Five Minute RotK Trailer!

[Oddwen]

Well, there's always this bootlegged comiccon footage that has a few new things.
While the blooper reel's quality is extremely poor, it's quite amusing. Especially Sam's "closeup".

[gorthaur_cruel]

Well, it makes much more sense of the Witch-King's line to Gothmog that he will crush the Wizard. And it enhances the power of the Witch-King as an opponent, thus making Eowyn's defeat of him (with Merry's help) even more impressive. I like it.

True, but it makes Gandalf into....nothing.

In the movie, he's not that wise, nor that powerful. All his strategies and cleverness from the book are made so that they're suggested by someone else, and Gandalf's initially against it. Here are some that I can think of off my head:

1. He didn't want Theoden to go to Helm's Deep; that was Theoden's idea.
2. He didn't want to attack the Morannon; that was Aragorn's.
3. He couldn't open solve the Moria riddle; that was Frodo's idea.
4. He was against going to Moria; that was Frodo's decision and Gimli's idea.
5. He has no part to play in the Ent's help in the battle of Helm's Deep. In fact, the ents(or Huorns, I should say) help only in the EE, and Gandalf had no knowledge of it.

I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of it. Many of Gandalf's wisdom is hidden in the movie, to make him seem more "human". All well and good, but I think they've overdone it...he just seems like a wise-wannabe in the movie. Now they take out his power as well. They emphasize it a lot in TTT, but with the Orc that almost kills him and now this, he's obviously no match for a bunch of Sauron's forces. In the book, of course, he can't be hurt by any mortal weapons and all evidences suggest he's greater than the Witch King. He's stupid and weak in the movie, and I'm quite against that...

[Imladris]

He's stupid and weak in the movie,

Actually, no they didn't. Gandalf didn't want to go to Moria in the books either, but he suggested it (yes, the movie changed this a bit but the point is that he didn't want to go).

I don't remember the plans for Helms Deep.

Gandalf couldn't solve the Moria riddle in the book and it was Merry who triggered the memory.

I don't recall Gandalf helping the ents...however it has been ages since I have read TTT

In the Movies:

Gandalf brought back Eomer
He drove the Nazgul away from Faramir
He fought the Balrog enabling the comapny to attack.

The preview is taken out of context. To judge Gandalf's actions we must see the entire scene. It's silly to judge a half formed scene that leaves you on a cliff hanger.

[gorthaur_cruel]

All right...I agree that my choice of words "stupid" and "weak" weren't very good. I'd say rather "not wise" and "not the powerful being he is in the book".

Actually, no they didn't. Gandalf didn't want to go to Moria in the books either, but he suggested it (yes, the movie changed this a bit but the point is that he didn't want to go).

He didn't want to go, but he realised that it was the best route. Whether he personally wanted to go or not has absolutely nothing to do with it. In a battle, we judge a general's abilities by his strategy and courage and stuff, not by whether he likes war or not. In the movie, Gandalf actually starts off with the plan of going south, to Rohan, as if he didn't know about Saruman.

I don't remember the plans for Helms Deep.

He tells Theoden to go to Helm's Deep where it's easier to defend. In the movie, Gandalf tells Theoden to fight Saruman head on, when it's clear that they're outnumbered. It's Theoden who doesn't want to do this, and decides to "hide" in Helm's Deep.

Gandalf couldn't solve the Moria riddle in the book and it was Merry who triggered the memory.

Gandalf solves it alone. Merry doesn't trigger his memory; he was only on the right track. Merry merely asked because he didn't understand. Gandalf solves the riddle long after Merry asks his question, and only comments that "Merry, of all people, was on the right track" by asking that question.

I don't recall Gandalf helping the ents...however it has been ages since I have read TTT

Well, I never said he helps the ents. But he does ride to Isengard after it's been sacked and asks Treebeard to send a bunch of Huorns to Helm's Deep.

Gandalf brought back Eomer
He drove the Nazgul away from Faramir
He fought the Balrog enabling the comapny to attack.

All of these were from the book. My point is that they made Gandalf MUCH weaker and less wise than in the book, by taking out some of his great moments. I never said they took out all of them; otherwise Gandalf'd be no better than the movie Pippin. But anyway, your second point is a good one; if he can drive away 5 Nazguls, why does he lose his staff to the Witch King in the movie? As you can know by "the Voice of Saruman" chapter, losing a staff is losing a wizard's power. Losing his staff means Gandalf is deprived of much of his power.

The preview is taken out of context. To judge Gandalf's actions we must see the entire scene. It's silly to judge a half formed scene that leaves you on a cliff hanger.

True, but some of the published books related to the movie (Weapons and Warfare, for instance) say that the Witch King bested Gandalf. There's also a lot of stuff floating around that Gandalf only barely manages to escape by the coming of Rohan.

But anyway, this is getting a bit off topic, methinks. I was simply disappointed that they made Gandalf the White seem like a weaking compared to the Witch King, when most of the book evidences suggest he is stronger.

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by gorthaur_cruel

I'd say rather "not wise" and "not the powerful being he is in the book".

I sincerely doubt that many people who saw the films would come to the conclusion that Gandalf was neither wise nor powerful. The point for me is not how it compares with the book, but how well it works within the context of the films, as the book and the film tell two quite different stories. From what I have seen, this scene looks, to me, to work well within the context of the story told in the films.