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Old 07-20-2016, 07:08 AM   #5
Galadriel55
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Galadriel55 is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Galadriel55 is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Galadriel55 is lost in the dark paths of Moria.Galadriel55 is lost in the dark paths of Moria.
Well, the way the movies work, the question really begs itself in both trilogies - perhaps the Eagles couldn't carry the landing operations all the way to their respective mountains, but they could bring them much closer to their destinations. As for "safety first", the Eagles still show up for the final battle and go near those same mountains. Why can't they do it in the first place? Stealth? Well, if that's the issue, they still could have brought their passengers to a more convenient destination. Heck, if the Eagles got involved earlier in LOTR, the whole first volume and part of the second volume would have been unnecessary. In my opinion, the movies don't explain this, and this is a fair question to ask and could be considered a plot-hole. Even in the books, there is no explicit answer.

It's a legitimate question, and not at all obvious in terms of plot explanations. You can, of course, say that the Eagles aren't really involved at all, and we should all be grateful that they condescended (literally) to help even a little bit, or that they have certain boundaries they will not cross for various reasons, etc - but none of this is actually stated in either book or movie.

I think that to find a satisfactory answer, you just have to begin with an assumption that one exists. If you start out with the intention of proving a plot hole, no speculation will satisfy you. However, if you begin by assuming there must have been some valid reason for the Eagles to do what they did - why, then you don't even need a specific explanation, other than for curiosity's sake. And book readers would know more about the nature and character of the Eagles, which do a great deal to explain their actions.

If the movies wanted to avoid this question, I think the easiest thing to do would be to drop one sentence about the Eagles not meddling in the affairs of two-legged creatures, and then another sentence to show the amazement that they made an exception.
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