necros

In the part where the Ent goes and sees how Saruman (No, I can't spell it) ripped up all the trees, and all the tree people go tearing up through Eisengard, flood the place, etc. Why did they just stop at flooding and then leave it at that? With those huge mega-strong tree people all gathered together, they could have easily knocked down his tower and squished him, but they didn't Is it explained in the books or anything why they stopped there, or is the only reason so that he can be in part 3 too?

C-Mart

There are about 4 chapters from the Aragorn/Merry, Pippin, Ent storyline that were left untold in the movie. There are also about 3 chapters in the Frodo, Sam, Smeagol storyline.



They should cover it all in the next movie... well, they better. I too thought that they left the Ent story a little incomplete at the end of TTT (the movie.) I don't know how they will fit all of the next book into a 3 hr. movie when they have to cover the 7 remaining chapters from TTT (the book.)

-CM-

Ian11

In the book The Two Towers Treebeard and the other Ents ("tree-people") did try to tear down the tower of Orthanc.

"Many of the Ents were hurling themselves against the Orthanc-rock; but that defeated them. It is very smooth and hard. Some wizardry is in it perhaps, older and stronger than Saruman's. Anyway they could not get a grip on it, or make a crack in it; and they were bruising and wounding themselves against it."

Chapter IX "Flotsam and Jetsam" The Two Towers

As related by Pippin to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli after they were reunited at Isengard.

The tower of Orthanc was not built by Saruman but by people (elfs?) who came before Saruman. The Ents literally could dig their roots into the wall around Isengard and tear it down, but the black rock of Orthanc proved difficult. The Ents could merely chip parts of it before they thought the better of it. Ents are the oldest living creatures of Middle Earth (older than elves) and are the stewards of all the trees and growing things. Hobbits, elves, and ents all live harmoniously within nature. PJ did not show Ents attacking Orthanc this time but maybe he will in the Extended Edition of TTT.

There are also other tree-like creatures called Huorns. They are more "treeish" in Treebeards word and they were sent by Treebeard to Helm's Deep to help the people of Rohan. The Huorns killed all the Uruk-Hai who were fleeing from King Theoden and Erkenbrand's calvary. (In the book Eomer fought side by side with Aragorn at Helm's Deep) PJ wisely cut out Huorns and another new character like Erkenbrand (Rohirrim) since its just too much for a general audience to soak up and understand. Although as a reader of LOTR I badly missed the Huorns and their absence made the battle at Helm's Deep less convincing in one sense.

C-Mart

I agree with you completely. I missed the Huorns as well.

-CM-

covenant

The men of Numenor built Orthanc about the same time as Minas Tirith, Osgiliath and Minas Ithil.

Josh H

ROTK is a little shorter than the other two books, plus you can be sure that a lot of the stuff that's not of importance to the story of Frodo destroying the ring and/or the rise of men won't be included. For example, Jackson already said he didn't film the "Scouring of the Shire."

gusamo

That was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Josh H

But it has nothing to do with the quest to destroy the ring, so it has no place in the movie IMO.

That was jackson's reasoning as well. When you're making a film of a book as long as LOTR you simply have to chop of the fat and get down to the meat of the story, and Jackson has done an excellent job of this IMO.

I liked the scouring too, but it really has nothing to do with the main story, it's more of an epilogue.

CitizenKaneRBud

What happens in the Scouring of the Shire? I want to see Gandalf with Bilbo and co. sailing away at the end (it worked well in the animated version) from middle earth.

Inverse

The scouring of the Shire has nothing to do with the story?!

<Bangs head on ground repeatedly>

Ah well. I suppose many people think war stories end when the war does. Tolkien, who was a war veteran, knew better.

xplo

scouring of the shire is important.
there and back again
that was bilbo's book
that is what lotr is supposed to be

wonder if PJ will include frodo goign to grey havens

C-Mart

Oh, I know that stuff will be left out, like Bombadil/Barrow Downs from the first movie. I wish that they wouldn't add too much, like the extra Faramir part, but that is what filmmakers do. They make a movie with the audience as a whole in mind, not just for the Tolkien fans. As I haven't read RotK in quite a while, I can't say anything about the Scouring of the Shire, but I am going to start that book soon. I just hope it won't take me as long as TTT did. (About 6 months... because of school, work, and I just couldn't get 'into' it.)

-CM-

Ian11

The Scouring of the Shire was actually my favorite chapter out of ROTK. Its what confirmed the book LOTR as a work of wonderful myth to me. The heroes return from their quest and bring their knowledge and experience to their homeland.

C-Mart,

The Two Towers was the slowest book for me the first time I read LOTR the first time too. The movie made me enjoy every word in every chapter more the second time I read it. I was amazed at how PJ made me appreciate the stories within The Two Towers better than the first time.

Fear not, The Return of the King is a brisk read compared to The Two Towers.

Calculon

I really hope PJ throws a bone to all the Tolkien fans by alluding to the Scouring in the film's Epilogue. Sort of a brief where-are-they-now type of thing.

Josh H

Jackson has said that he is focusing entirely on the quest to destroy the ring.

The scouring of the shire has nothing to do with this, thus he's leaving it out.

I agree with the decision, the movies are long enough without covering sidestories and this chapter which is basically and epilogue.

Josh-da-man

Yeah, while it would be nice to have included things like Tom Bombadil and the Scouring, I can see why they were cut.

Actually, I'd've rather seen Tom than the Scouring. Tom and Goldberry would've been sort of cool and added to the richness and mystery of Middle Earth.

The Scouring is a bit of a second "climax" and would've felt sort of strange after the

Spoiler tagged, even though anyone who's read the books knows this, and should be obvious to anyone who's only seen the two movies, too.

jim_cook87

I know this is what PJ has said and I fully understand agree some things must be cut, however, am I the only one that finds his explanation lacking?

If this is truly his focus why did he include Fangorn, Isengard, and Helms Deep? If the focus is the destruction of the ring, these are all side stories.