THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001) MOVIE REACTION!! First Time Watching!!

[@ReelRejects]

Go on an Unexpected Journey toward that *LIKE* & *SUBSCRIBE* 👉 Button kzbin.info Support the Channel 👉 Visit huel.com/rejects to get 15% off Grab yourself a new *CHESTIES T-SHIRT* at www.rejectnationshop.com/products/chesties-t-shirt - *Full Reaction* Watch Along & MORE For *SS* Rejects: www.patreon.com/thereelrejects - Follow Us On Socials: instagram.com/reelrejects/ www.tiktok.com/@thereelrejects?lang=en

[@kartiksharma7674]

Every actor who has played an elf in Peter Jackson's middle earth have all appeared in the MCU! Except Legolas! No actor in the fellowship has appeared in the MCU!

[@dabegmister]

Are y'all going to do the ash VS Evil dead show it's really good

[@hellfish2309]

A fun addendum to these are the _Caravan of Garbage_ guys currently posting videos on the production and having fun talking about each movie of the trilogy

[@dabegmister]

The theatrical cut is just fine.Ignore the stinky screamers. I guarantee you, most of the people that complain went and watched them in theaters And did not watch the extended versions until later.

[@PopsiCOLE]

​@@dabegmister No, the theatrical versions are not fine. If you're going to watch them, watch the extended versions. Plain and simple. There ladies are not going to be watching these films AGAIN. So do it right the first time.

[@professorbugbear]

"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Man, what a sexy line. Me thinking, "Oh, just wait until you see him open a door..."

[@TheMinarus]

"Just wait until you see him break a toe!" 🤣

[@ArcaJ]

I have a door he can open. 😘

[@garethdennis5785]

I was hoping the comments would be "I have a ring he could destroy" 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️

[@joescott8877]

@@ArcaJ Nice. 🤣

[@jamesmorales4735]

Sexy?

[@rogersjgregory]

Thirsting after Viggo as Aragorn is completely understandable.

[@NineEyes97]

Bet she’ll love the door opening scene 😂

[@adronator]

I’m a straight man but I can’t resist

[@MrSRA13]

​@@adronatorI feel you bro. No homo

[@Nightjarish]

The real question though, Strider or Aragorn?

[@operative2136]

@@adronator Yeah, straight guy here too. But if I ever wasn't - yeah Viggo as Aragorn is pretty top tier.

[@compostsmurf5519]

My wife refused to watch this for years saying it was silly till one day she gave in and watched the 3 extended back to back, never heard her so quiet. 😂

[@wren7195]

I've met a lot of folk like that, I'm *SO GLAD* you got her to watch them. I don't say "masterpiece" about movies often, but this is probably my favourite. Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, The Last Samurai, Princess Bride (of all things lol), but this (especially the Extendeds, I love those). This. Take care Smurf and family!

[@clee3133]

Maybe she can convince mine...

[@compostsmurf5519]

@@wren7195 you too 🙏 she's slowly come round to all the nerdy stuff I like, it took a while but we got there in the end 😆

[@NoEphingIdea]

if that actually happened she may be a psychopath ... it didn't though lmao

[@compostsmurf5519]

@@NoEphingIdea is ur username self projection?

[@nancyhayes9958]

I don’t care if someone watches theatrical or extended versions; I’m just so happy someone else is entering Middle-earth.

[@iCortex1]

same, if anything it gives an opportunity to do more videos for the extended version ... like next year or something. sometimes people tend to forget that youtubers that are this big are doing a JOB. more videos = more money

[@Masterfighterx]

This is the Extended.

[@iCortex1]

@@Masterfighterx no it's not 🤣

[@niravathu7353]

I do hope they watch the extended ones on their own time at some point. Some of the things they cut out are genuinely baffling.

[@Masterfighterx]

@@iCortex1 then why are there scenes I don't remember from the theatrical?

[@joshuacoldwater]

This entire franchise was shot in New Zealand. The Shire still stands today, and is just as beautiful. Places like Rivendell, and Isengard were actually built as “bigatuers” they had multiple huge models at different scales so they could get actual camera shots of the towers, the rivers, or place the beautiful elven landscape behind the actors. It was ingenious. Yes they did use cgi on gollum, the fight with the balrog and that internal cave. The makeup is all practical and each weapon was handmade. This film is a true labor of love.

[@martinbynion1589]

Rivendell was actually set up in the Hutt River valley north of the city of Wellington, where the film was actually made. The waterfalls were all CGI though.

[@jamesmeaden9227]

Keep hearing about hobbiton is on Air BNB

[@theawesomeman9821]

I first learned of New Zealand's existence from the hype around the first LOTR movie

[@MarioButter]

The original Shire was destroyed (the farmer who owned the land wanted it returned to it's original condition). However, when they did the Hobbit movies later on, it was rebuilt, and the farmer realized he could make money on it, so he allowed that version to stand.

[@ianwilkinson3425]

​@MarioButter no it wasn't. I live literally half an hour from there. It was never disassembled by Peter Jackson's company and the family who owns the land kept it and turned it into what it is today.

[@alexkats30]

The choir singing is either in poems written in the books, or in poems translated into the languages written by the author himself, so that's why they feel so unique, ethereal, yet so fitting and inextricably linked with the world. The soundtrack of these movies is one of or even THE BEST ever made.

[@neonhuntersynth]

THE BEST. Period.

[@vn5774]

Howard Shore went CRAZY

[@deBebbler]

Every moment Boromir is on the screen after the second arrow strike brings the tears.

[@venomoverlord7016]

Boromir really shows how strong the power of the ring is - how it corrupts everyone absolute its just a matter of time

[@mistermarkham101]

No, yeah, absolutely same. I cannot watch that without crying.

[@JeshuaSquirrel]

Redeemed himself and went out like a G.

[@Vulcanerd]

I know people love Aragorn or Frodo or Sam or any of the rest, but for me, Boromir's my bro. I understand his strength, but I also understand his frailty and how the Ring brings it about it in any person it touches. I get all blubbery every time I see his end, gets me every time.

[@compostsmurf5519]

​@@Vulcanerdboromir is basically us in the story, Tolkien showing us what great power/technology can do to even great people, hed have seen alot of this 1st hand during the war he fought.

[@garthmcguigan2357]

Girls thinking Aragorn being the sexiest character of all time is the biggest green flag

[@ellie_jeann]

😅I know right even when Legolas is standing next to him haha

[@jens2049]

Men and women, straight or gay. Im a straight guy and I still think as a character Aragorn is the hottesr character ever put to screen

[@compostsmurf5519]

​@jens2049 this is why the heroes journey is a timeless story concept, we all can relate to the actions and it can be applied to any setting.

[@DanSmith-j8y]

I guess. If you're Viggo Mortensen.

[@anthonytutone]

@@compostsmurf5519the hero’s journey applies more to Frodo than Aragorn in this, or even Sam.

[@WRAFofzelichking]

You guys seriously nailed the editing on this one, literally included ALL of the scenes that the vast majority of the fanbase wants to see reactions on. I dont know how you did it but omg well done. Deserves my sub, good stuff. Loved you guys commentary! Looking forward for the next two movies

[@domingocurbelomorales8635]

The legendary Christopher Lee (Saruman), was the only actor in the 'Lord of the Rings' saga who met Tolkien in person.

[@j.scottbrown8602]

Christopher Lee is a legendary actor. My favorite Dracula of all time. Check out some of his classic films from Hammer studios.

[@FilmBuff54]

Christopher Lee (Saruman) was over 80 when they made these films, while Ian McKellan was in his early 60s.

[@milanova5061]

That’s crazy!!

[@FilmBuff54]

@@SeanPittaway-lb9bg He lived for 14 years or more after the first movie came out.

[@sheeeeesh3628]

@@FilmBuff54 Rewatched. What he meant was, Christopher Lee rewatched the lotr movies before he passed. That was the rumor anyway.

[@joshuacoldwater]

“Doby is in Harry Potter” - Picture of Yoda on the Screen I love BOTH of you 😂😂😂

[@johndough3809]

2:20 they do good! 😂

[@kraven4444]

Sir Ian McKellen aka "That Actor"

[@milesbartlett]

"Use the force Harry" said Gandalf 😄

[@rachelpaul2731]

Same, totally made me giggle!

[@user-blob]

Yes. Made me guffaw! 😂

[@SuperCred1t]

"Act like they mean something" the author literally invented an entire language with Elvish so yes, they do mean something.

[@rikk319]

An entire 5-6 languages. Tolkien was a philologist, an expert in language. He was Professor of Old English at Oxford as well.

[@brennamduncan8791]

To this day I still cry at Gandalf’s fall. The music is immaculate!

[@nancyhayes9958]

Frodo’s scream guts me, every single time. So does “My brother. My captain. My king.”

[@Awol2433-y8w]

I mean you'd think he would pull himself up...

[@nicoursos900]

Shame he died at the hands of that "balgor"😂

[@ny6978]

@@Awol2433-y8w idk, that thing looked kinda heavy

[@Gunnar001]

⁠@@Awol2433-y8wIn the books, Gandalf fell almost immediately and yelled back to the group as he was falling over the edge. In the film version, I think the group didn’t go back for Gandalf due to the overwhelming mass of goblin archers who were fast approaching. They may have also thought the remaining part of the bridge was too unstable and dangerous to cross. Either way, it was too risky. Gandalf made the choice for them and forced them to leave by letting go.

[@eternalforce116]

"I think Aragorn is my favourite character" moments later "Wait maybe Sam is my favourite character?" LOTR fans: Yes.

[@roxystriar]

Lol the struggle is real!

[@LarissaFay]

It's so true, it switches with every epic scene. I can't have a top favourite anymore. 😂💖 too many gorgeous characters.

[@TironaBloodspiller]

They represent the different aspects of masculinity to aspire to. Whether it's straight faced and stoic warrior, or a gardener fighting with tears streaming down your face, they are both rightfully considered heroes.

[@pabloc8808]

@@TironaBloodspiller Yeah one of my favorite aspects of LOTR is how Tolkien, being a WWI veteran, never shied away from depicting these non-romantic, non-sexual bonds of love between men, the likes of which (I imagine) can only be forged through camaraderie in combat. There are many facets to love, and men can and should love. You're not less of a men because you love; I'd even say you're less of a man if you don't.

[@A1990MusicMan]

Both? Both!

[@mistermarkham101]

If no one has commented this yet, Sean Bean is afraid of helicopters, so every morning to film on the mountain he would get dressed in full Boromir gear, then hike his way up the mountain to meet the rest of the film crew. The making of these movies is such a wild watch, I highly recommend it 😂

[@karmehed]

Did i just hear the phrase "props to that actor" being said about Ian McKellen. That broke my nerd heart in two.

[@ninipookie]

Calling Ian McKellan that actor is WILD and Roxy knows who he is 😂

[@paulchavez3039]

To not refer to Sir Ian McKellen by his full name a title is almost disrespectful lol

[@karmehed]

@@paulchavez3039 i won't call anyone by a title. I think it's beyond stupid. I have massive respect for Ian McKellen as an actor and as a person but the whole idea of knighthood and lordships and what not is beyond stupid. McKellen has even said he considered rejecting the knighthood and that he would have if he was "a man of adamant principles”.

[@FAFO4wisdom-s9o]

​@@karmehed That title was earned.

[@FAFO4wisdom-s9o]

​@@paulchavez3039 agreed. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@dead_and_devine1505]

Luckily, nobody had to wait long for the trilogy. Peter Jackson filmed all three movies in one run and released them a year apart.

[@bygonebee9129]

Felt like an eternity still. I literally went to see other movies just to see the trailers on movie screen.

[@dead_and_devine1505]

@bygonebee9129 I feel like there has been a void for good fantasy movies for awhile now. We get good stuff here and there but Hollywood has been all about remaking movies or animated into live action. It's crazy how rarely I get excited for a movie anymore.

[@seangriffin5524]

So my dad took me to see the fellowship when I was a kid and then pulled the dad’s going out for milk and disappears act soon after, I didn’t see him again til Christmas 2003 and he took me to see Return of the king. When telling my friends this years later my best friend goes “where was he for the two towers Sean?” As a joke and we laughed SO HARD hahaha.

[@tw7998]

I can remember seeing them at the cinema, i was a huge fan of the books as a child so it was almost an ..emotional experience for me.

[@seangriffin5524]

@@tw7998 that’s so cool. I was just a kid so it was my introduction into a life long obsession. I can’t even imagine being a life long fan and then getting to see the movies, especially when the trilogy did such a good job capturing the magic of Tolkien.

[@hitherfetcher]

Some of Tolkien's understated writing: "Like butter scraped over too much bread" reveals that he is not "too little butter" but that he's been made to go too far. He's been extended past reasonable limits.

[@boboca20]

RIP Gandalf the Grey. We will allways love you.

[@carpediem9750]

🥲

[@rikk319]

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." -- John 15:13

[@primal1233]

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the greatest trilogy ever made

[@azazello1784]

Calm down.. Hobbit is better

[@steved1135]

@@azazello1784 lol

[@CatchBackNewss]

Dark Knight over but i do love LOTR

[@thecripledgammer9106]

💯

[@522abet]

@@azazello1784😂😂

[@dabirbernard6594]

Roxy with the notepad...Love it! This is going to be fun reliving these movies with you guys!

[@MofertheGopher]

I love the Viggo recognition! For most people this is their first introduction into his acting career.

[@ArcaJ]

Eastern Promises. If you know, you know.

[@TheHeroClass]

(In Mac from Always Sunny's voice) Vigil Morganstein!!

[@MovementGraffiti]

He played Lalin in Carlito's Way! - my first introduction.

[@panzerdeal8727]

Tho there was Higaldo... "Back home, we toss a a horseshoe in the pot. When it stands up, coffee's ready.."

[@MofertheGopher]

@panzerdeal8727 fun fact where I was living at in the time Hidalgo was being filmed in South Dakota for some scene, they did put up a poster in the town I was living for open extras casting

[@D123-f9k]

You’re spot on about there being reasons why the main characters are all men. Tolkien’s experience in World War 1 was a major impact on him. Sam is based on a guy who served under him. Sam says “Mr. Frodo” because they aren’t just friends, Frodo is older and Sam’s employer as well. While few, the relevant female characters are VERY important/strong/talented and make a great impact on the story and audience. They’re not all the same woman in different clothes and wigs either. If it’s not too late, watching the extended edition of The Two Towers will help you understand (and respect) Boromir a lot more. The theatrical cuts leave out small but incredibly valuable scenes with him. I never understood why people liked him until I saw the extended editions and read the book.

[@rantinreviewentertainment]

We all know the scene from Return of the King that Roxy and Tara are going to cheer ;) You're right about the Two Towers extended edition. It does flesh out Boromir's character more (I forgot that much of that isn't in the theatrical version).

[@LadyOndyne]

Exactly. Tolkien' female characters are usually strong (not in brute force but in mind and will) and every dark lord on Arda has trembled in fear facing them: Varda was who Melkor feared the most, he was denied by Arien, stopped by Melian, defeated by Luthien. Sauron feared Galadriel the most. And so on. Tolkien's women are glorious queens.

[@compostsmurf5519]

Boromir is loved because he is relatable to many, we are all flawed beings with capacity to do great and good things

[@Billomancer]

On top of this, the women in Tolkien's writings are unequivocally badass. Luthien (Who is in the Silmarillion but not LoTR AND based off Tolkien's wife!) is the GOAT, Galadriel, Eowyn (Who I can't wait for them to meet), and the Valar (gods) Varda and Yavanna. All very strong, powerful women that really don't get enough screen time. But like you said, its based off Tolkien's experiences in WW1, and the camaraderie of men in war.

[@Outlaw1354]

Fun fact- when Aragorn hits the dagger away that was thrown at him by Lurtz that was actually Viggo Mortensen reflexively hitting the dagger with the sword, it wasn’t CGI

[@Gestrid]

Also worth noting: The dagger was not supposed to fly at him like that. It was supposed to miss Viggo. The other actor messed up, and Viggo reflexively deflected the dagger. It looked cool, so that's the shot they used in the movie.

[@tedflanc1024]

Lurtz’s actor Lawrence Makoare was technically supposed to throw the dagger into a tree after pulling it out of his leg, however he couldn’t see too well through the heavy makeup and accidentally threw it at Viggo unintentionally. Whether dodging the knife with his sword was intentional or instinctual, it’s good Viggo thought quickly. He could’ve died on set for real!!!

[@vickaps]

this is a myth

[@DavidGonzalez-zl3dz]

We know. We all know!

[@cp368productions2]

​@@vickapsno it's not.

[@timhilton7254]

"That actor"... I would bet that Ian McKellen hasn't been called that in a minute.

[@roxystriar]

Lmao I am mortified

[@cmdrbrantford888]

@@roxystriar Its very interesting watching 1st time viewers try to theorize what is going on in the movie with people and plots and so forth. Do you folks have a schedule yet for when Two Towers will be up?

[@compostsmurf5519]

That's how I learned who actors were as a kid, you see a face giving a great performance and it sticks with you till you learn the name, I'm sure Ian would rather be called "that actor" than not be recognised at all for his decades of amazing work

[@tonicalhoun1934]

​@@roxystriar Oops! 😂

[@earthtrain1421]

Its crazy to me that viggo mortensen wasn't originally meant to play aragon, but i cant imagine anybody else playing that role

[@toddjohnson271]

It would have ruined the trilogy if it wasn't him......

[@johncradden8182]

Especially considering the guy who was actually cast for the first while (Stuart Townsend), definitely the right call on Peter Jackson to recast with Viggo

[@toddjohnson271]

@@johncradden8182 Would be ruined....

[@yerviniansamvel]

Right?

[@Aragonsdick5170]

Yeah..he really really owned it. Just wondering if "The Hunt For Gollum " they'll do him some good justice..

[@lovenaartjies]

Viggo as Aragorn is the very essence, definition, manifestation of ✨A Man✨

[@DestinyAwaits19]

And Russel Crowe as Maximus. Both very stoic, well developed roles.

[@NovusIgnis]

No, it actualy isn't. Jesus is the embodiment of everything that it means to be a man, to be a woman, and to be human. He is *THE* role model.

[@DestinyAwaits19]

@@NovusIgnis Jesus was a good man, which makes him a good role mode, just like Aragorn.

[@NovusIgnis]

@@DestinyAwaits19 Who do you think Aragon is based on? Jesus was more than just a man, I hope you see that some day.

[@DestinyAwaits19]

@@NovusIgnis I know Jesus was more than just a man.

[@larryreed8644]

I can’t believe you guys are going to be watching all the movies!! Yesss

[@amy_yoshikawa]

And it's all first time watching for them 😂😂

[@danielchevere]

@@larryreed8644 I’m genuinely so excited 😂

[@Ghost4k99]

you mean they are going to talk while the movie plays and try to predict whats going to happen

[@larryreed8644]

@@Ghost4k99 dude this is a movie reaction channel lol, if you want to watch the movie in silence than watch it by yourself. And I saw the lord of the ring franchise already, I don’t care if they talk through it. That is why we love the channel because of their personalities

[@bruja_cat]

I love the face Legolas makes of pure fear hearing it’s a Balrog, because the elves remember fighting it. Sauron’s master had an army of Balrogs. Just imagine that.

[@peteparker22]

Morgoth. He had an army of huge spiders too right?

[@BigBear--]

@peteparker22 Not sure if it a separate army of them. But yeah he had the allegiance or control over the large spiders. Like the one in the 3rd movie.

[@taceiboh]

Read the Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien. It gives the backstory of it all.

[@taceiboh]

Galleries is 30,000 or 60,000 years old depending on which interpretation of Tolkien you read.

[@taceiboh]

* Galadriel

[@MikeLau-d8l]

I don’t think I’ve ever watched this movie with anyone who had zero knowledge of either the books or the movies, so it’s SUPER fun watching someone’s totally fresh take on this, and it just makes me appreciate even more how well done these movies are.

[@jonathanimler9745]

Tolkien was a WWI veteran and lost a multiple best friends in that war. This is why there is such a strong theme of friendship and love in LOTR.

[@katieoberst490]

And why all the Nine are men

[@frankethomas1248]

It's also ONE reason why MOST more modern authors & actors fall short of this standard of magnificence. They haven't gone through much in their lives. They haven't endured WW1, AND the great depression, AND WW2, AND the cold war. Most of them (not all) gained experience from watching TV, playing video games, and texting friends. It's just not the same depth, the same refining power.

[@compostsmurf5519]

​@@frankethomas1248yup the difference between the generations over just 100 years is crazy, too many weak ppl nowadays.

[@DavidGonzalez-zl3dz]

​@@frankethomas1248Are you really lamenting that young men aren't being forced through the meat grinder that those wars were? What the fuck is wrong with you

[@FlyingScotsman4072]

WHAT NO WAY!!!! Oh those are going to be fun Sundays!! I'm sooooo looking forward to these reactions.

[@jennster360]

Omg and I know Reel Rejects... Once you start a series, you finish the series!!! Sooo excited!!!!

[@seansilence2697]

"It's...dobby?" *shows a picture of Yoda* I love you guys lol

[@johndough3809]

2:20 they do a great job! 😂

[@joealvarez8733]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@PopsiCOLE]

Its so sad that Gandalf died... I wish he was still alive for the rest of the trilogy...😞

[@SockBramson_]

The best characters know when to make their exit

[@PopsiCOLE]

@SockBramson_ Exactly.

[@kraven4444]

Sir Ian McKellen aka "That Actor"

[@alexp601]

You can watch the Hobbit films if you want to see more of Gandalf!

[@silkypnub]

I’ve written a great fanfic where he lives. 😢

[@rogersjgregory]

This was written between 1937-1949, by a soldier who served during World War Two. So, back then there were only men in the army, which is why there are few female characters in The Lord of the Rings. But the female characters that are in the books, and the movies, are cool, powerful, and interesting.

[@alexkats30]

Tolkien was in WW1, his son Christopher was in WW2 while his father was writing the books

[@jens2049]

Yes thank you. Also, lotr is probably the only franchise where most women dont have any problen with this

[@compostsmurf5519]

​@@jens2049it still has amazing female characters imo

[@mateo10ish]

Most of Roxy’s commentary is always about “not enough woman, where are the woman? Not strong enough” it’s so annoying, def has a future at Disney with that attitude.

[@vn5774]

​@@mateo10ish Kathleen Kennedy would be proud

[@ryanflake3481]

"I love Sam!". No, no you don't. What you feel for Sam now is mild affection. By the end of the Trilogy...*Then* you'll LOVE Sam.

[@nancyhayes9958]

Gandalf making Sam come on the journey is the best decision ever.

[@AshrafAnam]

I said the same thing.

[@ArcaJ]

​@@nancyhayes9958PHRASING!!! 😮😮😮😮

[@captainobvious8949]

Great spoiler, dude.

[@hyperchronicxlc]

@@captainobvious8949 Yup. People need to watch what they say on here.

[@Dimpalina_787]

Not Roxy with a construction pencil taking her little notes. Freakin love her 😂❤

[@silkypnub]

That’s her pipe. 👌

[@EvelyntMild]

I'm flumoxed what circumstances landed that pencil in her hand!

[@juliewagner3023]

In all of my Reel Rejects reactions I’ve watched, I think this is my first encounter with Roxy. Her taking notes to keep track of who is who just shot her to the top of my list of favorite Rejects 😍 this all gets really confusing otherwise, so I just appreciate it so much!

[@Dimpalina_787]

@@EvelyntMildperhaps Greg is doing some renovations…😂

[@bkf57]

Type in google roxy striar boobs

[@corystanish]

Fun fact: Frodo is not literally Bilbo's nephew. Frodo's mother was Bilbo's first cousin on his mother's side. Frodo's father was Bilbo's second cousin on his father's side. So Frodo is technically Bilbo's first AND second cousin, once removed, on both sides.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

58:17 Gandalf is friends with the eagles, he once healed their lord of an arrow-wound. He used the butterfly to send a message to them that he needed help

[@MovementGraffiti]

They told him to Take It Easy and they'll be there to pick him up on One Of These Nights.!

[@salvadormartinez8577]

That is a moth, my friend.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

@@salvadormartinez8577 Ah, right. Thanks

[@corvus2512]

I love the line “when did Saruman the wise abandon reason for madness” because it informs the viewer so much of Saruman, he once was a great wizard like Gandalf and was a ‘good guy’ but through he list for power and jealousy of Gandalf he fell to madness. It’s so good

[@AshrafAnam]

He was Gandalf's teacher, right? He is white while Galdalf's grey.

[@TheTenguwarrior]

@@AshrafAnam Not his teacher, more like his higher up/superior in their order of wizards (that weren't not just wizards but Maia, something more like angels in Tolkiens World Building)

[@J4ME5_]

He was corrupted by the palantir, not lust or greed. He was poisoned so to speak

[@phookadude]

@@J4ME5_ He was flawed from the start, jealous of Cirdan's gift to Gandolf. His ego cost him when he used the palintir thinking that he had greater ability than those they were made for. Denethor resisted Sauron through the palintir better than a wizard because he had the right to use it.

[@ucheehQ]

@@J4ME5_ According to the lore, it started long before he had access tothe palantir. When the wizards came to Middle-earth, Cirdan the shipwright gifted Narya, one of the three Elven rings, to Gandalf, because he was most worthy of it. Saruman resented Gandalf for this and grew envious. He set out to prove he was more capable and deserving than Gandalf, and soon coveted the One Ring for himself, searching for it in secret everywhere long before the events told in The Lord of the Rings or even The Hobbit took place. Him using the palantir simply made him easily susceptible to Sauron's influence. In fact, in the books it becomes obvious he does not actually work for Sauron as his underling, but rather plots to overthrow him once he finds the One Ring.

[@Bonko78]

I'm impressed how well you two were so on top of the plot and the characters in almost every scene. It shows what a genuinely well-made film this is. I have a strong feeling you will enjoy the rest of the films as well!

[@cp368productions2]

Were you watching the same reaction as the rest of us? Or are you trying to get into the pants if two complete strangers through a screen? They don't quite get the plot and can't keep names straight. Hopefully they improve in The Two Towers.

[@laisoriano]

If my memory serves me right, they do not lay out the relationship and family tree between Elrond (Rivendell leader/Arwen's dad) and Galadriel (Lady of the Wood) in the movies. Elrond married Galadriel's daughter, Celebrian and had their daughter, Arwen. Elrond is Galadriel's son in law and Arwen's 1:36:12 grandmother. Elrond is also the twin brother of Elros, the elf that chose to live as a mortal man/be the king of man and was the beginning of Aragorn's lineage (62 generations between them). Aragorn is also Elrond's foster son due to Aragorn's mom's fear of him being hunted so she hid him in Rivendell with the elves and that is how him and Arwen grew up together then later fell in love.

[@milanova5061]

Amazing😮

[@cybergeek11235]

I am reasonably sure that Elrond is Arwen's dad, not her grandmother. :)

[@ChrisUnderwood6567]

Elrond and Elros were half-elven.

[@Delogros]

Given Arwens age i'm not really sure we can say they grew up together...

[@rikk319]

@@ChrisUnderwood6567 Yes, Elrond and Elros were half-elven, but their parents were both half-elven, too. They had 2 human grandparents and 2 elven grandparents. One of their grandmothers was more than just elf, she was actually half-maiar--Luthien, a princess of the elves. Her mother was Melian, a maiar of Valinor who married King Thingol of the elves.

[@tomkvideo]

The LOTR trilogy are Christmas movies. They came out at Christmas, and they’re the perfect films to watch during a snowstorm. It counts.

[@genny5309]

I stood in line every year at the IMAX to see the midnight release showing. It was an event and worth every drowsy second at work the next day.

[@MrBoyYankee]

Me too.

[@ILoveSlippers43]

Definitely. I went and saw these in the theaters like Christmas Eve or Christmas day cuz Movie theaters were open then. 😊 was fun.

[@norman.ori82]

2:08:00 The Lord of the Rings was based on Tolkiens experience with his own group of friends in World War 1. Hence, the fellowship's constituents.

[@lelandcuellar3097]

Lol everyone always says, We all need a friend like Sam. Yet so little seem to make the connection that, in order for us all to have friends like Sam, WE all need to BE a friend like Sam.

[@mikeandkatie4990]

Roxy, “Saruman sucks” Movie fans “Agreed” Book fans “Agreed”

[@martynix4277]

Bear in mind that Saruman didn't change entirely on his own. He risked using the Palantir (seeing stone) to gain intel on Sauron, but Sauron had one of the stones and was able to influence him through it, showing him only that which led him to doubt and despair. That's what led Saruman to change sides. He didn't just "go bad", he was driven to it.

[@martinbynion1589]

@@martynix4277 Same very much true of Denethor in the third movie, though the film does not show that and Denethor is painted as much worse than was really true.

[@rikk319]

@@martynix4277 No, Saruman was vain and arrogant even before he left Valinor to come to Middle-Earth. Tolkien notes this in the appendices. He was a disaster waiting to happen. He also took well over 1,500 years to finally go full dark side.

[@mattofalltradez]

I am so excited that the Shejects are diving into my favorite fantasy world! The two of you are the best reacts on the channel. Keep kicking ass!

[@GhostWatcher2024]

Nazgúl. The Ring Wraiths. 9 of them total. Imagine John Connor being hunted by 9 Terminators.

[@inquisitive6786]

Frodo wasnt a dipshit tho

[@rikk319]

Undead terminators at that.

[@pharrigan-hikes]

That is a great way to look at it 😂

[@BenWillyums]

Some cool details that people can miss: 1. The "statues" when Frodo is sick in the woods are trolls that Bilbo encountered. They were turned to stone because the sun came up. 2. Legolas is walking on top the snow while everyone else is waste deep when they attempt the mountain journey. 3. Aragorn puts on Boromir's cufflinks at the end.

[@McRino1]

Number 3, bracers, they are wrist armour that he's putting on. Covered In gondorian emblems of the white tree. Aragon is respecting and honouring Boromir... and his heritage... whilst also.upgrading his hear haha

[@70Slinger]

I caught the "frozen" trolls on the second viewing, which I really liked. I didn't notice the Legolas walking on top of the snow until the DvD came out and I just happened to notice it.

[@Wi11iamNZ]

This is why Legolas is seen many times throughout the trilogy performing seemingly unreal acrobatic feats. Not just because it looks cool but because elves can move and preform these feats as if they are completely weightless. Fleet of foot, balanced and graceful...even gravity doesn't effect them as it would a normal person.

[@rikk319]

@@Wi11iamNZ In Tolkien's world, elves are just overall superior to humans, physically and spiritually. What do humans have going for them? They get to be with Eru (God) after they die, while elves are a part of the Earth and can reincarnate there even if they die...but when the world comes to an end, it seems to be suggested that they will come to an end, too.

[@frkzoid]

Bilbo and Frodo was able to resist the ring because they didn't desire power. However, it would have eventually taken them over in time. Bilbo was on his last straw and Frodo was the only one that could handle the ring at that time.

[@brianphillips7696]

For those who don’t know, when Saruman tells his Uruk to bring the hobbits to him unspoiled, he is saying that the hobbits are not to be robbed and all their things are to be brought with them. Saruman wants the ring.

[@joutcalt8241]

My 6th grade English class read the Hobbit and went to see this in theaters on a field trip. Best field trip ever!

[@jeffreydegraw4070]

My 8th grade math class used this film to talk about proportions and angles. How they shot these movies is just incredible to show the height differences of all the races!

[@Vulcanerd]

I've said this elsewhere, too, but I always enjoy the post-watch reactions and thoughts you guys do. I especially appreciate that Roxy always seems to have her host/interviewer hat on and sets up the other reactor with questions and asks them what they liked, didn't like which characters they enjoyed, etc, etc. She'll get around to talking about what did and didn't work for her, but she always sets up the co-reactor well and gives them the time and space to get their feelings out on a movie.

[@roxystriar]

❤❤❤

[@CrownlessKing88]

I’m sorry, “THAT ACTOR”? that actor is Sir Ian McKellen.

[@shanecampbell7423]

"Tata, it's Magento! How do you not recognize your favorite, Magento!" - Me, at that moment

[@ev1Lsect]

I know right? They know the Hobbit actors but not Magneto?

[@frankietorres8596]

@@ev1Lsect they do remember to insult men, though That comment I’ve tasted man flesh it’s overrated they need to get over themselves most of there fans who watch this channel are males they seem to have forgotten that

[@mmoore0325]

This must be said in Miranda Priestly's disapproving tone.

[@RajeshJustaguy]

yea they getting quite a few things wrong with the guesses too lol

[@SE7ENFX]

Lost count of the amount of times we’ve all said “YOU SHALL NOT PASS” to each other in the corridors at work. 😂

[@3Kings_Industries]

That phrase was one of my favorite meme comics for my math students. 😅😂

[@jishin75]

I told this to one of my players continuously missing passes to his teammates.

[@karidrgn]

There's a couple where a guy has included his cat into key scenes of different films. It's hilarious what he does with this scene.

[@SE7ENFX]

@@karidrgn Yeah I think they’re called Owlkitty. Love their videos!

[@Arcadio_Castellanoz]

Just love that Roxy’s taking notes. That’s commitment

[@jorge69361]

Love that Roxy is fully on board in keeping up with her notes.

[@GladtoberanDOM]

Would love to see her notes by the end. Be another novel in the making xx

[@76063co2]

The most impressive thing about this reaction is uncovering how hardcore a LOST fan that Roxy is. These movies are such consistently remarkable film-making. These reactions should be a lot of fun.

[@roxystriar]

I love lost so much

[@Joeuphonium_mk._2]

You all everybody!

[@donnathomas6063]

Really enjoying your reaction and happy that you’re enjoying one of my favourite stories ever! The theatrical cut is great for the Fellowship. But highly recommend the extended editions for the next two, as there’s important scenes that get cut. Have fun!

[@manvirshergill1739]

Two Towers Extended is better than the Theatrical version, Return of the King however is imo inferior to the Theatrical version.

[@Blackenedlight88]

You ladies are in for one hell of a journey!!

[@DestinyAwaits19]

Indeed they are.

[@EchoJPR]

One thing they don't tell you in the movies is that from the moment Gandalf leaves The Shire to when he returns is 17 years. So Frodo had the ring hidden all that time

[@marcushankins8171]

Yep and frodos journey starts at the same age as Bilbos in the hobbit.

[@badweathergaming4929]

and perhaps the greatest flaw in the movies... no Tom Bombadil.

[@marcushankins8171]

@@badweathergaming4929 absolutely legendary. Always one of my favorite things in the books is the council can’t let bombadil take the ring to Mordor or at all, because it’s so insignificant to him that he would probably lose it lol.

[@mena94x3]

4:58 Yeah, because the vast majority are practical effects. Pure CGI doesn't have the same believability and weight as practical effects. This movie will never not impress.

[@compostsmurf5519]

Hopefully we get a cleaned up version for the 25th anniversary

[@darrius2300]

Boromir on his death bed and all Roxy can think about is how hot Aragorn is ... LMAO

[@RedKytten]

I am truly sorry to say that Gandalf the Grey is indeed dead. You will never see him again.

[@SiriuslyBlack7]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@alexsampsonite2176]

stop

[@BrandonRachal-uc3kb]

um the Hobbit trilogy?!

[@generic_account2138]

​@@BrandonRachal-uc3kb The Hobbit has no trilogy The Hobbit needs no trilogy

[@ryanalaniz4525]

@@generic_account2138one does not simply watch the hobbit after LOTR

[@gazlator]

2:15:38 Howard Shore's musical score for all these films is still one of the most beloved of all soundtracks; it evokes The Shire, The Ring, The Fellowship and all the tragedy and joys in-between. A classic. And don't forget to listen (if you can) to the special musical pieces written for the end credits for each movie (in this case, Enya's beautiful "May it Be" for the Fellowship of the Ring).

[@MmeFrankenstein]

Six minutes in and seeing Roxy with a pencil and notepad is the cutest thing ever LOL Cannot wait to watch all of these with you two

[@Dimpalina_787]

I didn’t notice until about 30 minutes in, it’s not only the cutest but smartest thing! I wish I had done that the first time I watched these lol😂

[@roxystriar]

I needed it! 😂

[@3Kings_Industries]

Sam is that guy everyone needs in their corner

[@fox_trot0214]

Sam is the guy we all wish for as a buddy But Sam is the guy we SHOULD all become for our buddys

[@08191906]

1. About woman energy: Patience, please. 2. During the scene of the inn at the Prancing Pony when Stryder's eyes glow in the flare of the burning tobacco in his pipe is a beautiful translation from the book.

[@edwardosquidawardo]

These movies are lightning in a bottle…the casting, directing, acting, effect both practical and digital, from top to bottom these movies are perfect.

[@azazello1784]

No it's not.

[@meridianline4022]

​@azazello1784 yes because you're an award winning writer director and producer do enlighten us as to how the greatest film trilogy and book series ever made are garbage

[@Keffinated]

19:45 Bilbo: "I thought up an ending for my book: and he lived happily ever after." The woman on the left: "Hmm, maybe he was the first one to think of that." I don't know your name, woman on the left, but you are the first reactor I have ever heard deduce or guess that this is indeed the implication. The Lord of the Rings takes place in Europe many thousands of years before recorded history. What happened in Middle-earth became the source for all our myths, legends, and fairytales. Bilbo was probably the very first author to use the phrase, "lived happily ever after."

[@christopherbowers7236]

I forget that theres hints of that in the books. Like when it prwtends the originlls of 'out of the fying pan into the fire' is 'escaping goblins to be caught by wolves'

[@odinsudons]

"Props to the actor for keeping the pipe in his mouth while delivering those lines. He's a real pro". That is Sir Ian McKellan and he is a pro of pros lol

[@lauraharrison775]

The three elven rings were made before the One Ring and are immune to its influence. They are currently worn by Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf (who was given one by the Elf Cirdan who originally had it).

[@lolmanyeah1]

Not quite. They never wore the 3 rings when sauron wore the one ring. Had they all worn the rings at the same time, they would fall under saurons control.

[@lolmanyeah1]

The elves knew what was happening and took off their rings as sauron put on the one. This is why they didn't fall under the control. But they are not immune.

[@sirkylanthered]

​@@lolmanyeah1Sauron also had no part in making the elven rings. He advised Celebrimbor on forging the 7 and the nine. But Celebrimbor made the 3 all on his own.

[@Arctic_Architect]

The reason it’s 9 male characters is because it was written from 1939 to 1949 and takes large influences from Tolkiens time in World War 1 and the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers and the battle between good and evil. By the way fun fact Gandalf is an angel that’s taken human form. Not really explained in the films so not a spoiler but again ties in to Tolkiens Christian faith and the importance of that to him during the war. An angel bringing hope, leading in battle and being a messenger

[@LadyOndyne]

Yes! Also wizard here is not in the "Harry Potter way" but more on the "wise man" meaning. Also, he cannot interfere more than necessary. And he was afraid to go agains Saurom in the first place.

[@Spbatt]

at the end when yall are trying to guess whos gonna make it out aline, Tara looked so stressed out 😭

[@boxerjeep]

Almost all the questions you are asking are in the extended versions you really need to watch the extended ones to fully (or at least more) understand the story.

[@AshrafAnam]

Extended versions are always the best for any movie. I will never understand why people complain about them. Films should be an engrossing experience, not just some hour and a half content I just watched while munching something or Netflix and chill.

[@emosam07]

I'll always recommend the extended editing. For people new to middle earth, it explains things more and better. For those familiar with Tolkien's world, it's just the better versions.

[@tfpp1]

@@AshrafAnamNo, not *all* movies that’s ridiculous. However, for LOTR I agree.

[@caseyh8386]

I agree, but to be fair for newcomers on a first watch the theatrical cut is probably the best place to start. Would be good for their own enjoyment to watch the extended versions at some point though

[@RockyDaTherapist]

@@AshrafAnamYeah but the theatrical cut is just about 3 hours. Not everyone can sit through an extended cut of a movie that’s already extremely long.

[@bloodyneptune]

Actually, one of my favorite parts of watching LOTRs reactions is people trying to keep up with the names, species and lore at the beginning, then by the end they're casually pronouncing things like Osgiliath correctly. Its fun watching people get pulled right into this world and falling in love with it

[@nancyhayes9958]

True. If people really want to get confused on the names, they need to read the Silmarillion😂

[@karidrgn]

​​ or are insomniacs. I've tried reading the silmarilion 3x and can't do more than 10 pages. I'm incredibly impressed with anyone whose not only read it, but memorized it. Stephen Colbert is such an Uber fan, he'll drop whole reams of lore on his late night show given just an inkling of an opening.

[@nancyhayes9958]

@@karidrgn It took me months to get to Bree because I couldn't get past chapter two. Then I finished LOTR in less than a week. I love the Silmarillion, but it's like slogging thru the old testament.

[@karidrgn]

@nancyhayes9958 i likened the silmarilion to a really boring history textbook. Only has name dates and events. Doesn't really tell a story. But supposedly, Tolkien wrote as his reference to Middle Earth history. Not as a novel.

[@petegiant]

The book was published in 1954. The movie was released in 2001. Just for context.

[@mrdavman13]

So some back story/ lore answers to questions you had. Sauron used to have a boss named Morgoth. Sauron is like an angel, Morgoth literally helped create the whole universe (along with other gods). Morgoth waged a huge war against elves way back when and men also helped, those men were the ancestors of Aragorn. Thus he is blessed with long life. There are also regular humans which don’t have the long life. Sauron was the head lieutenant of Morgoth and had waged war against the elves in very tricky ways. Over this very long many thousands of years, he had suffered a few defeats and been weakened. So when he crafted the ring, he didn’t have his full power to split between the ring and himself. Once the ring was parted from him, his physical form could not remain intact. That’s why he exploded. He became something like a spirit. It took him a long time to reform, into even what we see here which is not fully physical but still enough to be in the world affecting things and be seen. Then he could start exerting power over the evil men from the east and south, who have long been captured in cults to Sauron, and goblins, orcs, goblin men, trolls, spiders, anything dark and evil is drawn to him. 26:45 so this is why the extended editions are important. Remember, the humans want power, so they end up wanting the ring a lot; the wizards being very powerful already, are easily twisted by the ring, and more potential for the ring to corrupt. The hobbits, as explained by Bilbo in the extended edition intro, are very simple folk. Only loving farming, cooking, eating, drinking, and partying / being social with other hobbits. Power and wealth? Not really interesting. So there is less to corrupt, less opportunities to get its hooks into. Frodo, being a Baggins, is something like nobility. His cousin Pippin, is hobbit royalty. (merry is more distantly related to both of them and also nobility of hobbits) We see these three of all hobbits most interested in adventure, power or wealth, but also the necessary courage to even take on an adventure like this and leave home, we see this with Sam whose family has worked for the Baggins for generations (something like bound servants), never even leaving Hobbiton, let alone the larger Shire. 44:21 the 3 Elves made their rings using Sauron’s methods, but not with direct interference from Sauron. The elves do still have their rings, Gandalf has one of them. They can use them and the magic they wield as long as Sauron does not have his ring. If Sauron had his ring, he can read the the thoughts of whoever is wearing the elvish rings of power. The Dwarvish rings were created by Sauron & the elves, same as the human rings. The Dwarves being hardy and only wanting to mine and craft, were resilient and did not fall like the men. Instead they became very obsessed with treasure, digging too deep or hoarding too much gold, which brought their own problems in addition to going crazy for gold and not taking care of their kingdoms properly. The men turned to Nazgûl, it means “Ring Wraith”. They are like direct puppets for Sauron, and can be powerful in dark magic. 52:23 so yes, Saruman bred the Uruk Hai, they are half men, half orc/ goblin (it’s used interchangeably and means the same thing, but generally orcs are bigger and tougher than goblins), or maybe even half men and half goblin men. It’s not really clear exactly how it was done, and it was not something Sauron ever discovered. The Uruk Hai are stronger, better fighters, more intelligent and can move in the sunlight unlike goblins or orcs. Goblins/ Orcs were originally elves, but corrupted and twisted and cursed by Morgoth, it’s not super clear how they breed. But it known they are very industrialized, inventive, and have their own culture, violent as it may be. 58:10 the giant eagles are actually their own civilization, and one of the free peoples of middle earth. They descend from the servants of Manwe, Morgoths brother and the king good god of the world. The eagles have their own culture, and families, can speak, and have free will. They are not beasts of burden, but the head of the eagles does owe Gandalf a few favors. Gandalf calls one in at this time. You might hear people ask, why don’t they just fly to Mordor? You will see why in later movies. Sauron controls the sky. Also, would you ask some foreigners to carry you across a continent? Sorta rude, and they just aren’t meant to do things like that. They have consistently fought on the side of good during big wars of importance. 1:03:33 Elvish DOES mean something. Tolkien started this world by inventing languages, based on real world languages. Tolkien was someone who studied languages his whole life. It’s one of the most widely spoken “fictional” languages, and even has scholars who study elvish, and all its sub forms. All languages are made up, and enough people speak it that it is considered a real language. There are conventions where people speak only in elvish. In this universe, words, especially elvish, have magical properties. What you say matters, oaths & promises are binding, and breaking them can lead to consequences, which we see when Boromir breaks his oath to protect Frodo. We will see more of this later. 1:12:30 Fun fact about the mountain scenes, Sean Bean hated helicopters, and refused to ride it. So he hiked in full makeup and costume any days that required riding a helicopter. Dedication. 1:15:25 Gollum was like a proto-Hobbit, way back when they first split off from Men. He is very small also. 1:17:10 Gimli lives in the lonely mountain. The dwarves hadn’t been in Moria for a great long time, his cousin Balin went to go retake it, but didn’t expect such resistance. We see his body later, and another dwarf we meet in the Hobbit movies. The creature in the lake is from the very deep depths of the world, older than lots of other things, and maybe a mistake of creation. The lake connects to the deep parts of the mine, and is only one of the things Gandalf says is worse than orcs or goblins in Moria. 1:36:11 fun fact: Galadriel is one of the oldest things in all of middle earth. Even older than the sun and moon. She is one of the bearers of the elven rings. Elrond has the third. She can speak thru the mind of others, and sorta project herself far away. She is a very powerful elf because of where she was born and having seen the light of the two trees (the original light sources in this world that were holy light). That is why she glows, and specifically her hair. (Which her hair indirectly started started that huge war between Morgoth and the elves) The light gives her extra powers along with the ring. She is a very powerful high elf. The only thing about as old, is the ring Aragorn has, the Ring of Barahir, and Treebeard, who we will meet later. @roxystriar @taraerickson @reelrejects

[@ThatF_ckingguy]

This deserves so many more likes way to go with the info bro

[@petercook3441]

Nobody is reading that bro

[@Mickey12832]

@@petercook3441rude. I did and found it quite interesting.

[@EliasuSan]

Extended Editions all the way or bust!! You get to more fully experience all of the story

[@thedarkknight2221]

Fun Fact: when filming wrapped on the movies rather than have the set of Bag End be disassembled and destroyed as you’re supposed to, Peter Jackson actually kept the house intact and had it moved a few hundred miles away to his home and be used as a guest house. Elijah Wood and Sir Ian McKellan have stayed over there for vacations. And then he did the exact same thing for The Hobbit Trilogy.

[@jip5889]

Extra fact: The original set was mostly torn down and rebuilt for the Hobbit movie. And this time it is maintained and open for visitors.

[@ronweber1402]

@@jip5889 I think the New Zealand tourism ministry or whomever was inundated with inquiries about seeing The Shire but it had been dismantled after LOTR but then they made a deal with New Line to keep Hobbiton in place after shooting The Hobbit and it remains there to this day as a tourist attraction.

[@deanlewis6109]

I was so excited to go and stay at the Hobbit set. Spent a week sleeping on a green screen. 1/10

[@cuffzter]

I think they did disassemble the Shire and rebuilt it for The Hobbit. It was after that they left it standing because they figured out it had tourist potential

[@joelspaulding5964]

Auto dislike for prefacing any statement, factual or not, with "Fun fact:"

[@GhostWatcher2024]

The ring does NOT protect, or it would have protected him from the Wraiths. The necklace means nothing. If you meant the necklace that Arwin gave to Aragorn, thats something else entirely. Frodo survived the strike from the cave troll because of his mithril chain mail that Bilbo gave him. And Frodo needs to NOT be using the Ring, because doing so attracts the Wraiths and it makes Frodo MORE visible to the Wraiths, not invisble.

[@Tedra64]

The actor who plays Gandalf is Ian McKellan who plays Magneto in the earlier X-men movies and Bilbo is the actor who played Ash in Alien.

[@johnplaysgames3120]

During the conversation about why there aren't women among the nine, Tara nailed it when she said that you have to take into account the metaphors at play (as well as, let's be honest, the time period it was written). Though Tolkien didn't intend for The Lord of the Rings to be an allegory for World War I (or any other historical event), many parts of the books -- including characters, places, and themes -- are based on Tolkien's experiences fighting in the Great War. I won't give any specifics, obvs, so as not to accidentally spoil anything, but if you think of many parts of this story being related to the experience of a man going off to fight in WWI -- the feeling of being just one small person going off into distant, horrifying lands to fight enemies who seem way too big to fight and to accomplish things that seem way too big to accomplish but having a feeling of duty and responsibility and having to find the hero inside you to do what you have to do, then you see it's not really about, "Hey, where I can work some feminine energy into this metaphor?" It's Tolkien processing his feelings about war and fighting in wars, the greed and weaknesses of Men, and the horrors of what we do to each other in the pursuit of power -- as well as the good things we find in ourselves and others along the way, including the fellowship of other soldiers -- through a fantasy story. Keeping this in mind, the idea of different races from different lands (Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Hobbits, etc) coming together to fight against an evil bigger than any petty squabble they might've had between them before starts to sound an awful lot like a metaphor for soldiers from various countries allying to march off together to fight against a big Axis of Evil that threatens ALL their wellbeings. There are characters who are stand-ins for friends he lost, kind soldiers he met along the way, and horrors he experienced (or, at least, his feelings about them). And there are locations and horrific moments that are based on places Tolkien saw in the war, such as Northern France after the Battle of Somme. I mean, WWI is where things like mechanization, planes, tanks, and chemical warfare first showed up in a big way in warfare and, for the soldiers fighting it, that war was an absolute horror show nightmare (I taught high school History briefly years ago and I'm still haunted by some of the photos I've seen from WWI. All wars are bad, but that was one that reached a whole 'nother level of F'd up). Anyway, think about THAT as a metaphor any time they're showing scenes in Saruman's domain and Mordor, tearing down nature with huge machines and building evil nightmare murder-soldiers from the mud and smoke and fire. I mean, it's a fantasy story in a fantasy world so, yeah, Tolkien could've fudged his experiences a bit and made one or two of the nine women, but that wasn't part of the experience he was pulling from. I'm legit all about diversity and representation in characters and casting, but, in a way, nitpicking LotR for not having it at its core would be a bit like watching "Saving Private Ryan" and saying, "Yeah, my nitpick with the movie is that they didn't have any female soldiers in the platoon that was trying to find Private Ryan." Because, historically, they wouldn't have. And adding that in, even this far after the fact, would be weird. That being said, nobody said that women don't play large roles in LotR. You're literally one third of the way through a long-ass trilogy. And, let's be real (and I mean this with all the love): You two guess what's going to happen next constantly through pretty much every movie you cover on this channel and, in every movie, like 95% of your guesses are completely wrong. So, y'know, don't judge a trilogy's diversity by its first installment. THAT being said, we do also have to consider that the books were written in 1949. Diversity wasn't really a thing and Peter Jackson's just adapting the books, not rewriting them. Like it or not, this is a story that focuses on a lot of male characters and so the movie follows suit. And we all know that if Pete had decided to make Gimli a lady or rewrite Arwen to fill in for Legolas or something, the movie would've been EVISCERATED by fans who love the books and were looking for a faithful adaptation. If it helps, LotR inspired D&D, and D&D is FULL of awesome female characters of all levels of power and bad-assery so, y'know, the legacy of LotR is rich fantasy worlds full of every sort of character you can think of, inhabiting every part of every spectrum there is. So, y'know... yay, Tolkien for being the giant shoulders on which we all stand when rolling up parties full of everything EXCEPT standard cis male rangers, elven archers, axe-wielding dwarves, and tricksy hobbitses.

[@sunsoar1822]

i commented this elsewhere but my thought is that not every movie has to have a diverse cast, otherwise is that even diversity? Like "we are all individuals" while being exactly the same. Some movies star all women, some star all men, some have a mix, and I don't see a problem with that, that to me is diversity. If they remade the movies today, and gender swapped some of the characters, not only would fans be annoyed, and rightfully so, but it would also change the very nature of the story itself. Not everything has to have feminine energy in it, and not everything has to have masculine energy in it. Some things can be one or the other, and that's okay.

[@pip5667]

Actually, Peter Jackson *did* have Arwen replace a male character - in the books an Elf by the name of Glorfindel is the one to find the group and ride Frodo to Rivendell, not Arwen, so there's already more female character focus than the books in that instance, which is honestly a pretty large one in terms of time/importance during the movie.

[@brucewilliams4152]

Merry and pippin are Frodo 's cousins. They 're actually from rich and landed people. Minor nobles.

[@torontomame]

Thanks for pointing this out. I always feel bad how Pippin is portrayed as just some pain in the butt who's too impulsive. But he's the youngest of the Hobbits (still a teenager in Hobbit years), and is the youngest son of a rich family. He's never before had to deal with anything of consequence. And he does a lot of growing throughout this story.

[@jeffwestjr.4160]

Sam truly is a real one. To paraphrase Denise from The Media Knights, "If you don't have a Samwise Gamgee in your life, then that means you ARE the Samwise Gamgee in your life, so go out and BE the Samwise Gamgee in your life."

[@Jacana2k6]

A major theme of this first movie is the temptation of the ring. All the major characters of this world who had a decent chance of resisting the ring were tested to see what they would do with the ring just in their grasp. Gandalf, Aragorn, Elrond, Galadriel. There are others in this world on the side of good who would fail the test but "fate" never gave them to chance to be that close. Boromir's failure was necessary for Frodo to understand the longer the fellowship was with him and the closer the ring got to Mordor, eventually everyone in the group would fail the test.

[@ReelRejects]

What's your FAVORITE Tolkien Novel or Adaptation???

[@pricemoore2022]

The Return OF The King!!!!😊😊😊😊

[@StardustandMadness]

I read The Hobbit in school with my English Lit teacher, but I love this whole series.

[@Kevin.Costner.]

The Demolition Of Smog & Battle of Five Helmets

[@PopsiCOLE]

You ladies made a mistake by not watching the extended editions. That is the only way to watch these incredible films. You messed up big time.

[@michaelallen3894]

The Return of the King. Theoden King rules

[@Nohugsforyou1]

This is my first exposure to this channel and I love the fact that the girl in white is taking notes. It really shows how seriously she’s taking the movie. I’m so excited to see their reaction to the next two movies! I wish they’d chosen the extended edition but I understand why. 😁

[@roxystriar]

I really wanted to make you guys proud :)

[@venomoverlord7016]

Hope u watch the extended cuts on the next 2 - theres about 4-5 Really Important scenes youll miss otherwise

[@formergoat]

Arwen is half-elven. The half-elves can choose to live either immortal or mortal lives.

[@rikk319]

Only Elrond, his brother Elros, and Elrond's children have that choice.

[@jonathankelly8932]

Awesome seeing this reaction, the more people get introduced to the LotR world the better! So glad you two enjoyed the movie and Peter Jackson's take on the story! Considering this was made long before the long-form series of today were popular, its incredible how much of the massive scope of the books he was able to capture. Looking forward to seeing how you like the next two! To comment on Roxy and Tara mentioning that they wish the female charaters were on the quest as well, or part of the nine .. First, well, you'll have to circle back after the next two movies and see how you land on this sentiment afterwards! Second, Tolkien was not only an author, but a professor of languages, with a deep passion for history and mythology - and a veteran of WWI where he fought on the front lines with all his childhoodfriends (who pretty much all died besides him). LotR is very much a sort of 'greatest hits" of ancient mythology, with a heavy dose of his own beliefs, along with languages that he wrote for fun woven in - all done in an effort to create a mythology for the UK, which doesn't really have one. He wrote them from a place of trying to be not only true to ancient myths, but also the reality of warfare from any time before the mid 20th century ... which would have been 100% men fighting. Women were considered far too precious and important to ever be on the front lines - since you could sacrifice hundreds/thousands of dudes on the battlefield, and still survive as a people - but if the women died, then your entire society was dead. Peter Jackson debated and filmed a bunch more with Liv Tyler involved in the fighting , but decided to stay true to Tolkien's vision instead. And lastly, from a story perspective, Arwen and Galadriel were considered two of the most beautiful women (elves) to have ever lived in all of history in middle earth - and the goal of the "fellowship" was secrecy- so having one or two of the most stunning beings in middle earth casually walking around the countryside might have drawn more attention or alerted Sauron to what was happening. In the books Galadriel has to actively fend off the mental attacks and psychic intrusions of Sauron at all times, and is constantly working to keep her realm protected and secret from him as he tries to discovered where she is... because after all, she has one of the rings that he would love to get his hands on. At the time of the movies, all the other rings besides those belonging to the elves, and the One ring, are either destroyed, or in his posession already.

[@vandutch12]

"Saruman...that's so close to Sauron, why'd they do that to us?" 😂😂😂

[@rio20d]

RiP Ian Holm ( the guy who played Bilbo Baggins here), he was also in Fifth Element movie as Father Vito Cornelius...

[@krisanresa9675]

and RIP to Christopher Lee as well as Saruman, he was count Dooku in Star Wars as well

[@melneth3119]

I was trying to hold out to watch until you watched all 3 but I'm weak 🤣🤣

[@bkf57]

Мне левая телка больше нравится

[@harrysmith8491]

I'm a 100% straight male, but yep, I would probably bend the knee for Aragorn.

[@BatmanFan76]

This movie did kick off what we all like to call a legendary trilogy. Since this was based on Tolkien books, this was a very faithful adaptation with some slight differences nobody even minds.

[@SockBramson_]

Yup. RotK is the most satisfying but to me, this is the best movie in the trilogy. It’s flawless.

[@edinalewis4704]

You clearly don’t remember when the movies were released. People were so mad at the changes from the books!!!

[@BatmanFan76]

@@edinalewis4704 Well, I’m not a LoTR expert. So, I’m pretty sure only major fans of the books were very mad. The rest of the audience didn’t mind/care.

[@slimmccoy8863]

Changes from the source material are inevitable, people need to get over it. If they want the books exactly, they should get out of the theater and read them. Problem solved

[@SockBramson_]

@@edinalewis4704 A very small but very outspoken group of people. Imagine if KZbin and Twitter were around back then.

[@robertbretschneider765]

2:07:11 Given the fantasy middleage setting and the nature of the mission as a very risky/slash suicide mission, its only natural that no women and only the most brave/crazy/idealistic/strong men would wanna join... and protective men as they are and were back then too wouldnt have liked a lady taking place in a suicide-mission. So the 9 being men is only logical or at least most likely. But we have badass Liv Tyler (deliberate change from the books btw, where frodo gets rescued by a very powerful male elf) and badass Cate Blanchett, so there shouldnt be a reason to criticize. But this theme of women wanting to get their share of the glory is a part of this movie and the other two movies as well. So its good on all the modern shenanigans, no reason to criticize that part.

[@sandman4413]

Haha “that actor” not realizing it’s Sir Ian Mckellen. 😂 Just goes to show how great the costume design is.

[@christopherbowers7236]

I mean, its really Obviously ian mckellan i think she just forgot his name

[@sandman4413]

@@christopherbowers7236Roxy is usually on point with pointing out actors though. She got pretty much everyone except Gandalf. But yeah potentially could’ve forgotten.

[@azazello1784]

Sir my arse. He is a fruity goof.

[@xineedwards2720]

@@azazello1784do you know him personally?

[@hyuduthinkur]

​@@azazello1784 some bona polari?