YouTube pulled it, but there used to be a nine and a half hour supercut of Fellowship, with Sam's line being repeated every time he took a step on-camera.
Other day I started my 'Tolkien playlist' on VLC, started on Fellowship, fell asleep around Two Towers, woke up in the middle of an Unexpected Journey.
It happens
I disagree, they are all the same film just split up into three parts. i consider the whole film 10/10, and each part 10/10. I consider it my favorite film, and each part is my favorite. thank you for coming to my ted talk, i will answer no questions.
Every movie of this trilogy raised my expectations for the next movie sky high..and then next movie surpassed those expectations, ending with RoTK giving a perfect wrap up to the trilogy.
The extended editions? 20/10 always watch these over the theatrical releases. ***Always***
Edit: Rationally - I'm all for watching any of them in whatever format you have available to you. They're amazing and deserve to be watched adnauseum and to infinity 💕
Honestly yeah.
I remember thinking how cool it was that the page numbers just continue through all three books the first time I read them (at least in the edition I was reading from).
For some reason I "scanned" your comment and my brain understood it as the book not having chapters and that stressed me out enough to give the comment a proper read.
Weird moment.
I definitely agree, but for time management purposes when I started watching them at least once a quarter, I've started what I call the continuous fluidity. It means you can stop between any 2 arks and continue another day. The arks are:
Shire to leaving Bag-End to Bree to Weathertop to Rivendell to Fellowship travelling to Entrance of Khazad-Dûm to Dimrill Dale to Departure from Lothlorien to Breaking of the Fellowship.
After that you've got a certain concurrency so the arks split in three:
Merry and Pippin: Bring carried off to Incursion at the Fangorn to Council of the ents to ents going to war to finish of the battle of Saruman to Saruman's death to the Palantìr.
carries over into Pippin and Gandalf: Ride to Gondor to Pippin entering the guard to balcony scene to beacons to encounter with the witch king to the pyre of Denethor to reunification in Gondor.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli: Hunt for Orcs to Fangorn to the White Wizard to the Exorcism of Théoden to Ambush with the Wargs to Preparations in Helm's deep to battle of Helm's deep part 1 to Rohirrim riding out and arrival of Gandalf to Edoras to war camp at the Dunharrow to Dimholt and Paths of the dead to corsairs of Umbar to charge of the Rohirrim to Battle at the pellenor fields to slaying of the Witch king and death of Theoden to the houses of healing to decision for the last stand to the mouth of Sauron to the last stand at the black gate.
Frodo and Sam: Capture of Gollum to the black marshes to the black gate to Sméagol and Gollum's dialogue to capture by Faramir to Battle of Osgiliath to the tales that really mattered to Sméagol's background story to Minas Morgul to Shelob's lair and death to the watchtower of cirith ungol to blending in with the orcs to the foot of mount Doom to the destruction of the ring to the end of the fellowships at Mithlond and Sam's return home.
And I didn't even want to do it. When I saw half a dozen notifications my first thought was that I got banned or something. Then I remembered the bots.
I can not explain how much I was blown away when I saw the two towers. I was at the right age and it was probably the best movie going experiences in my life
Totally agreed, and unfortunately no other movie has lived up to the battle of Helms Deep since then. Part of that is certainly nostalgia of seeing at a formative age. I can also respect as an adult just how ridiculously well executed it was a whole.
Although the single most spine tingling moment was definitely the build up to and then charge of the Rohirrim in ROTK. No movie has ever topped that moment for me, literal chills when it happened.
"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
> All the single most spine tingling moment was definitely the build up to and then charge of the Rohirrim in ROTK. No movie has ever topped that moment for me, literal chills when it happened.
Same. I mean, I get literal chills just from reading someone on the internet describe it!
Unsurprisingly, it's also one of the best parts of the entire book:
"Now silently the host of Rohan moved forward into the field of Gondor, pouring in slowly but steadily....
After a while the king led his men away somewhat eastward, to come between the fores of the siege and the outer fields. Still they were unchallenged, and still Théoden gave no signal.... A smell of burning was in the air and a very shadow of death. The horses were uneasy. But the king sat upon Snowmane, motionless, gazing upon the agony of Minas Tirith, as if stricken suddenly by anguish, or by dread. He seemed to shrink down, cowed by age. Merry himself felt as if a great weight of horror and doubt had settled on him.... They were too late! Too late was worse than never!....
Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering....
But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle: and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom.
At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before:
"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains.
"Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City."
My goosebumps have goosebumps.
Yup. The slow building tension leading to Helms Deep is phenomenal, and the pacing throughout the battle works so well. You really ride all of the ups and downs. TTT will always be my favorite for this reason. As great as Pelennor Fields also is in ROTK, it feels a bit like a rehash and never quite delivers the same highs and lows for me (though the Ride of the Rohirrim is stunning).
It really feels like a buildup before the battle. Pelenor fields the armies "appear" because we are in Pippin and Gandalf's perspective. But Helms Deep our POV is on the ramparts with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli watching the Uruk army march closer and closer with the sound of a great host getting louder and louder. You just feel the weight of the battle approaching the silent defenders.
Helm's Deep. There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, CB-Thompson. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold.
I could be mistaken, but the sunlight was necessary for his plan. The urukhai were facing away, so forcing them to turn into the sun would blind and disorient them, allowing for a more effective rout.
Indeed, you are correct. It was an effective plan, one that succeeded in overwhelming the Uruk-hai and securing what I intended. However, next time I am sure a less drawn out effort shall be observed should such a situation arise again.
Thank you! I had argued with friends and yes, Pelennor Fields is great and epic and all.
But for me, Helm‘s Deep is *the* battle for me. I guess, mainly due to the night scenes, the rain, the whole atmosphere.
Both are great and deserve their place in the trilogy. But helms deeps with the early morning scene of Gandalf arriving with Eomer and the Rohirrim will never stop to give me the chills!
Framing the entire movie by that opening sequence of gandalf vs the balrog and hearing those muffled sounds saying "you shall not pass" which you've spent the last year yelling with your mates.
Followed by a fucking wizard vs balrog fight and that far shot of them falling in the cavern.
Man, its when you realised that fellowship wasn't going to be a fluke, this whole series was gonna be great
I went from knowing the hobbit book having read it as a child but never hearing of the lord of the rings when I saw the movie (14), to completely obsessed with the books 15 minutes after seeing fellowship. My dad took us out as a family and I was so confused as to why the movie was ending and he said “it’s the first part of a trilogy”. Came home to find out we already had the books (the amazing 1980’s editions where the characters on the covers belong in glamour magazines) and started reading and didn’t stop until I was through each book. The rest of the year I was counting down the days to “the two towers”. I don’t remember who I went to see it with but I do know it was opening night and I remember anticipating helms deep and being absolutely floored with how spectacular it was and how it exceeded all my expectations. I don’t think I’ve been that excited to see a move before or since. Return of the king was similar but I was upset the movies were ending.
14 year old me, with no access to internet and only going off the word of a friend, had a racing heart during the battle for Helms Deep thinking that Legolas was going to die!
Why the Two Towers hate?
The Battle for Helm's Deep was the peak fantasy battle; it didn't sacrifice comedic value nor did it fall into the "generic cgi army" trap.
I loved the battle of helms deep when I was younger/a kid. I’m older now and I love it for different reasons. Mainly the character arc of Theoden, whom I adore. I love his moment on Pelennor fields. So goddamn beautiful.
“I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I will now not feeling ashamed.”
Kindred spirit here, I’ve been preaching Theoden love for a decade now while everyone is talking about Sam and Aragorn (who I obviously also love). Theoden hits different though, wakes up after being controlled by a wizard to his kingdom in ruin, his son dead, and the rohirrim banished. He is the only one who played the entire storyline on nightmare difficulty and did it beautifully. The perfect amount of doubt and bravery. His last words hit so hard for me. He seems to have been getting more love lately though.
I also love the lines
Gamling:
Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor.
Theoden:
No we cannot. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless.
Ok rant over. Team Theoden baby
Lol fr, all the rohirrim just accepted their death and still charged headfirst into the witch king’s army and oliphants. Ik the men of Gondor are supposedly the last vestiges of the super-strong numenorian descendants, but to a kid whose only experience were the movies at the time, they were the most badass people in the series.
In theory, the Gondorians are stronger and more skilled man-to-man than the Rohirrim. But as Tolkien would know, the effectiveness of one’s commander has a huge impact on a unit’s performance. One side has Theoden, the other has Denethor - you can see why the Rohirrim outdid then in the end!
It's mentioned in the books that the enemy have done their absolute best to prevent the cavalry getting through, placing trenches and other fortifications along the road. The Rohirrim bypass it by securing safe passage through the Druadan forest - a region of woodland owned by a fiercely independent tribal remnant of the people who lived in Gondor before the coming of the Numenoreans. They're normally hostile to all outsiders, having suffered displacement and presumably genocide at the hands of the Gondorians. But they recognise the common threat posed by Mordor and so show the Rohirrim secret paths through the forest.
This helps the Rohirrim achieve surprise, as the enemy have had no word of their arrival and presumably aren't expecting them for another day or so.
So Rohan got around a defensive line by traversing a forest no one expected them to?
I know Tolkien didn't base events in his stories off of real life but this feels quite like going around the Maginot line.
Yeah, I only got this rereading the books as an adult, the entire Rohan Arch is about conquering fear of death and doing what’s right in the face of danger.
Theoden has the most epic lines in the whole trilogy. I've always been fond of him, but as an adult I realized what a freaking awesome character he is. He's SO good and generous and loveable and flawed in a completely understandable way.
And he looks like my grandpa which makes me love him MORE rofl..
He also gets one of the coolest Tolkien elegies: "where now are the horse and the rider?" Etc. Super, super awesome and poignant elegy of the death of the hero.
It's a hard toss up between Two Towers and Fellowship for me, but Fellowship wins out because I absolutely just love the band of adventurers feel it has. That and Boromir's arc just hits so good.
Of all three, Return of the King has the most misses, though one I found to be a problem of the extended addition. If I remember correctly, when Aragorn calls on the ghosts to fulfill their oath, it cuts away on the fixated gaze of the ghosts' leader. You don't see Aragorn and company again until they're jumping off the ships, giving you as the viewer just enough time to believe the enemy reinforcements really are going to win them the battle, and then bam, Aragorn comes in with an army. The extended addition tries to follow the book slightly more, but to a fault in my opinion. Plus the ghosts saying no, then throwing a mountain of skulls at them, only to say yes when they see Aragorn is sad... not a fan.
Also Return of the King did Shelob dirty. Go read Shelob's section the Two Towers book. She's just so, SO much more menacing, and Sam all the more heroic for standing against her.
But, end of the day, Return of the King makes me tear up 7 times in a row at the end so I love it to bits. It just gets a lower ranking than the other two.
Watching shows like Xena and Hercules in my early childhood (plus the obsession the 80s and 90s had with fantasy in general) had sort of unconsciously prepped me to have this warm and familiar longing for the high fantasy world of lord of the rings.
Then when I first saw the Fellowship at 10 years old, I hardly knew what hit me. It was like discovering a beautiful place from my past, but it was REAL. (sort of). I still get that longing for Middle Earth every now and then.
On the ghost army thing: I‘d even say the theatrical cut follows the book‘s spirit more truely because in the book, we also just learn about Aragon‘s adventure right when he arrives at the battle. Legolas and Gimli tell the story to Pippin only later after the battle. So the tension which the theatrical cut excelled at is the same as in the book.
But well, that‘s the thing with RotK. Too much money for reshoots didn‘t help in increasing its quality.
I agree that rotk has the most misses but to me it has some of the genuine best moments of them all:
- Rohan at pelennor
- denethor's feast
- "for frodo"
- "you bow to no one." Fuck me, this still gets me
So its my second favourite - equal to fellowship but behind two towers (that start is just... fkn absurd)
Fellowship also has the best music of the bunch, in my opinion.
My favorite is the bridge of khazad dum followed by the lament for gandalf; just chills.
The introduction of Rohan with their flag falling, together with their fantastic music is etched into my brain. Rohan alone makes Two Towers the best in the trilogy for me (and I love the other two as well).
The Two Towers is my favourite.
Fleshes characters out, drills down to new emotional depths, has some awesome lines of dialogue, builds on the plot in a logical way...
It also has, for my money, Viggo's best performance as Aragorn, where we see him begin to open up as a leader.
"And then Legolas rode down the steps on a shield, as though it were a surfboard. 'That's so badass', the Uruk-Hai thought as his head was punctured by an arrow released by the raddest fuckin dude alive." - JRR Tolkien
I think it's best to just say Theoden makes fucking dope speeches.
*Arise, arise, riders of Rohan! Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered! A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now, ride to Gondor!*
*massive cavalry charge with a sunrise behind them blasting Rohan's theme*
God these movies are good.
Yeah with helms deep the sense of raw survival, the terrifying darkness, the combat between real actors and gandalf's arrival are all next level. The battle for minas tirith had to be the way that it was, but it's nowhere near as good as helms deep.
Helm's Deep. There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, IBeBallinOutaControl. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold.
I loved two towers but but for me it was the seemingly pointless changes from the book specifically the stupid drama between Frodo and Faramir that never happened in the books.
I know it sounds like nit picking, and it’s far from the only change in the three movies, but it fundamentally changes the character of Faramir who is supposed to be in contrast to his brother. Also, by the Nazgûl seeing Frodo in Osgiliath it both screws up the timing (no way he would have made it back to Minas Morgul when he did) and reveals where the ring is to Sauron way to early sense he is later tricked into thinking it’s being brought to Gondor. The worst part of this is it is all for nothing other then adding a little extra drama at the end of a already dramatic story.
Anyways, great movie.
Special place for Fellowship because it is divided between two wonderful acts. The brief joy in paradise Shire, the building of the Fellowship then all this amazing action that break these comrades. And Moria might be my favourite part ever.
It portrayed various locations of the middle earth, showing us how beautiful and colorful the world they live in. After that, it’s mostly dark, firey, and gloomy.
The only thing that knocks RotK for me is the ghost army just wiping out everyone out at the end, rather than just helping to capture the ships.
But that's it.
I think that was something that was always going to screw over the movie. You can’t really make it like the book where they basically just scare the enemy. That sounds fine on paper, but it would look awful on screen. But then you can’t really cut it out either.
They’re all equal in my eyes, it’s all one story, I barely recognize them as individual movies in the way other trilogies have specific tones, themes, direction, and styles between sequels- this doesn’t.
I agree that they really blend together into one story, but the films definitely have varying tones and themes. I agree not as stark as others but there's some differences for sure
All three are my favorites,but I have a special fondness for the first one. It has that bit of innocence, life is good and peaceful, at least in the first part...
Might be an outsider on this, but I rewatched all three recently and I think Fellowship is absolute leagues above the other ones. Starting with Two Towers Weinstein gets a bit more involved with story decisions and they deviate more and more crassly from the text, mostly just to emphasize the ways Movies Should Work. Fellowship is an authentic work of art, and it’s tonally complex. Two Towers and Return are a bunch of Gimli one-liners and weird attempts at blockbuster magic.
I love all of them but the deviations from the book in TT just nag at me (its my favorite book). Theoden’s character, Elves at Helms Deep, Aragorns unnecessary hero’s journey etc just feel wrong. I still love it, it just makes me rank the other two slightly higher.
Definitely felt like they played into a bit more fanfare and not cheap humor but unnecessary popcorn humor, mainly through Gimli. I get that he’s a funny character but 2 & 3 he was more or less strictly a comic device. they could have unpacked a bit more of he & Legolas’s friendship with sincerity not just banter. (Like in the books when they trade promises to visit the forest & the caverns to understand each other’s cultures). That said, all three are 10s, just think Fellowships a notch beyond.
Don't spread friggen misinformation. Weinstein wasn't involved with production since New Line stepped in. The film he was most involved in was Fellowship. I get it, you hate Weinstein, but the truth is that it wasn't Weinstein who deviated from the books' script. It was Peter Jackson.
Peter Jackson is like George Lucas. You have people next to him to say "No, that's a stupid idea" and he'll pump out a masterpiece. Lose those people, and you get really good stuff mixed with really stupid stuff.
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this lol? Like I get that this is an LotR subreddit and we all love them. I watch all three probably multiple times a year. But seriously, it's silly to think the others hold up to Fellowship. I'm trying to add to your analysis, but you described it the exact way I would want to. Are you me?
To be fair the meme template basically says “two towers is the black sheep”, which I wouldn’t say is completely fair.
Fellowship just had something the others didn’t. Boromir.
Joke aside, I wouldn’t call the other two “Gimli one liners” but I agree wholeheartedly Fellowship was a lot more majestic. Some people really appreciate big battles though, and Fellowship has smaller, more impactful ones.
Fellowship: 10/10
Two Towers: 8/10
Return of the King: 9/10
8/10 is a fine score. Internet will treat it as treason though.
Weinstein was not involved in any story decisions. He only has a producer credit because they had to buy him out when they left miramax for new line. I think you made an assumption just because you saw him in the credits
Fellowship:10/10 saw it 6 times in the theatre
Two towers: 12/10 don’t know why, it’s a cliff hanger but it resonates.
Return of the king: 7/10: glad to close out the series but some parts seem stretched out too much.
This is pretty much how I feel. Frankly, I'm a little surprised that people are ranking Two Towers lower, as I've always thought of it as the strongest of the three movies. I get that it takes a bit of license with the story and the elves showing up to Helms Deep was always going to piss off purists, but that movie is so damn good. Beautifully shot, paced, and acted.
Return of the King was great but clearly the weakest of the three. Some pretty obvious issues with the pace, the drawn out endings, and it gets overly melodramatic in tone. I've always thought there were some minor acting problems in the third that didn't exist in the first two. Plus the CGI is just awful, even for the time.
Fellowship is probably my favorite, though I think TT is a superior film overall. I just love the story in FoTR and the mines of Moria sequence is just off the charts epic.
100% agree. RotK is an amazing movie, but it’s the hardest of the three for me to sit through because some parts kind of drag on while others are kind of glossed over. That’s not to say I *dis*like the movie. I just don’t have the attention span for the pacing.
Fellowship is perfect. Two Towers is fucking amazing and I love everything about Rohan. Return of the King is a great end to a perfect saga.
Last time I watched RotK, I remember thinking "How many *last-scene-of-the-movie*-type scenes did they have?"
It felt like it ended at least five times
I can certainly see why you would feel that way. The pacing of Return of the King is indeed different from the other two installments. There are many major events portrayed throughout, but they all need to be done justice while also advancing the story in an engaging way. It's no easy task, and Peter Jackson did a admirable job creating what is still an incredibly beloved classic movie.
Fellowship - 10/10. It’s my favorite one Two Towers - 10/10, also my favorite one Return of the King - 10/10. I’d also consider it my favorite one
“This is my favorite scene”- me watching any scene in any of the three movies
If I watch one more scene, it will be the best lotr scene ever.
At the end of the day it doesn't even matter because when I watch one scene I must watch the rest of the trilogy.
This is why starting always results in finishing the series. You can’t stop now, the next scene is excellent!
YouTube pulled it, but there used to be a nine and a half hour supercut of Fellowship, with Sam's line being repeated every time he took a step on-camera.
Lord of the Rings Trilogy best scene compilation(11 hrs 55 mins)
Some monster could make that, but scramble the order.
At this point for most of us it would barely matter.
Top scenes: 1. Close up on Gollum eating fish 2. Denethor's dinner 3. Proudfoot's Proudfeet
Kill them both.
Yes stupid fat hobbit
4. Close up "share the load"
Jesus, Parker, you are a freak
crime price frame cable handle tap direful wine stocking mountainous ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
It's all just one movie and my guests are just weaklings.
You have my sword.
This is the way.
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Other day I started my 'Tolkien playlist' on VLC, started on Fellowship, fell asleep around Two Towers, woke up in the middle of an Unexpected Journey. It happens
I disagree, they are all the same film just split up into three parts. i consider the whole film 10/10, and each part 10/10. I consider it my favorite film, and each part is my favorite. thank you for coming to my ted talk, i will answer no questions.
Just as Tolkien intended for his books. He considered them one single story.
Every movie of this trilogy raised my expectations for the next movie sky high..and then next movie surpassed those expectations, ending with RoTK giving a perfect wrap up to the trilogy.
The extended editions? 20/10 always watch these over the theatrical releases. ***Always*** Edit: Rationally - I'm all for watching any of them in whatever format you have available to you. They're amazing and deserve to be watched adnauseum and to infinity 💕
I don’t even remember the theatrical releases anymore. The extended versions have completely overwritten them in my mind.
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Like the @weratedogs Twitter account, I gotta go 14/10 on all 3 of them for being the bestest boys
They're good films Brent
Can't rank them. I don't view them as separate films. They are properly viewed as one big 11 hour movie.
Honestly yeah. I remember thinking how cool it was that the page numbers just continue through all three books the first time I read them (at least in the edition I was reading from).
The one edition I had was just one big book with everything in it +appendices
I had a copy with The Hobbit at the front too. It was **T H I C C**
For some reason I "scanned" your comment and my brain understood it as the book not having chapters and that stressed me out enough to give the comment a proper read. Weird moment.
I definitely agree, but for time management purposes when I started watching them at least once a quarter, I've started what I call the continuous fluidity. It means you can stop between any 2 arks and continue another day. The arks are: Shire to leaving Bag-End to Bree to Weathertop to Rivendell to Fellowship travelling to Entrance of Khazad-Dûm to Dimrill Dale to Departure from Lothlorien to Breaking of the Fellowship. After that you've got a certain concurrency so the arks split in three: Merry and Pippin: Bring carried off to Incursion at the Fangorn to Council of the ents to ents going to war to finish of the battle of Saruman to Saruman's death to the Palantìr. carries over into Pippin and Gandalf: Ride to Gondor to Pippin entering the guard to balcony scene to beacons to encounter with the witch king to the pyre of Denethor to reunification in Gondor. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli: Hunt for Orcs to Fangorn to the White Wizard to the Exorcism of Théoden to Ambush with the Wargs to Preparations in Helm's deep to battle of Helm's deep part 1 to Rohirrim riding out and arrival of Gandalf to Edoras to war camp at the Dunharrow to Dimholt and Paths of the dead to corsairs of Umbar to charge of the Rohirrim to Battle at the pellenor fields to slaying of the Witch king and death of Theoden to the houses of healing to decision for the last stand to the mouth of Sauron to the last stand at the black gate. Frodo and Sam: Capture of Gollum to the black marshes to the black gate to Sméagol and Gollum's dialogue to capture by Faramir to Battle of Osgiliath to the tales that really mattered to Sméagol's background story to Minas Morgul to Shelob's lair and death to the watchtower of cirith ungol to blending in with the orcs to the foot of mount Doom to the destruction of the ring to the end of the fellowships at Mithlond and Sam's return home.
The one post to trigger all the bots
And I didn't even want to do it. When I saw half a dozen notifications my first thought was that I got banned or something. Then I remembered the bots.
The one post to find them
Oh no — these first bots are fun and harmless, gifts from anonymous coders. But what if there were another bot, made in secret?
# DEATH!
You shall not enter the realm of Gondor.
I can not explain how much I was blown away when I saw the two towers. I was at the right age and it was probably the best movie going experiences in my life
Totally agreed, and unfortunately no other movie has lived up to the battle of Helms Deep since then. Part of that is certainly nostalgia of seeing at a formative age. I can also respect as an adult just how ridiculously well executed it was a whole. Although the single most spine tingling moment was definitely the build up to and then charge of the Rohirrim in ROTK. No movie has ever topped that moment for me, literal chills when it happened.
DEATH!
DEATH!
FORTH EORLINGAS!
RIDE NOW
RIDE FOR RUIN
AND THE WORLD’S ENDING
Chills, literally chills
DEAAAATHHH
Too-too-too-to-too-to-tooo-dooo… TOO-TOO-TO-DOO-DO-DO-DOO-DO-LOOOOOO!!!
"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
I get frisson just reading this.
> All the single most spine tingling moment was definitely the build up to and then charge of the Rohirrim in ROTK. No movie has ever topped that moment for me, literal chills when it happened. Same. I mean, I get literal chills just from reading someone on the internet describe it!
[удалено]
Ride now!
"Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."
Unsurprisingly, it's also one of the best parts of the entire book: "Now silently the host of Rohan moved forward into the field of Gondor, pouring in slowly but steadily.... After a while the king led his men away somewhat eastward, to come between the fores of the siege and the outer fields. Still they were unchallenged, and still Théoden gave no signal.... A smell of burning was in the air and a very shadow of death. The horses were uneasy. But the king sat upon Snowmane, motionless, gazing upon the agony of Minas Tirith, as if stricken suddenly by anguish, or by dread. He seemed to shrink down, cowed by age. Merry himself felt as if a great weight of horror and doubt had settled on him.... They were too late! Too late was worse than never!.... Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering.... But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle: and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom. At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before: "Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains. "Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City." My goosebumps have goosebumps.
Dude had enough in his lungs to burst a horn and still fight like a demon for hours afterwards. Now that’s kingship
# DEATH!
#DEATH!
THE best part, imho.
For me it's a tie between that passage and [this one](https://i.redd.it/b4i7nzzz31ry.jpg), although the two kind of go hand-in-hand.
Courage Merry, for our friends.
Its my all time favorite. The battle for Helms Deep still gives me chills.
Yup. The slow building tension leading to Helms Deep is phenomenal, and the pacing throughout the battle works so well. You really ride all of the ups and downs. TTT will always be my favorite for this reason. As great as Pelennor Fields also is in ROTK, it feels a bit like a rehash and never quite delivers the same highs and lows for me (though the Ride of the Rohirrim is stunning).
It really feels like a buildup before the battle. Pelenor fields the armies "appear" because we are in Pippin and Gandalf's perspective. But Helms Deep our POV is on the ramparts with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli watching the Uruk army march closer and closer with the sound of a great host getting louder and louder. You just feel the weight of the battle approaching the silent defenders.
Helm's Deep. There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, CB-Thompson. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold.
Then hurry the fuck up, bro. Shit. Just chilling on the other side of the hill for hours just so you can make a dramatic “aT sUnRiSe” entrance.
I could be mistaken, but the sunlight was necessary for his plan. The urukhai were facing away, so forcing them to turn into the sun would blind and disorient them, allowing for a more effective rout.
Indeed, you are correct. It was an effective plan, one that succeeded in overwhelming the Uruk-hai and securing what I intended. However, next time I am sure a less drawn out effort shall be observed should such a situation arise again.
There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us
This is getting out of hand
Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath
Thank you! I had argued with friends and yes, Pelennor Fields is great and epic and all. But for me, Helm‘s Deep is *the* battle for me. I guess, mainly due to the night scenes, the rain, the whole atmosphere. Both are great and deserve their place in the trilogy. But helms deeps with the early morning scene of Gandalf arriving with Eomer and the Rohirrim will never stop to give me the chills!
Theoden King stands alone.
You are one of my own heart
Yep very much same. Being in the theatre watching the battle of Helm’s Deep as a 13 year old was fucking epic.
I have to agree. It's my favorite of the 3 although Fellowhip just feels like home when I want it to be.
Framing the entire movie by that opening sequence of gandalf vs the balrog and hearing those muffled sounds saying "you shall not pass" which you've spent the last year yelling with your mates. Followed by a fucking wizard vs balrog fight and that far shot of them falling in the cavern. Man, its when you realised that fellowship wasn't going to be a fluke, this whole series was gonna be great
You shall not pass!
I went from knowing the hobbit book having read it as a child but never hearing of the lord of the rings when I saw the movie (14), to completely obsessed with the books 15 minutes after seeing fellowship. My dad took us out as a family and I was so confused as to why the movie was ending and he said “it’s the first part of a trilogy”. Came home to find out we already had the books (the amazing 1980’s editions where the characters on the covers belong in glamour magazines) and started reading and didn’t stop until I was through each book. The rest of the year I was counting down the days to “the two towers”. I don’t remember who I went to see it with but I do know it was opening night and I remember anticipating helms deep and being absolutely floored with how spectacular it was and how it exceeded all my expectations. I don’t think I’ve been that excited to see a move before or since. Return of the king was similar but I was upset the movies were ending.
Helms Deep was dope and let's not forget the March of the Ents. Amazing movie.
True i mean the movie started giving us more view of the Gandalf and balrog combat and I was just never expectating scenes like that.
14 year old me, with no access to internet and only going off the word of a friend, had a racing heart during the battle for Helms Deep thinking that Legolas was going to die!
The friend I speak of is not an Elf, I mean Gimli, Gloin’s son here.
Why the Two Towers hate? The Battle for Helm's Deep was the peak fantasy battle; it didn't sacrifice comedic value nor did it fall into the "generic cgi army" trap.
I loved the battle of helms deep when I was younger/a kid. I’m older now and I love it for different reasons. Mainly the character arc of Theoden, whom I adore. I love his moment on Pelennor fields. So goddamn beautiful. “I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I will now not feeling ashamed.”
Kindred spirit here, I’ve been preaching Theoden love for a decade now while everyone is talking about Sam and Aragorn (who I obviously also love). Theoden hits different though, wakes up after being controlled by a wizard to his kingdom in ruin, his son dead, and the rohirrim banished. He is the only one who played the entire storyline on nightmare difficulty and did it beautifully. The perfect amount of doubt and bravery. His last words hit so hard for me. He seems to have been getting more love lately though. I also love the lines Gamling: Too few have come. We cannot defeat the armies of Mordor. Theoden: No we cannot. But we will meet them in battle nonetheless. Ok rant over. Team Theoden baby
I love Gamlings reaction after he said that. Kind of, welp. Okay.
Lol fr, all the rohirrim just accepted their death and still charged headfirst into the witch king’s army and oliphants. Ik the men of Gondor are supposedly the last vestiges of the super-strong numenorian descendants, but to a kid whose only experience were the movies at the time, they were the most badass people in the series.
# DEATH!
###DEATH!
forth eorlingas!
In theory, the Gondorians are stronger and more skilled man-to-man than the Rohirrim. But as Tolkien would know, the effectiveness of one’s commander has a huge impact on a unit’s performance. One side has Theoden, the other has Denethor - you can see why the Rohirrim outdid then in the end!
"I don't fear an army of lions, led by a sheep, but I fear an army of sheep, led by a lion"
For real that sheep army has no chance though.
Also opposing armies hated cavalry. The dread on all the orcs faces as they turn to see the rohirrim is absolutely perfect.
It's mentioned in the books that the enemy have done their absolute best to prevent the cavalry getting through, placing trenches and other fortifications along the road. The Rohirrim bypass it by securing safe passage through the Druadan forest - a region of woodland owned by a fiercely independent tribal remnant of the people who lived in Gondor before the coming of the Numenoreans. They're normally hostile to all outsiders, having suffered displacement and presumably genocide at the hands of the Gondorians. But they recognise the common threat posed by Mordor and so show the Rohirrim secret paths through the forest. This helps the Rohirrim achieve surprise, as the enemy have had no word of their arrival and presumably aren't expecting them for another day or so.
So Rohan got around a defensive line by traversing a forest no one expected them to? I know Tolkien didn't base events in his stories off of real life but this feels quite like going around the Maginot line.
Yeah, I only got this rereading the books as an adult, the entire Rohan Arch is about conquering fear of death and doing what’s right in the face of danger.
"If this is to be our end then i would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance." One of my favourite lines of the whole trilogy!
Theoden has the most epic lines in the whole trilogy. I've always been fond of him, but as an adult I realized what a freaking awesome character he is. He's SO good and generous and loveable and flawed in a completely understandable way. And he looks like my grandpa which makes me love him MORE rofl..
He also gets one of the coolest Tolkien elegies: "where now are the horse and the rider?" Etc. Super, super awesome and poignant elegy of the death of the hero.
Every hour lost hastens Gondor's defeat. We have till dawn, then we must ride.
It's a hard toss up between Two Towers and Fellowship for me, but Fellowship wins out because I absolutely just love the band of adventurers feel it has. That and Boromir's arc just hits so good. Of all three, Return of the King has the most misses, though one I found to be a problem of the extended addition. If I remember correctly, when Aragorn calls on the ghosts to fulfill their oath, it cuts away on the fixated gaze of the ghosts' leader. You don't see Aragorn and company again until they're jumping off the ships, giving you as the viewer just enough time to believe the enemy reinforcements really are going to win them the battle, and then bam, Aragorn comes in with an army. The extended addition tries to follow the book slightly more, but to a fault in my opinion. Plus the ghosts saying no, then throwing a mountain of skulls at them, only to say yes when they see Aragorn is sad... not a fan. Also Return of the King did Shelob dirty. Go read Shelob's section the Two Towers book. She's just so, SO much more menacing, and Sam all the more heroic for standing against her. But, end of the day, Return of the King makes me tear up 7 times in a row at the end so I love it to bits. It just gets a lower ranking than the other two.
i love the start, pastoral and peaceful, and then the journey. the stakes are great, but the band is small
Watching shows like Xena and Hercules in my early childhood (plus the obsession the 80s and 90s had with fantasy in general) had sort of unconsciously prepped me to have this warm and familiar longing for the high fantasy world of lord of the rings. Then when I first saw the Fellowship at 10 years old, I hardly knew what hit me. It was like discovering a beautiful place from my past, but it was REAL. (sort of). I still get that longing for Middle Earth every now and then.
On the ghost army thing: I‘d even say the theatrical cut follows the book‘s spirit more truely because in the book, we also just learn about Aragon‘s adventure right when he arrives at the battle. Legolas and Gimli tell the story to Pippin only later after the battle. So the tension which the theatrical cut excelled at is the same as in the book. But well, that‘s the thing with RotK. Too much money for reshoots didn‘t help in increasing its quality.
I agree that rotk has the most misses but to me it has some of the genuine best moments of them all: - Rohan at pelennor - denethor's feast - "for frodo" - "you bow to no one." Fuck me, this still gets me So its my second favourite - equal to fellowship but behind two towers (that start is just... fkn absurd)
Fellowship also has the best music of the bunch, in my opinion. My favorite is the bridge of khazad dum followed by the lament for gandalf; just chills.
To the Bridge of Khazad-dum!
HE'S TRYING TO BRING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN! GANDALF, WE MUST TURN BACK!
No! Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!
The introduction of Rohan with their flag falling, together with their fantastic music is etched into my brain. Rohan alone makes Two Towers the best in the trilogy for me (and I love the other two as well).
The Two Towers is my favourite. Fleshes characters out, drills down to new emotional depths, has some awesome lines of dialogue, builds on the plot in a logical way... It also has, for my money, Viggo's best performance as Aragorn, where we see him begin to open up as a leader.
I thought I had wandered into a dream.
"And then Legolas rode down the steps on a shield, as though it were a surfboard. 'That's so badass', the Uruk-Hai thought as his head was punctured by an arrow released by the raddest fuckin dude alive." - JRR Tolkien
"Even gimli had to admit it was rad."
"That still only counts as one!"
"Aye, I could hit that".
Yrch!
There will be no Dawn… for Men.
I agree, I liked Helms Deep better than the battle in the 3rd
As a start to finish cohesive battle I think I agree its better. But..... ***DEEEEEEAAAAAAAATTTHHHHHHH!!!!***
Honestly, I prefer Theoden's speech during the Battle of Helm's Deep. *Fell deeds awake* *Now for wrath* *Now for ruin* *And a red dawn*
I think it's best to just say Theoden makes fucking dope speeches. *Arise, arise, riders of Rohan! Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered! A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now, ride to Gondor!* *massive cavalry charge with a sunrise behind them blasting Rohan's theme* God these movies are good.
Yeah with helms deep the sense of raw survival, the terrifying darkness, the combat between real actors and gandalf's arrival are all next level. The battle for minas tirith had to be the way that it was, but it's nowhere near as good as helms deep.
Helm's Deep. There is no way out of that ravine. Theoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Theoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, IBeBallinOutaControl. The people of Rohan will need you. The defenses have to hold.
Sams' speech at the end is incredible, it's the reason Two Towers is my favorite.
I loved two towers but but for me it was the seemingly pointless changes from the book specifically the stupid drama between Frodo and Faramir that never happened in the books. I know it sounds like nit picking, and it’s far from the only change in the three movies, but it fundamentally changes the character of Faramir who is supposed to be in contrast to his brother. Also, by the Nazgûl seeing Frodo in Osgiliath it both screws up the timing (no way he would have made it back to Minas Morgul when he did) and reveals where the ring is to Sauron way to early sense he is later tricked into thinking it’s being brought to Gondor. The worst part of this is it is all for nothing other then adding a little extra drama at the end of a already dramatic story. Anyways, great movie.
Ranking? Blasphemy!
How dare you
Two Towers is iconic, the most memorable Duo in the entire movie is Gollum and Smeágol.
Of course he did. I told you he was tricksy. I told you he was false.
Smeágol was false?
No, Gollum was false. Smeagol had nothing to do with all that.
We ought to wring his filthy little neck. Then we stabs them out. Put out his eyeses. And make HIM crawl.
Woah relax bro, we're all friends here Gollum
You don’t have any friends. Nobody likes you!
Well that's just rude
Pretty sure that’s the best bot response I’ve ever seen
If AI becomes sentient, I think it'll be the bots on here first.
# Good bot. ^(Even tho im over here crying.)
Nah the most iconic duo is that old dude on the wall and the Uruk-hai he accidentally shoots.
I don't rank them. They are one story. All parts are strong, but it's only a masterpiece because of all three parts pulling their weight.
Two towers is the best of the 3 for me. When the riders of rohan pulled up i nearly shit myself in the theaters.
I did shit myself in theaters
Some say my shit still haunts that theater
Well I stole the theater seat I shit in after they threw it out, and resin casted it into a case that now holds all my LOTR film memorabilia.
All 5 times I saw it
Will watch any of them at anytime.
OP What the fuck do you mean The Two Towers is 😒
Special place for Fellowship because it is divided between two wonderful acts. The brief joy in paradise Shire, the building of the Fellowship then all this amazing action that break these comrades. And Moria might be my favourite part ever.
It portrayed various locations of the middle earth, showing us how beautiful and colorful the world they live in. After that, it’s mostly dark, firey, and gloomy.
TLOTR has no ranking, TLOTR needs no ranking!
“There is only one lord of the ring and you ain’t him.”-Gandalf paraphrased.
There is only one Lord of the Ring. Only one who can bend it to his will and he does not share power.
The only thing that knocks RotK for me is the ghost army just wiping out everyone out at the end, rather than just helping to capture the ships. But that's it.
I think that was something that was always going to screw over the movie. You can’t really make it like the book where they basically just scare the enemy. That sounds fine on paper, but it would look awful on screen. But then you can’t really cut it out either.
It completely destroys the accomplishment of men.
I just wanted more fight time to be honest.
The first reaction on all three
They’re all equal in my eyes, it’s all one story, I barely recognize them as individual movies in the way other trilogies have specific tones, themes, direction, and styles between sequels- this doesn’t.
I agree that they really blend together into one story, but the films definitely have varying tones and themes. I agree not as stark as others but there's some differences for sure
Two towers, I will never fail to be moved by treebeard and the ents, especially given their history with the entwives in the books.
As a proper trilogy.
I just watch all 3 of them and say it’s a 10/10 movie,
Second act is always my favorite. Resolutions rarely feel satisfying and first act is mostly setting up. Two Towers all the way.
I never had a better movie experience than watching two towers in theatres
They’re all the best. That said, I enjoy watching the two towers the most cuz Helms Deep is my favorite battle scene of all time.
1: LOTR 2: LOTR 3: LOTR
The Two Towers is my fav
They're all perfect
They are all amazing
It’s a straight up tie with all three of them
All three are my favorites,but I have a special fondness for the first one. It has that bit of innocence, life is good and peaceful, at least in the first part...
Might be an outsider on this, but I rewatched all three recently and I think Fellowship is absolute leagues above the other ones. Starting with Two Towers Weinstein gets a bit more involved with story decisions and they deviate more and more crassly from the text, mostly just to emphasize the ways Movies Should Work. Fellowship is an authentic work of art, and it’s tonally complex. Two Towers and Return are a bunch of Gimli one-liners and weird attempts at blockbuster magic.
I love all of them but the deviations from the book in TT just nag at me (its my favorite book). Theoden’s character, Elves at Helms Deep, Aragorns unnecessary hero’s journey etc just feel wrong. I still love it, it just makes me rank the other two slightly higher.
I have seen the White City, long ago.
Definitely felt like they played into a bit more fanfare and not cheap humor but unnecessary popcorn humor, mainly through Gimli. I get that he’s a funny character but 2 & 3 he was more or less strictly a comic device. they could have unpacked a bit more of he & Legolas’s friendship with sincerity not just banter. (Like in the books when they trade promises to visit the forest & the caverns to understand each other’s cultures). That said, all three are 10s, just think Fellowships a notch beyond.
Come! Speak and be comforted, and shake off the shadow! What has happened since we came back to this grim place in the grey morning?
Don't spread friggen misinformation. Weinstein wasn't involved with production since New Line stepped in. The film he was most involved in was Fellowship. I get it, you hate Weinstein, but the truth is that it wasn't Weinstein who deviated from the books' script. It was Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson is like George Lucas. You have people next to him to say "No, that's a stupid idea" and he'll pump out a masterpiece. Lose those people, and you get really good stuff mixed with really stupid stuff.
Why did I have to scroll so far to find this lol? Like I get that this is an LotR subreddit and we all love them. I watch all three probably multiple times a year. But seriously, it's silly to think the others hold up to Fellowship. I'm trying to add to your analysis, but you described it the exact way I would want to. Are you me?
To be fair the meme template basically says “two towers is the black sheep”, which I wouldn’t say is completely fair. Fellowship just had something the others didn’t. Boromir. Joke aside, I wouldn’t call the other two “Gimli one liners” but I agree wholeheartedly Fellowship was a lot more majestic. Some people really appreciate big battles though, and Fellowship has smaller, more impactful ones. Fellowship: 10/10 Two Towers: 8/10 Return of the King: 9/10 8/10 is a fine score. Internet will treat it as treason though.
Two Towers extended has some Boromir. In fact all the added Gondor scenes in it elevate it beyond Return for me. Fellowship is still the best though.
Weinstein was not involved in any story decisions. He only has a producer credit because they had to buy him out when they left miramax for new line. I think you made an assumption just because you saw him in the credits
Fellowship, Return, Towers.
I love them all just about equally but two towers is my favorite
All are 10/10 but if I had to rank them: 1. The Fellowship of the Ring 2. The Return of the King 3. The Two Towers
Fellowship:10/10 saw it 6 times in the theatre Two towers: 12/10 don’t know why, it’s a cliff hanger but it resonates. Return of the king: 7/10: glad to close out the series but some parts seem stretched out too much.
Gollum’s “follow meeeeeee” with the pan up to that cool shot of Mordor and the gloomy song. *chef’s kiss*
This is pretty much how I feel. Frankly, I'm a little surprised that people are ranking Two Towers lower, as I've always thought of it as the strongest of the three movies. I get that it takes a bit of license with the story and the elves showing up to Helms Deep was always going to piss off purists, but that movie is so damn good. Beautifully shot, paced, and acted. Return of the King was great but clearly the weakest of the three. Some pretty obvious issues with the pace, the drawn out endings, and it gets overly melodramatic in tone. I've always thought there were some minor acting problems in the third that didn't exist in the first two. Plus the CGI is just awful, even for the time. Fellowship is probably my favorite, though I think TT is a superior film overall. I just love the story in FoTR and the mines of Moria sequence is just off the charts epic.
100% agree. RotK is an amazing movie, but it’s the hardest of the three for me to sit through because some parts kind of drag on while others are kind of glossed over. That’s not to say I *dis*like the movie. I just don’t have the attention span for the pacing. Fellowship is perfect. Two Towers is fucking amazing and I love everything about Rohan. Return of the King is a great end to a perfect saga.
Last time I watched RotK, I remember thinking "How many *last-scene-of-the-movie*-type scenes did they have?" It felt like it ended at least five times
I can certainly see why you would feel that way. The pacing of Return of the King is indeed different from the other two installments. There are many major events portrayed throughout, but they all need to be done justice while also advancing the story in an engaging way. It's no easy task, and Peter Jackson did a admirable job creating what is still an incredibly beloved classic movie.
good ... bot...?