Physics and RoTK??! - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Folwren · 02-20-2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essex

pity you're not doing the fellowship

on another lotr site many years back now it seems, we had a lot of fun, ganshing of teeth, screaming, cursing etc on how on earth movie Gandalf caught up with 1/ his sword 2/ the balrog on his trip down the unmeasurable drop from the bridge of kazad dum. unfortunately the site seemed to go into decline and vanish a couple of years back (hence why I moved onto here)

lol! Yes, my sister and I notice that every time. Very strange, really...

In the book, I guess he kept the sword in his hand? One hand was empty because he had broken his staff and no long held it, the other held his sword...the Balrog's whip got him, he fell, snatched at the edge of the broken bridge, and fell.
In the movie, however, he dropped both his sword and his staff when he got lapped up by the whip. Very careless of him...

As for flaws on the RotK in concerns to Physics...none seem to pop up in my mind at present. Good luck.

-- Folwren

Elmo · 02-20-2007, 02:33 PM

Surely sliding down the trunk of an oliphaunt or whatever Legolas Bond did must break some law of physics but maybe it just broke the law against crap sequences in films

Meneltarmacil · 02-20-2007, 03:08 PM

Wasn't there something about how Frodo would have been incinerated in real life if he had been as close to the fire of Mount Doom as he was?

yavanna II · 02-21-2007, 03:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meneltarmacil

Wasn't there something about how Frodo would have been incinerated in real life if he had been as close to the fire of Mount Doom as he was?

Nice one. I think this has something to do with the thermodynamics thingy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hewhoarisesinmight

Surely sliding down the trunk of an oliphaunt or whatever Legolas Bond did must break some law of physics but maybe it just broke the law against crap sequences in films

I thought of this too the first time I watched the film. Gravitation and all that kinda stuff.

Thanks guys for the ideas! I appreciate these.

Sir Kohran · 02-21-2007, 10:38 AM

In the Middle Ages, trebuchets often had trouble just launching stones the size of a human head, but the (wooden!) trebuchets in ROTK launch rocks the size of houses without any trouble whatsoever.

alatar · 02-21-2007, 01:59 PM

One of my favorites is the Black Gate at the Morannon. Two trolls, however strong, swing open the gate by pushing on a bar. By my guesstimates that would be like me opening a heavy door using a toothpick! Figure out the lengths on both sides of the pivot point, estimate the mass of the Gate and figure out the force that must be exerted by the Trolls and what substance on Earth, Middle or otherwise, would withstand such stress.

And does the bar which they push even bow/bend a bit?

Rumil · 02-21-2007, 02:17 PM

I think I have spotted another Middle Earth Physics violation,

JRRT claimed that the Sun and Moon were derived from fruit.

Now cheese maybe but fruit, naaaah!

(OK its in the Silmarillion but the very same Sun and Moon were depicted in the movie RoTK, though their parts were acted by a gigantic mass of fusing hydrogen and helium with a surface temperature of more than 5000 C and a 2000 mile diameter lump of rock, respectively, which I think worked quite well)

Roa_Aoife · 03-14-2007, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meneltarmacil

Wasn't there something about how Frodo would have been incinerated in real life if he had been as close to the fire of Mount Doom as he was?

You know, I pointed this out when I was watching the movie for the first time. (At the premier.) My friends almost strangled me.

I found myself justified when we went to the Episode III premier and watched as Anakin burst into flames. I had to fight the urge to turn around and say, "See? That close to lava and you catch fire!"

alatar · 03-14-2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roa_Aoife

You know, I pointed this out when I was watching the movie for the first time. (At the premier.) My friends almost strangled me.

You have a Balrog, undead creatures, a civilization of supermodels, magic, etc, and you're concerned about a little heat?

Quote:

I found myself justified when we went to the Episode III premier and watched as Anakin burst into flames. I had to fight the urge to turn around and say, "See? That close to lava and you catch fire!"

Note the lava river and road that runs from Mount Doom to Barad Dur. And doesn't the same lava ring the Fortress? Exactly how does the tower stand?

Roa_Aoife · 03-14-2007, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Note the lava river and road that runs from Mount Doom to Barad Dur. And doesn't the same lava ring the Fortress? Exactly how does the tower stand?

Maybe the tower is made from the same minerals which make up the Earth's crust, or other such rock which doesn't melt upon contact with lava.

alatar · 03-14-2007, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roa_Aoife

Maybe the tower is made from the same minerals which make up the Earth's crust, or other such rock which doesn't melt upon contact with lava.

Okay; surely there's precedent. But just how far up the tower does that heat radiate? And what does it do to any local water supplies (i.e. groundwater), or do orcs drink poison?

02-20-2007, 02:33 PM	#2
Elmo Pittodrie Poltergeist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: trying to find that warm and winding lane again Posts: 633	Surely sliding down the trunk of an oliphaunt or whatever Legolas Bond did must break some law of physics but maybe it just broke the law against crap sequences in films __________________ As Beren looked into her eyes within the shadows of her hair, The trembling starlight of the skies he saw there mirrored shimmering.

02-20-2007, 03:08 PM	#3
Meneltarmacil Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: The bottom of the ocean, discussing philosophy with a giant squid Posts: 2,254	Wasn't there something about how Frodo would have been incinerated in real life if he had been as close to the fire of Mount Doom as he was? __________________ I ♣ baby seals.

02-21-2007, 10:38 AM	#5
Sir Kohran Wight Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: England, UK Posts: 178	In the Middle Ages, trebuchets often had trouble just launching stones the size of a human head, but the (wooden!) trebuchets in ROTK launch rocks the size of houses without any trouble whatsoever. __________________ 'Dangerous!' cried Gandalf. 'And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord.'

02-21-2007, 01:59 PM	#6
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	One of my favorites is the Black Gate at the Morannon. Two trolls, however strong, swing open the gate by pushing on a bar. By my guesstimates that would be like me opening a heavy door using a toothpick! Figure out the lengths on both sides of the pivot point, estimate the mass of the Gate and figure out the force that must be exerted by the Trolls and what substance on Earth, Middle or otherwise, would withstand such stress. And does the bar which they push even bow/bend a bit? __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

02-21-2007, 02:17 PM	#7
Rumil Sage & Onions Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Britain Posts: 894	Physics?! I think I have spotted another Middle Earth Physics violation, JRRT claimed that the Sun and Moon were derived from fruit. Now cheese maybe but fruit, naaaah! (OK its in the Silmarillion but the very same Sun and Moon were depicted in the movie RoTK, though their parts were acted by a gigantic mass of fusing hydrogen and helium with a surface temperature of more than 5000 C and a 2000 mile diameter lump of rock, respectively, which I think worked quite well) __________________ Rumil of Coedhirion