There's a lesson to be learned here, ita.

Having never broken a bone, much less my back, I think me and my wellbeing are getting along pretty well.

Well, that...then...but....

*sigh*

Plllbbbttt....

goes back to her fangurlish giggliness

Oh, I forgot a tidbit I liked from the Weapons and Warfare book.

Pippin is wearing Faramir's boyhood armor in Minas Tirith. Merry is wearing Theoden's childhood armor. I don't know if that's from the book or just backstory that the costumers came up with, but I like it, especially with the Merry and Faramir parallels.

What I am saying is that the reason Film!Faramir is ultimately able to release Frodo to return to his mission is because he does not take the Ring for himself.

Sean, I agree that is an important distinction, but the "ultimately" part and the "sending the ring to daddy so he will be pleased" part are heretical to bug me no end about the treatment of Faramir in the film. He does resist the direct temptation of the ring, although I would argue by succumbing to his weakest character flaw, his desire for his father's approval, rather than power lust. The insidiousness of the ring is that it goes for everyone's weak points. However, I agree that not grabbing the ring counts for something. Just not enough to satisfy me as true enough to the character.

tinaf, those guys are a mix of various enemies of Gondor from different locations, but mostly they are the Haradrim, men of Harad, a southern kingdom and old enemies of Gondor.

ETA: also Easterlings "A general name for the races of Men from the unknown East of Middle-earth, who were a constant foe of the Free Peoples, from the treachery of Ulfang in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad of the First Age to their frequent attacks against Gondor in the Third Age."

Also see the Dagor Bragollach, but now we're getting deep deep into Tolkien geekery detail. (I can't type trivia, this is important stuff!)

oooh thanks for the info Jsw - I went ahead with Men of the East based on spotty recollections- friend was very confused by their non-orcish-ness - she thought only the orcs were bad. It's always interesting to find out what non-readers see vs. what you see.

friend was very confused by their non-orcish-ness - she thought only the orcs were bad.

I think remember a line in RotK about human mercenaries being brought in by Sauron. Meh -- it's a long movie, so it's easy to miss a line or two.

I think remember a line in RotK about human mercenaries being brought in by Sauron.

I missed that - I think the only reason I would have *maybe* understood what they were doing there was because you see them heading to Mordor in TTT.

It is impossible for me to see the movies from any other perspective, obviously, but I often imagine if I hadn't the read books it would all be too much to keep track of and I wouldn't care because of that- not because the story is too complicated - becuase I am that dumb and have a lack of attention span a lot of the time. I am that girl that came out of the movie Memento and went "was that supposed to be backwards or something?"

Okay, I wasn't clear...

Leggy being CGI didn't bother me...it was the "Oh, good, a gratuitous and completely implausible series of stunts for the friggin' elf again. Yea. O Yea. SHUT UP, LEGOLAS!"

But I am SO in the minority on this and I know it.