Mine is from that same conversation: "Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Gandalf is my answer to both questions, with Merry and Pippin as the most underrated.

Y'all are gonna make me do another re-read if y'all keep this up.

PDWT_12 said:

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Solo Tetherball Champ said:

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Brian Earl Spilner said:

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And just because, still some of the most epic movie scenes ever.

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And yet, as epic as each scene is, I can honestly say the books did it better.

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This scene in particular... gives me goosebumps every time I read it.

Quote:

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In rode the Lord of the Nazgl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.

All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dnen.
"You cannot enter here," said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. "Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!"
The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter.
"Old fool!" he said. "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.

And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.

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I got just drunk enough at my New Years party to read this exact passage to my guests. My parties are cool.

Chase McGuire said:

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Y'all are gonna make me do another re-read if y'all keep this up.

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Do it. I enjoy it more every time.

shaynew1 said:

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i contend aragorn in the books was way more bout it. fight me.

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Yeah, Aragorn in the books is a badass. The moment when he, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimili are about to enter before King Theoden and they are asked to lay down their weapons...Aragorn is super reluctant. When he finally does, he basically tells them not to touch Anduril and if they do, he will kill them.

I like in the books that Aragorn knows who he is, but is biding his time to reveal himself at just the exact moment.

Cartoon Hobbit is the only Hobbit on film.

(Severe lack of hot takes on this thread)

Beat40 said:

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shaynew1 said:

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i contend aragorn in the books was way more bout it. fight me.

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Yeah, Aragorn in the books is a badass. The moment when he, Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimili are about to enter before King Theoden and they are asked to lay down their weapons...Aragorn is super reluctant. When he finally does, he basically tells them not to touch Anduril and if they do, he will kill them.

I like in the books and Aragorn knows who he is, but is biding his time to reveal himself at just the exact moment.

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Ya and he doesn't accidentally look into the palantir when it rolls into his hands...he does it intentionally to flex on sauron.

And a heap of other little things.

Who is your favorite character from the books? Gandalf
Who is your favorite character from the movie? Theoden

Who do you think is most underrated? Faramir's performance. They cut a couple of really good scenes and really make him come off as a ****** bag. The flashback to he and Boromir winning a big battle is on the DVD deleted scenes for TTT, as he and Eowyn finding each other in the Houses of the Healing in ROTK - that's a disservice to both their characters, when they each go from feeling so broken by a failed relationship (her with Aragorn, him with Denethor) to finding a like spirit to hold onto through what seems like the end of the world.

What is your favorite quote?

Thoden: "I know your face ... Eowyn My eyes darken."
Eowyn: "No, no. I'm going to save you."
Thoden: "You already did, Eowyn. My body is broken. You have to let me go. I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company, I shall no longer feel ashamed. Eowyn."

Probably my biggest regret of the theatrical releases is they cut the confrontation between Gandalf and the Lord of the Nazgul leading up to this scene.

I remember being in the theater Opening Day for ROTK and when Eowyn rides up on the Lord of the Nazgul telling my brother, "I've been waiting my whole life to see this."

amercer said:

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Fine.

Peter Jackson completely screwed up Thoden and Faramir in The Two Towers.

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Thoden at least has the basic tenants of the character from the book.

They really did jack up Faramir. He is completely differnet in the books. They really did his characters a disservice.

It took a little while before the criticism showed up, which I think is fine.

Being a book purist, I actually hated The Two Towers in the theater. From Aragorn's fake death to Faramir's succumbing to the ring to not ending with Frodo being stung by Shelob, which is the ultimate cliffhanger in history. It is the only one that I didn't buy the DVD until the extended editions came out.

There are so many great things in these movies, but as others have mentioned I was really disappointed to not have the standoff between Gandalf and the Nazgul at the gates. That truly is a masterfully crafted scene in the books and gives me goosebumps every time I read it (including just a few minutes ago on this thread).

I also was not a fan of Aragorn's reluctance to take up the claim or that he went 1.5 movies without his sword. They also treated the Hobbits as useless most of the time.

I love Gandalf and the competition between Gimli and Legolas counting kills. Legolas was the coolest thing and I love watching him take down the Oliphaunt. As noted by others Sean Bean's Boromir was great, but they didn't portray his warhorn as powerfully as I always imagined it.

To end this post on a positive note the fights and battles are all awesome. Aragon vs the orc at the end of fellowship is legit. Legolas firing off arrows and then going to town with his knives. The 1st taste of the Rohirrim slaughtering orcs at night when Merry and Pippin escape...and, obviously, Helm's Deep.

Oh, and seeing the Balrog come to life on screen was just amazing.

Am I just remembering wrong? Faramir didn't succomb to the ring in the movies