Return Of The King - can contain spoilers

[THE DUDE]

Originally posted by Nightwolf@10 January 2004 - 03:23
First off let me say this is by far the best trilogy of movies I have ever seen. However, personally I think the first part was the best, followed but part two, and finally part 3. The introduction of the characters and their different cultures, and the discovery of this terrible threat to them all was just about the greatest build up in the history of films. Unfortunately, as with most things in life, the anticipation is better than the actual climax. Also, I don't think any scene in parts 2 or 3 came close to the powerful emotion of the scene near the end of part 1 where Borimir, after trying to take the ring, gets shot with numerous arrows but keeps on fighting to save his friends.

Anyway, I do have some questions about RotK maybe someone who read the books can answer...

1) How did the spider stab Frodo through his Methryl?

2) What ever happened to Wormtongue?

3) Why are people saying the ending was different from the book? I've seen the animated version and the part where Gollum bites off Frodo's finger, then falls into the lava is almost identical. How is the book different?

4) Along the same lines as the idea of using the eagles right from the start - why didn't Elrond suggest the army of the dead earlier, as they were able to wipe out the orcs with no problem.

Yeah I pretty much feel the same way I think Peter Jackson got over confident from the success from the first movie and started adding his own touches. Look what happened to the Star Wars series once Lucas surrounded himself with yes-men.

1 U have to remember that frodo was only wearing a shirt and there were lots of other spots for stabbing. Shelob was no normal spider she was intelligent. In the book she captures Golum and he comes to worship her (even though shelob is incapable of speech she can still comprehend). In exchange for his life he vows to return with prey for her.

2 In the book Wormtongue is given a choice by the Theoden to ride with the Rohirrim or be banished. He flees to Orthanc (Sauroman's tower) and once Sauroman is over thown (Wormtoungue is the one who threw the Palentir out of the tower to be found by Pippin) we don't see him in the book until much later on. In the book Sauroman is depleted of his powers but not powerless. He goes to the shire because he thinks that the hobbits will be easy to subdue. He still has a small force of henchmen who serve him and Wormtounge is one of these. When the hobbits return they mount a resistance and drive the cruel men out of the shire and kill quite a few of them in the process. They confront Sauroman along with Wormtoungue at Bagend and give him an ultimatum leave or die. They treat Wormtoungue with indifference and in the end he turns on Sauroman and they both are killed.

3 The book has a different end in that there are many events like the one in answer 2 above that arn't included. The books goes on for six chapters after the ring is destroyed.

4 In the movie this is over simplified and definitely hollywooded up. In the book Aragorn does not have the control over them after they assist him they are simply free to go. As far as the Elrond suggesting that they use this army in the book it simply would not have been enough the ring wraiths as would many of Sauron legions would have been able to destroy those of the dead army.

[Nightwolf]

Originally posted by THE DUDE@10 January 2004 - 06:54
Wormtoungue is the one who threw the Palentir out of the tower to be found by Pippin

That's another thing I was wondering about - why that was laying in the water outside the tower. Thanks for all the good info, Dude (and everyone else here). This thread is really helping me to understand and appreciate Tolkien's story even more than I already did.

[top_gun]

Originally posted by Nightwolf+10 January 2004 - 22:46--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Nightwolf @ 10 January 2004 - 22:46)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-THE DUDE@10 January 2004 - 06:54
Wormtoungue is the one who threw the Palentir out of the tower to be found by Pippin

That&#39;s another thing I was wondering about - why that was laying in the water outside the tower. Thanks for all the good info, Dude (and everyone else here). This thread is really helping me to understand and appreciate Tolkien&#39;s story even more than I already did. [/b][/quote]
Dont worry, Voice of Sauraum (the title in the book) will be in the Extended Edition (as well as the Death of Sauraum since theere is no Scoring of teh Shire)

[Nightwolf]

Another question...

Why do they call Hobbits halflings? I&#39;m guessing they&#39;re half human, but what&#39;s the other half?

[Marius24]

halflings


i thought it was that because they are half the size of humans

[THE DUDE]

Originally posted by Nightwolf@12 January 2004 - 19:44
Another question...

Why do they call Hobbits halflings? I&#39;m guessing they&#39;re half human, but what&#39;s the other half?

No prob Nightwolf in case u cant tell I LOVE talking Tolken.

In Tolken&#39;s world and like in real life different cultures have different words for things based on thier points of view. Halfling is the Westron (the most common language in middle earth, the tongue in which trade is done and many cultures can speak) slang for Hobbit (it&#39;s basically what human&#39;s who don&#39;t know any better call Hobbits because they don&#39;t know what else to call them). In the shire they speak Westron but they speak a different dialect, the same as in Ireland where english is the mother tongue but it&#39;s a different dialect from American english.

I always assumed the humans called them halflings because they are roughly half the size of full grown man.

[Nightwolf]

Originally posted by THE DUDE@12 January 2004 - 16:58
I always assumed the humans called them halflings because they are roughly half the size of full grown man.

Ahhh, that makes sense. So if they were around today, it would probably be politically incorrect to call them halflings.