IT'S FINALLY HERE!! I apologize this took so long to go live I did not intend for it to be two weeks after part one but at least we are finally here! I hope you enjoyed watching these movies with me for the first time and I can't wait to dive into The Hobbit and also share other movie commentaries with you in the future! If you'd like to join me on Patreon, you can use this link: Join me on Patreon! patreon.com/geenah?Link&
Unfortunately Peter Jackson did a huge disservice to Denethor by not including a quick scene showing him wrestling with Sauron through the seeing stone. He was driven mad with despair over years, but in the movie he is a complete jerk with no redeeming qualities and worse, for no explained reason.
Loved your reactions, absolutely worth the wait. I'd also love a vlog or a reaction video to your experience reading the books in the future, perhaps including a bit more of your thoughts on the films after having digested the trilogy, or comparing and contrasting some of the differences. One thing i'd say about the books, is to take your time with them, especially in the beginning, don't rush into reading the first LOTR book if you're busy, you need to be open to a bit of lore dumping in the prologue (but it's about Hobbits, so who would complain about that, honestly?) and to be taken on mental journey walking through nature, forests, valleys, rivers and singing along the way, being swept off and immersed into this world. I'd also second another commenters post, the making of this trilogy is some of the most wholesome, amazing film making of's there is out there, if you're ever going to see one, this is it.
"Am I supposed to have cried as many times as I have already?" It's The Return of the King. Everyone with a soul is reduced to a weepy, blubbery mess by this movie.
Dude it even gets me in isolation. Like every time I run up on a tiktok clip or something, if I'm at work and recognize what scene it is I've gotta skip that video. Cuz man, what an absolute masterpiece of a scene.
@@theoptimisticmetalhead7787 Yes, same here guys, there's so much packed in this phrase alone. Damn, this movie. I watch reactions to get that 'first time watch' everytime. Damn it gets me.
Frodo never fully healed from his wounds, which means he could never stay happy in Middle-Earth. He, Gandalf, Bilbo, and the rest are going to the undying lands (Elf heaven essentially), where mortal beings usually aren't allowed. An exception is made for Frodo and Bilbo because they were ring bearers. In the appendices we learn that Sam becomes mayor of the Shire and lives a long and happy life. After his wife dies, he also sails west to the undying lands because he was briefly a ring bearer. So Frodo and Sam do meet again. Merry and Pippin spend their days with Aragorn in Gondor, and when they die they are buried next to Aragorn's grave. Legolas and Gimli remain friends, and their friendship heals the rift between Dwarf and Elf. When they reach their end, they also sail to the undying lands together. It's a massive honor for Gimli, being a dwarf, and never a ring bearer. Once they leave, the fellowship is gone from Middle Earth forever.
"[Frodo's] real contract was only to do what he could, to try to find a way, and to go as far on the road as his strength of mind and body allowed. He did that. I do not myself see that the breaking of his mind and will under demonic pressure after torment was any more a moral failure than the breaking of his body would have been" - J.R.R. Tolkien (Letter 246)
Behind the scenes bit about the orc armor Sam and Frodo wear, Sean Astin and Elijah Wood were allowed to pick the helmets they wore from a bunch that Weta Workshop had made. When Elijah made his selection, Sean apparently said, “Are you insane? For five to ten minutes of this movie, you’re going to be ‘Beak Guy?!’”
I just watched these movies for the first time myself and can’t believe I made it this long without doing so. I also ended up a lot more emotional than I had any right to - there’s just something about the relationships between these characters man
Good for you. Please accept this valuable advice: 1. Before you touch the Hobbit trilogy, wait. Let a month or two pass by. Watch LOTR again, with a first time friend. Then watch the Hobbit. 2. Before you touch Rings of Power, let a few months go by (maybe even a year) Watch LOTR again. Then start Rings of Power.
@@saarangsahasrabudhe8634better yet, DONT watch the rings of power, since none of it is canon, and its basically very bad fan fiction. Or just very bad fiction, anyway.
Sam went on to be the Mayor of the Shire for decades, had 13 kids, and finally rejoined Frodo on a ship of his own when he got old enough. Pippin and Merry continued being Knights of Rohan and Gondor, and were buried next to Aragorn's royal tomb in honour. Gimli and Legolas adventured together for the rest of their days and, Dwarves not being allowed on those ships usually, Legolas built a sailboat himself to bring Gimli with him.
Gimli and Legolas actually went to the Glittering Caves (those caves in Helm's Deep), and Gimli, by then graced with the nickname 'Elf-friend', founded a new Dwarven Colony there.
@@flo-theo so they do go to the glittering caves but this isn't the last thing they do, they then go on to visit Fangorn Forest, Legolas home before they sailed to the undying lines.
I've been waiting for this moment just to hear you say for the last time "Sexyman" instead of Aragorn, son of Arathorn, also called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dúnadan, the heir of Isildur Elendil's son of Gondor.... Is hilarious. You are hilarious❤😂
I never understood why the film didn't show that Denethor the Stewart of Gondor had a crystal ball that Sauron only allowed the most depressing scenes to be shown..It drove Denethor to madness.
isn't there a scene where he shows off the palantir to gandalf saying that gondor isn't blind? along with the context of pippin using one earlier and how sauron manipulates the image, showing off all kinds of horrors to him
Gina you have to remember that back in the day, while they were all shot simultaneously, they were released a year apart, so the anticipation for each movie that came out over the Christmas season was hyped to the max. By the time Return Of The King hit theaters people were already heavily invested, for a couple of years, and expected nothing short of an epic conclusion to the series which, thankfully, Peter Jackson provided in spades, and it went on to sweep all 11 categories it was nominated for at the Oscar's. 😊
Denethor is a foil for Theoden. Both lost a son, both feel unworthy of their greater predecessors, and both are facing a war against impossible odds. Whereas Denethor falls into despair and eventually just gives up, Theoden rides out to fight against darkness to the bitter end.
The one thing about the movie that genuinely upset christopher Tolkien, jrr Tolkien's son, was that Aragorn killed the mouthpiece of Sauron. He was just a messenger, which meant that he,a as all messengers do, had Devine protection, and violating that protection was a great evil.
He wasn’t just a messenger he had his own callous evil opinions about how much pain Frodo endured. He could have just shown the armour and said he’s dead but he decided to make it horrific so yeah goodbye mouth
This movie has my favorite piece of dialogue from the entire trilogy. When Sam gives Frodo the last drops of his water and he says there won't be enough for the journey home, and Sam replies with "I don't think there will be a return journey Mr. Frodo." He then extends his hand to help Frodo up. He knows that destroying the Ring will cost him his life, yet he perseveres.
Sam is the hero of the story, as Tolkien himself would have agreed. There's no question about it, and it ties into the general message of LOTR where the most unlikely, "small" person can become the hero. Frodo did not destroy the ring, in the end he famously DIDN'T, he became Isildur, it was only because of Gollum (ironically) that the ring was destroyed. Not once did Sam waver, not once did he ever seem tempted by the ring...Samwise Gamgee is the real hero, he's borderline Messianic
@@TheLastCrusader22 You are both thinking about this completely wrong. Every member of the fellowship is a hero. The reason why Sam is viewed as a chief hero is because he was a freefolk of not much courage nor intelligence, he was overweight, unmotivated, and a homebody that really only initially cared about the world immediately around him. Through the task of destroying the one ring, he becomes brave, caring, ambitious, and understands the greater world around him. Arguing over who is the "main" hero is a non sequitur, because without all nine members of the fellowship, they don't destroy the ring. Even more so, you could include many of the elvish characters, King Theoden, Faramir, and many more characters who all contributed their heroism to the journey. Hell, even Gollum has his part to play.
A few scenes that still hit for me the same as the first time. The Rohirrim's arrival at Minas Tirith and ride into battle. Sam's refusal to give up and little carrying Froso up Mount Doom. Merry and Pippin being the FIRST two to charge after Aragorn at the Battle of the Black Gate. "You bow to no one". There is something so incredibly powerful about four hobbits standing at the top of Minas Tirith having two kingdoms of men and the remaining elves all bow to them, a recognition of the astounding courage of small folk in middle earth. This was such a great reaction series to watch. I hope you also check out the Hobbit trilogy, it's different but still very much a trip home to Middle Earth.
In the book Saruman doesn't die after being defeated, he's locked in his tower, but he manages to escape and tries to get revenge on the hobbits for ruining his plans, Sam, Merry, Pippin and Fatty Bolger (a friend not included in the movie) defend the Shire from bad men and Saruman
Took me a decade to realize the parallel of the first movie where Frodo reaches down to pull Sam out of the water and in the last movie Sam reaching to pull Frodo out of the volcano!
Thirteen children, actually. He did go on a ship into the west as well. Merry and Pippin both grew quite old for Hobbits and had their own families. Both were buried in Gondor, beside Aragorn when he finally died after having at least one son and two daughters. Legolas and Gimli traveled together for years before Legolas built a ship and brought Gimli into the west, making Gimli the only dwarf to ever take a ship to Valinor (elf heaven).
Sam and Rosie had 13 kids, not 7 , and served as Hobbiton mayor for 70 years , when Rosie passed Sam passed the Red Book to his children and departed for Tol Erresea
One extra bit of Sam being awesome. I don't think it was implied in the movie, but when Sam carried the Ring for that short time, the Ring was trying to tempt him. It was saying to him that if he wore the Ring, he could cover ALL of Middle-Earth with the most Beautiful Flowers, HIS Flowers (he loves Gardening and especially for his Mr Frodo). Even with a gorgeous promise like that...Sam just went "Nah" and went to give it back to Frodo. Sam literally said No to the One Ring and he knew that it was Frodos task to bare, even though he didn't want Frodo to bare it alone. Sam is the TRUE Hero of the story (and apparently, even Tolkien himself thought so).
Dude I remember this being one of the best experiences ever. I could hear sniffling throughout the theater and everyone was standing when it said "the end". This doesn't happen today.
In the 1978 Bakshi animated version of LOTR, they changed Saruman to “Aruman” halfway through production, so he’s some times Saruman and some times Aruman in that movie. It was meant to prevent confusion with Sauron, the very issue Gina had.
I got over confusion when I connected SaruMAN as the human men Also more people need to watch that animated version it's charming and hilarious 😂 (voice actors tried but man that animation was so wacky at moments)
I'm a man, and every time I see these movies, I ugly cry like a little kid. Just recently I saw them in cinema again, and it was the most magical and amazing experience I have had in years.
The reason the orcs fight each other so much is because they are from a bunch of different tribes being forced to work together. Plus they like fighting
When Return of the King came out I was 15. I remember coming home from the theater and sitting on my couch staring into nothing and thinking, "Well that's it.... there isn't anything left. What do I even do now?" Definitely end of an era vibe.
I've read the books many times, watched this trilogy many times, and watched RU-vid reactors take the journey many times more, and EVERY SINGLE TIME, I am reminded why this story is IMO the greatest piece of narrative fiction ever written to date. The impact of the meaning and associated emotion throughout this story, especially in Return of the King, has not lost one whit of its keenness even after years of repeatedly experiencing it. The Charge of the Rohirrim at the Battle of Pelennor Fields is still my favorite scene in all of cinema (and the written passage describing it in the original one of my favorite prose passages ever), and the final lines of the book comprise my favorite ending in all of print. Everything about The Lord of the Rings is just... awe-inspiring, and ALWAYS will be.
Well of course it is, modern fantasy as we know it quite literally would not exist without it. It's the greatest story ever told, the sum of a thousand years (at least) of Celtic and Norse stories brought together into semi-modern form by the greatest fiction writer in British, and human, history
Frodo had to leave because, even though he survived the adventure, he could never really come home. The Ring had hurt him too much to ever fully heal. Tolkien was a WW1 veteran. He was familiar with the lasting scars that can be left on a soul.
When Galadriel meets the Fellowship and learns of Gandalf's fall, she looks into each of their eyes. Each of them looks away or down from her gaze-except Sam.When she sees Sam she says with a smile"Yet hope remains..."
Tolkien's idea behind LotR was that he actually found the book that Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam all contributed to writing. LotR is a translated copy by Tolkien, much like how he translated Beowulf.
glad to see the end of your journey with the movies. excited to hear about your journey with the books. love that you caught on to the importance of how the story gets written down. at the end of the day, it's stories about how stories get told.
The first movie lends itself to making good-hearted jokes. Not just you. They get more serious and the despair really kicks in. I loved watching you fall in love with the best trilogy known to man. And i really enjoyed that you got invested. I hope we’ll the book reviews soon. They are harder to digest. Also, Aragorn pushes any door open better than any other could imagine. Henry Cavill might be the only of the man that could open a door as hot-ly as Aragorn.
Denethor (the Steward of Gondor) also had one of those crystal balls like Sauraman did. Staring into it, drove him mad, that was his whole affect the whole time. For years his mind was being poisoned.
Watching her reactions was so much fun. She is so funny, and so cute. I absolutely loved all the commentary she created. 10 out of 10. I am now a subscriber 💯
I swear to God, when your notification for new video comes, I RUN. I ruuuuuuuuuuuun! I'm loving to follow your Middle Earth journey and your coming to join us on fandom. Welcome, and let's celebrate the next Hobbit Day! :D (will watch after work, as a treat!
I HAVE SO MANY COMMENTS! ❤️ Did you notice that Gandalf's rescue mission was three eagles? One for Frodo, one for Sam and one for poor old Smeagol 😢 Yes, you are supposed to cry a river, it's only natural, it is an emotional roller coaster after all. About the Eye: the movies don't do a very good job explaining the Eye of Sauron. I the books, it is more like a presence, a surveillance. There is an Eye, but it's much more abstract. Peter Jackson decided to make a literal Eye on top of the tower, like a lighthouse of hell, and I love it. But this is because Sauron turned into such an evil creature that he couldn't take bodily form anymore. All he could manage was to be that weird and terrifying Eye, but not much else because his energy was being entirely used up on being evil. The Ring was supposed to help him regain bodily form (and many other things). That's why he is such an abstract villain. (Watching The Hobbit, PJ makes a little retcon about it and The Rings Of Power series help with a little more explanation). I'm so glad to have watched, thanks for your efforts (and your kindness!). It was very very fun! ❤️ 🎉
@@geenahreadsoh oh! There's an opinion I would like to share: Aragorn is only that sexy when he is covered in dirt. When he is clean he loses a bit of sexiness. (still hot, but less)
Glad to see you enjoyed your journey with the fellowship just like the rest of us 😁 Here are translations of my favorite tracks from this movie, same way I did on your previous videos! *Crack of Doom* - different parts sung in different parts towards the end of the movie -> Sung partially during the "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!" scene, written in sindarin and as sort of a dialogue: Lie down, sleep. I cannot yield Why do you still hope? I have nothing else You are a fool. I will not leave him You owe him nothing. I gave him my word Death will break it. Then let Death break it He has the last of my heart I will go with him to the end ============================================================== Sung partially during Frodo fighting Gollum for the Ring, originally in sindarin: Into the fires of Orodruin The One must be cast This the price that must be paid Only thus its power will be undone Only thus a great evil unmade There is no other choice There is no other way One of you must take it One of you must pay ============================================================== Ring destroyed, Sam begging Frodo not to let go: You want nothing more Than this death I see it in your eye But I cannot let you We have come too far We have held on too long Reach! You cannot let go, You cannot leave me ============================================================== Destruction of Barad-dûr, the Black Gates and army of Mordor as the ground opens up: Beneath the ground Swollen hot with anger Orodruin releases all its ruin Earth rips asunder, Black rain falls Here at the end The end of all things The air is aflame All the world is on fire!
*For Frodo* - consists of 2 parts, first part sung during the charge If by my life or death I can protect you I will I give you my sword Ringbearer I give you my word It cannot be broken Nor turned aside Let the horns sound This day is not done! Let Mordor know this: Elessar! Elessar! The Lords of Gondor have come! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Second part, sung during the Eagles joining the fight and later picking Sam and Frodo up from slopes of Orodruin: In a dream I was lifted up Borne from the darkness Above the rivers of fire On wings soft as the wind What’s happened to the world? Is everything sad going to come untrue?
Thanks for taking us on the journey with you. I really enjoyed seeing this through your eyes. One personal note: "I'm extremely stressed... and I'm hungry." Somehow, you have summed up nearly every minute of my entire working career in just a few words... Thanks again, and all the best on your future endeavors.
Saruman and Grima Wormtongue did not die at Isengard, in the book. They were prisoners in the tower for a while with Treebeard as their guard, but he eventually let them go (Ents do not like seeing things imprisoned). There is an entire chapter following the destruction of the Ring called "The Scouring of the Shire" when Frodo and the other hobbits come home. This is where Saruman and Wormtongue meet their fate. Peter Jackson left it out of the film, moving the death of Saruman to just after Helm's Deep. Samwise and Rosie go on to have 13 children; Sam serves 6 terms as the Mayor of Michel Delving (essentially Mayor of the Shire). In the book, the ship that the Ringbearers board is not the Last Ship. Sam is said to have sailed West as well after the death of his beloved Rose.
Leaving aside the omission of the Scouring of the Shire (RTB), one thing I always felt PJ missed on was sufficiently showing why Frodo had to leave. In the books, the physical and psychological strain of having carried the Ring to Mordor was dramatic and readily apparent. The wound from Weathertop didn't just hurt him, he was literally bedridden for several days on the anniversary. That, coupled with the constant lingering for the Ring hinted at with Bilbo's question, meant that there was no rest, respite, or happy ending possible for Frodo in Middle Earth.
My nightmare is people using my books as drink coasters and wetting them. Also Legolas talked to Frodo once, and Frodo hasn’t talked to him yet. So, in the wake up scene, Frodo was like “ who the f is that elf?”.
Thank you soooo much. I watched many Lord of the Rings reactions. Yours belongs to the few very special ones (for me). Your combination of being smart, ironic, sensitive, cynical, funny, brutal, heartwarming, mean, honest, lovely ... and beautiful... and probably some other attributes I forgot.... is really rare. Will join your patreon and looking forward to other classic movies you did not watch yet. Anyway - thank you so much for sharing your experience with us and wish you all the best for your channel and your whole life.
Hell yes. I just discovered your channel last week, and waiting for this felt like being a kid and having to wait an entire year between each film (which I loved, in its own way). Going out with some friends but decided to check your page while cooking dinner, and it was perfect timing! Loving the hell out of this series; thank you for doing these.
@@geenahreads Hah! Watching is the easy part, I assure you. Editing is a ton of work; I work in film and do it as well. But, yeah, for sure, I can manage the watching side of things. Got this on lock.
there's so many fun stuff at the very end of the book from after the main story but one of my favorite details is Sam visits Gondor a lot over his life, so much so his first daughter is one of Arwen's ladies
It is always heartwarming to see someone partake and enjoy something that I hold dear. I remember watching the movies for the first time when I was very young and then reading the books when I got older. After learning that Christopher Lee read the books every year I have tried to do so as well. Thank you so much for sharing this with us! I look forward to your reviews of the books and Hobbit movies/book!
Please accept this valuable advice: 1. Before you touch the Hobbit trilogy, wait. Let a month or two pass by. Watch LOTR again, with a first time friend. Then watch the Hobbit. 2. Before you touch Rings of Power, let a few months go by (maybe even a year) Watch LOTR again. Then start Rings of Power.
The scene that Frodo rech out his hand to Sam's at Mout Doom was similar to the scene that Frodo dipped his hand to grab Sam's in the water in the Fellowship of The Ring.
OHHHH you have no idea how well this video was timed for me. i i just found out about your series yesterday, binged all the videos, and now this last part is out!!! so excited to watch :) love your reactions!
Best lines Aragorn: "You will suffer me" Sam: "Don't leave me alone, don't go where I can't follow" Aragorn: "My friends.... You bow to no one" 😭 ok any of Sam's lines ..js
If it's any consolation: in the novel, because Sam was also a ring-bearer, the Elves will allow him to sail to the Undying Lands and be reunited with Frodo once he is old and has seen his children grown. In the meantime, Frodo gives his house and all his property to Sam and his family.
Great reaction to the best movie trilogy of all time. I enjoyed seeing your "Reactor's Journey" from jokes in "Fellowship of the Ring," to tears and stunned silence in "Return of the King." Wonderful videos, thanks!
Thank you. It was a great pleasure watching you watch this movie for the first time, and get introduced to the world of J. R. R. Tolkien. I wish I could share in your reading of the books, too! Perhaps I'll read them again (for the fourth or fifth time, I forget) in honor of you reading them for the first time. My favorite passage is the charge of the Rohirrim in the final battle. You will behold the English language in all its glory. Also, you will be treated to several significant parts of the story that are not in the movies. Lucky you!
You’ll be pleased to know that after Sam’s wife died he left for Valinor (where Frodo, bilbo and Gandalf went), allowed passage by the elves because of his heroic bravery in the quest to destroy the one ring, and was reunited with Frodo :)
hi im back again with some fun fact lore =) the movies are masterpieces and i love them, but Denethor and his family get down played a lot and get mistaken for weakminded corrupted men, but they're so misunderstood. Gondor had been a decaying kingdom for years from plagues, invasions, and civil war (all which may or may not have been orchestrated by Sauron in preparation for his return) but Denethor did a lot to build them up to be able to last as long as they did. And Boromir had been leading Gondor fighting from the front line for years. They're like the shield of Middle Earth that's just been getting hammered for centuries. And Denethor only seems like he's losing his mind because they also had a palantir (the crystal ball thing) in minas tirith and he was essentially having mental battles with Sauron that drove him extremely depressed and aged him prematurely. And to put this in perspective, Sarumans mind was dominated by Sauron through the palantir but Denethor was able to withstand him. A MAN was able to resist a DEMI GOD when another DEMI GOD couldn't. That's freakin wild. But he did his best to protect Gondor and his people, yes he had his faults, but he was still a great and wise man nonetheless.
Trilogy The Hobbit Extended Edition Of The Adventures Of Bilbo Baggin: (1) An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (2) The Desolation Of Smaug Extended Edition (3) The Battle Five Armie Extended Edition
Great commentaries on the series. It was cool seeing your attachment to the characters and investment in the story growing and deepening. Also, jokes are still funny. "That's what she said" in Shelob's lair was the perfect tension reliever - had me cracking up. Very nicely done!
lol the chipmunk audio is pretty funny l. And btw yes I think you’re supposed to be that emotional I get very emotional watching these movies. “My friends, you bow to no one” gets me every time
one of the things that isn't super well presented is the aura that some powerful characters have. the reason why eowyn was suddenly dying is that simply being near the witch king is enough to poison you, add to that the weapon with a similar effect as the morgul blade frodo was stabbed with in part 1 and you've got a deadly mix. It's more telling to how powerful eowyn is, seeing how she's able to resist his presence, where others would immediately flee or fall to their knees. very often the evil characters possess the ability to trick and charm, completely overwhelming them and targeting at their deepest vulnerabilities. or simply instilling a terrible feeling of hopelessness and fear in them.
17:06 this is not explained super well in the movie but Eomer sees that Eowyn is afflicted with the black breath. This is something that afflicts those who come into close contact with the Nazgul. It is often fatal hence Eomer's reaction. She and Merry are alive because of elvish medicine, but they are still very sick. In the books Merry isn't even there for the final fight at the black gate because he is still recovering.
Regarding Galadriel: She is meant to be 'otherworldly' and perhaps a bit unsettling. She is one of the oldest, most powerful beings still living in Middle Earth in the Third Age. She is old even among elves, and is the last living person to have seen the light of the Trees of Valinor. She is...not to be trifled with. Regarding Sauron/Saruman/Gandalf: Remember how I compared Gandalf and Saruman to 'angels'? Well, Sauron was kind of the same. But he chose to serve an evil 'angel' called Morgoth. He is the same type of being as Saruman and Gandalf, but a couple of tiers higher in terms of power. Dying was bad for Saruman, but way worse for Sauron. We have not even taken a chip off of the tip of the top of the iceberg of the lore in these stories. There is so much.
Now i can point out the second time that Eru Ilúvatar directly intervene in the world of middle earth; he tripped Gollum causing him to be out on the edge, breaking the rock he was standing on
If you want to really geek out, there is a recording of Tolkien reading the Ride of Rohirram from the battle of Pelanor field on RU-vid. It's very similar to how it takes place in the book so not really a spoiler, but gives you an idea of his writing.
It's been a blast watching you experience this for this first time! Really cool to see so many of the moments/scenes that made us long-time fans years ago still having that effect on new viewers today.
Frodo's wounds never fully healed both from being stabbed with the morgul blade and being the ring bearer, I assume Frodo felt pretty empty internally after this journey and it took its toll on him permanently. Some theories I heard equate it to PTSD and living with a debilitating wound from war, since Tolkien was a British soldier in WWI at the Battle of the Somme where between the British, French, and Germans over a million died. I might be a little iffy on the estimates here. My point is, Tolkien endured some horrific shit and as an officer he was assigned a personal assistant which is who he based Sam off of. Many of his personal experiences influenced how he depicted Middle Earth. His disdain for industrialization came from his experiences in war seeing what manmade machinery can do to people disgusted him, that's why he depicts Mordor as a dark filthy industrialized cesspit of muck and death where nothing grows, and why he created the hobbits who enjoy the simple pleasures of life such as nature, farming, eating good food, relaxing, and a sense of community. Almost everything in the Lord of the Rings is representative and allegorical to the morals he wanted to pass along and share. Treebeard and the ents destroying Isengard as nature pushing back against industry that consumes and pollutes everything it touches. I wouldn't exactly call Tolkien a hippy but there's some overlap, since the things he saw gave him perspective on the world around him.
