Okay, so, I’m probably going to have my fantasy-nerd card taken from me after this, but I have never seen all three of the Lord of the Rings movies. Ever.
I know, I know, I have proclaimed myself as an all-time fantasy nerd several times now in my life, but never once have I ever watched the trilogy that many say is the best fantasy movie trilogy of all time. I know, it sounds awful. It’s why I did this in the first place; I have seen bits and pieces, but never all the way through.
But, because my love for fantasy has grown so much in the last several years, thanks to fantasy shows such as Game of Thrones, The Witcher, House of the Dragon, and more, I decided to give the movies everyone tells me to watch a shot – and no, I did not watch the extended editions. I did not have the time nor the mental capacity for those. Theatrically released versions only in this house.
After watching those, however…I just might have to check the longer ones out. Let’s get into it.
Elijah Wood Really Was The Perfect Casting As Frodo
I’m going to be honest here – I always saw Elijah Wood as literally the sweetest guy ever, and I mean that with a lot of love. Every time I saw him, he reminded me of every friend I’ve ever had where I would read Harry Potter with them, or binge new fantasy shows together – he just seemed like the kindest man – but for some reason, I never saw him as an actual fantasy actor.
I think it’s because I never saw him in The Lord of the Rings movies, only in what he did after, like movies such as Spy Kids 3d: Game Over, Green Street, or Sin City – really anything but fantasy. Then, I finally saw him in the movie and I understand why people love his portrayal so much.
As someone who did check out the books at one point in her life, Wood perfectly captures the essence of who Frodo Baggins is, that sweet person who is slowly changed over time due to the violence of war and the horrors they go through. It always annoys me that actors from fantasy movies are never given award notice for their acting, as was the case with Wood. He was great.
Okay, I Understand Why Everyone Was Obsessed With Orlando Bloom In These Movies
When I was younger, all my friends would always say their biggest fantasy crush was someone named Orlando Bloom in Lord of the Rings, but I had no idea who this was. Then the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise began and I met Orlando Bloom.
Of course I knew he was good looking and a great actor from that, but I was curious – what was he like in The Lord of the Rings? And now I get why people loved him – Legolas is a whole different vibe.
I’ve always had a thing for archers in movies and television shows. I was obsessed with The Hunger Games movies, enjoyed Hawkeye in his own television show, and loved Merida from Brave with all my heart. I have a lot of respect for archers because it’s just so dang hard to do. Legolas is the best movie archer I’ve ever seen.
Not only is he a skilled warrior, but he is so fine without even trying. He just looks good. It’s almost annoying. But, like, I get it now.
Holy Moly These Sets And Visual Effects Are Ridiculous
This is something that I’m sure everyone can agree on, but the sets in The Lord of the Rings movies are some of the best I have ever seen. From practical sets to pure visual effects, I am in awe at what I look at in every scene. My personal favorite is Frodo’s cottage – I don’t know why but it feels so homey.
It’s not even the fact that everything in these movies is just gorgeous – it’s the fact that with each film, it gets better. Every movie shows how much technology advanced, even in that one year, and it makes me so happy to see a film series that wanted to improve upon itself with each new movie instead of staying the same.
The Entire Fellowship Is My Favorite Fantasy Team Ever
There have been many fantasy teams in my life that I have fallen in love with. Obviously, the Golden Trio from Harry Potter has been the number one group in my life, but we could also talk about Geralt, Jaskier, Ciri, and Yennefer from The Witcher, or even Dean and Sam from the CW show, Supernatural. But, I have to say that the fellowship from Lord of the Rings has taken the crown.
Their chemistry is just amazing. It almost upsets me that some of them died in the first film because I would have loved to see them throughout all three. The way they talk and move along in that movie makes me smile and I was actually quite upset with how a few of their journeys ended. I do suppose that makes this team even more lovable – the fact that they didn’t have much time together.
Gollum Is Legit Disgusting
First off, I want to give heavy praise to Andy Serkis. He is seriously such a talented actor in the world of motion capture, and his Gollum is outstanding.
That being said, Gollum is the most nasty, stinky-looking creature I have ever witnessed on my television screen – and this was in 4K. I saw all that disgusting-ness in great detail.
On a real note, the motion-capture effects that were performed in The Lord of the Rings franchise are some of the best I have ever seen, and most movies can’t really surpass that, unless you’re Avatar: The Way of Water. Everything here was just so good – and I would fully recommend to anyone studying motion capture to study Gollum intently – even if he’s disgusting.
Return Of The King Hands Down Has The Best Battle Scenes I’ve Ever Seen
I can’t get over the fact that The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King seriously has some of the best battle scenes ever. I’ve seen many battles in my time watching movies and TV. My favorite for a long time was Battle of the Bastards from Game of Thrones. However, the main battle scene in Return of the King surpassed it for me.
Just wow. I can’t get enough of it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back just to re-watch the Ride of Rohirrim. The amount of extras, set pieces, hours that must have gone into getting those perfect shots – I’m amazed.
Really Wished We Saw Frodo And Bilbo On Their Own Adventures After The Last Movie
On a real note – I did see The Hobbit movies before this. I know, how could I watch those and now the original trilogy? Don’t ask me, talk to my dad for dragging me to the theater. Honestly, I really wished we didn’t get those Hobbit movies and instead, we were given a spinoff film with just Frodo and Bilbo.
I wanted to see them go on their own adventure together. I really wanted to see their dynamic more and understand their journeys, and yet we barely got any screen time for the two of them. I needed more and I will forever be disappointed.
After spending hours watching this trilogy, I can at least say I’ve seen the movies now. But I can also say I am legitimately, 100% a fan now. I get the hype; I know why people love these films, and yes, I do agree, they are cinema. If I can get anyone else to watch these films, I will.
