LotR1-FotR-Seq11

[alatar]

The answer to me is obvious .

[Lathriel]

Just one quick comment. I didn't like the cave troll. I thought that fight was really drawn out and unneccessary. They could have used that screen time for something else. Besides in the book the cave troll is only mentioned and he doesn't do anything.
I understand that there must be a way for Frodo to show off his mithril coat but I still think they could have cut the time with the cave troll in half.

[Essex]

Originally Posted by alatar

The answer to me is obvious .

oh yes, his heart was with Arwen, but he MET her in Lothlorien, and she choses to go back there to die doesn't she? (or is that just fanfiction I'm thinking of here?) So it was no doubt a special place (and to me his favourite place - just look at his moive aragorn face as the end of the scene as they approach lothlorien)

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

They met in Rivendell and agreed to wed in Lothlorien. Judging by those quotations Essex provides, 'Gorn himself was inconsistent.

There is one more very funny moment in Moria. Right after Gandalf says 'I have no memory of this place', Aragorn, while smoking, turns to Boromir and makes this little mocking noise, a sort of snort to indicate 'What a stupid wizard!'

Makes me laugh every time.

[Boromir88]

I'm going to start catching up here as work has kept me behind...Overall I was very pleased with these scenes and this part into Moria. (Is anyone surprised)? There are some good moments in this part of the film.

The one that sticks out to me is the scene between Gandalf and Frodo in Moria, while sitting around trying to figure out a way. Not only just because this conversation was in the books, but Jackson uses it to his best advantage. First, Ian Mckellan I think delivers his lines very well, plus the impact of these lines for Frodo later on in the film when he decides to leave The Fellowship.
First the important life lesson:

"Many that live deserve death, some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them Frodo? Then do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement, not even the very wise can see all ends."

Again straight from the book and reminding us, that we don't know what's going to happen in life, so it's not our "duty" to deal out death and judge others.

Then the message Frodo will "flashback" to at the end of FOTR:

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time it is given to us."

We get a clue in the movies that there are other forces at work, that are beyond Sauron's control, or anyone's control. Though they are working, they can not intervene and "run the show." Though there is some sort of fate involved, there still is free will. In which those faced with the situation (in Frodo's case who come across the Ring) has to decide what they will do with it, it was fate that led him to the ring, but now it's his choice in what to do with it.

The Moria fight was neat, as well as the Balrog fight. Despite Jackson's innaccuracies with the Balrog (yes I call them innaccuracies) he makes a very scary and intimidating Balrog, something that anyone (even Gandalf) would fear fighting and so the innaccuracies really don't bug me.

Also, the Cave Troll fight really doesn't bug me. Instead of a large Orc Captain, Jackson inserts a Giant Cave Troll, and as we know the Orcs had cave trolls, The Fellowship just didn't fight them, so it's not like Jackson was just pulling stuff from the air.

The only thing that I wish was cut out was when The Fellowship is surrounded by a mob of Orcs. First, it creates a problem in that a mob of Orcs has surrounded 9 people, almost half of which look like little kids, so now Jackson has to figure out a way in order to get the Fellowship out of this mess:

Mistake 1- This is when he introduces the Balrog, and makes the goblins flee in terror. Why would they fear the Balrog, I thought it was he who commanded the Orcs as they drove out the dwarves? Plus it just doesn't make sense why 1,000's of Orcs would just run away from easy eatings.
Mistake 2- In order for the orcs to appear/get away, there's got to be a way for them to get out. So, Jackson puts in crevices and has them climb down from walls, and hop, creating the impression of a difference between Orcs and Goblins. Which there isn't, and even the movies interchange the two words. But, people get the impression (as there are countless of threads) that Goblins are different from Orcs.

To me this scene causes too many conflicts and isn't needed, again this one could be cut and the time could be used for something else. The mismanagement of time in the movies, inserting scenes that cause problems, or just aren't needed is really the stuff that I wish Jackson did differently. Other than that little thing though, this sequence was done extremely well. As was most of this movie, just the later movies I really start scratching my head at some things.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Boromir, I don't know why the orcs leave either (other than that it looks scary in the movie), but whatever it is, it's the same reason that the Witch-king didn't kill Gandalf in ROTK EE but instead flew off to "see who's blowing horns at this hour of the morning."

[Lathriel]

To me it made sense because it showed me that the Balrog is an even greater evil. It shows that the Balrog is so evil,even the orcs fear the creature. This in turn should make us viewers scared or at least filled with suspense.

[Essex]

Boromir

Mistake 1- This is when he introduces the Balrog, and makes the goblins flee in terror. Why would they fear the Balrog, I thought it was he who commanded the Orcs as they drove out the dwarves?

From Tolkien himself as the Balrog arrives

The ranks of orcs had opened, and they crowded away, as if they themselves were afraid

Elladan

it's the same reason that the Witch-king didn't kill Gandalf in ROTK EE but instead flew off to "see who's blowing horns at this hour of the morning."

Jackson can't win then can he? He follows the book precisely at this point, and he still gets moaned at!!!!!!!!!! Jackson does not have the advantage of narration in his films (except in the prologue) so how can he explain Tolkien's description

But it was no orc-chieftain or brigand that led the assault upon Gondor. The darkness was breaking too soon, before the date that his Master had set for it: fortune had betrayed him for the moment, and the world had turned against him; victory was slipping from his grasp even as he stretched out his hand to seize it. But his arm was long. He was still in command, wielding great powers. King, Ringwraith, Lord of the Nazgûl, he had many weapons. He left the Gate and vanished.

He realised his attack was not going to plan - and had to refocus his attack before it was too late. The Wizard could wait - he had other eggs to fry.