TTT moments that irritate now, upon multiple viewings

[Balrog_of_Morgoth]

Since we have discussed new favorite moments, I thought this would be necessary as well, because some things have begun to bother me that were fine upon the first viewing or two.

1) Gimli's irrelevence and comedy grate my nerves worse with each viewing (especially during the beginning of Helm's Deep)

2) The "dwarf toss" from the side door strikes me as very unrealistic. Aragorn and Gimli would have been slaughtered in very quick fashion pulling a stunt such as that.

3) The Uruk-Hai rock, but the regular orcs are beginning to strike me as amusing, not scary. The one that chases Merry and Pippen into Fanghorn is a good example.

4) When Aragorn keeps Theoden from killing Wormtongue, it seems cheesier with each viewing. In reality that guy would have been toast, but I do realize that pity and not dealing death and judgement are strong themes within the story.

5) I really hesitate to say this, but I will. Gandalf is my favorite character in the book and movie, but Ian's "speechisms" as Gandalf the White are bugging me. I feel like all his lines are beginning to sound the same. He adds "weight" to his words the same way with every bit of dialogue.

All this being said, I still love the movie. This is nitpicking.

[Ruinel]

OMG!!! WHERE DO I BEGIN!?!?!

ACK!!! ...there the.. and.. when... AAIIIAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
*faints from the rush of discontent*

[Snowdog]

Ahh.. nitpicks...
Legolas turning to see the sunrise and saying with 'so much feeling' (note sarcasm) ".. blood has been spilled this night"

Uruks marching in order. Here is one thing Bakshi got right and PJ got wrong.

I best stop now.....

[Lizra]

Aragorn to Legolas...."What do your *elf eyes* see?"
I like red sky/spilled blood!

[Celebréiel]

so many...sooo many..but ill only do a few...
Legolas and Aragorns little spat when the men are getting ready for the battle at Helm's Deep...how pointless was that??
Merry and Pip 'tricking' Treebeard to go and changing his mind...
I dont know why it bugs me so much...I just found it too cheesy..when Aragorn comes back to Helms Deep after...*ahem* 'dying' and Legolas says '"your late" in elvish! what?

[gollum9630]

Originally posted by Celebréiel
I dont know why it bugs me so much...I just found it too cheesy..when Aragorn comes back to Helms Deep after...*ahem* 'dying' and Legolas says '"your late" in elvish! what?

and then legolas says "you look terrible" and they laugh. Th look on Viggos face is freaky

[Balrog_of_Morgoth]

I've thought of one other thing. I really like the atmosphere of Osgiliath, but the boulders that come flying in an hit the pond or lake are not done very well. It all looks pretty good until after they land and splash. Then there are still no ripples or waves or anything in the water. You can tell they just painted splashes on top of the scene and didn't bother with anything else. I wish they would fix it!

[Ornelírë Mistë]

The WHOLE movie irritated me. That's not TTT, that's crap spawned by the realization of how teenage girls faint over Legolas, Aragorn, even the Hobbitses. Maybe even Gollum

[Goldberry1]

Originally posted by Ruinel
OMG!!! WHERE DO I BEGIN!?!?!

ACK!!! ...there the.. and.. when... AAIIIAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
*faints from the rush of discontent*

so many things in this movie totally bothered me i'd end up having 10 posts on this thread to account for them all! what i really couldn't stand was that Gimli was *seemingly* only there for comic relief, and the Elves arriving at Helm's Deep. (besides the reason that i felt there was no need for them to be there since Elves were not at Helm's Deep in the book) How could they have possibly gotten there before the Orcs?!?!?

[Salquënòrëwen]

Where to begin...

Well, pretty much EVERYTHING Legolas says bothers me...its sounds so stupid and fake! Hate to say it but...Orlando Bloom really isn't the best actor. He sounds so fake!

When Legolas tells Aragorn he looks terrible, that just disturbs me.....

Frodo is getting on my nerves..don't really know why though....

There are so many more, but I have such a headache at the moment, I don't want ot continue thinking about it.

[IronParrot]

I don't know... I tend to have fewer and fewer problems with most things that struck me from behind the first time I saw the movie, upon repeat viewings. Probably the most major thing that still seems a good deal out of place is the warg attack.

I do have some problems with the film but they are things that I fully expect to be repaired in the Extended Edition. The first time I saw TTT, I think my clearest reaction was that I knew they didn't release it as a definitive cut by any means, and probably said to themselves "no worries, we'll put it in the DVD" all too often.

[Lanelf]

For me, it's when Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli meet Gandalf in Fangorn. I don't know why it irritates me, but it does - maybe because they should kinda know who it is by the voice, or just the stoopid expression on Gandalf's face, or something.
Lanelf.

[Rían]

I agree with Lizra - that "what do your elf eyes see?" line just nauseates me! Legolas should answer back "and my elf brain thinks you're a jerk for asking that question!"

I liked Legolas in the first movie, but he overacts even more in the second.

[Earniel]

I just saw TTT again, yesterday on video. I tend to get over most points of irritation the more I watch it. But some points I find increasingly irritating:

1. Arwen. I've gotten over the thing that she shouldn't even be there. Okay, so give the lass some more screentime, I don't mind. Just don't do it so corny and don't go throwing Aragorn off cliffs just to get it.

2. Elrond. This is not Elrond! This isn't the wise lord of Rivendell! This is a whining gloomy nurk who needs to get rid of his idée fixe that 'men are weak' and he needs to stop frowning so bleeding often. He annoys me more and more.

3. The constant switching between members of the Fellowship. This is hugely annoying to be switching all of the sudden from the battle at Helm's to that in Isengard. Even the music seemed to have trouble following at times. It was a bit over the top.

[Durin1]

The general consensus seems to be that TTT was not as satisfying for "proper" Tolkien fans as it is for the rest who just enjoyed the visual spectacle. I have to agree.

Without euphemistically calling it nitpicking there is, without a doubt, too many irritating things that marrs the whole enjoyment of the movie.

1. The biggest and most obvious irritant was the appalling treatment of the character of Gimli - not to mention the ridiculous Scottish accent that John Rhys-Davies chose to assume for the role. I don't buy that there needed to be some light relief to act against the growing tension. That Dwarf-tossing joke nearly drove me mad! (along with the fact that Aragorn shouldn't have been physically capable of tossing Gimli anyway)

2. I can't stand Arwen and Elrond especially Elrond. For someone who was supposed to be so noble and wise, he seems a bit of a prat. Also those references to leaving ME for Valinor (not forgetting that Elves could only reside in Tol Eressea) seem to be a bit too over-egged.

3. What's with Legolas and the scateboard? That was totally ridiculous and made a mockery of the fight at Helms Deep. Did Peter Jackson have a moment of madness or did he contract amnesia? he must have been thinking that he was directing some Disney movie.

4. Elves in Helms Deep? Stupid or what? Haldir delivering a message from Elrond? Wasn't he from Lothlorien? Wouldn't his own Queen like to have delivered a message? etc. etc.

5. What was that with Aragorn going missing? and Wargs attacking the refugees seemed to take cinematic licence a bit too far.

6. Faramir's character as opposed to the noble, intelligent one in the book. Enough said.

7. Frodo and Sam telling the whole world about the ring. Wasn't it supposed to be secret? Wouldn't men be allured by the thought of the ring being within their grasp?

8. Ian Mckellan is a fine actor and Gandalf is generally portrayed very well, however, those facial expressions are beginning to get a bit too one-dimensional and makes me feeling like giving him a slap!

The list goes on and on...

Phew, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Enough of my diatribe against the movies , I do generally find the cinematic experience superb but this is not NITPICKING! These are genuine compliants!

[Sween]

There are some pretty hefty sequences in the whole movie i dont like! I love the start of the Movie i think that way done beautifully. Everthing up to the point where we get Gimli maoning about them been Natral sprinters this could not be further from the truth of all mortal breeds Dwafs bear hardship and toil and edurance the best! If anyone should be complaining it Aragorn.

The Orcs were from the first movie downgraded in my opinoion in the first movie they seemed to be heartless killing machines in the two towers they seemed to of gained an allmost comic state esspecially the blue skinned one reminds me a bit of the pirate who eye keeps popping out in POTC!

Gandalf was fine if a little underused in this moring but this is due to how Peter Jackson wanted to pace the movie having the best character just dissapear for most of the movie is just crappy!

Shadowfax allthough hes a quality looking horse having him introduced in slow motion kinda takes away from the whole point of him!

I kinda liked the healing of Theoden i allways thought that just been brought down by Wormtounges words was kinda crappy!

This is where the problems really start

From this point of the film i would say at least half of it is wasted on pointless and confusing contraduictions from the book! They7 waste time with Theoden wolling in self pitty about his son (why?) then instead of making him this heoric king that summons his men and rides top war they make him into this, this im not sure what he is hes a mix between coward and jerk. I esspecially dislike the departer from Edoras as it shows up a few pretty majot plot holes. IN return of the king everyones gonna ask well where have all these massive forces come from? and why didnt he use them instead of 300 badly equiped farm hands? And second the story of Ewoyn allways been left behind etc etc just isnt quite gonna make sence.

His pacing from here on is the issue for me i know hes a bit messed up because in all 3 books the dramatic highlight is pretty central in the book! This is not tradiational for movies! The Battle of helms deep should of been slap bang in the middle of this film and it should of ended with Gandalf legging it with Pippin.

Now i havent exctally timed it but i think its propabaly around and hour bettweeen setting off from edoras and the acctual battle of helms deep! In this they have the very pointless and probably more importantly badly shot Warg battle. I dopnt like this secion of the movie at all aside for a few good legolas momments there nothing of worth here and just wastes more time.

Instead of having the great image of the messenger hastening bk to edoras to tell of the fall of westfold and meeting the last rideing of the house of Eorl then been followed fast up the gorge to reach helms deep in time infround of the massing army we get a very slow and boring situation where we get to helms deep aragorn is missing and theoden is just not doing much and doesnt seem to have any type of plan!

We now spend even more time waiting for the Elves to show up which does not make sence to me because they would of had to set off just a few days after Aragorn and the boys from Lorien to have any hope of getting to Helms Deep in time infact they would of more than likely bumped into them round Fangorn forest, But hey i know my middle eart geography and distances im sure most people loved seeing them even though they did seem a little easily killed esspecially as legolas is just so damn hard!

The acctual battle i liked very good very exciting apart from the easy to kill elves and Nobody apart from Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli been able to kill anyone. The door to the hornbourge kinda intrested me you have this nice solid rock fortress then you have this crappy wooden door which seems quite easy to take out!

The ride of theoden i love such goiod work there boys and the eneviatble arival of Emoer allthough nicely done (apart from the burning question in my head after seeing all the wide shots of the helms deep area 'where has that big massive hill come from?')

Now we move to the worst part of the movie the stupid and unessary day out to Osgiliath which both deminishes a important character and contradicts the rest of the films. The whole pint of frodo not wearing the rings bettwen the end of the first book and the destruction of it is sauron doesnt know here he is. It would apaear that sauron knows exctally where it cos frdo shows him also quite how he gonna think pippin has i dont know! this sequence just causes so many problems.

Two towers was probably the most film friendly book but he did make some intresting decisions.s

The film should of ended with Frdo and sam seeing the setting forth of the Morgal host and Gandalf and pippin heading off to Minas Tirith at great speed

[Rían]

Originally posted by Eärniel
2. Elrond. This is not Elrond! This isn't the wise lord of Rivendell! This is a whining gloomy nurk who needs to get rid of his idée fixe that 'men are weak' and he needs to stop frowning so bleeding often. He annoys me more and more.

Yes, Elrond just makes me ill. What a travesty - such a change from the noble master of Rivendell I absolutely love the description of him in The Hobbit -

He was as noble and as fair in face as and elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer.

In the movie, he was crabby, resentful, selfish, whining, .....



Good points, too, Sween!

[Wayfarer]

I disliked the end of the movie extremely. Both movies, actually.

Tolkien always ended his books spectacularly. Notice:

Book 1 ends with Frodo collapsing unconscious at the fords of the Bruinen.
Book 2 ends with Frodo running off.
Book 3 ends with Gandalf and Pippen racing for Gondor, hoping to get there in time.
Book 4 ends with frodo taken out by shelob, and sam discovering he's not dead.
Book 5 ends with the armies of gondor being overwhelmed at the morannon.
Book 6 ends with Frodo sailing off into the west.

Now Notice: Frodo's collapse at the ford of bruinen is reduced to... crap. Frodo's leaving of the fellowship is changed from him making a hard choice to his being chased off by orcs. We never see gandalf and pippen ride for gondor, and we never see shelob. Instead we have some ridiculous footage of frodo, sam, and gollum in the woods. Cheesy.

[Earniel]

Originally posted by Sween
Shadowfax allthough hes a quality looking horse having him introduced in slow motion kinda takes away from the whole point of him!

Heehee I hadn't even thought of the irony: the fastest horse in Middle-earth and he's going in slow motion! LOL! Way to go PJ, that's really getting the point across.

Originally posted by Sween
[...]im sure most people loved seeing them even though they did seem a little easily killed esspecially as legolas is just so damn hard!

I forgot to rant about the Elves in Helm's Deep. (I repressed the memory, I'm sure ) But yes, odd that all these spiffy, heavily armoured Elves seem to fall like flies when Legolas (standing in the front row, doesn't even have a helmet) doesn't even get a scratch. Not that I'm complaining that Legolas should get wounded, mind you.

But, also odd that no one ever saw them coming until they were knocking at the gate. Granted, it probably looks better in the movie to have a bunch of Elves popping up unlooked for but it's still odd that no one saw them marching into Rohan before that.

Originally posted by Sween
Now we move to the worst part of the movie the stupid and unessary day out to Osgiliath which both deminishes a important character and contradicts the rest of the films.

Osgiliath.... *twitch, twitch*I hate that change with a vengeance. It feels so wrong! And apart from the impressive visual aspect I rather find it a complete misfire. 'Nuf said. Too bad the change seems to work in the altered storyline.

Originally posted by RÃ*an
I absolutely love the description of him in The Hobbit -
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He was as noble and as fair in face as and elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer.
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In the movie, he was crabby, resentful, selfish, whining, .....

*sigh* Yeah, they really missed the ball on the real Elrond.

[azalea]

I don't think all the elves died, I think there'll be more footage in the EE that shows everyone regrouping (a lot of them and also men of Rohan might have been cut off from that little group that rides out). Still, this speaks to how choppy it became because they knew they could "put it in the EE," like someone said in this or another thread. That became a detriment to the theatrical release I think.