The Lord of the Rings... 19 Years Later

Many have pointed out that Tolkien hated allegories, this is correct. I made a mistake in this video and mentioned certain things Tolkien likely made allegories too. I was wrong. With that being said, even though certain aspects of LotR may not have been allegories, the inspiration is clearly still there. Tolkien may not have made allegories, but the Catholic and European influences in lord of the rings are clear

They could seriously run this trilogy in the theaters again today and it would dominate every other blockbuster movie today.

Critics: "The ending is too long." Me: "Please don't ever end 😩"

Tolkien wasn't interested in creating fantasy. He wanted to make history and myths and languages. That's why LotR has and will always stand the test of time, they're mythology meant to guide our morals and explore our fears as humans

This movie is lightning in a bottle - an extremely rare combination of the right cast, director, music and passion. It can never be duplicated.

I was 10 when Fellowship came out. On the premiere of each movie of the trilogy my dad told the school that my brother and I were out sick for the day, and he took us to the nicest theater around. That ritual, which lasted for three years, is one of my most cherished childhood memories.

I remember walking out of the theater after watching Return of the King, calling my dad and bursting into tears cause the story had ended. My dad (a man who hates reading but knows every detail of Tolkiens works) told me to calm down and read the books, there was so much more to love.

To be clear, Frodo is still 'suffering' at the end not because he feels shame at having given into the ring, but because the wound he took by the Lord of the Nazgul still haunts and pains him, will never go away, and in fact actually gets worse(at least as described in the books) with time. His escape to Valinor with the elves is specifically to save him from this torment, as he would otherwise grow sicker and more pained before he dies from it.

"This moment here, when Frodo smiles, is the climax of the story." This gave me goosebumps. I had never thought of the ending this way. Great video.

Tolkein is not just the father of fantasy he's the Godfather of World building

I can’t imagine these films without the soundtrack. So iconic, so epic.

I remember when The Return of the King came out, my parents took me out of school early (I was 10 at the time) for “a doctor appointment”, but to my surprise, they took me to watch the movie. These three movies are without a doubt my favorite of all time. I watch the extended editions monthly and I will continue to do so until I die.

I think a big factor in what made these movies so well put together, so convincing, is that everyone involved, from crew to cast, knew that this was their one shot to make this trilogy, that it would never come again, and if they wanted to make the best of it they had to put in everything they had. When you watch the behind the scenes films you see how everyone involved is going so above and beyond to make this come true, that they are literally climbing mountains, getting barely any sleep, working on their days off, suffering through hours upon hours of hard labor or difficult prosthetics or dangerous stunts, but everyone at least keeps their chin up, if they're not outright laughing and having fun. The unyielding dedication of this film crew and cast truly shines through in the final product

"Friends .. You bow to no one" ... never felt so much emotion in one scene .

I wouldn't be surprised if, even to this day, Peter Jackson sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat of huge stress and anxiety, thinking he's still in the early stages of the LoTR production, only to then realise in a monumental wave of relief that it's well over 20 years later and those films are done, dusted, loved and revered.

The Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, the Pyramids, the Statue of David, the Taj Mahal, James Joyce's Ulysses, The Beatles' Abbey Road, Shakespeare's Hamlet... Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy sits comfortably at the table of the greatest human artistic achievements of all time.

The Falls of Rauros scene at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring is probably the best fight scene in the whole trilogy. The cinematography is incredible, the swordsmanship of Aragorn is realistic and subtle as he fights an enormous foe who has about 2 hours total battle experience, no immersion breaking humorous moments or cringy one liners, doesn't drone on too long and does not end on a good note. The hobbits are lost, Boromir is killed, Gimli is in despair. Just perfect.

The fact that this trilogy got made, let alone turn out into the masterpiece it was, is nothing short of a cinematic miracle. Jackson and co. pulled off something that most considered impossible.

One thing you forgot to mention is how powerful the music in this trilogy is! The warmth you feel When you listen to the music that plays when Frodo meets up with Gandalf in the Shire! Or the haunting dread you feel when Saruman has his War speech to the Uruk-hai in Isengard. Even the chilling ghost sounds when Gandalf is dueling Saruman in the Fellowship! It's truly amazing.

I think Peter Jackson did an amazing job of holding as true to JRR Tolkien's stories. The most perfect casting was Samwise Gamgee. Sean Astin was so wonderful as Sam. Peter called on amazing artists to help him create middle earth. I love that they were die hard Tolkien Fan's. The Hobbits were all portrayed wonderfully by the actor's chosen. It is sad that the movie's portrayal of the story had to leave out Tom Bombadill and the barrows...but we may still be in the theatres if SOMETHING wasn't cut out. Peter should do a short on Tom Bombadill. Who would play that character, I wonder. Thanks for this great assessment. I totally agree with you. My oldest child is 46 years old. He remembers me sitting with him and his siblings, reading the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to them when they were very young. It is crazy that my grandchildren now say, "My Nana was born in the 1900's." I am glad I was. I wasn't born yet when Tolkien started his stories. The first was published just after I was born. I feel honored.