"A diversion."
 

When Legolas said a diverson during the conversation in the RotK my friend stood up and yelled at the screen, "Well thank you, Captain Obvious!" I thought the way he said sounded so stupid and pointless. No offense to Orlando Bloom though, cause his movies aren't bad.

Ohhhh, precioussss, it hurts usss!<P>Yes, Legolas was the acrobat stating the obvious. He's a popular actor, but not very good. I give hime credit for the crazy stunts he did in LotR and PotC, but he'd no great actor in my eyes.<P>Oh, wait, this should go in the "Orlando Bloom-Legolas Thread". Oops.

I didn't think much of the line when I heard it, but now that I hear the objections to it, I kind of think, uh, YES a diversion, Leggy, weren't you listening?<P>But I don't think we should be so quick to hand blame to Orlando, since he just spouts the dialogue that's given him. (Spouts a few arrows now and then, too)

It was a dumb line, but blame the writers, not Orlando. I suppose they were accounting for those in the audience who couldn't understand Aragorn's flowery language.<P>And whilst we're mentioning it, even if it is off-topic: Orlando's a good actor, but he's started off in the types of films which require him to simply look good and give a few heroic lines. If you see him in Ned Kelly, which is a more gritty film, he gives a terrific performance.

I agree with you Meela. It really isn't his fault, like you said: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> But I don't think we should be so quick to hand blame to Orlando, since he just spouts the dialogue that's given him. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Actually, I guess the fact that I expected him to end up saying all the obvious lines in the movie made it not so much a shock, but come to think of it, how much did he say in the books that were on topic compeatly and totally, that didn't seem just a little bit, duh? Or maybe I need to pay more attention when I read the books again.

In my opinion the truely stupid Legolas was not the diversion line but an action he makes instead. Shooting the King of the Dead has to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen an elf do. It is a ghost, dummy. He must have been hanging out with the guards at the begining of Hamlet when they where telling the King of Denmark's "Ghost" to either speak or they would throw a spear at him even when they knew he was already dead. Yeah...some without brains do too much thinking.

Rumors are, Orlando is going to out-shine Brad Pitt in the upcoming film Troy. Sorry, ladies, but the dude is supposed to propose to his honey sometime soon. There, there...<P>Meela...doggone it, but I do a double-take every time I see your avatar! "They stole it from uss...."

Awwww... dammit! Now I <I>really</I> hate Kate Bosworth!<P>Why do we always have to blame the actors for their lines? Get it through your heads people, it's not their fault!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Why do we always have to blame the actors for their lines? Get it through your heads people, it's not their fault!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Yeah! It's the Screenwriters fault! (PJ are you listening?) <P>I too actually didn't notice this line the first time I saw the film. But after a few more viewings, and the constant complaints I do find it to be quite an annoying line. Couldn't they have found him something else to say? He an elf! Isn't he supposted to be superior in all ways compaired to humans? I don't know. It is not a terrible thing (there were other things that bothered me more) it is just kind of a little quirk that will most definitely not go into the Screenwriting Hall of Fame.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>...my friend stood up and yelled at the screen...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>In my opinion this is a far graver offence than anything a scriptwriter ever compelled an actor to say. I hope the usher showed your friend to the exit with the really big heavy torch.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>"Well thank you, Captain Obvious!" <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Funny you say that. In the recent Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam, world number one Andy Roddick said that to the chair umpire after the umpire told him a bad call was 'close'.<P>Anyway back to the topic at hand...<P>I did not even realise Legolas saying this in The RotK. Probably should have, but didn't. Any how it definitaley is not Orlando Blooms fault.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Sorry, ladies, but the dude is supposed to propose to his honey sometime soon. There, there... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Next week, at the Empire Awards or whatever it is that's coming up next week.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Meela...doggone it, but I do a double-take every time I see your avatar! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Same What happened to yours? It used to move... <BR>Did you steal my non-moving one? :P<P>And yeah, stop blaming the actors!<P><BR>[**Note from the moderator: Meela, your PM box is full, so you can't receive new messages; please clear out some space - thanks!]<p>[ 4:26 PM February 05, 2004: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]

gOOD for Mr.Orlando Bloom, if he's to be married . At least we know one thing,...<I>looks mean absolutely nothing to him </I> As for the line I stand with the rest of the group, but I think Peter/Fran/Philip might've wrote that line to help out the not as well inclined people in the audience...if you know what I mean(i.e.clueless girls who only watched the movie for Orlando Bloom, or Viggo)<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Rumors are, Orlando is going to out-shine Brad Pitt in the upsomming film Troy<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR> That's like saying Jennifer Lopez can sing and act.... <BR> Let's not get too carried away <BR>Knight of Gondor

I take it you were one of the clueless girls Victoria, btw check your pm's

gIL gAlAd.. That was highly uncalled for! I am very dipleased and shocked that you would ever think that I would go to a movie theater to just watch handsome rougue men getting..down and dirty, and acting like manly men. I'm shocked! <BR> NO! but honestly I really am a fan of Tolkien

Sorry, but did anyone notice that after the battle scenes that Legoals was barely even scratched or dirty, while everyone else was all bloodied up.

I'm pretty sure that was because he's an elf, and they aren't suppose to be too bloodied up. It's not in there nature, they must have some defense mechanisum that consumes all the blood and dirt from there fair and beautiful complection from getting too gritty. ..j/k

MAybe, but I think he is just so skilled.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> In my opinion the truely stupid Legolas was not the diversion line but an action he makes instead. Shooting the King of the Dead has to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen an elf do. It is a ghost, dummy.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>That’s a good point, and I kind of wondered what the point was of that. As usual, the reason behind it was to show the audience — those who still hadn’t figured out that it was a ghost — that it was a ghost. As for Legolas’s reasoning? Perhaps he hadn’t fired an arrow in a while, and was itching to. Perhaps he thought he’d at least give it a shot (har!) and see if it might work. Maybe it was just an act of defiance. A stupid one, maybe...<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Awwww... dammit! Now I really hate Kate Bosworth!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>AHEM! Can we leave the orc-language to the orcs, please? <P>What did Kate Bosworth do? (I won’t even betray my ignorance of Hollywood by mentioning that I don’t know who Kate Bosco IS)<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Meela...doggone it, but I do a double-take every time I see your avatar!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Same What happened to yours? It used to move... <BR>Did you steal my non-moving one? :P<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>The moving one was too big, and I was requested to change it. But I got mine first, and then you changed yours! Besides, yours has a little white square on the bottom left, and it looks bad that way. Shouldn’t you have a picture of Denethor or something instead? I mean, I’m the KNIGHT of GONDOR.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I think Peter/Fran/Philip might've wrote that line to help out the not as well inclined people in the audience...if you know what I mean(i.e.clueless girls who only watched the movie for Orlando Bloom, or Viggo)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>You forgot the hottest actor of them all, John Ryce-Davis!! Now I’m upset. <P>And speaking of clueless girls who only watch for hunky actors, did you see the Foxtrot series of comics regarding Return of the King? That author slays me...<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> That's like saying Jennifer Lopez can sing and act.... Let's not get too carried away Knight of Gondor <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Oh! Sure! I immediately recognize how Jennifer Lopez corresponds to Orlando Bloom! (*Scratches head...pauses...removes helmet, THEN scratches head*) Of course, having never seen that particular actress in action...<P>And who’s the “let’s” of “let’s not get carried away? I’m not carried away! I don’t care about Orlando Bloom...I’m a guy! And not a “guy” like Ian McKellen, either!<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I am very dipleased and shocked that you would ever think that I would go to a movie theater to just watch handsome rougue men getting..down and dirty, and acting like manly men. I'm shocked<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Denial. It’s everywhere.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> NO! but honestly I really am a fan of Tolkien<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Oh yeah, he’s hot. <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Sorry, but did anyone notice that after the battle scenes that Legoals was barely even scratched or dirty, while everyone else was all bloodied up.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>While his cool Elven senses cannot prevent unnatural duh-isms from being uttered, they DO help him in the heat of battle. Besides, he’s a hunk. No girl wants to see their hunk beaten and battered, unless it be as he’s in their arms. And Gorwingel put it like this: “He an elf! Isn't he supposted to be superior in all ways compaired to humans?”

Of course he's superior! But the scriptwriters obviously didn't consider him superior in intellect... <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> No girl wants to see their hunk beaten and battered, unless it be as he’s in their arms.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Umm...???!!! I hope you mean to comfort the poor guy, not to beat him up or something!!! That's just evil...!<P>Kate Bosworth is some American actress who was in Blue Crush and is Orlando's girlfriend. (I would go crazy...but hey, as long as he's happy... ).<P>Yuppies, Leggy was one heck of an idiot Elf in the film...but don't blame Orlando! (And at least he was good looking...as all Elves ought to be but few others in the film managed to achieve...*cough* Haldir *cough*...shallow? Moi? No!!!... ) <BR>And he CAN act...he seems to improve with everything he does, so good for him. (Not that I'm biased or anything...but compare Ned Kelly with Midsomer Murders and you'll see what I mean... ).<P>EDIT: I was going to say something else...but I can't for the life of me remember what it was...ahh, old age...(yeah, I know, I'm only 15...)<p>[ 3:13 PM February 10, 2004: Message edited by: Elentári_O_Most_Mighty_1 ]

Orlando Bloom is not on my list of Really Great Actors, but I can think of worse ones.

I think since he's new in the business, the only kind of jobs he can get are pretty-boy-look-at-me roles, and I think Peter wanted him to sum up Aragorn's eloquent speech for all the girls who were concentrating on just him. :D

Please don't kill me.:(

Anyway. I thought he was good in Black Hawk Down, even though he had a tiny role and it was all his character's fault.

I have a question. Why didn't they dye his eyebrows blond? It honestly isn't that hard, especially for the incredible makeup people they had. I mean, if you can create hundreds of orcs, I hope you can dye eyebrows to match someone's wig. Oh well, maybe they just overlooked it.

Dye his eyebrows? DYE HIS EYEBROWS???!!! *Runs away screaming*

I think with dyed eyebrows he would look completely washed out...they went with his silver shirt thing. (It is at these times I deeply miss the evil smiley. *Sighs*)

Besides, I know someone with blonde hair, but dark eyebrows...it's a girl, but it comes to the same thing. Takes a bit of getting used to, but in her case it's natural.

And I was not so distracted as to not pay attention to Aragorn's speech...;) ...perhaps Legolas' line was put in so that Aragorn fangirls would actually notice what was going on, as they were so busy staring at Aragorn that they did not take in a word he said? :rolleyes: (Nah, just joking...)

I can't stand hearing about Orlando Bloom this and Orlando Bloom that and omg isn't he soooooo sexy? Drives me up the wall. But I don't blame him for his stupid lines (like that one he says about the Uruk-Hai and their master's whips behind them - I hate that line). His deliveries aren't perfect though. But I guess you can't really tell what's his fault and what's PJ's fault.

My opinions on Orlando Bloom:

-Kate Bosworth can have him, for all I care.

-If the Troy screenwriters (David Benioff, as I remember) make Paris a hero just because he's being played by beautiful boy Orlando Bloom I will be EXTREMELY upset.

-He's not as beautiful as he's made out to be, and he doesn't have as much talent as he's made out to have, either.

-He originally auditioned for the part of Faramir, and I am SO glad he didn't get it. He really would have made a miserable Faramir, don't you think? He's too young, too pretty, too... bland. Though, maybe Faramir would get more recognition, which would make me happy. Still, I can't say I'd be happy to see Orlando Bloom as Denethor's second son.

Opinions, anyone?

You're right, Macphisto, Orlando Bloom would have been a miserable Faramir. Faramir needed to be someone shy, but wise- looking. Orlando Bloom is way too young and he doesn't look capable of being shy at all.

Cancel that, he was fairly shy in Black Hawk Down (see above), but he was on for three minutes and would not have stood being shy for all of Faramir's part in RotK.

I think he only tried out for Faramir because then he would get to kiss Eowyn. I read somewhere that he was disapointed at the lack of kissing he got to do. :D

And I am also quite annoyed with all the girls melting into jelly at the mere mention of his (or his character's) name. Being a girl in her mid-teens who loves Lord of the Rings, people assume I'm Orli- obsessed.

Bah!

I don't think Orlando would've been a good enough actor to play Faramir, frankly. Although Wenham (sp?) wasn't perfect, he did a better job than Bloom would've done, IMO.



Congrats on not being one, you're one of a select few ;).

I think what I'm seeing here is a lot of envy from the guys re Orlando.

Live with it, he's a massive movie star in the biggest film ever made, he's got women falling at his feet and (probably) money coming out of his ears.

ps I'm a bloke and I can handle it.

pps my missus fancies Viggo much more than Orlando

ppps although only with the long black hair and stubble

Heck, guys, I didn't WANT to fancy Orlando...I just...did. :p I just try not to let it take over every aspect of my life...for instance, I do NOT turn into jelly or whatever it was at the mention of his name...

Hmm...he's pretty darned good looking, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And as for talent...I'm not so blinded as to see he has a heck of a long way to go before being called a great actor.

As for Troy, he definitely isn't being made into a hero...even if he will look very pretty, despite the fact Homer's Paris was blond apparently...

And as for Faramir, did PJ not say they were going to give him the part when they found they could find no one for Legolas?
Here's the quote: EDIT: Remembered some other stuff I wanted to say.

Oh and...yeah, looks or no looks, his lines in all the films have been pretty naff...an insult to Elvish intelligence, really...

I agree that "A diversion" was a fairly obvious line, but last time I went to see RotK, I noticed something. There are a lot of instances where characters state the obvious. A couple of examples I noticed (and I'm sure there are many):

• Frodo, when touching a spiderweb in Shelob's lair: "It's sticky!"
• Sam, looking at a doorway (if memory serves, the entrance to Mount Doom): "A doorway!"
• Pippin, when the Eagles swoop in to fight off the nazgul: "The Eagles!"

So, to be fair, it's not just poor Legolas who's doing it. Everybody wants to get a piece of the 'Captain Obvious' action.

As far as the fangirl thing is concerned, I agree that Orlando Bloom is good-looking and Legolas is good-looking, but, perhaps because I loved The Lord of the Rings even before the movie came out, I tend not to obsess over him. As characters go, Legolas is not especially outstanding; I'm far more intrigued by characters who appealed to me when I read the book.

Don't forget that Sam says "LOOK, MR FRODO! A doorway."

I don't see why one simple line that did not add or remove anything from the story warrants a thread, personally. Especially because it's turning into an Orlando bashing.

I'll give Sam leniency with that one, as Frodo, who was being spoken to, couldn't really see the door. Sam was simply informing him of its existence and letting him know they were almost there.

Legolas is the Captain Obvious through the whole thing, to be perfectly honest. What about the line at Dunharrow: "The horses are uneasy, and the men are restless." *pats Leggie's head* Yes, dear, we all see that. Go back to your corner now, there's a good lad.

Happily, I have avoided that connotation. I guess the constant Silm and UT references I manage to get into every single conversation has helped me in this respect...

Abedithon le,

~*~Aranel~*~

puleeeze :p.

Now if only they could've remembered the blonde eyebrows...


Oh come on, you know eveything eventually come back to that Orlando fatacizing or bashing ;).

p.s. Meela, you have a freaky avatar, I have to check twice every time I see it; the same goes for the top line of your sig too, having my name in it twice & all :p.

I was wondering why so many hated the "A diversion" line. My brothers hated that it was poorly edited: Did you notice that with that line AND Gimli's "Let him stay there. Let him rot. Why do we care?", with both those lines, immediately afterwards, both Gimli and Legolas were back in their previous positions? Personally, I was annoyed at the line seemed to only be to give Orli something to say during the conversation.

To me, the more annoying line of Legolas' is "The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead, and the dead keep it. The way is shut." Okay, the ELF is repeating himself in the space of three sentences? The old hobo who actually says it in the book, yeah, he'd repeat himself within three sentences, but not an elf! He's reading the carvings? Aragorn's been to Rohan before and would be more likely to know what it means. Then the King of the Dead says the line again not two minutes later. (By the way, could anyone else not prevent themselves from thinking "I'm disinclined to acquiesce..." when Lego tries to shoot the King of the Dead?)

I'm very much looking forward to Troy. I read The Illiad (as I was supposed to two years ago for school....) and was completely thrilled to imagine Orli as Paris. HA! the wimp!.....

Speaking for myself and my friend Kira, as older teenage girls, we hate Orli, or at least love to hate him, because usually someone hearing the conversation will love him. To me his looks are disturbing: I can't stand to look at him for very long.

Personally I think that the only reason that Legolas said that in the movie was to give Orlando Bloom more lines.

I'm sure one sentence doesn't make the difference of a weta to Peter Jackson, he put it in an attempt to make it sound deep & elvishy, Legolas understanding what Aragorn was driving at, it just didn't end up any good at all.

I don't understand what the big deal is with this quote- it was merely clarification for anyone in the audiences who hadn't been fully tuned in for the previous three minutes or so. It kind of reminded me of how in Star Wars C3PO would always translate what R2D2 said into English in his reply, like:

R2D2: *buzz**whirr*
C3PO: No, R2, we are not going to go on an adventure with Master Luke!

instead of just saying "No" - just so the audience members know what is going on.

Oh wow! Do you mean if I pay really close attention I can understand what R2D2 is saying? That way I can laugh at C3P0 for repeating something I already understood? Or will I still have to really on C3P0 to translate, since R2D2 doesn't speak a language I can understand (unlike Gimli, Gandalf, & Aragorn)?

Alright fine, maybe it wasn't the best comparison, but I still found it humorous. In all seriousness though, how much lunger can a discussion of two meaningless words be carried on?

it IS getting ridiculous, the constant moaning from various sources about particular one liners, especially Legolas's.

but to put straight the point made earlier by Elianna regarding the way is shut line. This is straight from the book. If you want to moan at anyone, moan at Tolkien, not Orlando Bloom. I thought this scene was filmed superbly, the way we see the camera paning right to left through the runes as Legolas translates. The way is shut is said twice to re-iterate the position. It is simply a way of making sure you definately understand not to go in there!

PS I don't think the "tall and kingly" old man who utters the words in the book would like being called a hobo!

Essex:
(emphasis is mine, duh)

Technically it isn't straight from the book, because Lego says it, not the old man, or even Théoden. OH! I just got an idea as to how they could've done it straight from the book:
As Aragorn and Co. were approaching the door, they could cut back and forth to the scene with Merry asking about the Pathes of the Dead. Legolas can go ahead and explain why there are dead men under the mountain, and Théoden explain about Baldor's adventure there, which would include "The way is shut." So we have the Rohan royal family talking together at a meal (doesn't it just warm your heart?), Merry being Théoden's esquire, some history of Rohan, some added suspence at another royal man failing to pass the Pathes, and no annoying Lego line. (Hmmmmmm, wouldn't it rock if that were in the EE?)

The Only Real Estel :
Chapter 6 in the Galactic Phrase Book and Travel Guide is all about "droidspeak".
(Sorry, that's not Tolkien related is it?)

Who was it who said it in the book then? I can't remember...

What is it with the blond eyebrows? If you've got the Legolas-on-Arod figure (I think it's for ROTK)...argh, man, he's got GINGER eyebrows!!! It just looks wrong. He looks fine with the dark eyebrows. It gives his face definition. Besides, I know someone with blonde hair (and I mean blonde blonde, not browny blonde) and eyebrows the colour of Legolas'. A bit odd to begin with, but you get used to it.

I liked the books before the film...then was persuaded they were too long and complicated (don't ask)...then heard about FOTR and heard all the fuss about it...then read the books again, loved them, read them again, then saw FOTR. So there you go. Liking the books before the film does not necessarily give you immunity to the good looks of actors in the film.

Anyway...I agree...I can't believe this thread is still going!!! Amazing!!! :D

On another (off topic) note...what is with that squatter smiley? What does is mean, 'squatter'?