been granted the opportunity to record prehistory for all posterity, and will treat every moment with the dignity and respect it is due." J R R Tolkien began writing The Hobbit and other elements of Middle Earth in the trenches during The Great War. The Hobbit was first published in 1937 to such success that the publishers begged Tolkien to write more - they asked for The Hobbit 2 and Tolkien gave them The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. The Lord of the Rings was published before J K Rowling (who wrote Harry Potter) was a twinkle in her mother's eye. All three films were shot back-to-back over the course of 14 months, with two lead design artists whose work was explicitly approved by Tolkien himself. The entire trilogy was filmed in New Zealand, while the effects department coined the term "bigatures" to describe the scale models used in filming. As one example, the 'miniature' for Rivendell was over ten feet high and nearly eighty feet long. Even the previz model of Orthanc (Saruman's tower) war over nine feet tall. They even built two complete versions of most sets - one 'full-size' for filming the hobbits (plus Gimli), with other characters represented by doubles in 'giant suits'; the other 'hobbit-size' for filming the other characters, with the hobbits represented by midgets and/or children. Any shots which required principal characters to interact (mainly Gandalf with various hobbits) used ingenious sets and forced-perspective to pull off movie magic. One of the main reasons that The Lord of the Rings holds up so well is that they used as little CGI as possible. Even if they used green-screen to combine live action with bigatures, matte paintings, and composited video, most everything which appeared on-screen was 100% real. The One Ring was very much a Power. While I understand you thinking Elrond was complicit in Isildur's refusal to destroy it, the situation was analogous to facing down someone carrying a nuke with their finger on the button. Elrond, like Gandalf and Galadriel, dared not touch The One Ring himself because he wasn't confident that he could resist its corruptive influence.

[@Makkaru112]

This comment needs hundreds more likes and deserves to be pinned to the top of the comment section ❤❤❤❤

[@Makkaru112]

Isildur did resist it though. He gave his power to the people.

[@Makkaru112]

The movies are masterpieces but they do Isildur some injustice. In the books, while he later ‘succumbs’, he spends his time being a fair ruler who practically gave power away to the people instead of being power hungry. He comes to realize that he is not powerful enough to truly bend the ring to his will. That it will eventually overcome him. Isildur resolves to give the ring to Elrond but is killed on the way to Rivendel. It's a tragic story of a man that tries to right his wrong but ultimately fails. In the books isildur literally repented and was about to bring the ring to Rivendell and apologize as he recognized it was beyond him even for a great numenorean connected to the faithful line of the mighty Elendil I preface the prologue & war, other depictions I LOVE, captured the themes WELL, the vibe of the whole trilogy! The significance of the duel between Elendil & Sauron was Nerffed; (He wasn’t some random old bloke in armour getting smacked around) This man was MIGHTY and gleaming with power which you’ll find out in the great videos you’ll soon react to with joy! * He and Gil-Galad; last true Elven King battled Sauron and slayed Sauron’s physical body and both died in the process. GilGalad was held high by the face for all free peoples to see as he then incinerated his bodily form to a crisp of ash! Isildur was part of the fight too but not as prominently and he just comes up to the body to cut the ring finger off and…. So one example is how easily Sauron is killed in the intro. * He's set up as this super powered badass, but all you have to do is cut off his finger? That's not how it went down in the book, where the greatest man-king and the greatest elven-king had to double-team Sauron to strike down his body, but were killed in the effort (Isildur then cuts the ring from the corpse). Especially for elves the title of king has many meanings & by the Third Age there isn’t a population large enough to even attempt to such a thing as creating a unified kingdom which would put a target on their backs, let alone many of them are beyond all of that anyway as it’s seen as doing more harm than anything good. * They also seen what happened when the elves fell upon the swords of their own hubris and passion no matter if it was for the right reasons some of the time. That it always ended up in some sort of tragedy which sometimes even damaged the earth itself. They had long known about what’s called the Long Defeat as ever since Morgoth’s marring of the land itself; pouring his remnants into it that caused the “magic” to slowly drain away from the land itself which is sad because for ages several clans of elves were born there. even the greatest ancestors were “born” in middle earth awakening to the stars ! Many of who are left have accepted the next phase of their life which is to become councillors, healers and loremasters to those within the heart to listen and the desire to learn. But above all the guardians and custodians of several things and the world itself for as long as they can remain!❤

[@BobTheSkull]

you nailed it with the Oceania. it was all filmed in New Zealand.

[@alanmacification]

The colors aren't muted. They changed tone for various scenes. The scenes in the Shire actually have more red added to make it warmer. The idea was to trick your eye into believe this isn't quite the same as Earth today.

[@martinbynion1589]

Dumbledore is a copy of Gandalf, not the other way around. LOTR was written 40-50 years before Harry Potter. Oceania is dead right; the movies were filmed (and made) in New Zealand.

[@GeraldWalls]

16:40 The ring wraiths not hearing the hobbits running away is what breaks your suspension of disbelief in this fantasy of hobbits, elves, dragons, and wizards?

[@dirtygrunt]

The series was filmed in New Zealand

[@genny5309]

And all three movies were shot simultaneously from October 1999 through December 2000.

[@sweepist]

I like how you saw Boromir for all of a minute and were like "nope he can't be here, someone get him out..."

[@chrisklema9992]

There is so much lore and back stories to most of these characters that you never really get to explore in these movies. Middle Earth is an entire world with a massive history and complexities. The eagles that saved Gandalf are actually sentient creatures and have a history with Gandalf. So he sent a message to them for rescue. The LotR series was so amazing to watch as a teen. It basically brought me into the Dungeons and Dragons realm, which runs many parallels to middle earth.

[@jasonsypsa7074]

Gandalf is played by Ian McKellan and Dumbledore is played by Richard Harris. So different actors altogether.

[@kendallshimabukuro6250]

Don't forget Gambon.

[@collinr1363]

goat series to have missed out on. enjoy

[@CliffordLake]

The Elves have a great respect for the consequences of actions taken.

[@mickylove76]

Rowling used a lot of stuff inspired by Tolkien. Tolkien used his knowledge of ancient Anglo Saxon stories and experiences in WW1.

[@blainekessler2220]

Actually, the actor playing Gandalf is Ian McKellan, he didn't play Dumbledore. And Lord Of The Rings was first published in 1954, so Tolkien wrote this quite a bit before Harry Potter was ever even imagined. Rowling, like every other fantasy writer, was heavily influenced by Tolkiens writings. Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit, All of Tolkiens works is pretty must the basis for any work of fantasy you ever see or read today. If there's a book or movie with an elf, dwarf, or a dragon in it, you can bet it's because of this story that it exists.

[@hudavis550]

Lord of the rings is way older than Harry Potter

[@H3y_Im_Rob]

The time between Isildur's Death and Bilbo finding The Ring, about 2,500 years had past. The Ring had went from real to obscure myth. During Bilbo's adventures with Gandalf, Bilbo had gotten separated from there group inside the mountains and had found, what he assumed to be, a plain old ring that he immediately pocketed. He found out it was a magic ring after finding a way out of the Mountains but kept it a secret from his group cause they all started giving him mad respect. (Gandalf had told there group that Bilbo was a top tier burglar, which wasn't true. Gandalf took him along cause he saw some potential in him. There group had been calling Bull on Gandalf since then cause all Bilbo did was complain, up until this point). Gandalf knew Bilbo had stumbled upon a magic ring, but he just assumed it was just some random ring that made whoever wears it invisible, cause that's all it did whenever Bilbo slipped it on. It wasn't until Bilbo's trick at his birthday party that Gandalf was actually starting to get suspicious. Especially when Bilbo started to lash out at him.

[@andynewcomb6260]

Sooo glad ur starting this. These are my favorite movies of all time

[@jloiacono]

Gandalf was played by Ian McKellen. Dumbledore was played by Richard Harris in the first two Harry Potter Movies. When he passed away, Richard Gambon took over the role for the remaining films.

[@valdas420]

i hope you are watching the extended version( you are watching the extended one ):) the trilogy takes commitment to watch and i make a point of watching it every Christmas season PS there is one thing the movies never managed to to , the passing of time it took years from the birthday party to the part they found out about the ring Ps 2 perfect stop :)

[@Kepasta]

there were a couple of scenes with Bilbo from the extended version in the video, so yeah.

[@genny5309]

I second the extended versions! If not for this movie, then for the final two. So worth it!

[@LOTRFAN33]

He is watching the extended versions

[@ariessmith4910]

Im glad you're doing 2 parts... It's a must.

[@RobONeill-b5e]

Hobbits are very quiet on their feet - very good at passing unnoticed, which is why, in the Hobbit book, Bilbo was employed as a "burglar". There are literally no holes in Tolkien's plot - he accounted for absolutely everything

[@JCrushFitness]

Every single fantasy story since 1954 has been inspired, in some way, by the lord of the rings

[@richardsteiner8992]

This movie had a VERY high bar to meet when it was made ... there was already a HUGE worldwide fan base with a decades-long history who had very high expectations when it comes to these books.

[@king.khisson3168]

The "Don't get your head removed again" comment, had me 😂

[@hurricane243]

“Did the writers of LOTR and Harry Potter sit down together and-“ Oh my brother in Christ… you have made a mistake

[@jamestaylor3805]

"You learn your lessons from ancient books and doctrines" he says to the ancient book which set all the doctrines. 😅

[@tye8876]

Glad someone said it.

[@TheFireMonkey]

not clear in the movie, but in the books it is clear that the ring can change size so it fits perfectly whenever it "wants to" and then gets bigger when it "wants" to fall off ... the ring is, in a way, intelligent and has desires after a fashion.

[@Makkaru112]

Firstly: All 16 rings were meant to go to the elves (300-500years world of infiltration & deception down to the drain) but Mairon of the Maiar(primordial angelic beings in simple terms as they are sort of beyond angels) disguised as a high elf named Annatar when he came to the elves pretending to be an emissary from Valinor on behalf of the Valar so it makes sense how alluring the ring is and how strong it’s pull on people is. (A bit too instant in the movies though) Galadriel soon saw right through him and especially when after speaking with him regarding not remembering him when in Valinor long ago where she learned from all the Valar thanks to being dominantly Vanyar/Teleri side over her Ñoldorin side where she gleaned from that encounter that she did not study under Aulë the Vala with any elf named Annatar ! But later named Sauron by the elves meaning deceiver! After all of this, The three elven rings were made in secret without Saurons touch upon them thanks to Celebrimbor! Remember Gandalf before he became Gandalf was the same species of entity Sauron used to be!! Wow hey? The Rings, in this case, would have lost their powers eventually due to the lack of the One Ring and possibly because they were designed to defeat evil, and evil, in the form of Sauron, had been defeated. The Three Elven Rings served their purpose for a long time. Two out of three of them had several different bearers Unlike the other Rings, the main purpose of the Three is to "heal and preserve", as when Galadriel used Nenya to preserve her realm of Lothlórien over long periods. The Elves made the Three Rings to try to halt the passage of time, or as Tolkien had Elrond say, "to preserve all things unstained". I can expand upon this based on any further statements & questions you have for me as a reply to this comment ! ❤ There is problem here with the Rings, the Three were supposed to be never touched by Sauron and that's why they were not corrupting…Sauron had not taken part in their making which made the Three more 'pure' unsullied by his dark power, unlike the Nine and Seven Rings! But Sauron in the show touched the very material they were made of!!! So technically he could have tainted them and corrupted! Even appendices of Lot tell us the order of making the rings, so they didn't even need the righs to more detailed writings in UT or Silmarillion: 1200 Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar. Gil-galad refuses to treat with him; but the smiths of Eregion are won over. The Númenoreans begin to make permanent havens. c. 1500 The Elven-smiths instructed by Sauron reach the height of their skill. They begin the forging of the Rings of Power. c. 1590 The Three Rings are completed in Eregion. c. 1600 Sauron forges the One Ring in Orodruin. He completes the Barad-dûr. Celebrimbor perceives the designs of Sauron. 1693 War of the Elves & Sauron begins. The Three Rings are hidden." 'Did you not hear me, Gloin?' said Elrond. 'The Three were not made by Sauron, nor did he ever touch them. But of them it is not permitted to speak. So much only in this hour of doubt I may now say. They are not idle. But they were not made as weapons of war or conquest: that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained. These things the Elves of Middle-earth have in some measure gained, though with sorrow. But all that has been wrought by those who wield the Three will turn to their undoing, and their minds and hearts will become revealed to Sauron, if he regains the One." The One Ring’s power over people explained here:As for the rings given to these groups:They were all meant to go to the elves but Mairon of the Maiar disguised as a high elf named Annatar when he came to the elves pretending to be an emissary from Valinor on behalf of the Valar so it makes sense how alluring the ring is and how strong it’s pull on people is. (A bit too instant in the movies though) Galadriel soon saw right through him and especially when after speaking with him regarding not remembering him when in Valinor long ago where she learned from all the Valar thanks to being dominantly Vanyar/Teleri side over her Ñoldorin side where she gleaned from that encounter that she did not study under Aulë the Vala with any elf named Annatar ! But later named Sauron by the elves meaning deceiver! After all of this, The three elven rings were made in secret without Saurons touch upon them thanks to Celebrimbor! Remember Gandalf before he became Gandalf was the same species of entity Sauron used to be!! Wow hey? The Rings, in this case, would have lost their powers eventually due to the lack of the One Ring and possibly because they were designed to defeat evil, and evil, in the form of Sauron, had been defeated. The Three Elven Rings served their purpose for a long time. Two out of three of them had several different bearers Unlike the other Rings, the main purpose of the Three is to "heal and preserve", as when Galadriel used Nenya to preserve her realm of Lothlórien over long periods. The Elves made the Three Rings to try to halt the passage of time, or as Tolkien had Elrond say, "to preserve all things unstained". I can expand upon this based on any further statements and questions you have for me as a reply to this comment ! ❤ Aside from the three Elven Rings Made In Secret Without Saurons presence or touch upon them through Celebrimbor!

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

Boy is this the right community for "I wanna know." You're about to get a crash course in the mountain of JRR Tolkien.

[@donferoce5652]

Most appreciative of the commentary on the photography. The Fellowship won The Academy Award for Best Cinematography, surprisingly the only one of the trilogy nominated, also winning for Original Score and Makeup. All three took home Oscars for Best Visual Effects.

[@ravenstromdans]

I legitimately never get tired of people experiencing this film (and it's subsequent films) for the first time. It's interesting to hear your logical perspective on what is essentially nonsense-couched-as-magic and the invented racial/cultural dynamics Tolkien created out of whole cloth from inspiration of years as a historian, folklorist and linguist. It's worth noting that the characters here are actually given a bit more depth than offered them in the original novels; Tolkien wrote in an age where description of actions, setting and machinations of plot were paramount compared to explicit exposure of depth of characterization of the players involved. (Criticisms of Tolkien spending pages describing a forest virtually down to individual twigs are hyperbole, but not entirely undeserved) Peter Jackson and the cast of the film succeeded in instilling investment in the characters of the narrative beyond the bounds of the plot of the story which ultimately makes the films more immersive than the novels that spawned them - which, do not mistake me for an ingrate, are fantastic in their own right as far as world building, depth of lore, and plotting of the story itself go...but had largely cardboard cut out archetypes for the various characters that were not Frodo and Samwise. Ah, I would run my mouth for hours on the subject...but it's best that you experience the trilogy for yourself without much external bias. I look forward to seeing what you make of the remainder of the series.

[@rightmunted7538]

Oh hell yeah, best movie trilogy ever made.

[@paratus04]

If modern fantasy is a tree Lord of the Rings is the trunk. Basically every fantasy story since takes some inspiration from it - Harry Potter included.

[@cgrimes34]

LOTR isn’t the trunk of the tree. It is the mountain upon which the other trees have taken root.

[@Makkaru112]

@@cgrimes34was about to say something similar. Like a gargantuan millennium tree that has other trees growing beneath its canopy ❤

[@DadQuixote7]

Lord of the rings was written like 100 years before Harry Potter.

[@RyoHazuki224]

I totally forgot his aversion to feet. He's gonna LOVE this movie then!! haha 10:57 "Did the writer of Harry Potter, and the writer of LOTR, sit down and say we're gonna make similar stories..." Brother, you're not exactly wrong. JRR Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings way back in the 1950's. Nearly every fantasy trope, theme, setting, stereotype, etc, that we have today in things such as D&D, fantasy RPGs, video games, Harry Potter, etc, much of it was established by JRR Tolkien. Almost every fantasy setting we see in fiction in one way or another is "ripping off" LOTR, in a sense. Or put another way, they all take inspiration from. So yeah, there's no surprise that after watching some Harry Potter movies, that you see similarities instantly when starting The Lord of the Rings.