The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Reaction & Review PART 2! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!
Vložit
- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- I felt like this was one of the best filmed movies ever. Certainly, one of the greatest epic fantasies ever made. Peter Jackson was a master at his craft and this just lift like a prelude to a much bigger and darker story we have yet to watch. I absolutely loved every second of film and I’m kind of glad that I get to watch this film with you guys. This was by far my longest review and I really hope you guys enjoyed the film as much as I enjoyed watching it. I eagerly look forward to the next installation!
Link to Part 1 if you've missed it: • The Lord of the Rings:...
Full Length Reactions to ALL the films I've watched and Early Access at Patreon: / shanwatchesmovies
0:00 Intro
0:27 The Film
17:05 The Review
29:15 Outro
Hey guys, I'm Shaneel (Shan). Welcome to the channel!
My reaction and review to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) for the first time. Hope you enjoy the video!
*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners. - Zábava
Fun Fact: Aragorn put on Boromir's vembraces, you can see this at the end when he adjusts them towards the end of the film. He did this to carry him with them so that even in death he can complete the journey of the fellowship.
Aragorn also took the secret of boromirs temptation of the ring with him to his grave . No one else but Frodo knows of it
Fun fact: the actor playing the uruk failed his throw (when he throwed the knife at Aragorn) so the deflection was genuine, he could have been badly hurt
@@almaudo3 I knew that, but it’s so badass. You have to act the moment the body releases tension. Pure reflex
@@dudemanbroguy3464 atleast in the movies Sam also knows, Frodo probably told him. We see that when Sam tells Faramir. I dont know if its like that in the books as well
I've seen this film dozens of times and I never caught that.
“My captain, my king.” Tears every time. Also regarding the emotions, it’s been pointed out so many times before, but pay attention to how genuine and caring many of the character’s friendships are and how they grow over the course of the trilogy.
I almost lost it even watching it here! No matter how many times I've already seen it.
Yes, it is the best line of all three movies.
I never liked Boromir in the book, but Sean Bean gave him such life and depth. The moment that tears me up is when he says his father wants him to save his people, "and I would do it..." Man, you can just hear the little boy in that phrase, trying so, so hard to please his cold, hard father. It really strikes me in the heart every time.
Nobody who'd already seen the films was the LEAST bit surprised at how emotional it was likely to make you, believe me. This is next level filmmaking.
I saw a sandwich eat a bird
Another amazing detail I never noticed until a fellow commentator pointed it out is, that Isildur, when seduced by the ring, died by three arrows to the back - Boromir who also fell to it's power but ultimately resisted died with three arrows to the front, like a hero.
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future" is not in the book. The sentiment is there, and it's said in different words in different places, but this line is Jackson's own.
A worthy addition
I think it is definetly implied though. Probably jackson simplifying the theme out of more abstract description not able to be present in the movie
Tolkien definitely inspired the line, except in the book it came from Elrond rather than Galadriel... “Such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.”
Given how the writing process for the films was described it was likely a line written by Fran Walsh or Phillipa Boyens. Jackson's involvement in the script was more about the action.
It's because it's not so much about size as it is about power and fame. A better line would be, even the most insignificant person can change the course of history.
If I ever hear the chanting part of "The Bridge of Khazad Dum" score without erupting into goosebumps, I'm probably dead
You can actually visit Hobbiton if you go to New Zealand. On my bucket list for sure.
I've been there. Go, before it's too late 🙂
Went there in 2011 a few months after fukushima, Trekked for days in orc infested lands, only to find the gate barred and sealed because of..... The hobbit shoots, took me by surprise
Honeymooned in NZ (toured all around the north island, but stayed mostly in Rotorua), but it was before they had Hobbiton open for tourists. It was just a raw hole in the side of a hill (still cool for big fans like us). We’ve always planned on going back for our 25th anniversary (but to travel around the South Island this time - BUT - we can’t skip Hobbiton!)
It's literally on the other side of the planet. I don't think a poor smuck like me will ever be able to go there. :(
I’m loving your reaction to this!
This was Sean Bean’s finest death scene, IMO. And Boromir’s death is a turning point for Aragorn.
Aragorn promises Boromir that he will save the White City, that he will take the throne in order to do it. At the end we see him buckle on Boromir’s wrist bracers, which he wears for the remainder of the story.
I gotta be honest, I was pretty happy at the end of Death Race 2...
How good it felt to watch this in cinema for the first time , people were blown away .
I saw them all as well after watching this one I remember coming out of the cinema saying OMG I've just watch a D&D movie at its most epic lol I used to play the board games
I didn't get into the movies until several years after they were released, so i'm hoping they re-release the trilogy after the theaters open back up. I'd love to see the movies on the big screen for the first time.
Reading the books for the first time was mind blowing as well for me and the movies.... they are just how imagined it in my mind almost. peter jackson did a phenomenal job.
that Bilbo scene the first time o.0
@@twyckoff87 R.I.P. Ian Holm.
I read these books once a year for decades, and suffered through the many failed attempts to bring them to film. Peter's movies are an amazing achievement and nothing gives me more pleasure than watching someone experiencing them for the first time. So glad you enjoyed, and can't wait for the rest.
As a massive Lord of the Rings fan, it's great to see people who know almost nothing of Tolkien's work appreciating these movies. It's easy to forget how immense the scale of these tales are, for newcomers it must feel a little daunting, yet Jackson managed to retell the story in a manner that everyone can appreciate.
I feel the same way.
I'm looking forward to watching him react to the rest of the films. He's in for a journey.
I'm always glad to hear book fans appreciate the films! There are so many purists out there who aren't happy with even the smallest changes. The films aren't flawless, but I can't imagine any other effort getting closer to perfection.
@@vanyadolly True, they weren't flawless, but they brought an emotionality to the story that Tolkein's narrative was lacking.
This film made me an instant fan of Cate Blanchett.
The way she carries herself as Galadriel awes me every time ^_^
Also Sauron is a “Maia”
Long story short: Before time began, the god Eru created spirits called the Ainur, the most powerful being the Valar.
Eru taught the Valar how to sing together to produce a great song and themes to interpret as a guide, doing this they created the world (elements, life, etc)
One of the Valar Melkor decided to rebel and Introduce his own notes, sowing discord into the music, and turning against the other Valar to try and disrupt their creations. Among the Ainur were also the Maiar, one of them being Sauron, who chose to side with Melkor (now Morgoth)
A number of other Maiar were sent to Middle Earth to contest the will and corruption of Sauron and took the form of the Wizards.
The Maiar would be angels, with the Valar as archangels. It all draws from Tolkien's Catholic background as well as the pagan lore of northern Europeans like the Saxons and Geats.
Galadriel giving Gimli some of her hair is a much bigger deal than it seems, as you might have guessed.
In Tolkien's The Simarillion, an elv tried to recreat the lost elven treasures and needed some of her hair to do it but she refused, because Galadriel can see the true intentions of everyone.
It was Faenor, the greatest and yet most disappointing elf king.
@@nickmanzo8459 and he wanted them, because her hair shined like light from the two trees of Valinor.
Galadriel saw though Faenor's BS. He wanted her hair so he could craft something to bring fame and glory to himself. Gimli's request was pure of heart. He wanted to craft something with them to honor her beauty and his love of her not to showcase his vanity of his craftsmanship. Plus Faenor asked her 3 times and she refused him 3 times, Gimli asked for only 1 yet she gave him the 3, 1 for each time that Faenor had asked.
One of the lore youtubers has a great video on this very topic. Sadely I forget whom but I'm sure a search would be quick.
@@ThatGuy-cb3yv my brother
"Sean Bean is doing an excellent job." I don't think I've ever seen him doing a horrible job. Really underrated actor imo.
Yes! I always forget he's theatrically trained until I'm blown away by his great monologues here. Jackson made a good choice giving him so much to work with.
xkepakko - Huh. Strangely enough, that’s exactly what Constance Chatterley said.
You’re the most underrated reactor on CZcams, excellent reaction!
I agree, it's him and filmmaker reacts.
If i could take only one quote form this film (or all LotR Movies), this one i hold dear.
Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. [...]
Till now, I really enjoy your reactions and I am very curious to see how things will continue... ;-)
Just amazing writing by Tolkien. Such a simple quiet conversation, but incredibly profound.
*"It's pity that stayed..." The "a" isn't there.
Yep, the quote that summarizes the whole series.
As Gandalf proceeds to slay about a hundred Orcs and Goblins, not to mention kicking ole' Steward onto the fire...
@@tapoemt3995 I think, the point is to not kill someone, if you have the choice. When orcs attack you, you have little choice but to fight and kill them. As for denethor. He himself had decided to die. Again, it was not Gandalf's decision to kill him. A good example would be Grima. Aragorn / Theoden clearly had a choice here, whether or not to kill him. They did not kill him, in retrospect at least a questionable decision. But at that point ... who could have known? Gandalf's point.
When Aragorn blocks the knife, the actor for Lurtz (the Uruk who killed Boromir) accidently threw the knife directly at Viggo Mortensen.
If you didn't notice, as Boromir is being sent over the waterfall the camera cuts to Aragorn and it shows Aragorn strapping on Boromir's bracers on his forearms with the white tree of Gondor symbol.
I'm so glad you are watching extended, it adds SOOO much to Boromir's character.
The reason for the hostility between Aragorn and Boromir initially is that Boromir's father is the steward of Gondor. Aragorn has been in hiding and neglecting his duties out of fear. Boromir has so much responsibility on his back because his people are the people who are at war with Mordor and do continuously fight them which made him all the more susceptible to the power of the Ring. As he says to Frodo, "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!"
Just like Gandalf says, "I would use this ring with A DESIRE TO DO GOOD, but through me it would wield a power to great and terrible to imagine."
So Boromir's death and being around Aragorn was a huge catalyst for Aragorn to accept his role as King as he tells Boromir, "I will not let the White City fall, nor OUR PEOPLE fail." This also puts Boromir at ease knowing Aragorn is going to take on the role to lead and that all hope is not lost.
Without the extended you would miss SO much of this relationship.
Aragorn never neglected his duties. He wasn't automatically the heir to the throne of Gondor, his family heritage made him the heir to the throne of Arnor, (the northern kingdom which fell centuries before), his claim to gondor was never clear. The gondor Ian Royal line had died out centuries before.
Aragorn spent the decades before the story moving in secret through the western kingdoms. He spent years in rohan helping Theodan's father, he spent years in gondor working with denethor's father, where he won great renown (Aragorn had probably spent more time as a soldier of gondor than boromir had). This was all to make him a better leader.
Saruman using the Palantir, that crystal ball that allows him to see stuff, gave Sauron the opportunity to communicate with him and force him to slowly go mad and abandon his hope.
As stated before, Sauron is not a man, he is a corrupted Maia, essentially a fallen Angel. Though not as bad as his thwarted master Morgoth, a fallen Valar (archangel, essentially Satan), he is nonetheless the most dangerous and powerful embodiment of evil in Middle Earth at this time in its history. He cannot die, but destroying the Ring will render his spirit so weak that it can never again gain any strength until the End of Days.
As opposed to other movies that say "we have a long distance to travel". It's heavily showcased in this movie how vast this country is and how far they have to go.
Sometime it is and sometimes it isn't. Depends on how fast they need to move the plot. The choices Jackson made in changing the timeline of events forced him to pay fast and loose with the distances in some parts. For example in the film Gandalf leaves Sam and Frodo in the Shire and says he has to go to Isengard to consult with Sauraman, and makes the plan to go all the way there and back to meet them at the Prancing Pony in the same time the Hobbits walked from the Shire to Bree. Yet they later said it would take 30 days to go from Rivendell to the Gap of Rohan where Isengard is, and Rivendell is closer to it than the Shire.
@@stanmann356 I'll take it over the meandering in the books TBH. The lack of urgency doesn't make for good pacing. And one Gandalf on horseback travels a lot faster than the entire fellowship on foot.
In scale, it would be akin to walking from the west coast of Scotland to the middle of Romania.
Can we acknowledge the music in these movies!!?? I love the music of the Elves especially!!! No one ever talks about this!! The people who wrote this amazing soundtrack to the orchestra who played the music for the movies. Some haunting,uplifting ,serious and sad. Simply breathtaking!!! As always you are right on point! Stay safe!
Yes, Howard shore is an amazing composer, the choir was magnificent! It is completely Divine.
In the old days such pieces would have been forbidden outside the Vatican. As Miserere Deus was.
There is a video about Howard shore writing the music for the trilogy, i recommend it!
@@Gaia369 Thank you so much!! I will def check it out!
The Lord of the rings is the best film trilogy ever! The music is so beautiful and always makes me emotional.
Shan, I saw this at the cinema when it was released, and I remember being blown away by the stunning visuals. Even seeing it on UHD big-screen TV just doesn't compare to the full theater experience. Additionally, experiencing it in a packed theater with others who are seeing it for the first time and all are having the same emotions just adds to the film's impact. There wasn't a dry eye during the scene when the Fellowship mourned the loss of Gandalf, and you could hear a pin drop during Boromir's final dialog. This trilogy is truly a masterpiece of filmmaking.
It was also excellent to see it on opening night, standing in line with so many die-hard fans of all ages. It was like a big family and so enjoyable to watch with other fans.
Wow, I think this is the first time I've ever seen Shan SOOOO involved and invested in a movie. You can see it in his face. That's awesome. I had the same reactions when I watched all the movies when it was released in the theaters.
A great thing about the production is that Christopher Lee had a HUGE hand in making it. He personally read the entire trilogy of books every single year since they were first published and is the only cast/crew member to have actually met J.R.R. Tolkien. In particular, Lee really helped with how the orcs/urukhai were supposed to look and was basically treated as the "expert" on set of how everything was described in the novels.
He also told Peter Jackson the sound someone would make after being stabbed due to his experience in WW2 lol
@@Ammeeeeeeer Yeah I was gonna comment that whenever we got to that scene XD
I read these books dozens of times, and I was truly amazed at how faithfully they captured the look and feel of every location.
By the way, Elrond's wife was Galadriel's daughter, so Arwen is Galadriel's granddaughter.
One detail that's easily overlooked: after placing Boromir's body in the boat, Aragorn puts on Boromir's bracers (arm guards) in tribute. The bracers are inscribed with the symbol of the White Tree of Gondor. So he wears the bracers in memory of Boromir, as a reminder of his promise to Boromir to not let Gondor fall, and as a symbol of his own personal connection to Gondor as the heir to the long-vacant throne.
Boromir was the heir of the ruling Steward of Gondor, Denethor, who would be expected to give way to Aragorn as the rightful King of Gondor.
*slow clap, growing to cheering, feet stomping, and tears* for Shan. The amazement, surprise, awe, and joy you express at Tolkien's and Jackson's work drew me in so much that it was as if it was my first time watching this film. I've watched every one of your reactions (to the movies with which I'm already familiar, that is), and appreciate you more and more with each new one. 'Nuff said. On to The Two Towers!
Just watching this reaction made me cry. Imagine me watching the actual movie. Gives me the waterfalls at least 3 times or so.
Also, the Elvish singing in the background when Boromir dies, is actually a quote from Faramir in the books: "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend". The attention to detail is just so incredible.
When I read the books, Aragorn has the voice of John Hurt in my head, as anyone that has watched the 1978 Bakshi cartoon version a hundred times before they watched Jackson’s version will understand.
I never liked that version of Aragorn’s voice, it always rubbed me the wrong way.
Shan: Why does Sean Bean have to die?
Me: cackling though my tears
Glad you're enjoying it so far! Can't wait to see the rest!
The question literally answers itself. It's Sean Bean....
Laughed when he said that about Sean.
He gets to watch the rest right away. We had to wait 1-2 year.
Shan, I'm seriously thinking of reminding you, after every reaction to this series, that you would thoroughly enjoy the DVD extras/appendices. The link to the CZcams source is in your first reaction comments. Until that was produced for the DVD boxed sets, I had thought that the extras for the LaserDisc of Terminator 2 was the acme of showing a film being made from beginning to end. That was nothing compared to what Jackson's crew accomplished with LoTR. Best. Leo.
The LotR dvd sets had the best extras in any movie I’ve ever owned. Worth every penny.
@@zombiTrout Agree!
Agree with all of the above.
I was going to suggest exactly this! Amazing the lengths they went through to get the perspective shots to make the hobbits and dwarves look that small.
15:16 . . . The tension in the theater on opening night during this showdown was _intense._ You could tangibly feel it. Then, when Aragorn cut off Lurtz’s head, all that tension erupted into one unified gutteral war cry. It was so cool. Never had a shared theater experience like that before or since.
The mirrored font scene with Frodo and Galadriel was one of my favorites in the book. I was certainly tickled that Jackson pulled it off even better than I had imagine. "I passed the test. I will diminish...and go into the West...and remain Galadriel." Just so evocative. Best. Leo.
Even more powerful when you know her backstory and history.
No other actress than Cate Blanchet could fulfill this role. A living godess.
@@WeinsEarp Jackson and Company managed to cast actors who more than fulfilled my visions of the characters while reading the book. Best. Leo.
Frodo and Galadriel.
@@albertcornett7408 Thanks for the heads-up. It has been corrected. Best. Leo.
They don’t really make it clear in the film version but Saruman wants the ring for himself, so that HE can rule the world. He is only pretending to work for Sauron. That’s why he says when talks to the Urukai “whom do you serve?” He’s sending his own army so that he can get ahold of the ring. I thought that Saruman was sort of dumbed down for the movie version but I guess his true motivations still come across if you watch carefully. Cheers! I love all your reactions! ✌🏼🍻
When CGI was relatively newer, extra-special care was often taken to make it look as photo-realistic as the technology would allow, as seen here and in the JURASSIC PARK series. Now, filmmakers don't bother as much with that as they do simply depicting more and more outlandish images without such meticulous effort.
I think that's the mark of a good filmmaker. Plenty of early cgi looks quite poor; for example: the animals in the original Jumanji weren't very convincing, even when it first came out.
“Why does Sean Bean have to die?”
Because it’s in his contract, and no one does it better.😂
The actress Christina Ricci, known for playing Wednesday Adams, said multiple times that she uses the beginning of the Fellowship in the Shire as a lullaby to fall asleep every night.
Is there a video she says this? I’d like to watch it lol
You weren't the only one that got scared by that Bilbo scene.
No1 expects that nice good hearted bilbo is actually a savage 🤣
We all jumped when that scene happened in the theater 😆
I laughed when you said that it was surprisingly emotional. I cried many times throughout the trilogy. Great reaction! It’s always fun watching someone react to this amazing story for the first time.
"masterpiece" best word to describe this series.
I appreciate how perspicacious you are as a reviewer. Nothing worse than watching someone react to a movie you enjoy and they are missing things left and right, don’t appreciate or understand what’s going on. You are very insightful and engaged.
I was lucky enough to have sen many great moves in the theatre over the years but I can never remember being blown back in my seat like that scene on the bridge when the Balrog bursts into flame.
Gotta admit, my favorite part about the extended editions, isn't even the movie itself. It is the appendices that come with it, showing all the work that went into making these movies, it is an amazing tale all on its own.
"I didn't know a fantasy film like this can get me so emotional and invested, holy crap!" -- A feeling echoed by countless viewers across the world. : ) And it's not an exaggeration to say you haven't seen anything yet.
These movies were made with such careful attention to detail. They bring the characters and world from the books to life so beautifully. Huge applause to everyone involved in production because they knocked this series right out of the ballpark. Looking forward to you continuing the journey in the next installment.
Think of Sauron like a Lich or like Voldemort. Part of his soul is tied to the ring so as long as the Ring exists he's never truly gone and hes basically taken the last few thousand years to regenerate his power back to where he is now; not a fully formed body but has powers and control over his minions.
Yes, the ring, like a Hoarcrux, is a ‘phylactery’.
I absolutely adore Galadriael, seeer of the light of the trees and the strongest Elf left in middle earth
Gotta say, I think you're the best movie reactor on CZcams. Always makes me feel like I'm seeing something for the first time even if I've seen it 100 times already like this. Keep up the great work!👍👍
You are by far, my favorite reactor because of your extreme attention to detail in EVERY aspect of filmmaking. You're very professional in your critique. I myself, am a student of filmmaking, so I appreciate that you don't throw random jokes of yourself pasted onto the film like other reactors, wanting attention for themselves. You get RIGHT to the point. Strengths, weaknesses, score, cinematography, editing, lighting, sound design, practical/CGI effects, etc, etc. Keep up the phenomenal work!
The story is about power and how it ultimately corrupts those that wields it. From the most humble to the most wise.
It never gets old to watch people see this, the greatest film making achievement for the first time. Since i can never watch it for the first time again.
Hey, Shan! I'm so glad you're watching the EXTENDED EDITIONS otherwise you'd be missing out on a TON of material! Most of the additional footage in "Fellowship" is set in the Shire and Lothlorien particularly the all-important Galadriel gift-giving scene! She gives an individualized gift to each member of the Fellowship.
"The Lord of the Rings" was written by Oxford Professor J.R.R. Tolkien in the 1930's. It is inspired by Germanic and Scandanavian mythology as well as aspects of Christian cosmology. It remains the most influential fantasy saga of all time. The prequel book is "The Hobbit". The companion book that explores the origins and previous ages of Middle-Earth is called "The Silmarillion". What makes Tolkien so rich is the dense history of Middle-Earth which goes back millennia with invented genealogies, functional languages and original cosmology. The appendices in Book 3 and "The Silmarillion" are chock-full of lore that will be mined for future TV series.
Animator Ralph Bakshi directed an earlier film version in the 1970's using Rotoscope animation that had illustrators draw over cels of live actors. It was a monumental effort involving a cast of hundreds but he didn't have the budget to adapt more than one and a half books. It's a very adult, experimental film that is beautifully acted and underappreciated. The last book was adapted with more traditional animation by Rankin and Bass. They're both worth a look.
Peter Jackson's version will probably never be surpassed and was truly a titanic cinematic achievement that used all the resources of New Zealand. The three films were shot back to back to back! The cast and crew basically lived in New Zealand for three to four years. As in all adaptations, there are changes made to the books with some enhancing the text while others are questionable. Nonetheless, the trilogy is an epic of the kind that Hollywood used to make in the 1950's and 1960's but had long since been found to be cost-prohibitive. Jackson changed Hollywood conventional wisdom with the creative, technical and financial innovations that went into bringing Tolkien's world to vivid life.
Orcs breed with female Orcs who are largely unseen. However, Uruk-hai are the product of cross-breeding with human Hill-folk known as Dunlandings who pledged themselves to Saruman or female captives from Rohan which accounts for their larger stature and immunity to sunlight. The movie shows them as sorcerously bred in fleshy cocoons to spare viewers the horror of Orc rape presumably. Yeeeesh!
Two tales from the First Age of Middle-Earth that are relevant to the present tale of the Fellowship in the Third Age are those of Feanor and Beren.
Feanor was a conceited Elven King of tremendous power who was skilled in craftsmanship. He was taken with Galadriel in her youth and paid her an extraordinary compliment. He felt that when light shone through her hair it reminded him of two trees of silver and gold from whom all light itself was derived in the Undying Lands to the west of Middle-Earth. The trees were sacred to the Elves and had long been destroyed with the sun and the moon being the only vestiges to remain. He asked her for a single strand of hair to encase in crystal as a reminder of the trees' light. Most women would swoon but Galadriel rebuffed him because she was perceptive enough to see he had an unworthy soul. He was trying to possess and dominate. Elves and Dwarves have a contentious history and no love is lost between them. When Gimli asks for a strand and she gives three willingly to a Dwarf, it's a testament to his integrity and humility. After the War of the Ring, Gimli accomplishes what Feanor wished to do Ages ago and encases the strands in crystal. They become an heirloom of his house and a symbol of friendship between Dwarf and Elf.
Beren was a mortal man who fell in love with an Elf princess named Luthien. After many heroic exploits, he wed her and she chose a mortal life with him rather than immortality in the Undying Lands. That ancient love story is playing out again between Aragorn and Arwen.
Galadriel is one of the oldest and most powerful Elves of Middle-Earth. Her ability to resist the allure of the One Ring was put to the test when Frodo offered it to her. She foresaw how powerful she would become but refused to accept much like Gandalf earlier and Aragorn at the end when he encloses Frodo's fist and says he would have gone with him to the end. The great and powerful don't want to handle it because they know how insidious its influence is.
I adore Boromir! He's a truly tragic character whose story is fleshed out more in the next two Extended Editions. In the '70's Ralph Bakshi-animated version of "The Lord of the Rings", the scene of his betrayal of the Fellowship is even more affecting with dialogue lifted verbatim from the book and a voice performance that just haunted me as a kid. No disrespect to Sean Bean; he'll always be the swashbuckling Irish fusilier Richard Sharpe fighting the Peninsular War of the Napoleonic Era to me!
Balrogs were demons who served Sauron's master, Morgoth, the great evil who plagued the First Age of Middle-Earth. The great battle called The Last Alliance of Elves and Men that opens the film is the final event of the Second Age. "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" occur at the end of the Third Age.
I love that this channel not only reacts, reviews but offers insight and discussion on production and story easily one of the best film channels around.
Fellowship is my fav of the trilogy. When I saw it in theaters I was so pissed when it ended. I wanted more right away!!
I loved the amount of commentary and attwntion to detail! As a life-long LOTR fan it feels great to see other people react to it for the first time and specially if it comes with such an in-depth analysis. I'm going to be following this series. Keep it up!
I really appreciate how thorough your reviews are! It is clear you spend a lot of time analyzing the films you watch and I really enjoy listening to your thoughts and opinions. Glad you enjoyed this film, hope you enjoy the others just as much!
I have to give props for doing the extended versions. The story flows so much better and makes much more sense than the theatrical. Not that the theatrical is bad, just works better I find.
Seeing this on the big screen, and in a packed theatre when it was first released was an amazing experience. This is still epic filmmaking.
The behind the scenes on these films, which are included in the films usually, is an epic to rival the film itself. The level of detail you see on the screen? It's greater than you even see. They included details they *knew* would never even be shown on screen just to make it that much more real. I spent the last third of this movie in tears. Even having read the books and knowing the plot, Jackson and Company managed to make me care on a completely different level.
And that, if nothing else, is an achievement worthy of praise.
Shan should do a reaction to the making of. All of it xD
@@henningschwarz1862 I'd tune in!
There's a street scene in a certain city in the 3rd film (no spoilers!) where even though you only see the street a couple of seconds as they ride through, yet there is a fully detailed rat-catcher shop in a little mall of shops with cages and rat traps hanging on pegs on the walls
Breakfast - 7 a.m.
Second Breakfast - 9 a.m.
Elevenses - 11 a.m.
Luncheon - 1 p.m.
Afternoon Tea - 3 p.m.
Dinner - 6 p.m.
Supper - 9 p.m
It's so refreshing to see someone appreciate a piece of art even though its from a genre that doesn't interest them. Whether it's a rom-com or a heavy metal track, if it's a masterpiece it should appeal to even people that aren't a fan of the genre.
Shan, you have literally made my week with your review of this film. I look forward to your reviews each week, but these movies especially have me really looking forward to the next few weeks!
Keep up the great work, your channel is criminally undersubscribed. 😊
Gandalf is more than just a great Wizard. He's an angel, closer even to an archangel, and well over 50,000 years old.
Great reaction, Shan.
What amazes me the most about this trilogy is that Jackson had paid so much attention to the dialogues, the looks, the characters development, the little details... in a so giant project where these kind of things could have been easily neglected.
Shan I think I saw your soul leave your body during the Bilbo Baggins scene. I love that your watching these!! 😭
I love the way you react. Wonder, awe, joy, laughter, fear and sadness THIS is what an epic film is supposed to bring out.
Yes Gandalf the Grey is dead.
You reaction was a pleasure to watch (as always) and I'm actually so grateful that you hadn't seen LOTR before as we get to see your first time reaction and review to this masterpiece of cinema! :)
I know it's been said by others many times already, but I can't say enough how glad I am that you're watching the extended editions. The extra scenes add so much texture.
I envy you not only seeing this film for the first time, but also seeing it fresh with no influences. I've loved the books for nearly fifty years, but I do realize that knowing the story beforehand set me up to be critical of the movies in a way I wouldn't be otherwise. But honestly, PJ & Co did such a magnificent job that I have very little about these films that I don't like, just a handful of scenes. I won't go into those criticisms because it's pointless, being just my opinion. I will say how great it is to watch you entering Middle Earth for the first time, and enjoying it so much. (One thing I will say is to point out how good PJ and the other writers were at pulling the enormous story together into a form that could be filmed. Whole passages of the books get condensed into small moments, and things are often shown instead of told - if you can believe that, given all the exposition!)
So glad youre doing LOTR... cant wait to see your reactions to the ext 2. The opening of two towers is one of the best movie openers ever. Get ready haha
"I think that's CGI because the characters lack proper shadows" Good eye! And if you look back a couple minutes as the we see the fellowship crossing the bridge of khazad dum from the aerial POV, they are fully CGI there too! Corridor Crew did a great video breaking down some of the VFX shots, including that one. Pretty remarkable that never caught my eye for years until the pros pointed it out.
The part at the end where Frodo is holding out the ring and remembers Gandalf's words makes me cry every time...
Ive loved these books and movies since I was a kid. I love them so much, my now wife bought me the one ring as my wedding band. It’s actually made by the New Zealand artist who made the rings for the movies.
I loved watching your reactions! As someone who once read the entire lord of the rings straight through without stopping I love this book series. I had a copy of it that got water logged, the binding broke, but it just made it appear weathered and aged, like I found a long forgotten book from some dusty archive containing this history.
Basically I’ve loved these books forever and seeing your earnest appreciation and awe and enjoyment watching these films is a joy in and of itself to watch.
By the way, you _can_ visit the Shire. The sets on the farm where it was filmed were rebuilt with permanent materials, and it's now open to the public. The Green Dragon Inn, where Rosie tended the bar, is now a visitors' center! (It's one of my life goals to go to NZ, though I doubt I'll ever get to do it.)
Fun fact, the dwarf corpse that holds The Book of Mazarbul is in fact Ori, one of the members of Thorin's Company in The Hobbit. He followed Balin (who's actually Gimli's dad's cousin) and Oín (Gimli's uncle on his father side) to Moria. In the Hobbit documentary Adam Brown who plays Ori, joked about he lost weight for the role and didn't got paid for it.
The full story of it in the book, Balin and his company of dwarves managed to take back Moria and started colonize it, for a while it went well and they found many lost treasures including Durin's Axe and Helm (the first dwarf lord ever and one of the ancestors of the dwaves, he was called Durin the Deathless as he lived far longer than any other dwarf, becoming about 2395 years old). Then things went down south as Balin went to the Mirrormere (the lake that the Fellowship comes by after Gandalf's fall) and he was shot by orcs hidden nearby. His body was retreved by the dwarves but he died from his wounds and buried in The Chamber of Mazarbul. The orcs starts overwhelm the dwarves and Oín was sent to the west gate but when he got there he saw the lake flooded there and gets dragged into it by The Watcher. The dwarves have their last stand in The Chamber of Mazarbul and they were eventually all killed.
Mate your reactions are some of the best. You keep an open mind, do research, know about the filmmaking process, offer interesting input and always give whichever movie you’re watching enough respect to give it an honest and fair critique 👍🏻keep em coming!
I have watched a lot of your reactions, but this was the one you most seemed like an excited child the entire time. It's a wonderful feeling...never lose it.
After seeing "Brain Dead" and "Heavenly Creatures" I knew Jackson was a perfect director for this story. Brain Dead is an incredibly creative low budget horror comedy (recommended, it is tons of fun) and Heavenly Creatures showed that he could do drama too. And LOTR turned out even better than I thought.
Jackson used a lot of physical model shots (the caves, towers etc.) at a time when the industry was moving to digital set extensions. In hindsight I think he made the right decision (even if some water effects later in the story didn't completely hold up). He created his FX company Weta for these movies and, just like George Lucas with Lucasfilm in the '70s, it went on to be the best FX house in the business. And still is. All the way in New Zealand.
This is one of the few films where you can see the absolute love for the source material on screen, as well as the care for the filming process in every aspect as well. Shan, I cannot recommend any higher that when you finish this film, or perhaps wait until you finish the trilogy, that you watch the documentary series on the making of these movies. Its one of the best ever made. I'm not exactly sure where you could find them, but they accompanied the director cut DVDs. It is worth the effort to find them. Amazing 10/10
I really appreciate the sheer scale and scope of magic as presented here: Saruman is on top of Orthanc, yelling himself hoarse, summoning what looks like a gotdang hurricane just to bring down one single lightning bolt. Probably took him like an hour. 🧙♂️
The troll was Peter Jacksons nod to Ray Harryhousen who did great stop motion work for fantasy like Jason and the Argonauts. Also farmer Maggot and the corn field was another nod too Planet of the Apes 1968.
They do a good job making the movie approachable while having plenty of stuff for fans -- Legolas's reaction to the sounding of the Horn of Gondor, for example. The amount of lore behind this movie is massive. These books (and this movie) focus only on a portion of it.
When you're done watching all three films, watch the appendices. The work and love that went in these films is mind-blowing.
These movies are filled with emotional moments. And you will see ... by the end ... not a dry eye in sight. It's a beautiful story about hope and innocence and good vs evil. This is how to make an epic story!
Even reading them years later, after 20 readings, I cry at least once in each book.
Omg, yes. I cried hard at the end. The final song "Into the West" even makes me cry.
@@cobbycaputo3332 absolutely agreed
@@socialmoth4974 of course I won’t say anything which might spoil the future films for anyone, but “the bow” scene at the end ... omg I lose it every time!!
glad you're taking this journey, Lord of the Rings is something else. The Two Towers is in my top 5 movies of all time.
8:05 . . . 👌🏼👌🏼 YES. The Balrog was truly impressive. Can you imagine seeing it for the first time in the big screen? I cannot describe the chills I felt during Gandalf’s standoff on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm.
The fascinating thing about The Lord of the Rings is, in my opinion, that Tolkein created not only a story, he created a whole world. Creatures, languages and so on. To dive into this world, getting to know how it was created is so interesting. I recommend you to look out for some good lore explaining YT-Channels like Men of the West for example. I'm really looking forward to your reactions to the two remaining movies. :)
Great review! I never liked fantasy movies until I watched this film. This is still my favorite movie of all time. I watch it again every year. I remember when the last installment came out, people came to the theatre all in costume, cheering and applauding, it was quite an opening night, never had that kind of audience experience again.
Thanks for sharing your reaction and thoughts on this masterpiece! I can't wait to watch you enjoy the next two incredible films. The whole trilogy is the film equivalent of catching lightning in a bottle. The story is so consistent and beautiful and epic, you'll run out of adjectives before you can do justice to the complete product. Thanks again bro, this was a blast!
This is so good. My husband was fortunate to go to New Zealand for business. He saw the Hobbit homes but didn’t have time to travel to the mountains in the south. He said the country was beautiful. The characters are so strong and I love the story. Aragorn is a long time orc fighter/hunter so he’s skilled at killing them. They said when the orc threw the knife at Aragorn he was supposed to miss but threw it right at Viggo who amazingly deflected it with this sword. My son was in Switzerland and in a city that had a lot of waterfalls that inspired Tolkien as the beautiful place that is Rivendell. I think it’s Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. I could live there. I love the music. It’s beautiful and haunting. The film is gorgeous. So glad you liked it!
Sean Bean saying "still sharp" makes me smile every time. It's a very inside joke. Sean Bean had previously starred in a series called Sharpe's. He was Richard Sharpe. Great series. I highly recommend it.
What a contrast! From the almost joyful atmosphere of the Shire into the catastrophe of Mordor! All 3 LotR movies were a delight to see on a large cinema screen, so it´s a bit of a shame that the younger generation hasn´t the chance to enjoy them in that format, except for some rare special events.
Intelligent & insightful reaction, thank you so much. I love the books & the films & your reaction makes me feel like I'm discovering it all for the first time all over again.
FYI: The ring represents the corrupting, addictive nature of power, playing to the weaknesses of the respective characters. J R R Tolkien was a Lieutenant in the British Army in WW1 & his experiences in the trenches are reflected in his stories. For instance, Sam & Frodo's relationship is inspired by the Officer/Batman relationship (traditionally army officers had a soldier assigned to them as an orderly, known as a Batman). The landscape of Mordor represents the devastation of the ground between the Allied & German lines known as "No Man's Land."
Thank-you for allowing me to watch these movies again through your eyes since I can no longer watch them fresh for the first time again. Peter Jackson was the best person to be able to make The Lord of the Rings. He brought to life a trilogy of books that I have loved since I first read them when I was 17-18. I can't imagine anyone doing as good a job. on these films as he did. You should also check out the appendices that accompanied the discs. They include some wonderful information about how they did some of the special effects and forced perspective shots.
I love that you get it about the ring right away. It is, in essence, a character on its own. It corrupts all who touch it. It effects all around it, getting into their heads. Only the strongest can resist it and even then, not forever. That's why Gandalf won't touch it. Boromir was most likely the weakest mind in the group, plus his feelings that they should use the ring for themselves. This left him more open to it's influence.
The creatures in Moria are goblins, not orcs, but it really doesn't matter as they all mean our heros ill. The Balrog was simply awesome and was fantastic to see on the big screen. I really look forward to watching you react to the rest of the trilogy.
Stronger man than me that doesn't cry at Boromir death's
Wonderful review Shan. I have to admit, i'm a little jealous that you are experiencing this film for the first time. It's a fantastic trilogy that has stood the test of time.
When mentioning sound design, one thing anybody who didn't see these movies in the theater misses out on is the weight of the Ring. In theater, when the Ring would fall to the ground (such as when Bilbo drops it) the sound system would actually make you FEEL the tremor of the Ring hitting the floor.
i love your rections. i have watched these films countless times and love them so much and it is so great to see someone truly ENJOY them for the first time:)
One of the many reasons I love the LOTR series so much is due to the loyalty and comradery between many of the characters. There's a pureness of spirit in many LOTR characters that I wish was more prevalent in the world right now. LOTR probes deeply into what it means to be a hero and that there are many forms of heroism. I'd read the books as a teen and I've been lucky enough to have worked on two LOTR games for EA, so my bond with Tolkien's masterpiece runs deep. Visiting New Zealand is definitely on my bucket list.
It is an amazing trilogy and how much the CGI holds up to this day over 20 years later! Looking forward to your reaction to The Two Towers and The Return of the King!