Lord of the Rings, rated PGP

[Elianna]

Originally Posted by Lhunardawen

Another thing, remember the scene in TTT where Saruman and Gandalf were on top of Orthanc, and Saruman had Gandalf standing diagonally at the very edge of the floor (or ceiling, actually)? I think Gandalf should have fallen already due to the pull of gravity, unless there is a stronger horizontal force that keeps his feet firmly planted on the floor. Maybe his shoes are made of metal and Orthanc is a gigantic electromagnet...

Hmm, I thought that Saruman was holding him up with his levatation magic.

[Boromir88]

When FOTR first came out, I wondered how this part was possible...

When Merry and Pippin launch off Gandalf's fireworks, and they are not even a foot away, yet they just get a little singed. I work for a fireworks company, and you wouldn't believe some of the stories. Of employees trying to steel fireworks, and losing their hands blowing them up, and many other parts I'm afraid .

[Elianna]

It's after Tuesday, so here's the other one I promised:

Legolas shooting Gríma on the top of Orthanc! *Rant on why I don't like what PJ did...* and besides that, I've calculated it: it is physically impossible. In order to gain enough initial velocity to get to the top of Orthanc, at the moment of being released the arrow would have had to withstand an acceleration of 22,227.4 m/sq. s. Not even Lego's spiffy little elf arrow could do that.

[Ainaserkewen]

My dad pointed this out when he saw the movie:

(It would be weird book-wise too) Frodo and Sam were mere meters away from the boiling lava on Mount Doom. My Dad says they shouldn't have been able to survive. That, and Gollum would have vapourised when he hit the pools of lava, not slowly burned to death. But all this would have seriously rearranged the story, so I guess it's okay.

[Elianna]

Add to that the Ring not melting on top of a small solidified glob surrounded by molten lava.

[Nukapei]

Hmm, the Leggy walking on snow part: perhaps Elves have hollow bones?

Another one that's bothered me since I saw it is this: Gandalf survives the fall when he's battling the Balrog because he falls into water, right? Well, when your fall is more than a certain height (100 ft, I think, though I may be pulling that number from thin air), unless you land juuuuust right, water is as hard as concrete. And I didn't exactly see him and the Balrog stop fighting long enough to make sure they hit the water right! Think about it in terms of the hardest bellyflop in recorded history. They'd snap their spine!

Oh, not to mention the fact that they fell so far and still lived, no matter what they hit. Because gravity is an acceleration, not velocity, the longer you fall the faster you go. Wouldn't it reach a point long before they hit the water that the pressure was just too much for them to stand, and (especially Gandalf's scrawny self) would've literally been crushed to death by the speed?

[Lalwendë]

(It would be weird book-wise too) Frodo and Sam were mere meters away from the boiling lava on Mount Doom. My Dad says they shouldn't have been able to survive.

Your dad could be right there, certainly in terms of the films. The overwhelming amount of sulphur in the air would have choked them to death. And there is the volcanic phenomenon known as pyroclastic flow - when gasses are released under tremendous pressure and overwhelm all in their path, even eagles wouldn't have been able to withstand such forces.