OMG Helms Deep! | Part 2 Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | First Time Watching | Extended 

“There’s some good in this world…and it’s worth fighting for”. A movie script add on, but one of the best add on’s to source material I’ve ever heard.

Your reaction to these movies is so top tier because you are really focused on the movie and immersing yourself into it and the emotions show. I cry ALL the time everytime i watch them 🙂 And how many reactors can say they rewatched the 1st movie again before jumping into the second? Amazing job.

"I really need to know Gollum's backstory..." Be careful what you wish for...

There's a tiny age gap between Aragorn and Arwen: He is 87. She is about 3000 years old. Aragorn is of numenorian descent - Numenorians have long lives compared to other humans, they can live for several centuries. Elves however are immortal, they don't die of old age at all. The other girl's name is Eowynn - niece of King Theoden and the sister of Eomer.

"It's the unity, that makes it emotional" YES..! fantastic quote that really encapsulates the trilogy.

Please don't hate Faramir, the only change made from the book in the movie was the change to him, in the book he was totally disinterested in the ring. He was the strongest of them all. I love how much you love these movies. The friendship between Gimli and Legolas was amazing in the books and Peter Jackson and the writers really did justice to that in the movies

My one rule for LOTR reactions; there's tears, I press like. Greetings from Argentina.

Fun fact. Vigo Mortenson (the actor who played Aragorn) had such a bond with the horse that played brego on set that he actually adopted it and brought it back to his ranch in America.

So nice to see you becoming so emotionally connected to this story. It has happened to us all :)

How can we possibly harm this lovely lady with the third part? She will absolutely disappear in tears!

2:14 It's pretty grim that the Orc scout screams when he sees Legolas closing in on him, much like Hama did when the Warg came for him. The Orc knows there will be no mercy from an Elf.

You've easily become one of my favorite reactors. Love that you're such a deep feeler that we can feel vicariously through.

Fun fact. When Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) is sitting on the steps of Helms deep before the battle starts. He talks to a kid holding a sword. That same kid is his son IRL, that boy told his father to accept the job offer to play Aragorn. Viggo didn't know what LOTR was when he was offered the role and was very skeptical even thinking of declining it, but his son had read the books and urged his father to take the role. That right there is the boy/man we need to thank for having Viggo played a character that no other man could have done!

A very underrated part is when Sam tells Faramir that he “has shown his qualities”

Im an absolute sucker for LoTR reactors. You and your emotions are so beautiful. Youve really picked up on some really important things during this first watch-through. It just makes me so happy to see people connect with these films. They are in a total class of their own for me. They will be timeless and Tolkien really understood human emotions and human nature. Cant wait to watch the next videos you make. Keep up the good work. Also, I peeped some of your music. You're crazy talented!

In the books Aragorn and elronds relationship is completely different. Elrond had a twin brother elros, who is arragorns direct ancestor ,(6000 years back).

"Where now are the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;" -King Theoden, One of my favorite quotes ever.

This book changed my life. The back story and the loyalty and friendships, and the realization that I'm part of a larger story and living for something bigger than myself were truly heart-opening for me. I wanted to be a better person after I read this book. I hope this movie has the same effect on you.

I always LOVE seeing people’s reaction to Saruman’s army for the first time. They’ve usually already remarked on how many Orcs and Uruk-hai they had to fight off in the last one. Just the scale of it isn’t something people are used to seeing, and it makes you feel hopeless, which is the point.

You have to remember that (in the film) the ring is tempting Faramir and praying on his pain and insecurities. Without the rings power Faramir would have reacted differently. It's a real testament to his character that he was able to rise above in the end. Not even Aragorn could resist the ring forever (the same reason Aragorn realized that Frodo had to go on without him)

Special shout-out to Viggo, performing amazingly even in the nasty stew scene 😂 and the sportsmanship Legolas showed not counting the dozens of Uruks he crashed with that ladder he dropped on them. I'm certain he had much more than 42, counting them.

A very good reaction, and even better that you can recognize how much you are getting immersed in the epic tale! The Return of the King (without spoilers) is going to be another rollercoaster for you, but it's the ride of a lifetime. Looking to see you then!

I actually love that you are not just keeping talking during emotional moments and actually deep feels those scenes speechless, takes me all the time. I don't like many of the reactors that looks so detached to the movie because they just keep talking like they have to analyze everything without feeling it.

Your reactions are genuine and emotional. I cried along with you.

This movie, the second in the series, is more emotional draining because it is so war/death centric. Though the first movie has the great dying scene of Boromir, the Two Towers have the great monologues of Theoden and Sam. And Gollum is such a tragic figure and the unravelling of Frodo... all work together to make it emotional.

I love how Aragorn tries to break up with Arwen and she's basically just like nah, we cool baby.

the boy Haleth who speaks with Aragorn in Helms Deep is son of Hama the Doorwarden, the one who was killed in wargs ambush as first soldier. So the kid lost his father only few days ago and in this scene he is given new hope by this conversation with Aragorn - the warrior who has many names in many lands but when he was a boy living in Rivendell with his mother he was called Estel - Hope.

I love how you not only look at the story but the subtext of feeling and emotions behind anything that's happening. It shows that you are actually invested and interested in the story. (and are not afraid to immerse yourself in it). Love to see people understand the point of these movies:)

The fact that you rewatched the first movie in preparation for this one says everything I need to know. I’m gonna head over to Patreon now

Hey, Stef- I subbed to your channel last week after seeing your reaction to Fellowship. I find that the best reactions to LotR are given by people who really show an effort in understanding the lore of the world, which helps to form an emotional connection with the characters and their plight. As others have said, don't ever apologize for your emotions; sharing your emotions on a first-watch allows viewers to re-experience what they felt when they first watched. It's the reason we watch reactions, and it helps to bond you with your audience. You're a lovely person and I'm glad I found your channel. I await your Return of the King reaction. If you like Frodo and Sam now, that movie will turn you to jelly in the best way possible. :)

It was supposed to be another horse that got Aragorn from the riverside but that horse didn't want to kneel down for Viggo to climb aboard so they tried with Brego who did the trick almost immediately so they used him instead.

20:28 this scene is so impactful when you consider the immortality of the elves. They love forever and die only from things like war, so for them it really is the ultimate sacrifice.

Your gollum questions will soon be answered in the final film 😅 I can’t wait for the last one. It’s by far the most emotional. Themes and arcs that have been with us as early as the prologue find their completions in such beautiful ways, and of course, after you have seen that film, it is the end of this incredible trilogy…. I’ve re-watched these films dozens of times, and they never fail to deliver that emotional gut punch. Oddly, we’re all addicted to that pain, and perhaps that’s why so many of us jump from first time reaction to first time reaction. There’s nothing quite like that first viewing. Thanks for sharing it with us

Sam gets the best speeches. If you pay close attention to Gollum's eyes, you can tell when Smeagol is dominant. When he is Smeagol, his pupils are wide and friendly. When Gollum is in charge, they are small and menacing.

Hey Stef, you should do the third movie in three parts rather than two. I’d like to see more of your reactions and less skipping!

That little confused look off to the side when Aragorn went over the cliff, the pause like you were rebooting, then ''what just happened?!'' Priceless reaction. Lol.

Love your reactions! What you saw with Faramir's soldiers is what war does to people. It desensitizes them to other people, or creatures. It was well presented. And yes, the emotions run rampant in these movies! Carry on!

The charge of the Rohirrim is arguably one of the best movie scene in cinema history to this day 👌

It's OK to cry (you'll probably do a lot more of it before the third movie ends). It's nice to see a reactor wearing their heart on their sleeve watching these films as this amazing story and these wonderful movies definitely deserve all the emotions. :) I'm very much looking forward to the last one.

I can’t say enough about this movie… Sam’s monologue gets me every time. Don’t try to look up certain things like character’s backstories until after the third movie because you may get the answers you’re looking for in the watching the last one. And as everyone else has said, if you got emotional during this movie, you’re in for a wild ride in the next one. Swept the Oscar’s for a reason. Excited to watch it with you!

THERE IS GOOD IN THIS WORLD AND ITS WORTH FIGHTIN FOR 😢😢😢

6:17 ‘Is it ok to cry?’ The answer is always YES.

PLEASE give us an hour long video for the third movie 🙏🏼 it’s definitely the best of all three and I’m super excited to see you finish the trilogy. Bring an extra box of Kleenex for that one

Andy Serkis as Gollum is outstanding. He's been in countless movies, including as the villain Ulysses Klaue in the Avengers and Black Panther films

You will get everything you want from Return of the King! It answers SOOOOO many questions while furthering the story and providing, in my opinion, one of the most satisfactory endings ever. I really can't wait for your video(s)!! p.s. I had my water handy the whole time 😁

Really good reaction enjoyed it very much. One thing to remember that was stated about Gollum was that he held on to the ring for over 500 years before Bilbo found it. For a time he too like Frodo was a ring bearer though inadvertently,and under very different circumstances. Considering how the ring is affecting Frodo currently,(who was probably the purest among the fellowship)just imagine carrying the ring for 500 years. Not to mention being tortured,and hated for so long would wreck anyone's mind. Frodo was the one person he trusted,who had pity on him. Consider also that the closer they get to mount doom the stronger the influence of the ring becomes. It's why even Sam would not have been able to keep It's influence at bay. Gandalf said himself that he believed Smegol would play a role in all this,hence why he dissuaded Frodo from the notion of killing him. But the actions of others who only saw him as hideous,and a monster to be killed on site really didn't help things progress positively for him. Tolkien even laments about it in some of his interviews. Probably why it's hard for me to hate Smegol as much,all things considered. It's actually quite sad when you think about it.

the storage of food they found in Sarumans tower has also backstory in the book - Saruman always ridiculed Gandalf for smoking a pipe and for caring for plebs but secretly he also tried to smoke. And this pipeweed his spies (human mercenaries) have been buying for Sarumans use in the Shire.

“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but 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.” Quote from, Captain Faramir steward of Minas Tirith (Sindarin: "Tower of Guard").

I don't usually watch the post-movie commentary all the way to the end but you captivate me.

Just Loving how invested you have gotten and are in LOTR, and the fact that you tool the time to rewatch TFOTR, just shows how immersed you have become in the LOTR journey. I watch a lot of reaction channels and the LOTRs is the 1st reaction I have watched from your channel and I have to say , I love your reaction to these first 2 parts of the LOTR Trilogy so far, it's so genuine. You just gained a new subscriber here and will definitely be checking out your other movie reactions you have done and future reactions. 💜💜💜

I'm really enjoying your reactions to these movies. I can tell how emotionally invested you are. It's touching. Thanks for doing this.

These movies and the books are some of the best story telling that you could watch/read. I am so happy that they went all out with creating these movies because they're great movies and I'm so happy that you like them. I hope that some day you will take the time to read the books atleast once. Thank you for reacting to these movies, I'm enjoying your reaction to them.

Everytime when Elrond talks i having a goosebumps. Very good editing that didnt cut Elrond and Galadriel mind connection and Samwise's last speech.

Now after seeing the trioligy, just remember that all that Legolas ever said to Frodo was "And you have my bow" .. Great guy

Sam's monologue, speaking over Rohan's army riding down the last of the uruk-hai will never not make me cry and cry.

"By writes we shouldn't even been here" is symbolic in that there was nothing in Tolkien's writings, putting the Hobbits in Osgilhath

As someone not very emotional I love watching someone who is deeply emotional, it's very beautiful. I'm glad you enjoyed the movies

There is a thing to know about Elrond which makes his mindset a little easier to understand. His twin brother, Elros made the same choice Arwen was making... to become mortal. Elrond then had to see his brother age and die. Also, his wife, Arwen's mother (and coincidentally Galadriel and Celeborn's daughter) was injured in an orc raid, and she was sent to the undying lands before she would perish. He has seen a lot of loss, so his reluctance to see Arwen make that choice is understandable. In the end, though, he did relent and supported their union.

I love how this movie manages to bring character development to Boromir even after his death. You see another more noble side to him and his relationship with his brother (Those scenes were not included in the theatrical version). More will be understood as you meet the father in the 3rd movie.

You remind me of me, when I watched these movies in cinema for the very first time 20 years ago. I can see *that* love in your eyes ♥

No reaction to Aragorn being 87 years old?!!

Since none of the comments have mentioned it: that small, fast tear on wormtongues face when he realizes that Rohan isn't just about to get a new ruler where he can amass power, but mankind is actually about to be wiped out... but him knowing that it is too late for him to change his position now... it is such raw human emotion... knowing you royally fucked up... you didn't just mess up a little. You might have doomed everyone you love (including Eowyn) to death and there is nothing left for you to do but watch... It is such an underappreciated little detail because it happens to one of the slimiest evil guys of them all... and yet... he is still human at heart.

your reaction on my best movies of all times is amazing! i love your reaction! your tears make me cry to on the reaction! amazing job! much love from belgium ❤

You continue to be delightful to spend time with revisiting these films. I am grateful to see them again through fresh eyes and to enjoy your enjoyment and engagement. I can't wait to finish the trilogy with you.

I probably said this before: I lived these book growing up, and I still do.

Stef saying "I stand the look of him" about Faramir, not knowing that his father thinks the exact same way about him.

You're a pure soul and we can notice, we LOTR fans love seeing people give it an honest try to this movies and the effort to rewatch the first one before this is really appreciate it Posdata: La comunidad latina, aunque pocos te apoyamos.

So many folks miss the fact that the horse was the one that had been earlier released. Glad you picked up all these things.

In the books the Hobbits were wary of Faramir, but he was never even tempted to take the ring and helped them on their way. He is a better man than Boromir, although he always had to live in his shadow.

In "The Lord of the Rings" movies, Gimli and Treebeard were played by the same actor, John Rhys-Davies :D

Losing Boromir broke the last of his will and he was nothing but a husk of the great steward he once was, that says quite a lot about how powerful Saurons influence was The "300" number of defenders in Helm's Deep is taken from the story of the 300 Spartans that went against impossible odds, they were actually 2000-3000 defending, I don't know where they got that number from, but it sounds cool 🙂 Gimli did win their little competition but it ended a bit differently in the original story, Legolas asked Gimli how many he killed and he said 43 and Legolas said something like "Then you beat me by one but I am not sad about it, I am just glad to see my friend still standing alive", they were bitter enemies(as elf and dwarf) and built a lifelong friendship during the journey ❤ Faramir was one of the characters who stayed in my mind long after I read the books, he was truly a good person, very wise and he understood quite quickly how dangerous the ring is, he even threw way the seductive power of the ring that made him think he would finally be the hero of Gondor as well as get praise from his father

Tolkein served in WW1 and his sons served in WW2. The triology wasn't completed until after WW2 if I remember correctly. I don't know how true this is but, I read once that the Ents were supposed to represent America in some ways during both those wars. Hesitant to get involved and deciding to be isolatationist. Yet, when they did join the war, it changed the tide drastically. Whether Tolkein meant this or not, I always enjoy looking at this way in my head cannon.

12:12 I was very much pissed off too, when I saw that, because it doesn't happen in the books, where Faramir is wiser from the beginning.

Your emotions and smile are so contagious. Appreciated the reaction.

6:22 I haven't seen a comment about it yet, so I'll just say that Viggo (the actor that plays Aragorn) kept/adopted the horse, Brego, in real life which is just really cool.

Btw, Gandalf and the Balrog of Morgoth are both 2 of the same beings called Maia and Sauron and Saruman are Maia as well. In the Simarillion book we learn that there is Eru Iluvatar, the god of Arda (which is the name of Tolkien's LotR world). Then there are the Vala, god's arch angles so to speak. And then finally there are the Maia, which are comparable to god's regular angles. The Vala and Maia helped god create Arda with their combined song of creation. Gandalf's name in Valinor (god's undying lands/continent where the elves, gandalf and all the 4 other wizzards, one of them Saruman, come from) is Olórin. During the song of creation the Valar Melkor created as disharmony with the others and basically became the big main antagonist of the franchise. He was later also called Morgoth. Some of the Maia, like the Balrogs and Sauron joined his cause to rebell and fight against god and his forces (of good). Sauron became Morgoth's 2nd in command and throughout the 2nd and 3rd age basically carried Morgoth's lecay after Morgoth was defeated in War of Wrath, a war of unimaginable scale (even in comparisson to the battles in these movies) with winged dragons as big as mountains involved (like Ancalagon the black) at the end of the 1st age (there are 4 ages in total and some time before like the age of the trees, the LotR story takes place at the end of the 3rd age). RU-vid has some really interesting videos about The War of Wrath, Morgoth and the 4 ages in general. I would love to see your reactions to those stories, the backstory to the LotR story so to speak.

This is why i subscribed, you didnt realize you became heavily emotionally invested in the story and how it was presented.

First time subscriber Stef. I found you from these Lord of Rings Reactions. Your reactions is so authentic and raw. You have great respect for the material. Great channel!

there's a sweet story about Viggo & the horses. he's a bit of an equestrian & when filming was over he went to Jackson & asked to buy Brego; Jackson agreed so Viggo had him shipped to his home stables. one of the stuntwomen who stood in for Arwen riding against the Nazgul also fell for her horse & tried the same thing but learned the price for a trained movie horse was too high for her to afford. Viggo heard about it & bought her horse for her.

The music and Sam’s speech are the best things about this movie. Of course, there is so much more, that I love, but these are the things that always get me. Fantastic reaction. Now, the 3rd movie awaits and it will be epic. Enjoy and thanks for sharing your thoughtful first time reaction.

The ending of this movie is still such a great emotional high.

I absolutely love your smile, and I cannot help but feel everything you're feeling right along with you. Such a beautiful person witnessing such a beautiful film. We're lucky to be witnessing this.

How the heck you made me shed a tear along with you, last time i did that was like 25 years ago during some random injury as a kid. I had no idea i could do that and could feel like that.

I have to say, this is one of if not THE best reactions to the trilogy out there. You’re so invested in the LOTR world. Love it.

26:57 I can never unsee the 2 Legolas's riding down the ramp as the one at the front was originally Arwen but her scenes were cut from the battle so she disguised as Legolas but the real Legolas in on the other white horse behind the fake one!

Great reaction to an incredible movie! I still tear up watching this movie, so often, and I've seen this more than a hundred times. But I'm an old softy. 😀 This movie takes it out of one. So much tension and so much fear and so much loss, but so much valor and so much strength, and so much good. You edited out the part where the young children from the Westfold were reunited with their mother at Helm's Deep, because I always have some tears coming down my face at that reunion.

You say “just push them down” to the ladders hitting the walls, and there’s actually a medieval tool used for such a purpose. Literally just a long stick with a little U shape at the end to catch a rung of the ladder and yeet it away from the walls. People got real creative in medieval warfare in repelling siege engines.

I can’t wait for your react to the 3rd film! My favorite movie series of all time. I’ll share my life changing story related to these movies in your last react. Thank you! I cried with you. Sam gets me every time. 💜

20:20 Haldir is criminally underrated

Man, when I first watched Treebeard take the piss out of the hobbits over and over, I was hoping Pipping would just start a fire right there to motivate the Ents to speak faster

Little did Aragorn know that Eowyn had the ability to lay waste to armies with her culinary arts. You see, a Dark Lord would have used that skill against his enemies

Eowyn doesn’t truly love Aragorn, but rather loves what he represents. She craves action and renown through brave deeds. She doesn’t want to be a decoration only good for having children. Tolkien didn’t have a lot of female characters in his books, but the ones he did have were badass. The mounts of the Nazgûl are known as fell beasts.

What you begin to realize is that the enemy is NOT PLAYING!!!! But there is hope. Always hope. I like your reactions. Saves an hour or 3 getting wrapped up in this great story.

Faramir is actually among the noblest characters in the story. Reminds me of Hector of The Iliad. He is different in the books.

I’ll continue about Elrond like we spoke about earlier in your previous video: To clarify things about Elrond & his daughter Arwen and therefore we must look at Elrond’s Twin Brother Elros, they both were half-elven brothers who can choose to be mortal or immortal because of their parents(Eärendil and Elwing) both half elven made a great sacrifice and went to Valinor to ask for help which lead to the greatest events in the early first and second age. Instead of being punished, the valar listened to them, that led to a great hosts of Valar and Maiar And Vanyar Elves went to Middle Earth that laid waste to Beleriand. After the War Of Wrath, the valar rewarded them for their sacrifices. They can choose to be elf or men, including their children. They chose immortally, but never return to Middle Earth because they thought that their twin sons had died. But they didnt die. Elrond chose to be immortal while his twin brother Elros chose to be mortal. He founded the Kingdom of Numenor. He lived in Numenor Island and blessed with a long life that include his descendants Those men who fought for the war were rewarded a long life but not their families or children. Only the family of Elrond can choose to be immortal or mortal in which Arwen did. Aragorn is the direct descendant of Elros, thats why he has a long life. The average lifespan of a Numenorean at their height was a few thousand years maximum! Now remember too that half elves are a common thing and whenever they did come together it was always significant !❤❤❤ Remember this is the SHORT version, there are so many moving parts that will make you want to dive into the books or the audio books or even do reaction videos to the famous lore videos by the biggest lore channels out there! When you’re done the trilogy try doing reaction videos just like Moviejoob did now with the lore recently as well as OmarioRPG. I recommend videos by GirlNextGondor and The Red Book, and Tolkien Untangled and especially Men Of The West. Many other cool ones I’ll recommend in the comments section of those reaction videos you do from Tolkiens Legendarium lore videos. They are super engaging. You’ll be in love. Nothing would have existed if Tolkiens works never hit the light of day as they were meant to stay private and sometimes be shared with his children and so on. No Game Of Thrones. No Skyrim. No ElderScrolls, No World Of Warcraft, no Dungeons&Dragons. None of it. Not even Star Wars. Not even Harry Potter! They took inspiration from his works which were souly to give back a forgotten history of the Anglo Saxons that had their culture & history destroyed as the larger empires were riding around them. His works reflect the Elder Edda(Norse) The Kalevala(Finnish) and the Welsh people from Wales as well as Irelands cultures of the Tuatha De Danaan as well! His languages are fully fleshed out too resembling Finnish & Welsh • By the way Elrond is around 6870-8000 years old & nearly a full Elf year (as they age very very differently to Men) is close to 144 man years (solar years for them) they experience the TIME and the way men experience it but their clock is different! They live as long as the world/Arda/Ëa does. Essentially. Which is why they are so I synch with the world around them and the nature responds to them ! Think of when Legolas walked ontop of all that snow on the Mountain of Caradhras!! They continue to endure as long ad the world itself does. (Arda) Galadriel's Phial (gift to Frodo) is something really special. light & dark have a spiritual dimension in Tolkien. way back before the First Age Valinor was lit by two very special Trees that waxed & waned in opposition to each other. a master craftsman Elf named Fëanor fashioned three gems that captured their light, the Silmarils. everyone who saw them was captivated by them, even the Valar & Morgoth the first Dark Lord. wars were fought over them called the Kinstrife. after Morgoth had the Trees destroyed the Silmarils were the only light from them left. they changed hands a few times & eventually one was left after one fell into the sea & another was lost in a pit of magma. a Half Elf named Eärendil (the first one!) came into its possession & sailed it to Valinor as a gift to the Valar to ask for their help in defeating Morgoth, which they did. the Valar turned it into a star & hung it in the sky with Earendil as its guardian. the fountain of Galadriel's Mirror is lit by light captured from the star Eärendil & her Phial has water from the fount. I've left out about 90% of the story but it's quite important & central to the story of Middle Earth. for her to give the Phial to Frodo is quite extraordinary. its light does burn & blind Shelob (that's the spider's name) but doesn't kill her outright. oh also, before he was put in the sky to guard the last Silmaril Earendil had two children, Elrond & his brother Elros the first King of Numenor. Tolkien's lore is deep & vast & the Silmarils are at the center of it. The Star of Eärendil is the light that shines in the horizon both in the morning and the evening. It consists in a boat raised by the Valar and led by Eärendil, who carries a shining Silmaril while watching the Doors of Night. The Door of Night was a portal in the distant Uttermost West that leads to heaven, and/or the Void. Eärendil's ship Vingilot was taken by the Valar from the rim of the world, passed through the Door and was lifted into the "oceans of heaven". PS: Eärendil is ELROND’s half Vanyar Elf half human father, that father was the son of the great Tuor of the great stories of The Children Of Húrin!❤❤❤❤

At the time these movies were made, Liv Tyler was not only the most beautiful woman on the planet, she was also one of the best actors alive. The chemistry between Liv and Viggo is just incredible, they were perfectly cast.

Don't worry about that burning Ent. At the bottom left, when the flood is released, you see him charge head first into the water to put it out. He's fine.

First, I love your reaction. You FEEL these movies. That's the way it should be. I'll help with one thing the movie doesn't explain well: Denethor, who is Boromir's and Faramir's father, and the Steward of Gondor (since it doesn't have a king), has a Palantir too - one of those crystal balls. Saruman has one as you probably noticed. Those were the closest thing to Facetime in Middle Earth. The problem here is Sauron has one, and he has been using it to poison the minds of both Saruman and Denethor. He likes showing them visions of future doom - kinda similar to what Frodo saw in the Mirror of Galadrial (that pool he looked into). Denethor is desperate to get the ring because he thinks it's the only thing that can stop Sauron - that's what you saw in the flashback when he sent Boromir to Rivendell to get it. Don't worry, this doesn't spoil anything. But it may help you understand what's going on. This is one of the very few things the movies don't do well. They're absolutely wonderful though. My favorite movies ever. I cry every time I watch them. Every time. Looking forward to your RotK reaction. Remember, it cleaned house at the Oscars that year. As good as the first 2 movies are, it's the best one. Get a fresh box of tissues. You're gonna need it.

The movie did Faramir so dirty. In the book he understands quickly how dangerous the ring is and sends Frodo on his way with little delay.

Éowyn: "Please eat. Aragorn: (sotto voce) "Not if I want to live to be 88". BTW Aragorn's birthday, when he turns 88 is during the battle of Helm's Deep.