LotR2-TTT-Seq21 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 07-05-2006, 09:32 AM

“Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the trees of war. Passion, I see, is catching.”

Treebeard is sending the Hobbits homeward bound. He plans to take them west and boot them out of his forest, at which time they can make their own way back to the Shire. Guess that he thinks that the Hobbits will have no trouble climbing those Misty Mountains. Or does the free ride extend to Dunland?

Something comes into Pippin’s noodle, and you just know that calamity will follow. Pip commands the jolly green one to stop and to turn around and to take them to the southern border of the forest (Would that be east then? Or were we traveling north?). The young hobbit easily confounds the aged Ent, and in a blink the Ent changes course. If only Pip were more outspoken during the Entmoot, the outcome may have been different.

By the by, as much as I dislike this scene, for the whole illogic of it all, I do like when Pip states, “The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm.” Sounds like something that my kids would say… Also cute is Treebeard’s line about ‘south being downhill.’ I used to play that same line, noting that when driving south one saves on gasoline, but then realized that many didn’t know that I was joking

.

As we leave the Hobbits in their perch, Merry doubts, but Pippin seems to be sure of his plan.

In an equally dark landscape (but with a few brush strokes of blue), the men of Ithilien walk with their prisoners. We see Osgiliath (the city that Faramir lost on a whim), the Pelennor Fields and Minas Tirith, tucked in at the bottom of Mount Mindolluin. Frodo uses the brief pause to educate Captain Faramir, and both persons are looking more haggard. Frodo is gnawed by the Ring; Faramir by doubts. The troop continues on their way to Gondor.

The scene ends with Frodo appearing just too whiny for me. Even the teary eyes aren’t the problem, but the tone of his voice. I wish we could hear a hint of an authoritative adult in the youthful-appearing hobbit’s words.

Back in the west, Treebeard prattles on about mice getting in just all of the wrong places when he’s suddenly brought up short - where once was green is now desolate. Saruman the locust plague has come, and Treebeard’s flock and friends lay in waste and ruin.

The old Ent calls out in pain or in summons, and the forest answers.

Let’s just stop for a moment, as this scene just struck me as wrongWrongWRONG since the first time that I saw it. Treebeard sees hacked down trees. He calls out and trees (Huorns) go after the orcs, presumably at Helm’s Deep. He then decides to attack Saruman, and is joined in this decision by many other Ents (were there this many at the Moot? Were none of the ‘hasty’ Ents invited to the Entmoot?). In less than a minute the Ents go from riders of the storm to stormtroopers.

The CG didn’t make me overly fond of the Ents; PJ makes me like them even less. For days they hoom and hum on and on just to say ‘Hello,’ yet can change their minds faster than the flutter of a hummingbird’s wing. And aren’t these creatures just the best shepherds? Didn’t any of them notice that the trees were going into the fire? Smoke rose from Isengard, and unless there’s black gold underneath, just what was creating all of that smoke in the Wizard’s Vale? The fact that Pippin thinks/knows that there will be something in the south that will prompt the Ents into action is bewildering. And PJ uses his fool - Pippin - to dupe Treebeard just makes it all the worse. I guess that I should be thankful that there wasn’t any time for an Ent drinking game scene…

These Ents go from hot-blooded killers (when we first meet Treebeard) to stodgy old wallpaper to fools to soldiers. I’m still spinning. Note that I typically jump past all of the Ents scenes except the last when watching the DVD.

The Ents, when marching en masse, look even more CG. There’s something wrong with their gate, which is supposedly to be like a heron or something. These Ents all appear the same and have that same rigid walk, like they have very sensitive feet or some other ailment.

And when Treebeard lastly speaks of going to their doom, I think that in this case, doom equals ‘death’ and not ‘fate,’ like when used elsewhere.

The score by Howard Shore is delightful.

We see them approach Isengard, and will have to wait to see if now they truly will act instead of just talking the talk.

07-05-2006, 09:32 AM	#1
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,499	LotR2-TTT-Seq21 “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the trees of war. Passion, I see, is catching.” Treebeard is sending the Hobbits homeward bound. He plans to take them west and boot them out of his forest, at which time they can make their own way back to the Shire. Guess that he thinks that the Hobbits will have no trouble climbing those Misty Mountains. Or does the free ride extend to Dunland? Something comes into Pippin’s noodle, and you just know that calamity will follow. Pip commands the jolly green one to stop and to turn around and to take them to the southern border of the forest (Would that be east then? Or were we traveling north?). The young hobbit easily confounds the aged Ent, and in a blink the Ent changes course. If only Pip were more outspoken during the Entmoot, the outcome may have been different. By the by, as much as I dislike this scene, for the whole illogic of it all, I do like when Pip states, “The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm.” Sounds like something that my kids would say… Also cute is Treebeard’s line about ‘south being downhill.’ I used to play that same line, noting that when driving south one saves on gasoline, but then realized that many didn’t know that I was joking . As we leave the Hobbits in their perch, Merry doubts, but Pippin seems to be sure of his plan. In an equally dark landscape (but with a few brush strokes of blue), the men of Ithilien walk with their prisoners. We see Osgiliath (the city that Faramir lost on a whim), the Pelennor Fields and Minas Tirith, tucked in at the bottom of Mount Mindolluin. Frodo uses the brief pause to educate Captain Faramir, and both persons are looking more haggard. Frodo is gnawed by the Ring; Faramir by doubts. The troop continues on their way to Gondor. The scene ends with Frodo appearing just too whiny for me. Even the teary eyes aren’t the problem, but the tone of his voice. I wish we could hear a hint of an authoritative adult in the youthful-appearing hobbit’s words. Back in the west, Treebeard prattles on about mice getting in just all of the wrong places when he’s suddenly brought up short - where once was green is now desolate. Saruman the locust plague has come, and Treebeard’s flock and friends lay in waste and ruin. The old Ent calls out in pain or in summons, and the forest answers. Let’s just stop for a moment, as this scene just struck me as wrongWrongWRONG since the first time that I saw it. Treebeard sees hacked down trees. He calls out and trees (Huorns) go after the orcs, presumably at Helm’s Deep. He then decides to attack Saruman, and is joined in this decision by many other Ents (were there this many at the Moot? Were none of the ‘hasty’ Ents invited to the Entmoot?). In less than a minute the Ents go from riders of the storm to stormtroopers. The CG didn’t make me overly fond of the Ents; PJ makes me like them even less. For days they hoom and hum on and on just to say ‘Hello,’ yet can change their minds faster than the flutter of a hummingbird’s wing. And aren’t these creatures just the best shepherds? Didn’t any of them notice that the trees were going into the fire? Smoke rose from Isengard, and unless there’s black gold underneath, just what was creating all of that smoke in the Wizard’s Vale? The fact that Pippin thinks/knows that there will be something in the south that will prompt the Ents into action is bewildering. And PJ uses his fool - Pippin - to dupe Treebeard just makes it all the worse. I guess that I should be thankful that there wasn’t any time for an Ent drinking game scene… These Ents go from hot-blooded killers (when we first meet Treebeard) to stodgy old wallpaper to fools to soldiers. I’m still spinning. Note that I typically jump past all of the Ents scenes except the last when watching the DVD. The Ents, when marching en masse, look even more CG. There’s something wrong with their gate, which is supposedly to be like a heron or something. These Ents all appear the same and have that same rigid walk, like they have very sensitive feet or some other ailment. And when Treebeard lastly speaks of going to their doom, I think that in this case, doom equals ‘death’ and not ‘fate,’ like when used elsewhere. The score by Howard Shore is delightful. We see them approach Isengard, and will have to wait to see if now they truly will act instead of just talking the talk. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.