My Thoughts On The Lord Of The Rings Movies

Summary

Summary of "My Thoughts On The Lord Of the Rings Movies" Episode from The Matt Walsh Show

Podcast Title: The Matt Walsh Show
Host/Author: The Daily Wire
Episode Title: My Thoughts On The Lord Of The Rings Movies
Release Date: March 8, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Matt Walsh Show, hosts Matt Walsh, Ben Shapiro, and Andrew Klavan delve into a critical analysis of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The discussion primarily focuses on the length of the movies, narrative choices, and perceived plot inconsistencies. Below is a detailed breakdown of the key points, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

1. Critique of Movie Length

The conversation opens with Matt Walsh addressing the pervasive issue of lengthy films, specifically targeting the extended runtimes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

• Matt Walsh [00:02]:
  "Each Lord of the Rings movie is three and a half hours long or longer, and that's more than justified."
  While acknowledging the epic scope of the series, Matt concedes that maintaining such length in other movies might not be as justifiable.

• Ben Shapiro [00:22]:
  "Lord of the Rings was mentioned by several people. Sorry. Not only is Lord of the Rings not an exception, but it's actually a perfect example of what I'm talking about."
  Ben counters by asserting that the trilogy exemplifies the very issue Matt points out, arguing that the extended durations are excessive.

2. Extended Cuts and Length Justification

Ben Shapiro elaborates on his stance regarding the extended editions of Return of the King, the final installment in the trilogy.

• Ben Shapiro [00:48]:
  "The theatrical release of Return of the King was about three and a half hours long. [...] And extended cuts that are a half hour longer are just obscene. That's so insanely long."
  He criticizes the additional content in the extended cuts, labeling them as unnecessarily lengthy and offensive to viewers.

• Ben Shapiro [01:35]:
  "You could have cut Return of the King. You could have cut at least 45 minutes out of that movie. And it would have been a better movie."
  Ben advocates for a significant reduction in runtime, suggesting that a tighter narrative would enhance the film's quality.

3. Plot Holes: The Eagles' Role

The hosts transition to discussing a well-known plot hole in the trilogy: the absence of timely intervention by the Eagles.

• Ben Shapiro [02:16]:
  "Why didn't they just ride the bird to Mordor? [...] It could have been 30 minutes total if they just hopped on the bird, go drop the ring off in the volcano or whatever and they'd be fine."
  He questions the narrative decision to exclude the Eagles from playing a pivotal role in the climax, positing that their involvement could have streamlined the story.

• Andrew Klavan [02:24]:
  "I get this same question. Why didn't they just fly the eagles to Mordor? You know, Shut up."
  Andrew echoes the sentiment, albeit humorously dismissing the suggestion.

4. Subplot of the Ghost Soldiers

Ben Shapiro critiques the introduction and execution of the ghost soldiers subplot in Return of the King.

• Ben Shapiro [02:48]:
  "You could have cut the whole subplot of the ghost soldiers [...] and that would have saved you 40 minutes or so, probably."
  He argues that the ghost soldiers' entrance during the climactic battle was both unnecessary and poorly timed.

• Ben Shapiro [04:00]:
  "The ghost soldiers show up halfway through the battle. I don't know why they're late. [...] It's a little much."
  Ben points out the illogical timing and lack of stakes associated with the ghost soldiers, questioning their narrative purpose.

• Ben Shapiro [05:19]:
  "You could have had the ghost soldiers fight every battle through all three movies. The movie's over in an hour."
  He suggests that the consistent involvement of ghost soldiers would have not only expedited the conflict resolution but also maintained narrative coherence.

5. Character Analysis: Frodo’s Portrayal

The hosts discuss the characterization of Frodo Baggins, particularly his demeanor and decision-making throughout the saga.

• Ben Shapiro [02:24]:
  "Frodo didn't even do a good job in the first place. He whined like a baby the entire time."
  Ben criticizes Frodo's portrayal as indecisive and overly emotional, which he believes detracts from the character's heroism.

• Ben Shapiro [03:10]:
  "He tried to turn back at the last moment and not even do the job. And it only happened because Gollum tackled him."
  He highlights Frodo's reluctance to complete his mission, attributing his success to external intervention rather than personal resolve.

6. Overall Critique and Conclusion

In wrapping up his analysis, Ben Shapiro expresses his overall disappointment with the trilogy's execution.

• Ben Shapiro [05:45]:
  "I've complained about Lord of the Rings, and it has taken as long for me to complain about it as the movie is also. So this has just been a total waste of time."
  He summarizes his critique by labeling the experience as unproductive, despite the trilogy's monumental status in cinema.

7. Final Remarks

Andrew Klavan provides a contrasting opinion, briefly mentioning his appreciation for the franchise.

• Andrew Klavan [06:27]:
  "I'm a huge uber Lord of the Rings fan. I watched all the extras on the extended version. But which is the best film franchise of these three? I'll say this one."
  Andrew declares his favoritism towards The Lord of the Rings franchise, acknowledging its depth and extended content.

Conclusion

This episode offers a critical perspective on The Lord of the Rings movies, primarily focusing on their extended runtimes and perceived narrative flaws. While Ben Shapiro presents a thorough critique of specific elements such as plot holes and character development, Andrew Klavan provides a counterpoint appreciating the franchise's depth. Matt Walsh facilitates the discussion, highlighting the tension between cinematic ambition and storytelling efficiency. Listeners gain insight into the complexities of adapting epic literature to film, balancing fidelity to source material with audience engagement.

Transcript

[Matt Walsh]

Matt, I agree with you that the Brutalist is slow and way too long. However, each Lord of the Rings movie is three and a half hours long or longer, and that's more than justified. But I'll concede that no other movie has any right to be that long.

[Ben Shapiro]

A lot of comments about this too, saying, you know, I said no movie should be three and a half hours long like the Brutalist that awful movie was. And a few attempts to give to come with exceptions to the rule. And Lord of the Rings was mentioned by several people. Sorry. Not only is Lord of the Rings not an exception, but it's actually a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

[Andrew Klavan]

And you know what this dwarf says to that?

[Ben Shapiro]

Okay, so let's just take Return of the King, which I think was the longest one of all three movies. And I like those movies, by the way. But the theatrical release of Return of the King was about three and a half hours. It was about what the Brutalist is. And then there are all these extended cuts that are and a half hours long, which is just obscene. That's. That's offensive. I'm offended if I pick up the Blu Ray. Not that I watch Blu Ray anymore, but. And it says four and a half hours long. I'm offended by that. That's. That's so insanely long. How would you. How do you. That you would dare even sell that? That you would put that on the shelf for anyone to watch? Four and a half hours. So. But no, let's just take three and a half hours. That was way too long. Okay. That you could have cut Return of the King. You could have cut at least 45 minutes out of that movie. At least 45 minutes. And it would have been a better movie. And if you cut 45 minutes, it's still a movie that's 2 hours and 45 minutes long. It's still a long movie. Can you just cut it down from epic marathon length to very long? Can we just make that. It would be a better movie. I hate song.

[Andrew Klavan]

Where would you be without me?

[Ben Shapiro]

Quite infamously, the movie has three endings. Let's start with that. Okay, pick one ending. I mean, the movie really ends with Frodo and Sam. They're stranded on the rock and the lava's all around, and then the bird comes and picks them up. And as many people, so many people, of course, have pointed out, and it is true, it's a major plot hole that, well, why didn't they just ride the bird to Mordor?

[Andrew Klavan]

I get this same question. Why didn't they just fly the eagles to Mordor? You know, Shut up.

[Ben Shapiro]

It could have been 30 minutes total if they just hopped on the bird, go drop the ring off in the volcano or whatever and they'd be fine. But fine. So the bird picks them up and they're flying away on the bird into the sunset. You know, last shot, you've got the. They're flying away from. You get the lava and everything and Mordor's collapsing. But then you see them on the bird and they're going off into the distance and you see it's green and green pastures ahead and it's a great closing shot and it kind of. It tells you everything you need to know. We don't need to then see, oh, now he's laying in bed and he's meeting and he sees his friends again and he's happy and he's jumping on the bed and hugging them. God, does we get like five scenes after the end of people congratulating Frodo, which again, we get it. And it's even more grating because Frodo didn't even do a good job in the first place. He whined like a baby the entire time. And then he tried to turn back at the last moment and not even do the job. And it only happened because Gollum tackled him. So it's by accident he actually completed the journey. And then we gotta go through 45 minutes of just watching people kiss this guy's ass. It was a little bit. It's a little much. It's a little much. Being a husband, father and host of my own show means life never slows down. Imagine trying to eat 31 different fruits and vegetables every day. Sounds pretty miserable. And also time consuming. And sometimes I just wanna hit the drive thru and order something with questionable nutrit. But I don't need to do that with Balance of Nature because Balance of Nature, fruits and veggies. There's never been a more convenient dietary supplement to ensure you get a wide variety of fruits and vegetables every day with 31 different whole fruits and vegetable ingredients. Balance of Nature takes fruits and vegetables, they freeze, dry them, turn them into a powder, and then put them in a capsule. You take a fruit and veggie capsule every day and then the body knows what to do with them. Pretty simple. Go to balanceofnature.com, use promo code WALSH for 35% off your first order as a preferred customer. Plus get a free bottle of fiber and Spice. That's balanceofnature.com promo code Walsh. And you could have cut the whole subplot of the ghost soldiers, or whatever it was, where Aragorn goes and recruits these ghost soldiers, right, to go and fight the big battle at the end. And you could have cut the whole thing with the ghost soldiers. And that would have saved you 40 minutes or so, probably. And then you lose this massive plot hole, which is that the ghost soldiers show up halfway through the battle. I don't know why they're late. And then they just go. It's pretty lame. You know, we get this great battle scene, and then the ghost soldiers show up and they just go through. They're like swarming army ants, and they easily kill everybody. They kill all the bad guys and the battle's over. And they're able to easily kill everyone because they're already dead. They're invincible, right? They're these corporeal creatures that can't be harmed, can't be killed. There's no stakes for them in the battle. They got literally nothing to lose. They're already dead. So why didn't you just get the ghost soldiers from the beginning?

[Andrew Klavan]

Release us. Bad idea. Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead.

[Ben Shapiro]

You could have had the ghost soldiers fight every battle through all three movies. They would have easily won again, the movie's over in an hour. And then at the end of that, Aragorn is like, oh, you've proven yourself in battle. Ghost soldiers, be free now. How do they prove themselves? It required no courage for them to fight that battle. They were already dead and they're hanging out in a cave somewhere for eternity. So you did them a favor. They're bored to death, literally hanging out in a cave underground. You let them come up to the surface and fight a battle where they can't lose, and somehow they've proven their mettle, they've proven their courage, and now they get the curse lifted. And now the curse is lifted. They just disappear into nothingness. They become dust. So, anyway, now I have. I have given. I have complained about Lord of the Rings, and it has taken as long for me to complain about it as the movie is also. So I've. So this has just been a total waste of time. But let's get to the daily cancellation.

[Andrew Klavan]

I'm a huge uber Lord of the Rings fan. I watched all the extras on the extended version. But which is the best film franchise of these three? I'll say this one. There you have it.