Our first time watching THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING 2003 blind movie reaction!

[@OniSavior]

Wooooo! Finally 🎉

[@mentallygonereacts]

Apologies for the delay! The goal is to have consistent uploads every week moving forward. We both got really sick prior to New Year's Eve and couldn't do much of anything for the first weeks of the year, so our "New Year" technically only started a few days ago. Hoping to make the most out of 2024 and experience as many gems as possible! Happy to have you join us for the ride!

[@bashfulcarrot4015]

​@@mentallygonereacts super happy to hear you guys are better. Excited for regular uploads 🎉

[@Martin-bf3by]

It is weed, Tolkien just didn't want to get hate cos back then weed was looked down on.

[@davidgraylord5977]

@@Martin-bf3by Tolken wrote this before the mad weed campaign. His letter he wrote in the 60's saying it wasn't weed was because of the times.

[@timlois]

"My friends. You bow to no one." 😭 I can never keep it together for that line.

[@joedirt688]

Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.

[@Jwest4ne]

And to add to that Faramir ends up being with Eowyn, and Eomer takes over as king of Rohan and they restore their relationship with Gondor! If you read the books there’s actually a whole battle in the Shire after the crowning of Aragorn, but you’ll have to read the books to experience that!

[@devonroberts7992]

​@Jwest4ne is that in the lord of the rings books or others of Tolkien writings. I'm trying to get all the books

[@Big_Tex]

@@devonroberts7992 that info is in the appendices of “The Return of the King”. Well worth reading. There’s a very emotional section about widowed Arwen after Aragorn dies. For decades that was all we had of the extra legendarium until Christopher Tolkien started getting all the other stuff published.

[@Dumbodwarf]

​​​​@@Makkaru112I see this comment on a lot of different LOTR reactions and it boggles me. This may or may not have happened but there is nothing in Tolkien's writings that suggest that this was the case, nor was it really necessary. It's an incorrect assumption made based on one of Tolkien's writings on Valinor, misinterpreting his assertion that mortal lives in Valinor are fleeting and deadly and that the holy Ray's the Valar shine down kills them. However this is not the case, it is the perception of time in Aman that makes it seem so quick in the perception of immortals and the Ainur that abide there. Galadriel probably did go to Tol Eressea, as that was where the Noldor chose to stay as they were returning home but they chose to do that, they were not mandated. I can also see Gimli staying in Eressea as well and Legolas living with him but not because he was mandated to do so but because so that he could see Galadriel again as that was his final wish before he passed and could even visit her and may have even met Aule. I think one thing is for certain though, they were healed of all of their wounds physically, mentally and spiritually. As it was the entire reason why they sailed to Valinor to begin with and would be able to live out the rest of their lives exploring the Blessed Realm as they saw fit. Bilbo had some time to live being 131 but physically 70. Frodo had quite a lot of time being only 51 but physically 34. Sam and Gimli most likely had only a short time unfortunately as Sam was 102 which was an advanced age for hobbits and Gimli was 262 which was a very advanced for dwarfs. I have no doubt that Bilbo spent every day with the elves asking many questions and hanging out with them while Frodo wandered both Eressea and Aman, going to Valmar and maybe visiting the garden of Yavanna, meeting the Valar especially Elbereth and other things.

[@theveryworstluck1894]

Legolas refuses to travel to the Undying Lands if his friend, Gimli isn't allowed to come with him

[@DavidMacDowellBlue]

Eowyn is not Theoden's daughter but his niece. And the Witch King was killed by a woman AND a Hobbit. Hobbits are not stupid. Nor are they weak or particularly afraid. About a hundred years or so before the start of this story an army of Orcs invaded the Shire--and were wiped out. Hobbits are very tough, and brave, and they are fantastic archers. Something the movies don't mention, but Aragorn is the rightful owner of the Seeing Stone. They were gifts given to the Kings of Old by the Elves, and so Aragorn has a major advantage. The Seeing Stone is fighting Sauron. I always loved the love story between Eowyn and Faramir. In the book they are an interesting contrast, because Faramir made this big point about not loving combat or war, only what his sword protects. After the war, Faramir was given Ithilien (the land beside Mordor where he met Frodo) as a land. He and Eowyn healed that land, and lived long, happy lives. Tolkien explained in a letter once that no one could throw the Ring into the fire. Frodo used up all he had to get it there, where providence intervened and destroyed the Ring.

[@riolkin]

Hobbits casually invented golf while killing a goblin king. Launched his head 100 yards from his body and went into a rabbit hole, and the other Hobbits were like "Ooo that looks fun!"

[@spencergrady4575]

I think this is a reason Frodo is under-appreciated.. yes, Sam is the reason Frodo survived long enough to get to Mordor (through both physical and emotional protection), and he should be praised as much as he is, but for anyone to go that long carrying the ring as it becomes a physical and mental burden, heavier and heavier, is not something many others could do, even other Hobbits. We in fact see Sam almost keep the ring after having it a far shorter time than Frodo. Standing at the precipice in Mount Doom, not a single individual would have been able drop the ring.

[@paulchavez3039]

Only the power of the ring was able to destroy that damned thing. Sméagol made an oath on the "precious" to not harm Frodo. He did at the base of the mountain, and Frodo promised it would be his end if he ever touched him again, unconsciously using the power of the ring. When Gollum took the ring from Frodo, the power of the ring in gollums possession turned on itself to enact dominance over the mortal holding it who would never let it go again. We cannot destroy evil, it can only undo itself. Eru Illuvitar knew this time would come from the first discordant phrase uttered by Melkor. ❤The Tolkien Legendarium is arguably a more beautiful piece of work that the Bible, in my opinion.

[@tovick1643]

@@spencergrady4575 Gollum saved us all, basically ;-) In the end. His redemption was him destroying the ring. Becasue at that point, Gollum was the only one who truly loved, and hated the ring as much.. IT was not expected by the ring, that he would trip and fall..

[@spencergrady4575]

@tovick1643 He did, albeit inadvertently. To say Gollum saved everyone is essentially saying Frodo, and Bilbo before him, saved everyone from their decision not to kill him.

[@keanonkerr9265]

The language wasnt created for the films. Tolkien created the language then built his story around it. The language is technically older than the books.

[@petegiant]

I would urge anyone who enjoys these films, please read the books!

[@harryhutt]

4 hours… holyyyyyyy, just what i needed to help me through my night shift! Loved y’all’s reaction on these films! Earned a subscriber here!!!

[@seaneendelong8065]

Exactly- I thought oh for Patreon maybe.... then I glanced at the timeline bar 😶😳💁💃😹 I guess a very late night tonight lol

[@roseanddagger3090]

just watch the reaction part

[@clevelandgoodshield463]

No matter how many times I watched The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King, there are other moments that get me chills but the one scene that get me teary eyed and shook to my core is when the Riders of Rohan declare Death before charging into battle. [Shivers]

[@SliderFury1]

Death as in, for death and glory. But also as in we are going to bring death to you, our enemies. The fact that it can (and I believe does) mean both makes it even more epic.

[@naturalbornpatriot6369]

As it is said in the book, “..and they sang as they slew” The Rohirrim are my favorite group in all of Tolkiens writings. As epic as the First Age is, with entire hosts of the most powerful beings ever in that world fighting calamitous wars, the closeness Tolkien wrote the Rohirrim makes them my favorite. They are Anglo-Saxon-Norse horse lords basically. A love of battle and valor. Even their names like Gamling and Eomer, straight from the Anglo-Saxons. Shouting “death” was shouting in the face of death. Embracing it, as if going to Valhalla.

[@ptspalien007]

I was on the midnight premiere and I remember that's the first time I ever cried on a movie. Imagine a full packed theater and Theoden starts screaming DEATH followed by the riders, and then all of a sudden the whole theater bursts and starts screaming DEATH!!! Never have I witnessed something like that before or after return of the king.

[@RambinoYT]

My friends.....you bow to no one. This line will forever be cemented in the history of best lines in movies

[@mentallygonereacts]

Full body chills just reading this comment, still dissecting everything as we speak! Might have to get something with that quote to decorate the studio 🔥

[@johncunnigham9321]

I watch this series back to back often for that one line

[@johnfaulk7775]

In Gondor, the lower black throne is a temporary “Steward’s throne”, the higher white one is the true “King’s throne”.

[@johnwalters1341]

At 1:28:05 the song Aragorn sings are the words his distant ancestor Elendil spoke when he returned to Middle-earth after the overthrow of Numenor: "Et Earello Endorenna utulien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' ambar-metta!" "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world." It was Viggo Mortensen who had the wonderful thought to put Elendil's words to music.

[@primusinterpares5767]

In Frodo's defense, Tolkien states in a letter that the rings corruption grows as it approaches mt doom, and that no living being could willingly throw it in the volcano once they were there. Tolkein was a very devout Catholic, and credits Bilbo's mercy towards Gollum (not killing Gollum in The Hobbit) as a direct act of destroying the ring. (Sure, those events are decades apart, but God, being in eternity, sees all things at once) If somehow they could have gotten there without Gollum, then Frodo would have needed to die instead. Therefore, Frodo's instinct of mercy towards Gollum redeemed himself(Especially since their sin was the same, the rings corruption), but Gollums wickedness is still leads him to destruction. (I mean, he's literally cast into the fire). Tolkien also states that the reason Bilbo and Frodo could resist the corruption for so long is that they took it with mercy, but Gollum took it after murder.

[@tlk889]

This is a really cool twist. Some people wonder why Sauron was so stupid to create his own murder weapon, but the Ring cannot be willingly destroyed, and in Sauron's evil mind, that means it's indestructible. The only thing that could destroy it in the end was its own evil, as the strife between the two reingbearers caused it to fall into the flames. Very poetic and quite reflective of Tolkien's view that evil is self-destructive.

[@lsrx101]

Sarumans death, being impaled on the wooden spikes, is a nod to Sir Christopher Lees iconic roles as Count Dracula from the 50s to the 70s. Count Dracula could only be killed by a wooden stake through the heart.

[@lsrx101]

@@NikoStark1 Yes sir. That's one of the things I take exception to. That scene should NEVER have been cut for the theatrical release.

[@Wirmish]

There are 3 breeds of hobbits. Frodo is one of the most distant races (he was a Fallohide) from humans, while the opposite is true for Sméagol (he was a Stoor). The closer you are to humans, the stronger the corrupting force of the ring.

[@joshgearhart1413]

Sam would 100 percent be corrupt most people don’t know that Frodo carried the ring for almost 2 years during the trip to Mordor ik he gets hate for keeping it towards the end but you have to understand he’s the only one who volunteered to take it and nobody else did.

[@telynns8490]

With prolonged exposure it would slowly corrupt Sam like it did Frodo. But in the book you hear the temptation the ring offers Sam when he is holding it. Since all Sam loves is gardening and plants it offered him a world filled with gardens and flowers with him in charge. Sam pretty much just pfffftttts at that thinking how silly it is. But yes, with time it would eventually wear him down. Here is the text from the book. "Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dûr. And then all the clouds rolled away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was the love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command."

[@nathanielreik6617]

Frodo did not carry the ring for almost 2 years. It wasn't even 1 year. He carried the Ring for 6 months and 2 days (September 23, 3018 TA-March 25, 3019 TA). However, Frodo did have the Ring in Bag End for 17 years before he left.

[@Jo-mm3vo]

it's 6 month after some research, but still it's a lot of time

[@Askyl]

Sam is one of the few that might have been able to carry the ring. But Frodo and Sam had to do it together.

[@circedelune]

Eomer and Eowyn, multiple times, “My uncle.” Theoden, “My niece.” KZbinrs, “That’s his/her dad.” Smh

[@jonathanimler9745]

In the first movie Gandalf said he felt Gollum had some part to play whether for good or ill he didn’t know. If it weren’t for Gollum… the ring would not have been destroyed.

[@joshuawiedenbeck6944]

It's also a great metaphor for sin/addiction, ultimately killing you if you give into it wholeheartedly.

[@firecat4529]

58:24 "Grond" is also the name of the weapon that Morgoth aka Melkor wielded during his dark reign in the 1st age of Arda. He is a Vala and his right hand man was Sauron, who took over when his master was defeated. Morgoth also turned the Balrogs, which are Maia (beings like Gandalf) to his side and Morgoth also created the (winged) dragons and orcs by turning and twisting abucted elves into those new beings.

[@johnwalters1341]

About the Stewards: A thousand years or more before our story, Gondor had undergone a series of civil wars which came near to destroying the kingdom. KIng Earnur went off to answer a challenge to single combat with the Witch-King and never returned. Since no claimant to the Throne was acceptable to all the people, and fearing another civil war that would destroy Gondor, they left the throne vacant, and Gondor was ruled by Mardil, the Good Steward, "until the King shall return." Denethor, the Ruling Steward and the father of Boromir and Faramir, was the 26th Steward. He ruled as a King, but the King's high throne was empty, and the Stewards sat in the Steward's chair at the foot of the Royal Throne.

[@peteg475]

Arwen will outlive him, but not by very long. Not any elf can simply give up their immortality - only the family of Elrond can do that, as they have both human and elf ancestors.

[@peteg475]

@@Makkaru112 Yeah, I know, I wasn't going to do a deep dive into the details of why Eru/The Valar gave them the choice.. But no full-blooded Elf can just "give up" being immortal, just like no full-blooded Man can "give up" being mortal. Without mixed ancestry, no "choice" is possible. They're called "Halfelven" for a reason.

[@Kodisage]

To me the big appeal of watching reactions is actually getting thoughts and opinions after the movie and show and SO many channels will just say “ok that’s it I liked it” and shut the camera off 💀 LOVE these big discussions afterward

[@p1ls726]

Nothing will top this film. MASTERCLASS in film making. I will never forget seeing this in theaters for the first time.

[@Joaoluis1963]

"The Return of the King" won 11 Oscars!

[@CJDM310]

28:15 no, she’s completely right. Took is Pippin’s last name.

[@rosab8026]

Tuck. Peregrin Tuck.

[@fiddledeedee6970]

The Witch king didn't overpower Gandalf in the books. Its dramatic nonsense added by the movie writers

[@Etherlad]

Gandalf brought three Eagles to Mount Doom. One for Frodo , one for Sam and one for Gollum.

[@davidemery4759]

Oh man, I never caught that. That warms my heart. Gandalf really fulfilled his purpose all the way.

[@itsybitsypixzie]

That's a theory but it's a nice thought for sure!

[@gonduartist5316]

This has been debunked.

[@rhudoc3745]

One of the main themes of the entire story is "Hope". As a child growing up in Rivendell under the care of Elrond, Aragorn/Strider was given an Elvish name to aid in hiding him from the dark powers. Estel which means Hope in Elvish. His full Elvish name is Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim. Smeagol & Deagol are Stoor Hobbits and cousins. King Theoden is Uncle to Eomer & Eowyn. Denethor sits in the Stewards chair at the foot of the King's Throne.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

Tolkien only said Smeagol and Deagol were "kinsmen", without specifying any further. But considering the similarity of names, yes, cousins, or perhaps brothers, would not be a bad guess.

[@pricey1635]

This film is the closest thing to a spiritual experience I’ve ever experienced. It’s absolutely unbelievable.

[@eazyuchiha.5979]

Damn right !!

[@gingerbaker_toad696]

I absolutely feel you, Lord of the Rings is my religion ❤

[@samwisehuluberlu2210]

​@@gingerbaker_toad696it really is❤.

[@philippalinton5850]

This is how us book fans feel about Tolkien's beautiful books. All the feels you get from the films ... you can double and treble those feels for LotR and The Silmarillion.

[@SliderFury1]

The more time passes, the more I'm convinced that this trilogy, and this movie in particular, is just the greatest cinematic creation ever.

[@jathygamer8746]

When Smeagol and Gollum were arguing with each other in the last film, Gollum calls Smeagol "Murderer". Now you know. If I recall, Tolkien got the idea of the palantir (the seeing stones) from his experience in WWI where the opposing sides would use information and disinformation to bluff and demoralize the other side. In the books Denethor has a palantir as well, so Sauron would "communicate" with him as well. "Full body chills for I don't know what reason" Thanks to the music of Howard Shore. 🎥 💍 💓 🌋 🍿

[@beanmarie4887]

Tolkien intended the hobbits' pipe weed to be tobacco, but Peter Jackson definitely leans into the modern implications of calling it "weed" with subtle references to that effect in the films. In short, you're not crazy. It's totally implied they're smoking Mary Jane. But that wasn't Tolkien's intent.

[@firecat4529]

1:01:25 "Shelob" here is an offspring of the old spider "Ungoliant" (she worked alongside "Morgoth", aka Sauron's master, for a while) who was massively big after draining the live from the 2 great shining trees in "Valinor" which plunged the world into literal darkness

[@golfr-kg9ss]

Like so many this is my favorite of the trilogy and "My Friends you bow to no one" is my favorite line in the trilogy.

[@cipix37]

Nice job spotting the detail about the 2 thrones in Gondor and what they mean. Regarding the skins on the siege towers, it's a tactic used in real life. Using wet animal skins prevents the tower from catching fire in case the defenders use flaming arrows against them.

[@clevelandgoodshield463]

2:19:55 Passage from J.R.R. Tolkien, "Evil cannot create anything new, they can only corrupt and ruin what good forces have invented or made.”

[@SliderFury1]

Epic quote and eternally relevant.

[@TheDravic]

It's not a passage. There is no record that Tolkien ever formulated such a sentence. Why lie? It's a strange thing to assign words to a man who's no longer with us, just because you like the sound of it.

[@TheDravic]

@@SliderFury1 it's not a quote of Tolkien, that's for sure

[@clevelandgoodshield463]

@SliderFury1 Truly it is and definitely, I agree

[@TheDravic]

@@clevelandgoodshield463 find the source that confirms it as a quote said or written by Tolkien. I dare you. You can't, because it is not a quote of his.

[@Dumbodwarf]

Nobody could have tossed the One Ring. Not even Frodo could have done it even with how long he carried it which was incredibly impressive. It was Gollum who was the reason why the ring was destroyed and all because Frodo showed pity to him. Pipeweed is what the hobbits smoke, its basically just tobacco and many hobbits and men smoked it in their pipes. As another has said, Frodo leaves for Valinor as he never fully healed from being stabbed by the Morgul blade back in Weathertop as well as being stabbed by Shelob. He would have led a sickly, troubled life had he stayed in Middle-Earth where Sam would have had to constantly look after him and he did not want that, also every year on the anniversary of both stabbings, he would experience pain and discomfort. Valinor was the only place where he could be healed physically, mentally and spiritually and you could even see when he stood on the boat he already looked a lot better. In the books however, it is originally only Bilbo, Frodo, Galadriel, Gandalf and Elrond who leave, Celeborn (the elf with the grey hair whom is Galadriel's husband and father in law of Elrond) stays. He visits Arwen whom is his grand daughter and Aragorn whom by then is now his grandson in law until he eventually sails in the beginning of the Fourth Age along with Sam and Cirdan the Shipwright and thus the last of the Eldar departed. Legolas also sails for Valinor after building his own ship in Ithilien and invites Gimli to come with him but not until Aragorn passes away even though he felt the calling of the sea which was an overwhelming desire for elves to sail. This made Gimli the only dwarf to had ever set foot in Valinor.

[@dariashooter7222]

Еееееее! Поздравляю с просмотром! Вы очень милые и классные! Люблю ваши эмоции❤ Мне также понравились ваши мысли, ваши рассуждения в конце просмотра. Это всё делает нас ближе! Словно мы, несмотря на расстояние, разные страны, разные языки, становимся Братством Властелина Колец. We are the Fellowship of The Lord of Rings films. Love you, my friends!

[@petermachare5711]

Can be killed by "no man" of course meant no human being. Merry just happened to have a magical sword designed for the sole purpose of killing the Witch King of Angmar. After Merry stabbed him with that sword, the Witch King's connection to Sauron and the Ring was severed making him mortal. One of the many important facts in the books that were left out of the movies to keep the movies of a more manageable time.

[@dorothytucker9305]

Well that and the iconic line, "I am NO Man" -rip off the helmet and whip the hair. 😂

[@supratrd900]

It's not right if you don't watch the behind the scenes for these movies and react to it which no one ever does. They are so worth it. Like the late Christopher Lee who played Saruman said to the entire LOTR crew "What you have achieved is share magic, all of you, all of you and i think that's the operative word all of you. You are the greatest crew i've ever known" From Peter Jackson, Howard Shore, Weta Workshop and all the people involved. As we advance in technology, no movie will ever come close to this ever again. 20 years and it looks like a movie that can probably be release today.

[@TheDravic]

This is cope, the CGI aged really badly by now. Especially some of the more bombastic scenes that HEAVILY relied on digital VFX, of which there are plenty in the trilogy. For example trolls opening gates to Mordor in Two Towers. You could easily keep it a buck and admit that the movie aged but is timeless piece of art without sounding strangely dishonest about its obviously outdated VFX.

[@EvsEntps]

​@@TheDravic AI will be able to fix all that soon. In fact, I think clever use of AI could elevate the trilogy to an even higher level with some scene tweaks here and there.

[@midneen]

I have watched this so many times, and seen many reactions too, yet I had never noticed what you point out about the parallel of Gandalf arriving to save Theoden at Helm's Deep, and then Theoden's arrival saving Gandalf from the Witch-King. It's so good to hear other people's perspectives and the things they pick up on, exploring the depths of this story.

[@firecat4529]

1:09:26 What the movies don't show is that Denethor had a Palantir (a crystal ball, one like the one Saruman has, and through those balls Sauron manipulated both of them. Sauron placed doubt and despair into Denethor's mind (and obviously turned Saruman, the one who was supposed to vanquish him as the leader of the 5 Istari aka wizards, to his side). There are some videos about the lore of the Istari on KZbin and Gandalf aka Olórin (his name in Valinor) is the only one who truly fulfilled his purpose out of the 5 wizards. Also, in the books Faramir was never trying to take the ring in the books and he proved his worth and was a very heroic and courageous person, similar to Aragon maybe. They did him and his father a little dirty in the movies.

[@michaelgrynnerup6058]

"Gondor calls for aid" "And Rohan will answer, Muster the Brohirrim"

[@michaelgrynnerup6058]

@@Makkaru112 Oh shit, you're right

[@josha7248]

Lmao referring to the Rohirrim as Brohorrim from now on

[@tileux]

Thats not a dragon. Its a Fell Beast. Theres no comparison between a dragon and a fell beast. If you want to see a dragon, watch The Hobbit. Denethor gets a raw deal in this movie. In the books he has a palantir - a seeing stone. And he has used it to contest with Sauron. But Sauron has shown him so many lies in the seeing stone that denethor has come to believe victory is impossible, and he’s been driven to, basically, a suicidal depression. Which is why he is so negative and why he doesnt see any hope. What he does with faramir is his last act of love, but because of his mental health his thinking is deeply twisted. This is, by the way, what saruman is referring to when he tells gandalf that ‘something festers in the heart of middle earth’. Sauron has already defeated denethor psychologically. Because the movie doesnt mention any of this a lot of people unfamiliar with the books have a lot of trouble trying to figure denethor out. Its not made clear in the movies but orcs are very tribal - each gives loyalty only to his chieftain or commander, usually out of fear. So the orcs of minas morgul (a city taken from gondor) answer to the witch king, the orcs of the tower of barad-dur answer to The Great Eye and his lieutenant, the Mouth of Sauron, and the orcs of the tower of cirith ungol (also formerly belonging to gondor - those fortresses were in the past used to keep evil trapped in Mordor) answer, from memory, to the witch king in minas morgul. So one orc comnander at ciritg ungol - shagrat - answers to zthe Great Eye and the other to the witch king, and each wants the ‘shiny shirt’ so they can claim credit for it. Since the regiments of orcs dislike each other they have no problem fighting over things. Orc regiments all have different symbols on their armour to distinguish each other. When sam and frodo get rounded up the orc commander who catches them recognises their regiment from their armour and continually mocks them by telling them how they will be punished when they are returned to ‘their’ regiment. The orcs who see Sam are scared of him because they can feel the ring, sam has the elven light, and he used the light to break through the guardians at the gate, so theres rumours of a great elvish warrior around and they think frodo is his servant.

[@riolkin]

Okay, I'll admit I do this on every reaction for this movie I see: but sam being tempted by the ring is one of my favorite parts of the entire trilogy. As Sam stood there, even though the Ring was not on him but hanging by its chain about his neck, he felt himself enlarged, as if he were robed in a huge distorted shadow of himself, a vast and ominous threat halted upon the walls of Mordor. He felt that he had from now on only two choices: to forbear the Ring, though it would torment him; or to claim it, and challenge the Power that sat in its dark hold beyond the valley of shadows. Already the Ring tempted him, gnawing at his will and reason. Wild fantasies arose in his mind; and he saw Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dur. And then all the clouds rolled away, and the white sun shone, and at his command the vale of Gorgoroth became a garden of flowers and trees and brought forth fruit. He had only to put on the Ring and claim it for his own, and all this could be. In that hour of trial it was his love of his master that helped most to hold him firm; but also deep down in him lived still unconquered his plain hobbit-sense: he knew in the core of his heart that he was not large enough to bear such a burden, even if such visions were not a mere cheat to betray him. The one small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command. The Ring offered Sam ultimate power and he was like, "nah, I just want some po-ta-toes"

[@spencergrady4575]

Not in the reaction, but hopefully during your watch or editing you picked up on a small line from Aragorn when talking to Elrond after being given the sword: Elrond: "I give hope to Men." Aragorn: "I keep none for myself." This isn't him despairing, but more of giving every ounce of his being to the free peoples of Middle Earth. He makes such a great king because everything he does he does for others, with no thoughts of return. To me it speaks volumes that someone like Galdalf actually confides his own worries to, and allows himself be comforted by Aragorn, when normally that's his role to everyone else. And of course, "You bow to no one" 😭

[@peteg475]

Elrond: "I give hope to Men." Aragorn: "I keep none for myself." This is also an easter egg for book readers. That dialogue was spoken by Aragorn's mother, Gilraen. She was talking about giving birth to Aragorn and what it meant: "I give hope to the Dunedain. i keep none for myself."

[@spencergrady4575]

@@peteg475 Jackson did a great job throwing a ton of those in the movie for fans. He understandably couldn't adapt the books word for word or scene for scene, but he paid homage in incredible ways.

[@Cow_tyuboy11]

More on the Nazgul screams: The movies do their best to show this, but in the book we learn that the scream of the Nazgul is more than just loud and scary, the minds of men that hear it delve into chaos, darkness, anxiety, fear, and hopelessness. During the battle for Minas Tirith, when men would hear the screams, they would abandon their post and run for their lives. What made them return was Gandalf. He was literally a beacon of light for them. Whenever he was near, men's minds would be filled with hope and they would continue fighting. Gandalf was not just their leader, he was their savior during the battle.

[@Stogie2112]

Smeagol was fishing when he found the Ring. He strangled his cousin to possess the Ring. As he was transformed by the Ring, he acquired a permanent, strangled voice and a diet of raw fish. An appropriate Curse if there ever was one!

[@markojovicic757]

Galadriel is 8000 years old elf btw :D that is why she is freaking you out xD

[@SliderFury1]

Yeah man. She's seen some shit 😂

[@rosab8026]

Es un elfo antiguo...de los pocos que quedan en la Tierra Media que han visto las tierras Inmortales, donde nació. De ahí su gran poder. Y es abuela de Arwen ( y la suegra de Elrond)

[@dangrissom7367]

Remember when Frodo woke up at the end to see Gandalf, before then, he had thought he died fighting the Balrog in the first movie. btw, Gandalf: " I better order up another eagle to find them... just in case."

[@one1charlie643]

the only thing "wrong" with this movie is their portrayal of Denethor. they make him out to be a despot in waiting but in the books, it's explained that he was a strong and good leader for a long time. they also skip the fact that he has one of the lost Palantir (the crystal ball thingy) and for many months he had been using it to spy on Mordor. The movie acknowledged this when he told Gandalf that he "had seen more than you know". unknowingly to Denethor, Sauron had been manipulating Denethor's mind and drove him into despair and madness.

[@gripioti9322]

Gabriella I just wanted to say you are incredibly perceptive when it comes to this movie, picking up details, remembering all the names, connecting events and understanding characterisations. And you seem to enjoy the emotional aspect of the film too. It's a joy to see you experience this :D

[@alexflorea4879]

Great to see you guy's ❤ Hope to see more reactions from you two in the near future!!! Keep it up and stay safe and healthy 👍

[@jamesoflaherty7332]

Sooooo glad to see you (BOTH) reacting to this and finishing out this amazing trilogy!!!! You two compliment each other very well!!!

[@tylerhonaker2544]

Something I noticed y'all that I haven't seen others touch on is that the Witch-King was so evil that when Merry and Eowyn stabbed him, his evil poisoned them. Merrys sword even withered and disappeared after the blow. It's hinted at in the Fellowship when one of the Nazgul causes all the bugs to come out when the hobbits are hiding under the roots just how evil the 9 are.

[@rmcfete]

They never should have left out Tom. He is how they got those swords in the first place

[@roguefenixC55]

"Created a whole language just for the film." *Everyone is typing* "Sorry, not the film the books." *Everyone is discarding comments*

[@deadringerrr]

3 hour long review is craaaazyyyy lmao i'm glad you enjoyed it

[@72isb]

We used Fire Beacons in England they was actually used in 1588 to warn towns of the incoming invasion during the Spanish Armada.

[@rosab8026]

Muchos pueblos en Europa lo han usado. Yo procedo de una zona de costa en que se utilizaban para prevenir de invasiones vikingas a pueblos del interior, a los que accedían por los ríos ...

[@72isb]

@@rosab8026Nobody was safe from Viking raids :) I think we only have one fire beacon left it is in Devon and it was reconstructed from it`s ruins it is called Culmstock Beacon.

[@TerryVogelaar]

The orc with the potato-head was based on Harvey Weinstein. Even before #MeToo he was unlikeable. When Peter Jackson tried to get a studio to film LotR, he tried to pitch it to Harvey Weinstein, but he wanted it to be just 1 movie. According to him, Rohan and Gondor should be combined into one kingdom, with a combined Theoden/Denethor character ruling over it. The fans would have hated these changes to the lore, and rejected the movie adaptation. Everyone's glad that Peter Jackson refused the offer to eventually find a much better studio in New Line Cinema.

[@gpeddino]

The languages were not made for the films. Actually John R. R. Tolkien (who wrote the novels) created them himself. He actually created the languages first (just for fun) and then proceeded to create the world in which those languages could exist... and then the stories themselves. Considering the amount of content he created, it's a huge, almost unbelievable accomplishment.

[@pricemoore2022]

Awesome reaction of my favorite The Lord Of The Rings movie!!!!!😊😊😊😊😊

[@TomorrowWeLive]

David Salo who was the Elven languages guru for the films snd taught the actors, did publish a book called A Gateway to Sindarin (the main Elvish language spoken) 😊

[@tovick1643]

I love how you mention: He sees in him what he could become. Which is exactly why Frodo is very good towards smeagol (during two towers) and smeagol gets turned back for a little while, until faramir awakes gollum again.. Smeagol/Gollum is such a complex character, brilliantly written.

[@hypnotherapy69]

Tolkien made Quinya, fondation to the language they are speaking in the films. When people started Larping (Live action roll play) they naturally wanted to speak it BUT there was not enough (since it was not really intended to be "a full language" but was made for his amusement, so some fans that where almost as intrested in linguistics as him used his foundation to flesh out the language using existing words, guidlines and pronanunciation and rough grammar guids from his works. They also used insperation from the original languages that inspired Tolkien himself, the "end result" was/is Sindarin and it´s still evolving to this day! Sindarin is what is spoken in the films, they acctually hired experts and language coaches who where experts in it so that the pronanunciations and melody would be correct. It´s fun to see the diffrence in the characters speaking it, and that Gimli acctually misspronuonses his insult to Haldir.

[@divusartemis2045]

Quenya*, not Quinya

[@mgentles3]

Sindarin was spoken by Elves who stayed in Middle Earth after others departed for Valinor even in the first age. It was a natural development (which Tolkien understood very well) that language morphs regionally, as well as over time. Quenya (in MIddle Earth) had become a scholarly language, as Latin is for us. Sindarin was the common tongue of Elves. Tolkien created enough of an etymology of Elvish languages to be a complete guide to those who were ambitious to learn it.

[@weslennon3425]

The Elves bread has all the vitamins and nutrients needed to sustain life.

[@NickThorbjørnsen2207]

This is one gripe I've always had in every single reaction. Eowyn is not Theodens daughter. Eomer is not his son. They're his niece and nephew, for god sake. Sorry maybe I'm nitpicking.

[@vkdeen7570]

yea loads of reactors seem to miss this. some pick it up later some don't

[@davidsmith7001]

Don't waste your time on the hobbit, it's rubbish. You can't spin a small children's book into 9 hours of movie

[@Venenata]

Mate are you a writer your very perceptive with these movies ... my new fave reaction channel

[@kouandtin8059]

Imagine if P.Jackson made the movies in 2024... 20 years ago it is still so perfect !

[@johnmorgan9553]

Hi from UK . JRR TOLKIEN Wrote " THE HOBBIT " Which was published in 1937 . He then began "LORD OF THE RINGS " which took 12 years to write . He fought in the SOMME in WW1 . ! With regards to the Spiritual journey , Please look up " SADHGURU " . ❤

[@firecat4529]

58:24 "Grond" is also the name of Morgoth's weapon during the 1st age of this world (the world's called "Arda" and "Middle-Earth" is one of its continents). Morgoth, formerly named Melkor, was the original Dark Lord and Sauron was his right hand man basically. Morgoth was defeated during a HUGE battle at the end of the 1st age called "the war of wrath". Morgoth is a "Vala", which are comparable to arch-angles. Gandalf, Saruman, the Balrogs of Morgoth (who also fought in that huge war of wrath) and Sauron are all beings called "Maia", which are kind of comparable to angles. 1:00:51 This vile contains part of the light of Earendil's Silmaril (which is one of 3 gems made of the light of the 2 big shining trees in Valinor, which are now long destroyed). He was the one who asked the Vala to fight with the people of Middle-Earth against "Morgoth" in the "War of Wrath" and after defeating "Angalagon the black" (who was the biggest winged dragon to be ever created) in that war, he flew to the night sky with his flying boat and the Silmaril on his forehead and basically became a star. 1:01:25 "Shelob" here is an offspring of the old spider "Ungoliant" (she worked alongside "Morgoth", aka Sauron's master, for a while) who was massively big after draining the live from the 2 great shining trees in "Valinor" which plunged the world into literal darkness. These stories can be found in the "Silmarillion" for example, btw.

[@theviciouschickenofbristol4779]

The constant grasping for symbolism is so funny to me. When Sam stuck the orc through the back with Sting, "the light piercing through the darkness." It's not often a reaction actually makes me laugh out loud.

[@johnatan11]

Yea it was too much honestly

[@Wicked_Sushi]

Midway thru watching up to the Rohan charge. Apparently arriving at dawn is karmic and you scratch my back, I scratch yours ... or something. Seriously, too much note taking and analyzing and not enough watching / reacting.

[@anamora9462]

Idk I don't think is bad to look for meaning even if we find something that wasn't meant to mean anything. And to be fair, the story is full of symbolism put there by both Tolkien and Peter Jackson. That's the magic of lotr, you can watch it without taking a single note and feel all the raw emotions and you can also watch and study every detail of it and also find a ton of meaning and emotion there.

[@balduran.]

he wants to sound smart to his missus

[@mariuszpudzianowski8400]

I love that you guys not only comment on the movie while watching it, but also go really deep with your analysis and commentary after it's over. Not many reaction channels can do it.

[@WheresWaldo05]

Not many react channels illegally use too much film footage either. Legally only 10 minutes is allowed per fair use rules.

[@divusartemis2045]

@@WheresWaldo05 who the fuck cares

[@WheresWaldo05]

@@divusartemis2045 the corporations

[@davefranklyn7730]

Yeah, that 2 hour+ analysis was epic.

[@divusartemis2045]

@@WheresWaldo05 fuck em

[@dennisswainston411]

Elvish is available as a language class at some colleges.

[@revjohnlee]

Most commenters call the beasts ridden by the Nazgul "dragons". The certainly give off a "dragonish" feel but for a genuine, Tolkeinesque dragon you need to see Smaug, a central character of the 2nd Hobbit movie. In the books, the Nazgul's mounts are just referred to as "fell beasts". In my mind, for no particular reason, I think of them as wyverns but I don't remember that term being used in Tolkein. The "high throne" in Gondor is the throne of the rightful king. It had long been vacant while the kings were in exile. Denethor contented himself with the "throne" of the Steward, who is the caretaker in the absence of the king. By this time, there had been generations of kings in exile and even more generations of stewards. Historically, armies that have used elephants have come to regret it. They are very good at intimidating the enemy but, in combat, they tended to get frenzied and do as much harm to their own side as to the enemy. Even a well trained mahout is hard pressed to control a truly pissed off elephant.

[@User87_]

So they back together or was this filmed before?

[@travishenderson9635]

10 bucks A month for patreon is so greedy lmao. I like your videos too but Jesus. The most successful patreon members of all time charges half that. And you wonder why you're losing viewers. You charge more than some streaming services.

[@user-mg5mv2tn8q]

In that final scene, when Sam returns home from the Grey Havens and his little girl runs out to greet him, that's actually Sean Astin's own daughter. And when Rosie steps out with their baby in her arms, that's actually Sarah McLeod's own daughter.

[@Mauro_Veliz]

Regarding stars... "no one understands" this reality? "Interpretations"?... Man, stars aren't "angels" or "spirits"... that's borderline creationism.

[@jarodsmith6890]

Took is a family name among hobbits. Tooks are very adventurous and Gandalf has adventured with a couple at least (Bilbo's mother Belladonna, Bilbo Himself is half Took, & probably the Old Took - Bilbo's Grandfather). When he says "Fool of a Took", Gandalf is implying Pippin as a fool among Tooks, as most of them are much less foolish. Tolkien invented quite a few languages, some he fleshed out fully (three of which Elvish languages), others only invented snippets. For Learning Elvish there are many books, here are a couple: The Languages of Tolkien's Middle-Earth: A Complete Guide to All Fourteen of the Languages Tolkien Invented A Gateway to Sindarin: A Grammar of an Elvish Language from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings

[@naturalbornpatriot6369]

If you enjoy the spiritual aspect, learning more of this religion or that. You are definitely encouraged to read more from Tolkiens writings. The genesis story, the fall of the Ainur Melkor and other Maiar (angels). Absolutely stay away from Amazons show. It is a slap in the face to Tolkien and his works. Deliberately butchering characters. Quora is a great place to start to read up on some of the lesser known things of Tolkiens work, as it is not as difficult to get into as sitting with the Silmarillion open in front of you. These films will always be timeless, just as some music is. The story and world he wrote will also be timeless. I am glad to have seen them in theaters when they released. I hope you guys went to see them on their 20th anniversary, at least this one.

[@nathanielreik6617]

18:30 everyone I see reacting to these movies hear "pipeweed" and automatically think marijuana but pipeweed is just the term Tolkien used since it is basically a weed you smoke in a pipe, but it's basically the Middle Earth equivalent of tobacco.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

If youre into forging and black/weapon-smithing you should toyally watch the Behind the Scenes for LotR where they go into all that. They made all their own weapons and armour and it's real, too.

[@Nosiite]

i just got done watching the two towers reaction after seeing you didnt upload the return of the king i was wondering when youd upload that. what a wonderful coincidence

[@tempstep4058]

You can actually learn Sindarin, the language of the Elves. It's a proper language.

[@Big_Tex]

They 100% smoke tobacco. Tolkien is very clear about that, and uses the actual word “tobacco” a few times. The final word in the novel “The Hobbit” is “tobacco-jar”. Tolkien smoked a pipe and was devoted to his tobacco. The novels also call the stuff “pipe weed” but never just “weed”. Peter Jackson makes it all a joke and for 20 years people have laughed about them toking up. I kinda don’t think Tolkien would have approved.

[@weslennon3425]

Arwen is the real life daughter of Steven Tyler (Liv Tyler), leader of the band Arosmiith.

[@xl081]

THE NOZGUL WINGED CREATURES ARE CALLED FELL BEASTs THEY ARE NOT DRAGONS🫨🤦‍♂️ 😅

[@robertbrown3064]

According to Tolkien, pipe-weed is tobacco. BUT, it's way funnier to imagine hobbits getting high af all the time, and I feel like they intentionally made no attempt to clarify in the movies to allow the audience to think it's weed.

[@lcbonastre2418]

Next Trilogy The Hobbit Extended Edition Of The Ring 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

[@Joelwkemp]

You guys should react to "Tolkien" a brilliant movie about the man behind the lord of the rings, a great man who grew up an orphan & survived the battle of the Somme during WW1. Despite the death & mutilation of his friends during WW1, he managed to maintain his creativity & innocence to bring us the beauty of the imaginative world of LoTR & basically invented high fantasy as a genre.

[@howardhavardramberg333]

Oh shit, here we are! Let's gooo!

[@Lockk]

Watching this movie and “Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets” made me terrified of spiders for years lol

[@dennisswainston411]

Hobbits were known for the domestication and cultivation of Tobacco. Tolkein served in the British Army during WW1 when, almost to a man, everyone smoked tobacco.

[@michaelwilber774]

You guys you really read them and or listen to the audiobooks, fantastic stuff

[@rileytruax766]

didnt you two break up like 2 months ago

[@karlschmitt6359]

If you ever own the blu ray extended editions they have something called Appendices that have a lot of fun information! It would be fun to watch your reactions to each appendices for each movie!

[@tonypapas9854]

They're writing stuff down every movie, and still can't remember main characters and their names?! LMAO

[@bradleymoore8637]

First time viewer here. I'm a huge study of Tolkien and all of the books, even those published by his son after the author died. I am SO IMPRESSED with your analysis and takeaways, you really seem to get every little nuance of the story. So much that isn't included outright in the books you guys still picked up on and the way you related how the characters feel to how we feel as real people is absolutely spot on. So crazy impressed with these reacts, absolutely take my sub.

[@magicbrownie1357]

The movie is mislabeled as to what Eowyn says to Aragorn at the victory celebration. It's labeled as "Elvish," when in fact she is speaking the native tongue of Rohan. "Westu, Aragorn, ha"

[@tareqzaman2034]

I still pick LOTR at first place, then GOT. 💖💖💖

[@mkuiwaterman6983]

YOUR BACK TOGETHER??

[@Rain1]

was wondering that myself