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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) FULL LENGTH MOVIE REACTION - WATCH ALONG (Patreon)

Published:
2024-02-28 06:18:00
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2026-06
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Content

The end to this monumental trilogy is here! I truly thank all of you for being such an amazing audience. You guys have been nothing but the best. Enjoying each step of the way alongside you amazing people has been one of the highlights of having this platform. You guys have a heart of gold and we are truly grateful and lucky to have you all here.

This incredible story, the comments that gave us some deeper insights into this fantastic lore and all of your excitement to watch this alongside us will forever stay with us. Thank you for being a part of this, our brave and loyal knights.


Sending all of you a huge hug,

Ari & Denise

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THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) FULL LENGTH MOVIE REACTION - WATCH ALONG

Comments

Michael G. Munz

Stoor hobbits: just a wee bit more corruptible than Shire hobbits

Anna H

Can't wait to queue this up tomorrow! -- And I have to say, I love your little looks at the camera at certain parts so far, quoting certain lines, etc. It's so great, and you would probably catch me doing the same thing :) -- I'm so excited (and a little sad!) to wrap this up with you, but I know this is going to be a brilliant conclusion. I feel like no set of movies has felt like a true lightning-in-a-bottle moment than this trilogy. Filmed at the perfect time, with the perfect director, writers, composer Howard Shore, choice of actors---some more known than others. Viggo Mortensen couldn't have been a more perfect choice, and it's wild to think how they were initially gunning after bigger names like Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicholas Cage for the role. It's impossible to think of Aragorn being played by anyone but Viggo! Not to mention this is maybe my favorite era of visual effects where the cutting edge digital technology was seamlessly combined with makeup/miniatures/practical effects/camera tricks. I still can't believe all three movies were filmed simultaneously. Something of such scale and awe, and to have stuck the landing the way they did---just perfection. And a special kind of movie magic we just hadn't seen before, or since. Thank you guys so much for doing this! I'm so happy our newfound fan enjoyed this as much as we did

Sagitaria

Hi guys! As I always say, I love your reactions, but I will need to wait for the YouTube one because I don't have access to the extended version and since you didn't put the blurred version in the video, I don't know what part I'm supposed to be watching and I can't find a way to sync it with my version (the theatrical one). Even so, I hope (and I know for sure) you enjoyed this amazing trip of discovering Lord of the Rings. See you in the next reaction! 💜

TheMediaKnights
>>130894025

Hey Sagitaria! We hear you! Normally there's not much of an issue for us to provide the blur image to you guys. However anything added to our project still has to be rendered and for some reason this project was taking an abysmal time to render the entire project with the blurred picture in picture. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that it is a 4 hour and a half project. We now have the ability to update these posts as needed so if you check back tomorrow the blurred picture in picture should be available 🙂

MotoDork
>>130894025

Physical media is king. Consider getting a blu-ray player and start collecting discs. You'll thank yourself later.

TheMediaKnights
>>130891487

It is impossible to imagine anybody else in the role of Aragorn. Same goes for Gandalf and pretty much everybody involved! They did such an incredible job at embodying these characters I cannot imagine anybody else playing them. I have to agree with what your mentioning in terms of the VFX. The way they utilized them here is, in my opinion, the best way to utilize VFX. And it shows. This movie looks absolutely beautiful 2 decades after it's release. It warms our hearts to hear you've been enjoying these. This has been such an amazing experience to share with all of you. Can't wait to hear your thoughts tomorrow!

TheMediaKnights
>>130894025

We agree with this sentiment! Streaming is awesome but the control they have over what you own is a bit unsettling. We're actually in the process of collecting a bunch of blu-rays for our favorite films as well as what we'll cover on the channel. Plus I love having the higher bitrate these discs provide for that crisp picture!

Sagitaria
>>130894025

Thank you so much guys!!! I was really sad thinking I couldn't follow the full reaction along with you! 😍💜

Mariia K 🇺🇦

Hell yes!! My favorite movie from all above . I can't compare 3 of them - it's one story . But for me every next is better than the other .

MotoDork

Denethor had been using a Palantir and over time it drove him mad. That is why he was depicted in this way. The Palantir was sitting on a pedestal next to his seat in the throne room. Aragorn picked it up and Sauron showed him his fear through it, as he does with all who interact with the Palantirs.

MotoDork

Theoden is not Eowyn's father. He's her uncle.

Lucas

There's not really a way to describe what LOTR makes you feel once you've experienced the whole quest and the way it all comes together, scenery music dialogue and all. it's just unique. There's a reason this third movie went to win Best Picture back in the day. When you say it like that it's nothing much, but keep in mind this is a fantasy, adventure movie- this would have NO PLACE winning any Oscars let alone winning a Best Picture... it's totally abnormal from the Oscars that a movie of this genre would stand a chance to even be recognized...But it did because it's Lord of The Rings and it's just pristine untouchable insanely epic and it goes down as one of the best movies in a franchise and makes it the best franchise ever made. You can't close a trilogy better than that, it feels rightfully long and drawn out in the perfect way to make you feel the weight of the quest, EVERYTHING IS PAID OFF, everything is accomplished and feels totally earned, I speak for myself saying I deeply feel for every character and everyone gets their moment to shine, and boy that closing at the Grey Havens is emotionally brutal in all the right ways to tug on those heart strings very poetically- What else can you ask for, I ask.

Lucas

This is slightly less talked about but given you picked up on how the Ring has such a defined personality and will of it’s own- and this is more theory but to me it’s important to notice that ‘seemingly’ the Ring, very mistakingly that is, ended up causing it’s own destruction by betraying Gollum and taking it’s vengeance on him. It is very significant that Gollum swore to be faithful to Frodo and took that oath ‘ON THE PRECIOUS” on the Ring itself- and then at Mount Doom when he declared “I lied” and took it off from Frodo it was also the Ring itself that immediately betrayed Gollum seeing a chance to get back at him for violating his oath to IT…therefore pushing Frodo’s corrupted hand to fight for the Ring and inadvertently causing it’s own end by mistake. Which if you extrapolate a still shot of the Ring seeing Gollum burn under it and then sitting on the lava is pretty much the Ring realizing-“I fucked up” lol Which is wild when you think of how powerful the Ring was that it was possibly the only thing that could have caused it’s own destruction or else would have been able to corrupt anyone to ensure it’s own survival…And for all the shit he get’s sometimes it really speaks to Frodo’s strength to carry it all this way…And it speaks to innocent Boromir and Isildur who are supposed to represent -men’s corrupted nature- but frankly speak more to the power the ring can have over people.Bilbo decades later Btw still asks after the Ring hinting that the Ring has such a deep hold on people that is never broken. Being a placeholder for evil and pain it also speaks to Frodo’s motivation for leaving Middle Earth which addresses the damages that war can do on people being.

BusterBigNuts

I found a video that to me really makes makes sense of everything in the story. It's called "LOTR from Sauron's perspective" and it's incredible. I never read the books so it gives a ton of context to the actions of everyone I wasn't familiar with. Film a reaction to it, or watch it on your own, but I'd definitely recommend giving it a watch! Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU9FEimgsRw

Tom French

Thank you so much for covering these films! Seeing that this would be your next series convinced me to finally join Patreon. And seeing your reactions brought me right back to college when I saw the films in theaters as they first came out. I had read the books over and over, but was still blown away by everything about the production! I saw the movies three times each before they left theaters... because half the fun of these films is sharing them with people who have never set foot in Middle-earth before. Twenty years later, and I get to share them with my kids now. There will never be another film series quite like this!

jo

WAW! Guys, what a pleasure it's been to follow you through this journey! I've enjoyed every moment - the joy, the fear and the sadness. I read the books when I was 13 and the first movie came out when I was 15, I went to see it in the cinema and I can assure you it was a long wait for the 2nd and 3rd. I remember that the cinema near my home, a year after the release of the trilogy, organized a night where they showed all 3 in long version, incredible! Denise, it's incredible that you showed "almost" nothing of the shocking moments, I was looking forward to the key moments to see your reaction, it made me laugh! 😉😆 Ari, I'm so glad you were able to discover this incredible story, seeing you loving every second was a joy! Take care ❤️🙏🏼 ps: sorry if there are any mistakes but English is not my mother language 😉

MotoDork
>>130894025

I have approximately 200 titles on DVD and Blu-Ray, and approximately 400 titles on laserdisc (my format of choice). I’ll never get rid of them.

Andhika Novyanto

Its just me or shelob human form is kind of hot? 🤣🤣

James Forrest

Guys, that was tremendous. First up, what a pleasure it was watching all three of these movies with you both. Denise was brilliant in not ruining a single moment of it, and you, Ari, got as much pleasure out of it as I'd hoped. As a reader of the books, it's weird; the third movie is where I had most of my gripes. Not that I didn't enjoy it, because the parts that were faithful were extremely faithful and every element I had been hoping to see done well were done magnificently. The battle scenes were incredible, and suitably epic, the drama and the heart in the story were wonderful ... the scale of it was vast and the ambition to make it this way off the charts. And still ... let me now share one thing that frustrated me from movie one; the role of Anduril in the story. Because in the book, Aragorn carries the sword Anduril from the moment he appears in Bree. The sword is broken at that point, but he keeps it with him and even draws the broken sword to convince Sam and Frodo that he is who he is. (Gandalf leaves a letter for them at The Prancing Pony to that end, with Bilbo's famous poem at the bottom, which you finally hear in the third film "From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows will spring. Renewed will be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king." The sword is remade on their trip to Rivendell, and from that moment on Aragorn treats it as the primary hierloom of his house, and that's a VERY serious thing with him. The scene where they visit Medusald the first time, when they go to free Theoden and they are asked to leave their weapons at the door, Aragorn flat-out refuses until Gandalf convinces him by leaving Glamdring, his own sword, which has its own mighty history, and even then he explictly tells the door guards not to lay a hand on it on pain of death "for no man may touch Elendil's sword save the heir of Elendil." That's how big a deal it is. So seeing him only get Anduril in the third movie was a big bug-bear of mine all the way through the three films lol ... But a bigger change in the theatrical cut is the absence of a proper resolution for Saruman, and Christopher Lee himself was mightily pissed at them cutting out his scene at the start of the film, and that's why it was so good to see him getting into the movie with the extended edition. And yet, Saruman's arc still plays out MAJORLY different, and I'll get to why. Suffice to say that he does not die at Orthanc but much, much later. Denethor's arc is very different, and part of that is dramatic framing but there is one glaring omission. In the books he also has a palanthir and it is the palanthir that has driven him mad. As Gandalf warns Saruman against using it, and as he would have warned Pippen if Pippen knew what he was dealing with, the Seeing Stones can't lie ... but they can mislead you and the reason Denethor has gone mad is that he looked in the stone and what he sees is Frodo in the Tower of Cirith Ungol, lying tied on the floor of the orcs, where Sam rescues him. And so Denethor believes that Sauron has the ring and that the war is over. He also sees Mordor's second great massed army ... and so knows that they can't win the war on the field of battle. And it's this that causes his final descent into madness when he decides to kill Faramir. It has always annoyed me that they didn't show the palanthir of Minis Tirith, it would make a lot more sense of his character arc. But it's actually a small gripe in a sense because everything else plays out exactly as in the book. Except for the ending, and it is the most controversial change and one that does not sit right with any book fan, especially as JRR Tolkein believed that it was the most important part of the story; The Scouring Of The Shire. Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry arrive back at The Shire to find that it has been corrupted. Cruel men run the place, in league with some corrupted hobbits, who have jailed their enemies and confiscated property. The men are led by an individual named Sharkey ... who is later revealed to be Saruman, who no longer has all the powers of the wizard (as Gandalf broke his staff and expelled him from the Order) .... but can still corrupt the minds of the weak. In the end, the four hobbits have to rally their countrymen and there is actually a battle in The Shire where hobbits actually have to kill other hobbits, which is a terribly, terribly sad ending to the innocence of the place ... so not everything goes back to normal. The damage that the men and corrupt hobbits do to the Shire is profound; but aside from elvish rope in the film, Galadriel also gave Sam a Mallorn seed ... the Mallorn's are the huge trees in the elven woods, and a scattering of smaller seeds ... and Sam replants all the damaged areas of the Shire as part of his labours upon returning home. The fates of all the characters do play out the same way; Merry and Pippen are hailed as great heroes (Merry, for assisting in killing The Witch King - the book makes it clear that it's his blow with the Lothlorien dagger which weakens him enough for Eowyn to kill him - is known henceforth as Meriadoc The Magnificent in the written histories!) and get to live out their lives as per the ending ... except, of course for Frodo. Those, guys, are my only gripes but none of them changed my enjoyment of the movie in any way. Every performance, every scene, every sequence was dead-on brilliant and every character gets their justified end. And what did I say about Theoden? "I go now to the halls of my forefathers, in who's mighty company I need not now feel ashamed." What an ending for him, deeds which eclipsed all those of those who came before him. That's why he dies with a smile on his face. I loved that in both book and film, as he was one of my favourite characters right from the off ... his self doubts are perfectly read by Saruman in the debate at the foot of Orthanc and the wizard drives that knife home. But Theoden uses it as his motivation instead ... tremendous. Which bring me to Sam! :) The greatest character in the book, by far, and whose devotion to Frodo is such that the whole quest would have failed without him, and in particular at the end with his rousing cry "I cannot carry it for you, but I can carry you." The ring actually does attempt to influence Sam in the book when briefly carries it; he sees a vision of himself as a great warrior who vanquishes all his enemies and makes the whole realm bloom with trees and flowers ... and what brings him out of it is what Tolkein calls his "plain hobbit sense" where he remembers that he does not want to be a conqueror and that he only wants his only little garden at home. What an amazing character. Glorious. I am so glad you guys enjoyed it :)

Reed James

Now that we're here. In the book, Gollum bit off Frodo's ring and in his exultation, takes a misstep and falls to his death. For you see, Gollum swore on the Ring to never betray Frodo and the Ring must now punish Gollum for breaking his oath and in doing so, the Ring destroys itself. This is what Tolkien called a eucatastrophe. The opposite of a catastrophe. In a eucatastrophe, evil's victory seems assured when it is undone by its own actions. Evil defeats itself. Also, Smeagol wasn't a very good person before killing his cousin. He was already known as a sneak thief but his grandmother was the most powerful woman in the area, so he got away with things.

Einherj

When the four hobbits are back home sitting in the tavern, I always think of how J.R.R. Tolkien was a veteran of World War 1, or the Great War, as they called it then. What it felt like being back home after the most horrible conflict world had ever seen, and nobody at home would understand what you've been through.

Matt F

I've really enjoyed watching you guys react to this masterpiece of a series! If you'll pardon my change of topic, would you guys ever consider reacting to some Star Trek? I'd especially be interested in seeing you react to The Next Generation, as that is my favorite show of all time. I'm confident I wouldn't be the only one in your audience interested in seeing those reactions. But I know it would be quite the undertaking as there are 7 seasons, so I would completely understand if you don't want to invest that time or if you're just not interested. Either way, keep up the great reactions and thanks for the content!

Joey Cintron

Aaand quote of the show goes to Ari when he calls Denethor "Steward" like it was a bad word!!! LMAO

Casimir

There's more to the ending in the Shire in the books but I never finished it. I'm just aware it's there. If I don't finish a story, does the tale ever really end? I walked out of the theater once the ring was destroyed but eventually saw the ending of the movies. Some of the shows you've done I use a streaming service to watch and they have ads. You normally have a blurred window of the movie I use to resync after the ads. I own this movie so it wasn't necessary here, but the window is useful generally speaking.

maximillian metscher

Frodo Sam and the rest of the fellowship get all the glory and not without some justification but to me King Theoden is the greatest hero in LOTRs. a king who was fully aware of the importance of his actions and decisions and chose to lead his people and face the evil that was threatening the world.

Ludus Aurea

Yass let’s effin goo

Joey Cintron

I swear if a person wasn't moved to tears at some point in this movie then I think they lack a soul. lol Great trilogy guys, any plans on continuing with the Hobbit trilogy?

Jordan Williams

I wanted to know what the ring was saying to Sam as well so I looked it up! As the narrative returns back to Sam in The Return of the King, he sets out to rescue Frodo. It is then that the Ring offers him visions of a grand life as the powerful “Samwise the Strong, Hero of the Age, striding with a flaming sword across the darkened land, and armies flocking to his call as he marched to the overthrow of Barad-dur.” But Sam shakes off this notion, comfortable instead to return to the Shire and his quaint rustic life: “...a small garden of a free gardener was all his need and due, not a garden swollen to a realm; his own hands to use, not the hands of others to command.”

Michael G. Munz

If you're up for more fantasy, I'd absolutely love for you to check out The Dark Crystal (1982) from Jim Henson.

Stephen Caveney

Hope was always with them as Aragorns kingly name Elessar translates as Hope and was given to him by Arwens Grandmother Galadriel. Thoroughly enjoyed going through this emotional rollercoaster of an adventure with you guys. Denise's telling smiles during the reaction at key point were brilliant. I watch these movies every year and still get the emotions and chills everytime. Please do the hobbit trilogy next. Thanks guys.🤘🤘

Mister Lou

"We all need a friend like Sam.." "Yeah, and if we don't have friend like Sam then we have to BE Sam!" These two just casually dropping gems while reacting. I had a blast watching these epic movies with you guys!

Daniel Karlsson

Fantastic reaction, guys! Watching all 3 movies along with you have been a blast. Your commentary is always rewarding. Are you planning on doing the Hobbit-series as well? They are quite good as well, even if they are somewhat uneven. Some other movies that would be cool to get your takes on: A Beautiful Mind Beetlejuice Constantine Danny the Dog Escape From New York

Melissa Creel

I am so glad you guys did these. They get better every time I watch them. And your reaction and commentary as always are on point. I love watching movies with you. Especially this series. So looking forward to future reactions and insights from you. You are my favorite reactors because you also bring so much insight to what you watch. God bless!!

Nathan Hill

I would argue Theoden saying they would meet the might of Mordor in battle nonetheless is more an acknowledgement that they knew it was a doomed effort, but were willing to go anyway because it was their duty and were riding for their people as well as all Men. So I think in that noble sacrifice way, it does give strength to the other soldiers, and you can kind of see it in their body language after he says the line. They all show some resolve and straighten their posture.

TheMediaKnights
>>130898192

These have been all such amazing films! To us it's impossible to rank them which speaks volumes of the quality of these movies.

TheMediaKnights
>>130905743

We couldn't have said it any better! This film and the amount of love and hard work poured into the trilogy is truly inspiring. This is how you tell a story of this scale. You do not rush into it, as you mentioned, you earn it. Every step of this journey serves a purpose, every character's action has a consequence that all comes together in this final act. The themes and character arcs are now more visible than ever and they manage to pay off every single one of those moments in such an amazing way. These characters and this story will stay with me forever. Thank you for being a part of this ❤️

TheMediaKnights
>>130906121

The way they've set up just how insanely powerful this ring is is truly a wonderful thing. it's thanks to that set up that the fear set's in when you realize nobody is safe. Not Gandalf, not Aragorn and not Frodo and Sam. Gandalf understood this from the get go and never gave the ring a chance. But we saw how many the ring corrupted within seconds. Frankly, I'm impressed by Frodo's resilience towards it!

TheMediaKnights
>>130908491

Thank you for joining us in this journey! With all of the expectations I had and all I hoped this would be I am so happy to say this trilogy absolutely obliterated any idea or concept of what I thought it would be. I've fallen in love with the story and it's characters and I understand now why this story has touched millions. So glad you've gotten to share these with loved ones. This is a journey worth experiencing.

TheMediaKnights
>>130915136

Denise is a master at not giving anything away! She's currently writing her own novel and trust me I've tried getting out of her how it's gonna end and it is impossible! So glad you joined us for this and that you've enjoyed it! This story means so much to so many people I'm just happy I can say I'm one of those people now and that I fully understand why. Thanks again for watching and for sharing your story with us ❤️

TheMediaKnights
>>130921877

Again, another terrific read! Thank you for sharing with us the couple of gripes you had with it. It was very interesting to read how the film adapted or changed certain moments. Man...a final battle in the Shire would've been an insane thing to see. But at the same time I'm guessing they just didn't have the time to do all of it in one film without splitting the final chapter into 2. It's insane how vast this story is! 4 hours of a movie and there's still things they couldn't cover. Seeing the other changes they made as well it seems they definitely adapted it in such a way so that most of the climatic moments and character arcs would land close to the ending of the story (end of the second movie and the entirety of the third film) It's difficult sometimes when adapting these stories to film to not give away "The solution" way too early. A novel is so large that the reader might not be aware that a specific thing will be the key. In a movie because of how things are framed us movie lovers are able to go "Ahh! special sword will definitely come in handy" Again to us there was definitely a way to include what you mentioned in the films and introduce the sword earlier since, as you mentioned, it is a very important part of the character. But I'm assuming they wanted to throw a few curveballs for the film while still respecting the character and at the same time not give it away too early for those savvy film viewers. Sam is such an amazing character. We all need a Sam in our lives. The strength and courage he displays throughout the entire journey is truly inspiring. Thank you again for watching this with us and sharing your insight. It means the world ❤️

TheMediaKnights
>>130925128

Yes! Been reading about eucatastrophe! Glad you pointed this out. It's insane that in a way evil ultimately defeated itself. It's crazy though that Smeagol wasn't that good of a person to begin with - it's almost like the Ring reveals your darkest self. Gah the lore is so amazing!

TheMediaKnights
>>130962121

That is so true - that moment, though happy, still made our hearts ache just because of how different things must feel to them. Nothing is as they left it, but not because the Shire changed, but because they have.. The good thing is that, for the most part, they will always understand each other.

TheMediaKnights
>>130965053

Thank you so so much for your support! Denise is actually a bit of a Trekkie, though not fully caught up but we would definitely be game! How do you feel about the movies, actually, out of curiosity? There seem to be mixed feelings about the Abrams saga.

TheMediaKnights
>>130976349

Ah man, we definitely feel you on that. Finishing this trilogy left us a little bit broken, we already miss it so dearly! Thank you for your feedback in regards to the blurred window, we will absolutely keep that in mind!

TheMediaKnights
>>130981085

King Theoden absolutely was a hero - he did his best, fought with such valor even under the most dire and hopeless of circumstances!

TheMediaKnights
>>130983957

As you can see we both wept multiple times haha, it's so deeply emotional and therein lies part of the beauty of this trilogy! We would definitely be game to continue on with The Hobbit!

TheMediaKnights
>>130985943

Oooohhh thank you so much for filling in that blank for us, we were so curious about that!! Now we're curious as to what the ring has been saying to Frodo throughout the entire journey!

TheMediaKnights
>>130988367

Oooohh that sounds fun, we would definitely be game for that and will be adding it to our list! Thank you for the recommendation!

TheMediaKnights
>>131005801

Whoaa that name is so fitting, we love that!! Thank you for sharing that with us, and also for your wonderful support throughout this, we truly appreciate you! We would definitely be game to do the Hobbit next!

TheMediaKnights
>>131030928

Haha aw thank you that's so kind of you!! It's these movies man, they rubbed off on us! Thank you for your support, again, it means the world to us!

TheMediaKnights
>>131072331

Thank you so much for your support, it honestly means the world to us! We would absolutely be game to continue the Hobbit trilogy as well! And thank you for your recommendations, they're going on our list!

TheMediaKnights
>>131079578

Wow this is such a kind comment, thank you so so much for your support! This truly brightened our day and your support means the world to us!

TheMediaKnights
>>131081133

That's an excellent point - it's not resignation, but acceptance of the circumstances and having that resolve resonated for sure! What a great comment, thank you!

Matt F
>>130965053

I'll definitely enjoy any reactions you choose to do! In my opinion, and in many Trekkies' opinions, Star Trek is usually better as a television show than in movie format. That being said there are a few legendary Trek movies, such as The Wrath of Khan and First Contact. As a fan of old school Star Trek (60s through late 90s), I'm not a big fan of the Abrams stuff since, to me, it doesn't fully capture the spirit of Star Trek and therefore it slightly disrespects the source material. However, I will admit they are fun sci fi movies and might be a good starting place for you if you're interested in checking out that world.

Melissa Creel
>>131072331

I would like to second escape from New York. It's another John Carpenter movie and it also has Kurt Russell. An excellent movie.

Joey Cintron
>>130983957

Nice..!!! Immediately I will say it lacks something from LOTR, but its also a great trilogy of storytelling!

Billy

Hamfast Gamgee 'The Gaffer' (Sam's father)

Musicman II

Can't hear the movie. What the?

Murmur

Please consider doing The Hobbit trilogy as well! Not as measurable as LOTR, but still a good story that ties back to the trilogy :)

Sharon Lathan

A fabulous reaction, as I expected!! You two are so great in all your reactions. I especially love the discussions at the end. If interested, this is a brief synopsis of what happens with each of the main characters, as written by Professor Tolkien— Frodo was utterly healed in Valinor, finding the restoration of body and soul that was impossible in Middle-earth. Remember Galadriel’s words to Elrond in The Two Towers, “The quest will claim his life.” As always, the carefully chosen words of Tolkien, giving the impression Frodo will die but actually meaning that living will be unbearable. Eventually he and Bilbo (who would also be healed) would die, their spirits passing on to the afterlife as created by Eru Ilúvatar for mortal beings, although none of this is recorded. King Elessar (Aragorn II) ruled over Gondor and Arnor for 120 years. To say he was a remarkable king would be an understatement! He and Queen Arwen had several daughters and a son named Eldarion, who became king upon Aragorn’s death at the age of 210 years. Arwen died a year later, in Lothlorien, of a broken heart. As she had chosen mortality, her spirit would join Aragorn's rather than go to Valinor. Legolas and Gimli traveled together for years. As they promised each other, first they visited the Glittering Caves behind Helm’s Deep and then explored Fangorn Forest. With their combined skills and help from fellow elves and dwarves, they restored the damaged woodlands, established a dwarf settlement in the Glittering Caves, and re-built the Gate of Mines Tirith using mithril. Finally, after the death of Aragorn, Legolas built a ship and sailed for Valinor (The Undying Lands), taking a by-then very old Gimli with him. Galadriel obtained a special grace, making Gimli the only dwarf to ever set foot in Valinor. He too would die, of course, but his final years were spent in peace with his dearest friend, Legolas. Sam and Rosie had 13 children, all living at Bag End. He was elected Mayor of the Shire for seven consecutive seven-year terms. As charged by Frodo, he continued the history of Middle-earth in the Red Book of Westmarch. After the death of his wife Rosie, roughly 60 years after Frodo’s departure, he passed the book to his daughter Elanor. Sam then traveled to the Grey Havens, where he was granted passage to Valinor, a special accord just like Bilbo and Frodo, as the last of the Ringbearers. There he was (presumably) reunited with Frodo. Merry (Meriadoc Brandybuck) married and had at least one son. He became the Master of Buckland and wrote “Old Words and Names in the Shire”. Pippin (Peregrin Took) also married and had at least one son who was named Faramir. He became Thrain of the Shire, a position he held for 50 years. In Fourth Age year 63, after the deaths of their wives, Merry and Pippin traveled to Rohan and Gondor, both dying in Gondor some years later. They were each laid to rest with due ceremony as knights of Rohan and Gondor respectively. After the death of King Elessar (Aragorn) their bodies were entombed beside the great king. Eomer became King of the Mark upon the death of King Theoden. He swore an oath of allegiance to King Elessar, and during his reign Rohan was fully restored. Of course he married, his wife named Lothiriel, a daughter of Prince Imrahil of the Dunedain (Rangers of the North), and they had a son. Last but not least, Faramir became the first Prince of Ithilien and married Éowyn of Rohan. There you have it! Happily Ever After.

Panda

Great time watching it with you guys ! Its widely considered that sam is the main hero of the story not frodo And “you bow for no one “ always gets me hahaha Also you guys didnt have to wait for the 4k rerelease which was done frame by frame by peter jackson and a team, cant imagine how long that took, but the amount of detail everywhere in this film is amazing

Jordan Long

I hope I don't get carried away and comment every time I see something I believe to be noteworthy, but I always feel like it needs to be noted that Gimli wasn't the last one standing, but he absolutely drinks loads more than Legolas. He's chugging instead of sipping, and his pile of empty mugs is much bigger.

Jordan Long

No matter how often I see it, the beacon lighting gives me the best goosebumps.

Jordan Long

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but Denethor also has a Palantir in the book (but not in the movie). It makes the person using it go crazy. How crazy you go depends on what you are. Wizards like Gandalf and Saruman would very slowly go crazy (as we saw Saruman do) because they are like archangels or Hercules--very powerful. The Dark Lord is one of the original beings to have existed in Middle Earth (like a god or Hades for example), so he can use it easily and even manipulate other users. Aragorn, as a descendant of the Numenorians, not only has exceptionally long life, but is also among the original species of "men" of middle Earth. Elves, too, could withstand a Palantir. The movie is really smart to portray this whole thing as "you don't know who else might be watching," regards the palantir. But I do think they do Denethor dirty by making seem merely a terrible person and even worse dad (and not going crazy because he's using a palantir).

Sagitaria

"Don't touch the bad guy's toy" I laughed so hard at this XD. Ari do you remember Gandalf's words in the first movie? He said that he felt Gollum has a part to play before the end... and as usual, he was right. One thing I didn't like when I saw this for the first time is that they changed the books ending. When they came back to the shire, what Frodo saw in Galadriel's mirror ended up happening. The shire was in ruins and the hobbits were enslaved by orcs under Saruman's commands (he didn't die in Isengard, he was let go to his luck followed by Grimma so as a last evil deed he destroyed the hobbits home like in his mind Pippin and Merry destroyed his). Is actually Merry and Pippin the ones that take control and with everything they learned, fight the orcs out and revolt the hobbits to fight back without anyone's help showing how much they grow. In the original theatrical version, it wasn't so clear the grow in wisdom and courage that the hobbits get, so I was kinda mad they didn't show that. Sam (with Galadriel's gift to him that was a seed to a very rare tree and a box of soil from Lothlorien) is the one that makes the shire shine again with beautiful nature. Now with the extended version, Merry and Pippin's courage is more evident, so I made my peace (22 years later haha) with the movies ending. I'm really happy that I could enjoy this journey with you guys.

Jordan Long

I highly, highly recommend that you take the time to watch (wether on Patreon or not) the animated films. The animated hobbit film more accurately captures the book than Peter Jackson's Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is divided into two movies. The first movie is a Ralph Bakshi joint. It is completely amazing and awful simultaneously, and well worth watching. It is essentially The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers in one animated feature-length film. I won't go into why it's amazing watch, but it is a necessary watch. The final movie, The Return of the King is by the same folks who did the Hobbit animated film and also follows the book very closely. Please watch the animated The Hobbit, Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, and the animated Return of the King. Even if you watch it without reacting to it, I'd still love to hear what you think. It'd even be beneficial to watch the animated The Hobbit before watching Jackson's Hobbit.

Jordan Long

Watch the animated Hobbit movie before you watch Peter Jackson's. It is way, way more book-accurate. It may go without saying, but the books are well worth reading. The Hobbit is a relatively quick read.

Anna H

I'm back and first, thank you for the updated blurry image to match the time stamp! It really made a difference for staying synced up, so I don't know if that was a headache for you to do, but thank you so much for that I've been itching to sing my never-ending praise to the Charge of the Rohirrim moment 🙌 Specifically, the second charge when the Oliphants appear on the horizon. I can't explain the huge emotion I feel at the look on Theoden's face. Eomer's face. In every soldier you can see their dread, their disbelief. Until the King yells "REFORM THE LINE!" and they take off once more. It feels like witnessing the very best of humanity, in the face of insurmountable odds. I'm so glad you mentioned how you love the way Frodo and Sam hold each other "at the end of all things" (my other favorite scene ever 😭) I can't think of a better word than TENDERNESS when I think of the way all these characters are throughout this trilogy. It's this tender, healthy, beautiful portrayal of masculinity when Aragorn kisses the fallen Boromir on his brow, same with Frodo to Sam before he departs to the Gray Havens; so many embraces, the shoulder touches, the knowing smiles, the unspoken looks. It's the truest feeling of love and fellowship that just makes my heart ache. I wish more movies would allow their characters to lean as deeply into these open displays of care and devotion, without any veil of irony or humor. It's just such a beautiful thing. Thank you thank you thank you again for sharing this with us! You guys are truly the kind of reactors people should aspire to be. Your sweetness, your sense of humor, open emotion, and ultimately (most importantly) your investment, respect to the movie, all the little details, make the experience so amazing ❤️

Melissa Creel

If you decide to do Peter Jackson's The Hobbit, don't expect it to be as grand as The Lord of the Rings. Not as much practical, way too much cgi. The orks are not practical, they are cgi and they look nowhere near as good. And the story is thin in a lot of places. The studio, or Jackson, can't remember at the moment, wanted 3 movies. Problem is that The Hobbit is 320 pages. Much shorter than LOTR. Writen more for younger people so he added way too much filler. A love story that didn't exist in the book is the cringiest of the story. A rivalry between an ork that didn't exist(cgi) and the main dwarf was forced, and a few other things. It can be a fun watch. It's just not as well done as LOTR. But I will have fun watching it with you if you decide to do so.

Mister Lou
>>131030928

you two are so unique and likeable that I don't see myself ever unsubscribing!

Louise

For a great mix of practical effects and CGI (from 1993!), it'd be amazing to see you react to Jurassic Park!

Erica Swedish

This is my favorite movie... Of ALL time!

precious926

I greatly enjoyed watching this with both of you. Your growing excitement & awe was so much fun. Ari had great insights and caught so many ot the small details as a first-timer, which made it all the better. It was like watching it for the first time thru your eyes, so thanks so much for sharing!