Lord Of The Rings - A Legacy of Cinematic EXCELLENCE!

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Basically, these movies dope. EDIT: Want to clarify, I don't blame PJ entirely for the Hobbit turning out not great. I put the blame much MUCH more so on studio meddling. EDIT 2: People keep bringing up that Phantom Menace has practical effects, which yes. But that's one movie of three and again, there is more complete CG as a whole in the prequel trilogy and it has aged poorly. Certainly far worse than the GENERALLY more blended with practical of the LOTR trilogy. It's a completely unrelated point.

[@cobaltcrusader9841]

Daniel, what's your fave sherlock holmes adaption? Also are you aware of the terrific sherlock holmes tv series w jeremy brett?

[@julianhenderson7628]

And they still hold up...it's nuts

[@julianhenderson7628]

The upcoming shows could learn a lot from them...downplay the cgi...focus on striking dialogue, sublime music, and great pacing.

[@joebears15]

Fantasy Novel sex scene tier-list when?

[@Luka1180]

@@julianhenderson7628 The new show has a budget of 1 billion dollars. I am sure they have enough to do less CGI :D And do an almost fully faithful adaptation. I hope so!! I hope the wall of Minas Tirith is black for once, for instance. And that we meet Bombadil. And that Tolkien's original humor is intact (that was one of the few thigns I really had a problem with in PJ's movies, his humor). It'd also be nice to see Glorfindel, 'cause he got a rockin' name and stuff. And we 100% need the Scouring of the Shire.

[@carlwilliams9642]

Listening to people gush about Lord of the Rings NEVER gets old.

[@kerinegrych4283]

Ya

[@micheledion2000]

I'm with you guys

[@HeronKij]

Just like Lord of the Rings.

[@samm8190]

That’s the flipping truth

[@shonaflood2786]

Definately

[@manank7476]

Daniel: lord of the ri.. Me: CLICKKKK

[@RockSmithStudio]

Glad to see the love of Lord of the Rings Trilogy is well alive after almost 20 years after being released

[@jodiz5901]

Me too. Couldn't click fast enough!

[@Sarapontmercy]

same!!

[@salmakamilah5214]

sameeee!!

[@davidmcadam8276]

The soundtrack for the Shire is the most peaceful and calming music I have ever listened to.

[@hannesdewinter1458]

Especially concerning hobbits

[@Exel3nce]

and it brings tears to my eyes every time

[@mandys1379]

Totally agree! Listen to the soundtracks all the time while reading

[@TheRASDEL83]

"Concerning Hobbits" ... My alarm music... Then I got "Binary Sunset" ... Yeah.... I NEED 2 ALARMS... this music is so epic it's hard to wake up ok!

[@masonheitner8410]

I taught myself how to play Concerning Hobbits on piano because it’s just so good

[@AtunSheiFilms]

The older I get, the higher I rate this trilogy. Without exaggeration, they are among the best movies ever made. Daniel if you haven't checked out the in depth making of docs "The Appendices" you absolutely should.

[@ADHDlanguages]

Yeah my big brother had the pack with like 6 dvds per movie. So quality.

[@nathanielhellman6952]

Holy... Atun?!? I am a huge fan and you watch Daniel? Well it's great to see you out and about in the wild! Looking forward to your next video!

[@mmurphy3608]

I just made it through all of the Appendices for the first time recently. Amazing stuff. So entertaining.

[@ΜάριοςΕλευθεριάδης-π1σ]

Atun-Shei? You're a Daniel Greene fan? I love your videos, man!

[@rafijaxsen7227]

You should read the books, you illiterate cretin.

[@joelleblanc8670]

No small amount of credit should be denied to Philippa Boyens, the co-screenwriter and co-producer of LotR alongside Peter Jackson. She was a Kiwi Tolkien expert, scholar, writer, editor and playwright who wrote a letter to PJ telling him, basically, why she didn't want him to make a LotR film because of everything that the films would get wrong. She was then brought onto the project to be a LotR expert and ended up partnering with PJ and his wife (Fran Walsh) on the entire project. Peter Jackson later said while his focus was directing and special effects, Fran Walsh excelled in communicating with crews/actors and maintaining relationships, and Boyen was the brains, focusing on Tolkien lore and accuracy. The 3 of them have been a team ever since.

[@Lucian1227]

Also, it helps to point out that Philippa Boyens is Jackson's wife so she did to Jackson what George Lucas' first wife during Star Wars and Empire did for Gorge. Staying on target and not deviating from the story.

[@joelleblanc8670]

@@Lucian1227 ??? Fran Walsh is Jackson's wife

[@Lucian1227]

@@joelleblanc8670 sorry thats what I meant to say always confuse the two.

[@anahi_naya_ledesma]

They were The Fellowship of the Film.

[@mattpfarr6129]

@ I guess an expert of Tolkien and...um...kiwis

[@HaJassar]

the best decision Peter Jackson made was hiring Alan Lee and John Howe to design and illustrate the movies. They gave the films that flavor we all love.

[@ND-gm2vs]

So fucking true.

[@paulaunger3061]

That was an inspired choice! So good to have the best Tolkien artists work on the visual design - I don't think the films would have worked half as well otherwise. Immersion is such a key element to any fantasy - almost a statement of the obvious to point it out.

[@rockdalegaming8944]

Visually and acting-wise, the films are all stunning.

[@salomaonplanetsaturn6038]

They made it REAL LoTR, not just cheap adaptation

[@jeffreyhancock4096]

I always thought Andy Serkis should have received an Academy award for his portrayal of Gollum. I don't believe the Academy understood that the acting was his not a computer's.

[@ktsnironmangaming1217]

Preach brother

[@jakemoore416]

I was literally saying that exact thing yesterday. He at least deserved a nomination

[@TheButterflyChaos]

A million Times yes!

[@KS-xk2so]

between Gollum and Ceasar the Academy just owes that guy a "sorry we didn't get it then" Oscar..... maybe two.

[@xHxSs]

Yes he was so great

[@dancook6114]

I will argue to my dying breath that the balrog to this day remains one of the best looking, scary and badass full cgi monsters ever put to screen. And it's unlikely anything will change my mind

[@jasonsalter65]

The balrog scene is to this day may favorite scene in the movie.

[@HNCS2006]

a lot of it is to do with the sound design of the balrog too

[@olihoisl7546]

I think the decision to make the roar of the balrog the roaring of a flame is to this day one of the best design choices ever made

[@petriew2018]

the lost art of not showing how the sausage is made. a lot of cgi monsters fail because you show way to much detail to the audience and they can see through the illusion. Wreathing the Balrog in fire, smoke or just plain darkness makes it both seem properly otherworldly, and not giving the audience the chance to find any flaws. It's something so many movies fail at today (it's especially bad with the DC movies) of trying to overload the audience visually and falling prey to the weakness of CGI, instead of the more minimalist approach of giving the audience just enough to feel what the director wants them to feel

[@rockdalegaming8944]

@@petriew2018 An angle I've not thought of. I was wishing we'd seen more of him, but what you say here makes more than a lot of sense.

[@acereporter73]

"I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My king." "Be at peace, son of Gondor." I'm tearing up again just typing this. How they handled Boromir was one of my favorite aspects of LOTR.

[@Hero_Of_Old]

Almost every scene in this trilogy is goddamn epic and dripping with love

[@leraron]

Well i teared up just reading this...

[@thedragon6480]

@@leraron Same!

[@jodiz5901]

Oh, that scene breaks my heart and turns me into a bawling mess. The other is when Eomer finds Eowen on the battlefield. I can feel his grief in my bones.

[@peterconway6584]

@@Hero_Of_Old : In the books, almost every person, place and thing is epic in its genealogy, past and history.

[@forgemakesstuff2734]

you know, I have heard many times that Lord of the Rings is perfect, and I've said many times that Lord of the Rings is perfect but yeah i'll hear it from Daniel because the reasoning never gets old and I'm a nerd and have no life

[@colette8022]

I love watching the hours of behind the scene footage for these movies.

[@joannaholden943]

Yes! I actually watch those to inspire me in my writing...Not sure why it works, but it does!

[@blitzgirl6522]

Same! Those behind the scenes discs also put into greater perspective the sheer effort put into making movies. I've never seen such a detailed breakdown of that before. When I watch the behind the scenes material, I feel like I'm surrounded by friends and family. That's how much this trilogy impacted my life. There have been times where I was sick or couldn't sleep and I'd watch them - just to feel relaxed and happy.

[@firusmazlan]

I think I actually watch them more often than the movies themselves. There's nothing more epic than a few people spending their days linking chainmail for months and months just for the movies

[@joldomort5515]

I’ve seen the extended editions so much I’ve forgotten what it’s like originally

[@karlnord1429]

Rofl Same.

[@AnimalsAce]

I tried to watch the theatrical version of Fellowship the other day and I had to turn it off ten minutes in. It was too strange. I can literally only watch the extended editions...

[@avsambart]

Saaaammeee

[@peterconway6584]

The extended versions are the only way to watch it!

[@Glorfindel_117]

It's worse. That's what it's like originally. Just worse.

[@Hero_Of_Old]

My God there's so many epic Musical Motifs/themes in this trilogy: Concerning Hobbits, One Ring theme, Rohirrim theme, Gondor theme, Fellowship theme, Grey Havens, Isengard to name a few. I bet you can instantly hear them in your head.

[@raffaelsteinmann7296]

Yep, totally agree. Probably my favorite score ever.

[@SS-rr7by]

@@raffaelsteinmann7296 SO GOOD. Upon rewatches, my fav musical cue comes at the end... "I can't carry it for you..BUT I CAN CARRY YOU!!!" then the melody to Into the West plays. Gets me every time

[@jamesnialG]

@@SS-rr7by Yeah, that's the Grey Havens theme. It's pretty great.

[@berserker8884]

My favorite score ever. Easy. Howard Shore is a musical genius you rarely see in cinema IMO. Hans has nothing on this guy IMO

[@igaraba]

I mean, is there even a theme in the whole soundtrack which isn't a masterpiece?

[@Jenny-vc3gr]

My grandpa introduced me to the wonderful world of Middle Earth when I was 10. He watched the movies with me and I fell in love with the incredible genre that is fantasy. Because of him I started reading Tolkien's books. I'm 25 now and I can't even count the amount of times I've watched those movies. They're my absolute favourites and I basically know every single line by heart. Especially the scene "The Ride of the Rohirrim" manages to give me goosebumps every darn time. It's just perfection. Damn, you really make me want to watch them again... Tonight... Yes, it's going to be another Lord of the Rings movie marathon night. 😅

[@rodrigo3732]

This is beautiful.

[@timberfedor5]

I have nearly exactly the same story, and: I've made life long friends - I met someone when I was 8 because he was re-enacting running from Shelob, and I decided to join him. We're still best friends to this day.

[@aidanspeck2487]

My grandad showed me lord of the rings too, he loves them and so do I now

[@lauralanier9806]

It's been awhile since I've watched them, but I'm pretty sure I can still quote Galadriel's entire prologue speech. 😂

[@danieldasilva9829]

What did your grandpa think of the films?

[@justsomedudete3320]

Ian McKellen as Gandalf is one of the best things to ever happen to the very concept of casting

[@kilermekov]

Things like John Rhys Davies being allergic to the prosthetics he had to wear to the point where he spent the majority of filming with his face swollen and in pain, the story of the hobbit actors concocting the game of "Tig" and trolling the rest of the cast & crew, Viggo breaking his toe kicking the Roharim helm and keeping the scream of pain in the film... these people LIVED the art they were creating and it shows.

[@joelleblanc8670]

When Covid is over, come to New Zealand and visit the shire! Nothing quite like sitting in the Green Dragon Inn with a pint of beer, looking across the lake at a Hobbit hole. Surreal AF. ..... and effing brilliant.

[@tayh.6235]

It really is an amazing experience! Had the chance to go just before covid started after dreaming of it since early childhood, and it's a day I'll always remember

[@eeveetrainer96]

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the equivalent of cinematic masterpiece BECAUSE PREPRODUCTION IS IMPORTANT AND NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT

[@mattc16]

I think they understand it, it’s just more profitable to use newer methods to cut down on preproduction. As Daniel said, LotR was in preproduction for years. Practical effects, miniatures, costume creation, set creation, etc. takes a very long time and requires hiring a much larger staff. Remove 80% of that, have a green/blue screen studio, a team of special effect, CGI, 3D modelers, etc. and you’ve cut down on the time and cost it takes to create a film. It’s unfortunate but production companies are in the business to make money, not movies. They’re very much like business investors. They like an idea someone pitches them, decide to invest and fund the film, but they get the last word.

[@eeveetrainer96]

@@mattc16 completely agree with you!! It’s unfortunate, but it’s also the truth: their objective is seeing their profits after an investment. But it’s also true that many production companies, or at least many producers, ONLY care about that, and they don’t care about understanding what would be best for the film, and that’s what really irks me so much. I’ve been a producer myself (albeit while I was in uni and doing student productions with a vastly different budget), so I understand the importance of optimizing the money flow and trying to accomplish something great with limited resources. But I still tried my best to do everything I could for the creative team, and understand what was needed for the film to feel real and engaging. The Hobbit trilogy (as well as many other prequels, sequels and spin offs that have been milked by these production companies) are a poor attempt at nostalgia bait for the audience, because they didn’t look at the work the had in front of them and said “what does this specific story need in order to be told and shared”, but rather “how can we get another universal success from the same world as LoTR”. It’s frustrating, but it’s also true that, in the end, these production companies paid for this to happen, so at least they’re out there. It’s the dilemma of living in a world where art has to be funded in order for it to happen, so it’s a very love-hate relationship I guess 😅

[@divyesh94]

These 3 movies are what got me into Fantasy in the first place, I remember seeing Return of the King in Theatres like 6 times with some friends. Absolute Masterpieces that I hope modern fantasy adaptations can even come close to reaching.

[@Luka1180]

They should, yeah. But they should also try to be even more faithful. Just to see what that might be like. Which is what I am hoping for with the new Amazon Prime show. If it's not and if it's filled with a bunch of the artists' own grubby fingerprints because they absolute NEED to have them on there, then I won't watch it... And if it's too close to these movies, then there might not be much use to watch it either 'cause we already saw it. So more faithful it is. Hopefully close to 100% lol. Seriously, it'd be cool to see an almost word for word version! EDIT: Nevermind. I just read that they are NOT EVEN GOING TO BE AN ADAPTATION OF THE BOOKS!!!!!!! WTF?!???!! They are going to cover the backstory leading up to the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. Surely you don't need FIVE seasons to do that, and surely you shouldn't title your series "The Lord of the Rings" if it's not fucking The Lord of the Rings?! This feels so disingenious to me! And disrespectful. To fans AND to Tolkien and the Estate. Humbug.

[@raffaelsteinmann7296]

@@Luka1180 Well, tbh, they've always said the show is going to be set in the 2nd age. Aaaand people have already been discussing if it should be titled "the Lord of the Rings". But we don't, as far as I know, have the actual title of the show yet.

[@raffaelsteinmann7296]

@Brandon Losch Totally agree! But I don't think we'll get to see Morgoth as the show's only set during the 2nd age.

[@raffaelsteinmann7296]

@Brandon Losch I only remember him getting banished. Though it's been awhile too.

[@Laurelin70]

@Brandon Losch That was before, after their first battles. At the beginning of the 2nd age he was cast in the Void and and during the 2nd Age (the Age of Numenor) it was Sauron (who only got to be spared because he made a show of great repentance and the Valar were just a bunch of softies) to keep going on with his master's plans of world dominion.

[@julietagimenez8065]

Bruh BRUH Alan Lee and John Howe, the concept artists who designed the sets and weapons and overall looks, they ALSO deserve just as much praise as everyone else involved in this project

[@hardyworld]

Yes, you are preaching to the choir, Daniel, but the choir, LIKES being preached to. Keep producing this content; it's our favorite candy, we'll be back for more.

[@mikem1585]

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us” “...White shores, and beyond: a far green country, under a swift sunrise.” “But in the end, it’s only a passing thing. This shadow, even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines it’ll shine out the clearer.” “A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early...he arrives precisely when he means to.” “May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out.” “A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship...but it is not this day!” “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!” “Arise! Arise riders of Theoden!...” “I will not say do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.”

[@paulregan9304]

Well, I'm back.

[@jennayoung9811]

Ok, just reading these quotes made me tear up, another testament to how well these films were done

[@LetGoJaz]

I have seen the LOTR movies so many times and every single time, Sam carrying Frodo makes me cry

[@Romulu5]

Arise, arise rider's of theoden. Goosebumps.

[@sairithvikn9838]

The music in these is fantastic, I love the "Saruman/Mordor Theme", and The Bridge of Khazad Dum in particular.

[@lorawaye]

My favorite movie of all time is LOTR Two Towers extended edition (always extended edition). Most people grew up with Saturday morning cartoons- I grew up with Saturday morning LOTR. To this day it is my cinematic comfort food. I have ptsd and whenever I have an episode my husband puts them on and it brings me outside of myself in a way that nothing else can. Nothing compares for me

[@peterconway6584]

I first watched The Two Towers in the theater and was disappointed in it. Later, I watched the extended edition and it was marvellous!

[@jonsnow7926]

This is awesome to hear, I also was up before everyone else on Saturday mornings, making some toasted cheese and watching LotR on VHS.

[@seblepage]

I remember 15 year-old me walking out of the theater after having seen The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time, realizing that I had seen the greatest movie of my life thus far, and possibly the greatest I would ever see in my life. Of course parts 2 and 3 came out and blew me away as well despite my extremely high expectations. They are still my favorite movies ever. I had the pleasure of watching the entire extended editions in a 12-hours marathon last year, the first time I had ever done so, after not having watched any of the movies for about a decade. They hold up so well. Not all of the special effects do, but the storytelling holds up. I have never seen a work of fiction embrace strong emotions as much as this trilogy and I love it for that. Frodo and Sam's bond is a beautiful and awesome thing to behold, and both Sean Astin and Elijah Wood did a tremendous job filling their roles.

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

pure pleasure: Watching the lord of the rings extended trilogy every christmas. guilty pleasure: watching the hobbit extended trilogy first.

[@jodiz5901]

We started our Christmas day movie going tradition with RoTK. (We have no family nearby.) I wrapped up the tickets and put them under the tree. My boys were ecstatic.

[@cathsaigh2197]

And you should feel guilty.

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

@@cathsaigh2197 i am scum.

[@asfaloth12]

Why on earth should you feel guilty about that? I personally loved the Hobbit Trilogy. Was it perfect? No, but they were still very good movies. Heck , I even have a few issues with TTT and ROTK (ie, some of the stuff with Faramir). I still love them. Now, Fellowship of the Ring was just about perfection :D

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

@@asfaloth12 because while i mainly enjoy it, there are moments that i truly despise it. makes me uncomfortable to continue watching. But i'm a Man, so i soldier on, to the bitter end.

[@jackwriter1908]

And, what did I take out of this video? Boromir with Sunglasses rocks.

[@nicolaspietrangelo5573]

In that part of the video they say Sean Bean HATED flying to the locations where they were going to shoot, so he pretty much climbed his way up to those places while the rest of the cast flew there.

[@MackDnD]

I still get chills when Theodin charges at Pelennor fields, and tear up at the end of Return of the King. When I was in 5th grade, my dad took me to watch Return of the King and I still remember it was the first movie that I had ever cried watching.

[@cynthiacraig3648]

30 year old woman here! I was 11 when the Fellowship of the Ring came out and my dad forced me to go watch it at AMC. I fell in love within the first 30 mins. I have been a Tolkien fan ever since collecting all the books, action figures, posters anything Tolkien related. I was lucky to see the 2nd and 3rd film on opening nights! I remember AMC being extremely packed for the 3rd film on opening night. Wonderful memories. I probably saw each film multiple times while it was still in theaters. I watch the extended versions every year

[@matthewhaynes509]

Those movies got me so messed up I’m still surprised when I see Elijah Wood and he’s not 4 feet tall

[@Ponaru]

Run into Elijah all the time do ya? :P

[@franciscobrisolladeoliveir9596]

Can you imagine if they announce a remake of the trilogy? The internet is not prepared for the backlash of that magnitude

[@djokealtena2538]

Considering the bullshit enforcement of politics I Will go full on Rage. Am awaiting whether or not Amazon will go along the bullshittrain or honour the Lotr with this New series. But I am verrrrrrry skeptical.

[@elijahdavila3684]

They really really really don't need one but knowing Hollywood, there will probably be one for the massive amount of cash it will bring to producers and execs. Luckily, there will already be a good telling of the story so we can just ignore the remake anyway.

[@vladdracula8103]

@@DillsyYourDaddy67 Exactly, why waste money remaking the trilogy when they just can release it in theaters whenever they want for anniversaries or whatever excuse they want to use and people would still go watch it

[@totallynotalpharius2283]

The beacons will be lit

[@asinicw9906]

How well this has aged

[@jimluebke3869]

New Zealand and New Zealanders were a huge part of making LotR great. - The orkish battle chant just wasn't coming together in production, so PJ went to a large rugby match, and taught the chant to the crowd there. They included that cut in the movie. - When they needed cavalry for the Riders of Rohan, they just advertised to the general public to show up and help out if they had a horse. Hundreds did. Kiwis are just awesome.

[@natestadler2352]

One of my favorite moments in the LotR movies is the build up to Helm's Deep. There is no music playing, just the constant thumping of the orcs marching

[@francoisgalarneau194]

One of the things that also make this trilogy amazing (or what makes this story stay with you as Sam would say) is the dialogue being so memorable and inspiring ... obviously using Tolkien's original text helps a lot

[@rc3769]

Yes! Completely agree. They didnt dumb it down - they mostly use the theatrical, deeply literary style that Tolkein uses even when they are writing new material. Superb adapted screenplay!

[@toddJM1015]

There are many just epic, iconic moments in the entire trilogy, but my favorite moment is a small moment from Fellowship when Frodo says he'll take the Ring, and Gandalf's reaction is my favorite emotional beat in a series filled to the brim with them. It says so much about both characters in just two short shots and both actors relay an ocean of thoughts and emotions with only one simple line: "I'll take it."

[@santicotarelo6848]

Edit: (A reply has pointed out that what I said in this comment is not entirely true, see replies) I agree with most of the things you said, but I would like to point out that the decisions in the Hobbit weren't completely Perer Jackson's fault. Those films were riddled with production problems, including five different studios being involved (as opposed to 1 for LOTR) and a director change part way through. So basically, unlike LOTR, corporate greed drove the changes and the "epic-isation" in the Hobbit films. Aside from that, great vid Daniel!

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Oh I did not mean to make it sound like it was PJs fault. But I do believe he was also not performing his best.

[@funnerz]

Santi Cotarelo Watching the behind the scenes is so eye opening for the Hobbit. Peter Jackson has it real hard.

[@ricardoponcefernandez6339]

@@DanielGreeneReviews by the time he realized the mess he was in, he completely fell out of love and you can see him exhausted with the project many times.

[@Hirnknaker]

Thx, for that commend

[@santicotarelo6848]

@@DanielGreeneReviews Oh yeah, I agree he wasn't at his best either way

[@vak.o]

Everything that could go right just went AMAZING in this trilogy. I watch the full extended trilogy every now and then with my mom, and we still gush over it every time. I have yet to find a battle that tops Helm’s Deep.

[@alexmurphy5041]

The 4 hours of behind the scenes on set footage (which is all on KZbin btw) shows how happy and excited everyone who worked on it was.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

They are an absolute treasure: seeing the actors gush praise all over each other, seeing the special effects/ props/ costume people doing their thing, learning all the tricks of the trade from the various crew members, ... Sometimes it's hard to figure where all those millions of dollars go. The BTS makes it obvious they all worked their asses off for that money.

[@CatrionaReads]

Love when you do deep dives, Daniel! Lindsay Ellis's video series on The Hobbit movies is absolutely excellent, goes into all the background and the politics of the movie industry in NZ too. 10/10 recommend

[@Arezoo298195]

Yes! This ^^

[@levisimpson516]

I would add Art direction. Specifically I thought one of the most brilliant moves Peter did was to call on Alan Lee and John Howe to come in and just draw and create and try and base the look of the movie off of the many drawings and paintings they already created for books and calendars. They brought illustrations to life in a way you don't see to often. I will always think of that as a brilliant move and one that paid off HUGE in how the film looks and feels like something classic, fantastic, and yet real.

[@igortaveren]

Hopefully Wheel of Time creators will take notes.

[@dreamer2260]

Exactly.

[@Riri-oj1zs]

Amazon's main focus right now is the Lord of the Rings series. A $1 billion dollar project.

[@adrianbundy3249]

@@Riri-oj1zs 1 Billion USD? If that doesn't sell massively, that is going to be a big loss from them. Because I doubt that is even talking about advertising budgets. And if it is a big loss, that might effect how much they are willing to spend on WoT. Which wouldn't be good for WoT. Sigh... That was John Carter's mistake (that and bad marketing, selling a different kind of movie than what it actually was), despite it being good, with a billion dollar production tag, unless it was one of the top 25 ever movies at the time, it was going to catch losses. The assumption of names and money pumped in, to automatic wealth. I hope this one doesn't backfire similarly. Besides, John Carter was good (despite the original series of books being way, way better. Granted, that is true of most books to TV, when both were good).

[@Riri-oj1zs]

@@adrianbundy3249 The name 'Lord of the Rings' alone is enough to turn heads. Pretty sure that'll be a massive hit.

[@adrianbundy3249]

@@Riri-oj1zs Still, I think not setting yourself up to where you need game of thrones style success to not lose money is a far more sure bet on making money.

[@amandap2579]

Sorcerer’s Stone came out in 2001 too and I always feel incredibly lucky I got to experience both of them during such a formative age

[@marieh5228]

I’m in my lord of the rings phase that happens once a year and then you post this so thank you

[@AwSamWeston]

As a fantasy filmmaker, I'm still convinced that the Lord of the Rings extended trilogy is the greatest film (yes, singular!) of all time. They're still the movies that inspire me most to keep going and bring the worlds I've built to the screen instead of the page.

[@jonbaxter2254]

I also count them as "one" film when I'm talking about favourites, they just work together so well

[@moonlitmellie]

You know it’s a good movie when 80 million memes come out of it lol

[@raffaelsteinmann7296]

Ever heard of the Star Wars prequels?

[@JorgeGomez-hx5uu]

@@raffaelsteinmann7296 i love democracy

[@chocolatethunder3514]

Eeeeeh...not always the case, just look at Lynch's Dune

[@jodie3950]

Those are still some of the best memes I have seen 😂

[@mikem1585]

Daniel, this is my favorite video that you’ve made!...I’m one of those people that watches the extended editions multiple times a year. I’m not sure anything will ever match the awe I felt watching The Battle of Helm’s Deep, The lighting of the beacons, the ride or the rohirrum, Sam carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, etc...There’s just so many iconic moments.

[@emilywalker1885]

Mike M 🙌🙌🙌

[@strombolibones]

Hey Mr. Goblin, my last comment got removed so I'm trying again. First of all, thanks for all the content you put out, I've found many favorite books through your channel! Second, I made a Hobbit edit that aims to fix a lot of the problems you talked about in this video. It clocks in at around 5 hours, and is split into 5 Episodes. If you think that's something you'd be interested in, I'd be happy to share! Either way, thanks for all you do :)

[@strombolibones]

It's called "The Battle of the Five Edits" over on IFDB, if you want to read more! (KZbin won't let me put a link here)

[@leelahandcoffee1712]

I can no longer remember how many times I've rewatched the movies, both the extended and theatrical. In every rewatch, Denethor eating that tomatoe is still disgusting. lol.

[@vladdracula8103]

“Sing me a song” *munch*

[@jodie3950]

Ugh ew. Hate that scene.

[@golwenlothlindel]

right? It takes serious work to make eating a tomato look that revolting. John Noble is seriously underrated. Yes the music and juxtaposition help the scene, but he really ate that tomato like it was his son's eyeball. See Lord of the Rings may have quests and dragons, elves and dwarves, hobbits and knights: but at it's core are gut-wrenchingly real stories. The story of Denethor and Faramir is one of those. Faramir is every child who wasn't quite what their parents expected: whether something as subtle as being nerdy rather than sporty, or something as dramatic as being gay or autistic. There are far too many parents (mostly fathers, but some mothers) like Denethor in this world: so distracted by their expectations they fail to see the wonderful children they do have, so convinced that they understand everything that they fail to see the world changing in front of them. The movies perfectly captured this aspect of the books, in my opinion. They weren't just epic, they were also relatable. Real human problems, set against the backdrop of a life-or-death struggle between good and evil with the freedom of the entire world at stake: that's the essence of the Legendarium.

[@taaroko]

I want to live in the timeline where Guillermo del Toro got to make his version of the Hobbit movie(s?) and the studios involved actually trusted him to do it. Bonus points if it's the same timeline where he got to make his version of Beauty and the Beast before Disney could make a soulless live-action remake instead.

[@potionseller2083]

As a 19 year old, I never got the chance to watch these in theatres. I would love for them to be rereleased, just to experience them on the big screen

[@cindyknudson2715]

Absolutely!

[@anuragshah6243]

smh never even mentioned that viggo literally broke his toe kicking that one helmet, and the scream was real

[@DS-mi9ru]

The scene that every nerd calls out when watching the movie with a lotr-noob

[@cbpd89]

What about the scene where he broke his tooth? I think an orc tackle in fotr...the man sacrificed his body for the role!

[@anuragshah6243]

@@cbpd89 Oh i mean of course that one too, but the breaking his toe scene has basically become a meme at this point which is why I brought it up in particular

[@anuragshah6243]

Gandalf banging his head on the ceiling is another funny one

[@DS-mi9ru]

@@anuragshah6243 Or the part where Lurtz accidentally throws his knife at Aragorn and he managed to deflect it with his sword.

[@lilianagarcia8443]

Aragorn singing in Elvish, I still cry over that scene after the 100th time

[@Riri-oj1zs]

That's the song of Beren and Luthien.

[@StellaMarshal]

Just gonna brag real quick because no one in my day to day life would appreciate this but the guy who did a vast majority of the CGI for Gollum is my dads best friend. They worked on a comic book project in their twenties together and, as a small nod to that, if you pause on an exact frame in the cave troll scene in the mines of Moria, the mace chain looks like a small bone creature that was the main character in their comic books

[@mrgodliak]

I used to watch the extended editions once a month when I had the time back as an upper class-man in high school. Favorite movies of all time, easily. Love the books of course too.

[@fredkelly6953]

My first reaction to seeing Fellowship - this movie has transcended cinema. It was that immersion that feeling of being physically transported to another world. To this day no other movie has given me that feeling.

[@anuraghalbe699]

"DEAAAAAATTTTTHHHHHHHHHH!" Well beats "on your left" any day of the week Not dissing that one tho, it was pretty epic too.

[@Laurelin70]

Still, that "On your left" was the essence of what Tolkien himself called "eucatastrophe" in his essay "On Fairy Stories": " the good catastrophe, the sudden joyous “turn” (...) It does not deny the existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure: the possibility of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat (...) it can give to child or man that hears it, when the “turn” comes, a catch of the breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears." (Tolkien, On Faiy-Stories)

[@anuraghalbe699]

@@Laurelin70 That's great to know. Thanks!

[@ElrohirGuitar]

Really good job, Daniel. One of the best experiences of my life was going to the theater with my daughter when Fellowship premiered. She was eleven and we just looked at each other with tears in our eyes laughing together at how much we enjoyed it.

[@jonsey_2730]

I don't know if anyone has ever told you this, but you have a very nice voice.

[@jcarm185]

FACT!

[@ibrahimassem8563]

Just a side note here but man, your last minute edits to include or correct some information always make your videos more dynamic which is quite refreshing.

[@danielvanrooyen9602]

Man the music, gets me every time. Me and my wife rewatch them each year.

[@thelegendoflink9140]

Especially rewatch now, the 4k re-edited versions with Dolby audio came out last year. they are truly amazing and with special effects re-edited, it looks amazing.

[@animefreakazoid01]

This literally came out at the right time. I’m finishing up the books right now and am going to rewatch the movies right after! Perfect timing 👌🏼

[@sineadjenks5325]

I met Orlando bloom on set for a movie he did in London back in 2018. And I gushed to him about lord of the rings, even got him to sign my special edition books as Legolas. But he didn't really seem to want to talk about the Hobbit movies, no negative thoughts were shared but he just didn't want to say anything about it, and compared to our passionate chat about LOTR, that reaction really stood out to me.

[@spartnmarcen5110]

The behind the scenes for these movies are also incredibly amazing and I have yet to see a film that does the same thing since (they are as long, and I remember correctly, as a single one of the films 3-5 HOURS). I also want to shout out that Lord of the Rings Online is an incredible adaptation in it's own right. Many of my high school and middle school years were spent playing in it and the sheer level of detail and love the developers put into it is astonishing. See, the Barrow Downs and the Old Forest. AND THE PRANCING PONY INN AND BREE and I could gush for for hours about it.

[@masonheitner8410]

I have very fond memories of these films. My parents used to watch them when I was a kid, before their divorce. And then I sat down and watched them all with my mom in high school, which grew us even closer. I read the books, and got my friend to watch with me. We went to the library after school a couple days a week to watch it. My senior year, I wrote an essay convincing my Humanities teachers to watch LOTR in class AND WE DID. Really good day.

[@rishabhdave5773]

When you just learned about rhetoric for the first time like 15 minutes ago and Daniel starts talking about exigence, purpose, genre and context of his video and the work he's examining.

[@jordanholmes9943]

My favorite memory from these movies was when my dad (who introduced me to the books and the genre) took me (had read them two or three times at that point) to see the fellowship in theaters opening weekend. As we were leaving, some older women walking ahead of us said to one another "that ending leaves room for a sequel." It was a great inside joke I had with my dad. That being said, the lack of Tom Bombadil and the scouring of the shire still makes me cry a little.

[@Mossfoots]

Weta Studios! They literally invented new CG technology for LOTR

[@onepiecepedia]

Those movies changed my life so much, I even went to New Zealand to live/work there for a year. That was in 2010... fast forward to today and I'm still there with a family of my own! ❤️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

[@joschaklueppel]

Great video! There can never be enough praise for Lord of the Rings in general and the movies, in particular. The love for detail is unparalleled! According to WETA Studies, they creates more than 48 000 individual pieces for the trilogy, that's just insane. The behind the scenes of the trilogy really shows that. I agree with everything you said, though I'd like to add one more thing that sometimes goes unmentioned. Jackson did a superb job shooting the movie, and, as you said, it was because he imagined New Zealand as Middle Earth for such a long time (and was also allowed to do it in three movies by New Line Cinema and not in two, as he had proposed). However, I think a lot of praise also needs to go to Fran Walsh, Jackson's partner. She wrote most of the screen play and did an incredible job!

[@paperbacktulips5490]

I definitely think that the casting choices and the pure chemistry and friendships between the actors have helped create the realness of the characters and the world and is one of the main reasons the movies were such a massive success with tremendous legacy. Loved the video, your passion and the amount of work and research you put into your videos is simply amazing! Thanks for all your work Daniel!

[@QazwerDave]

NOT LONG ENOUGH !! Release the extended edition !!

[@shockwavesteve]

*halfway through releasing the river* Huh? Oh sorry! *starts putting rocks back*

[@joshknoll5172]

I re-watch all three Extended Cuts every couple of years, and my love for them just continues to grow. They are incredibly well-done, well cast, and just fantastic movies.

[@mfbobyle6771]

It’s one of those few movies I watch at least once a year. Truly an amazing trilogy

[@dcrees4190]

I was there. Opening day. First in line. Nobody was there. I felt like I was the only person in my city who knew what LOTR was. The next year, Two Towers was packed. Most of the time, movies grow a bigger legacy as time goes on. It was awesome to be there to witness something that was epic and great, right out of the gate.

[@HandlesAreStupid2024]

They transcend film culture because his trees speak Entish, clearly.

[@idakangas3588]

I love the mix between serious Daniel and super passionate Daniel !

[@lucyamclarenauthor]

I fell in love with these films from the outset. Remember seeing the first one at the cinema 13 times and my little 12 year old self being in love with Legolas ha. Recently finished rewatching the extended editions with my husband. He's not even a massive fantasy fan, and I think that's part of the appeal. Literally was about to say they transcended the genre of fantasy and you said it haha. So, yes, agreed!

[@bacul165]

I'll never forget how much I was blown away by just how beautiful the Shire was. Just beautiful, and the perfect soundtrack to go with it.

[@flubadubdubthegreat1272]

I think you forgot to mention that the score is virtually perfect too

[@codybream5821]

Literally started rewatching these yesterday. Nothing has yet to compete in terms of overall epicness

[@Severian1]

You know you love these movies when you say some of the lines before the characters say them. Cinematic perfection indeed.

[@essauthor]

Hit the nail on the head with this analysis. Passion shows, and does way more than people give it credit for. On top of all the different excellent parts of the films, the passion behind the project was an important detail in the success of these movies.

[@wingcastlereads5657]

I agree so much about the look of the movies! They still hold up, even compared to movies coming out now. I still haven't forgiven Witcher for that dragon ...

[@johnwallace2319]

one thing that helped was the they knocked the first one out of the park and surprised the crap out of everyone. and then we were hooked, hooked enough to sit through the few weak parts (sam's drama monologue, "the eagles!") to follow

[@jenna.livingston]

"Have you seen the other CGI characters of that time?" *shows a clip from the Mummy 2* "They're terrible!" I didn't ask to be personally attacked today, Daniel.

[@jamesnialG]

So glad there are still people talking about these excellent films. Watching them just gives me a feeling that I get from no other movie.

[@xXblerm69Xx]

I missed about 30 seconds of what Daniel was saying because I was looking at Sean Astin’s foot and trying to read the subtitles to explain why I was looking at his foot.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

He stepped on a sharp rock when he ran into the water. If you watch the 'making of' it shows a nasty cut and Elijah is like "Cool! Look at all the blood!" while Sean is about to pass out.

[@TripleCork-bl1xm]

Just wanted to say that this channel has helped me get through this coronavirus pandemic so much. Started with the Witcher books, went through the stormlight archive, and now I’m deep in book 4 of the wheel of time and I’m loving it! Thanks for you channel and helping to popularize fantasy. I never considered myself a reader until I started diving into Fantasy, and now I spend more time reading than playing video games (Which is saying quite a lot for me).

[@therenegadebard3971]

The problem with the Hobbit is that they forgot one important thing: It's a children's book. It doesn't need romantic interests, contrived action, or cameos. It's not for adults yet they tried to market it for them anyway.

[@simonedwards9450]

It was also not part of Tolkien’s mythos the way lord of the rings was. It was a book set in middle earth, but it wasn’t part of the mythology that Tolkien had been working on since 1917 in the trenches. When his son Christopher Tolkien wrote the books: The History of Middle Earth, he didn’t mention the Hobbit for this reason

[@simonedwards9450]

ariesroc but he wrote the hobbit for his children, not intending it to be a part of what he was writing in the Silmarillion. When he wrote the lord of the rings, he decided to bring his mythos into it, making it a very different read from the hobbit

[@ANT96-x8d]

Unpopular opinion:There’s a prediction that when George RR Martin’s last two Song Of Ice And Fire books (Winds Of Winter and Dream Of Spring) are published, the sales will surpass the Harry Potter series in the US. I think this could be possible to happen.

[@simonedwards9450]

Anthony Nunez will anyone be around who was alive when the first one was published? I really hope he releases them together because I can’t be bothered waiting another decade for the last one

[@djokealtena2538]

Plus it originally Del Toro wanted to make a darker version of it. Before the studio's became impatient and switched directors. PJ never intended to make the Hobbit unlike Lotr which he went to all the studio's to in order to get it funded.

[@CASH10K]

I like how they play little bits of the fellowship theme throughout. They keep adding a few instruments until the scene where they’re finally all together and it just blasts. So dope

[@stviz87]

Whenever I hear the music it takes me straight to the Shire and plops me in the middle of the story

[@jenniferobin7260]

I watched a live orchestra play the soundtrack as the movie was playing on a huge screen. It was so epic!

[@jaredsturt8626]

Hands down the best book to film adaption ever. In any genre.

[@01Sangahyando]

Let's agree to disagree. That said, they're good movies.

[@RockSmithStudio]

@@01Sangahyando Not to start an argument. Just curious what other book to film adaptations would you put up there? I think of films like the Shining, the Godfather, etc.

[@Luka1180]

Eh, I disagree. I'd give that award to Silence of the Lambs, I think. Even without being that big of a fan of the book.

[@thebluesmurfdude]

There have been several good ones in my opinion. I normally switch between LoTR's and The Princess Bride as great book to film adaptation.

[@PhoenixRiseinFlame]

@@RockSmithStudio Isn’t the Shining movie really different from the book?

[@similarrose5811]

LotR got me into fantasy and cinema & reading & film in general. I left the theatre after watching Fellowship for the first time, shook & went straight to the book store to buy the trilogy. Still one of the biggest influences in my life.

[@tacoman2147]

I rewatched the extended LOTR trilogy w/ my little sister a couple months ago, and I forgot how amazing it was! Thanks for the vid, Daniel, 10/10!

[@shadowseer07]

I was 15 when Fellowship came out and it’s still my most pleasurable and formative cinematic experience. Frankly this trilogy is what made me love film.

[@sethrobbins2464]

About to watch the extended additions again. Last time was 4 months ago. I pull out my LoTR's swords as I watch haha

[@GoudaOnRye]

Just rewatched the trilogy last week. They hold up so well it’s crazy. Absolute masterclass.