Renegades React to... Top 11 Dumbest Lord of the Rings Moments

[@CaptainPikeachu]

the thing with the eagles is more explained in the deeper lore of the books, unfortunately it is one of the things that ended up getting sacrificed in the simplification for an adaptation like this for a general audience - the films themselves do not offer up a very clear cut way of why the eagles didn't just fly the ring to mount doom whereas the books actually explain exactly why the eagles couldn't get involved

[@arnoldrivas4590]

+BetaArtemis Can you remind me please as to why the eagles could not get involved? Was it because they're lords of the sky or something of that nature?

[@mordirit8727]

Two smaller and one bigger reason, smaller being that the Eagles were Maiar (like Gandalf, Saruman and Sauron), which makes them *more* susceptible to the corruption of the Ring. Take a look at the people who get tempted by the Ring; grades (and their close descendants, hobbits), considered the least powerful of races, are *very* resistant to it. It takes years for the Ring to corrupt them, Bilbo himself held the thing for *decades* and only started to show any signs of desire for more near the end of his long life. Humans, however, go mad for it; it makes them dream of how powerfully they could reign with it. Elves dream of becoming vastly powerful kings as well, but what does the Ring do to the only Noldor (AKA "Elf who has been alive before the Sun and the Moon and lived with the Valar", AKA "elf who has seen and absorbed the power of the Light of the Trees of Yavanna", AKA "mah gurl Galadriel") it comes into contact with? Unlike a hobbit, Galadriel didn't want to live longer; unlike a human, she didn't want to become a conqueror. She straight up wanted to be a fucking goddess, her mind went wild with how incredibly strong the small magic she possessed would become with the Ring. Now, the Eagles are Maiar. If you're looking at the scale of "which race has the most potential for power" in this Universe, it goes Valar = Some Echoes > Maiar = Lesser Echoes > Elves > Dwarves > Humans > Hobbits. Just like how Galadriel's temptation and how bad she'd be with the ring was like, a thousand times worse than Boromir, imagine someone going *a thousand times crazier, more powerful and greedy* than Galadriel. *That* is what an Eagle being told to take care of the Ring would look like. So, there was good reason to keep the thing as far away from it as possible. Smaller reason *two* is that Sauron was basically a big "Fuck you Humanity" from the Valar. Humans were the ones who decided to follow Sauron instead of fight him back when there were still enough elvish kingdoms around that the Free Folks would take care of it. In fact the Free Folks *took* care of it damn it, the battle between Elves and Humans vs Sauron didn't even *happen* because when Sauron saw the approaching fleet he was like "fuck this, I'm surrendering". What did the humans do? Kill him? Lock him up in a bottomless pit? Send a letter to the Valar saying "hey you guys left this fucker here under probation but he's been relapsing a lot, can you send someone to take him to your place so you can trial him again"? Nope, they lock him for a few years and then go "hey dark lord who threatened to kill us all, wanna become our best adviser and control the whole country? Why YES, we *do* think that marching against the gods is a terrific idea, such insight, we'll go there kill those fuckers right away!" So, it was befitting that humanity's punishment would be dealing with Sauron again, since they were the ones who gave him back his power in the first place; in a fit of pity, the gods sent forth the Istari (Gandalf and Co.) with orders to *help* , but never take command. They were supposed to be a boost for the free folks, help them go the right way, not the secret weapon that destroyed the enemy. In fact, the gods were severely locking their powers so they couldn't ever do much, it was only as a reward for slaying the Balrog and being by far the best at serving his mission that Gandalf was allowed to get most of his powers back when he came back as The White. The gods simply wouldn't allow the Eagles to solve the problem. If they ask Manwë "hey, there's this big battle going over on Mordor tomorrow, can we go and help minimize the casualties?", he'd surely say "oh that's cool guys, nice of you for doing so, I'm sure the free races will appreciate it a lot". If they asked him "Hey Manwë, can we just take Sauron's Ring and throw it in the lava already?", he'd surely say "nope, hell no. Humans wanted to be Sauron buddies, so if they wanna live they'd better deal with this shitstorm themselves." Greater Reason was simply the Fellbeasts. They weren't natural, and unlike what we see in the movies it's most likely impossible that the eagles could take them on; the Eagles were afraid of random mountain side humans' bows and arrows for crying out loud, they stood absolutely no chance facing against one of the 9 Human Kings riding in the back of a monster created by dark magic. The Eagles show up for the Battle of the Black Gates, but at least in the books their only use is distracting the Nazgul, there is no description of even a single of one the Fellbeasts dying to them; actually we *know* they didn't get a single one because we know all the Fellbeasts died on the eruption of Mount Doom, so if all 8 of them were there when it happened, the Eagles had a 0 kill count. Trying to send the Eagles *by themselves* with the Ring to drop would be an instant failure; the Nazgûl would have either wrecked their entire army or at the very least held them in place while catapults, balistae, trebuchets and long bows destroyed them. Not to mention the absolutely *worst* thing that could have happened to them, Sauron stood back in Barad-Dur because he was never sure of what the enemy's plan was, but if he had heard that the Eagles were flying straight into Mordor with his Ring, he'd have *surely* jumped on a Fellbeast himself

[@fantasywind3923]

Well the Eagles in total and the problem of movies in this regard is that, the movies don't even acknowledge that Eagles are sapient talking creatures. The Eagles are a race of beings by now (Mordirith makes a nice summary but he seems to forget that in Lotr it is clearly stated that Gwaihir and his brother Landroval are descendants of Thorondor, and even if Thorondor from First Age was a Maiar, then his offspring would not be Maiar, they would be something else a new kind of creatures, and so much, much weaker than Maiar, who are basically spirits, godlike beings, members of divine race called Ainur). And the books clearly state that Eagles are vulnerable to being damaged (in The Hobbit book we hear briefly how Gandalf is friends of the lord of Eagles because he saved his life, healing an arrow wound that would kill the creature, also Eagles after they rescue Dwarves refuse to bear them further since they are afraid: "The Lord of the Eagles would not take them anywhere near where men lived. "They would shoot at us with their great bows of yew," he said, "for they would think we were after their sheep. And at other times they would be right. No! we are glad to cheat the goblins of their sport, and glad to repay our thanks to you, but we will not risk ourselves for dwarves in the southward plains."). In the distant past of First Age the Eagles were stronger and larger, back then they were powerful enough to had aerial battles with flying dragons during War of Wrath, but the Third Age Eagles are descendants of those ancient ones and weaker and smaller. Of course there are also other things, Eagles themselves live and nest in Misty Mountains and are in conflict with Orcs who often tried to drive them away from their peaks. The Eagles risk their lives in combat just like other creatures of flesh and blood, whenever they do fight in battles it's only in really strategic moments as a support, since first even in large number they are not nearly numerous as the enemy forces. They help when they can by spying and gathering news for White Council, and some members of it are in friendly relations with them (Galadriel, Radagast, Gandalf), but they are not summoned at will (the whole Gandalf sending moth to call them is total movie invention, in book Gandalf never did anything like that), in fact most of the time it is hard to find them, for to ask them for help you would have to first reach their eyries, their nests in the high peaks in the...orc infested mountains. Additionally the enemy the Dark Lord in book is said to have power over weather, it was said that Sauron can "govern the storms over Mountains of Shadow" which are his realm's border, Sauron also has farseeing abilities, the Eye is his projection of power he uses to see from afar, also he has a palantir to use as well. Sauron also has loads of flying creatures, the fell beasts are more numerous than simply nine he has a whole 'brood' of them and besides that he has myriads of spies like..birds. Sauron (just like Saruman with Crebain and Radagast with other animals) is capable of using birds and beasts as his spies. Also the whole idea of flying into Mordor completely disregards logistic problems. How far can Eagles take people in one go? In book usually whenever Eagle transported someone it was not a great distance (the farthest away was taking Gandalf from Orthanc to somewhere near Edoras, the Gwaihir also says that he can carry Gandalf "many leagues but not to the ends of the earth") and also this was without any baggage, any things that people would need on journey like supplies which would give additional weight. The fellowship would still have need of food and rest so they would have to stop by and land on the ground from time to time, the Ealges themselves require food and birds of this size require to hunt for big animals, how they would survive for long? The Eagles throughout the Lotr story were on the move for a time already, they didn't appear during final battle of Morannon from their nests immediately, they were already in the area of vale of Anduin. Legolas spotted an Eagle flying above plain of Rohan near Emyn Muil, so they were certainly playing some role but only in intelligence gathering. Another thing is Sauron's own power, if he was able to just look at someone and pinpoint location from vast distance, if he could nearly paralyze with gaze: "...one moment only it stared out...as from some great window immeasurably high there stabbed northward a flame of red, the flicker of a piercing Eye... The Eye was not turned on them, it was gazing north...but Frodo at that dreadful glimpse fell as one stricken mortally." ...and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure." Then I can't see Eagles withstanding something like that directly over Mordor (not to mention possible weather manipulation, storms and lightning that Sauron could throw at them). Sauron also controls fires of Mount Doom, he basically controls a volcano, it is under his will, it can increase it's activity whenever he wants and he can use the fumes and ashes of it to form vast clouds. This ash and poisonous fumes were certainly a danger for the Eagles when they rescued Frodo and Sam after Sauron was already defeated and they would be before Ring was destroyed and Sauron power still have controlled the land and influences everything (indeed the talk about how Sauron power was enhancing some of his servants is correct, Dark Lord can imbue his creatures with additional power making them more dangerous, stronger, he can project his will on his creatures, basically mind controlling them to enhance their performance). Also there may be a bit of a metaphysical reason why Eagles so rarely get involved. As creatures Eagles are from the start associated with Manwe the Elder King, the leader of divine Valar, and he may order them to act accordingly intervene when necessary or witheld from action. But the most important is...the Eagles are not infallible, they can make mistakes, they can fail, and as all other living things they would be susceptible sooner or later to the power of the Ring (also remember the time of exposure to it's power is not relevant, you can become corrupted by it immediately after you see it, or you can last long, but in the end all would fail, and what's more the Ring's power GROWS the closer to Mount Doom it gets, so this is a real dilemma, you have to carry it there, and in the same time it's power in this place is at it's strongest and there is no being who could destroy it willingly that Tolkien states himself, in the place where it was forged it's influence is too strong for anyone to overcome.

[@jp3813]

They could've offered a much simpler explanation that isn't from the books just to patch up the movies. Such as someone saying that the air near Mount Doom is poison to the eagles as long as Sauron is alive.

[@FREEK777ful]

it's hard not to criticize his nitpicking when you know he's staying true to what's in the movie and not the books

[@brandoman79]

to me the dumbest moment in the movie was the prologue where Elrond and the King were standing at Mt Doom and the King refuses to throw the ring into fire, and Elrond simply stands there like a moron and does nothing to stop or attempt to stop the King from leaving; then he has the nerve at the Council to say he put his faith in Humans before. Seriously Elrond was laziest person ever and by the film's depiction the sole reason for the events to have unfolded the way he did. Heck at least Sam attempts to physically stop Frodo and Frodo at least puts on the ring and turns invisible, whereas Elrond cries throw it in the fire, the King says nope and walks causally past him, no attempt to stop him nor was the King wearing the ring. Seriously how weak and pathetic was Elrond that he wouldn't have simply shot the king with an arrow, stabbed him and tossed him into the fire ring and all.

[@leroy1154]

Yeah, he should have just killed Isildur and thrown the ring in and then when he came back down from Mt Doom and all the humans were like "Hey, where's our king who you were just with, he could totally just say "lol I killed him" and the humans would be fine with that... It's not like that would start a war or anything...

[@charlottekelly7613]

One hundred percent agree with you, however, if that happened, there wouldn't be a movie.

[@SolidMike84]

"Someone needs to read the books." Was that referring to Doug not understanding Gandalfs survival of the fall and making it up to the mountain? If so, then isn't it the film peoples responsibility to have explained that in the movie, rather than having to read the book in order to understand that point? A movie adaptation should be able to stand on its own two feet and not require people having to read the source material.

[@Phatnaru0002]

I think they made it pretty clear

[@Wildcard-Jack-47]

SolidMike84 I don’t think he meant that it being explained in the books makes this moment not dumb I think he just meant it’s better to read the books so you could understand it

[@northchurch753]

But here's the problem. The argument that a movie that needs a book to be explained only holds real weight if the movie came first. If the movie is adapted from the book, then it will have parts of it that the book explains better. Because chances are, people will compare it to the source material regardless, especially when you have a book like LOTR which is as big as the Bible. And given that it was often because of the Jackson movies that many more people are reading Tolkien's work, I don't consider it a flaw that the book explains things in the film

[@DatcleanMochaJo]

But the movie adaptation does stand on its own. Are you challenging their assertion or the movie? The movie explains A LOT.

[@cl1cka]

@@DatcleanMochaJo Explains NOTHING - let's be honest it was full of moments that made no fucking sense......They should have just send the ring with 10 Legolases and it would have been over in one movie.....

[@jmwild1]

People complaining about the multiple endings should know that Peter Jackson completely cut out the battle of the Shire which would have dragged the movie on so much further. I would have liked to see it, and Saruman's book death on film (as opposed to his extended edition death at Isengard).

[@djpermian5078]

jmwild1 Agreed!

[@JackA066]

Agreed I hate how the battle of the shire wasn't even in the return of the king movie and thought it made Sauramon look like a little bitch in the movie

[@SharkyShocker]

There's also a theory that when Gandalf says "Fly you fools" before falling refers to the Eagles

[@MissEdge102]

Haha XD That is now my headcanon

[@Kornelius707]

That's actually creepy.

[@thembofriendsimp]

SharkShocker it doesn't.

[@iamslightlybetterthanyou2679]

FLY YOU FOULS

[@muhhamadhashmi4586]

But souron would just see the eagles days before they reach and have the nazgul and millions of uruks armed with bows and just shoot them down also there not allowed to interfere with war of the ring

[@disneyfan8719]

I don't think the "Arwen's life is tied to the fate of the ring" thing was meant to be taken literally, I think they were just saying she was now willing to give up her immortality for Aragorn, but if she wants to live a happy life, then the ring needs to be destroyed and Aragorn has to survive. Maybe they could have expressed it better if that's the case, but still. I may be wrong, but that's what I'm seeing right now. Bottom line, maybe the NC has a couple of good points here, but after finally seeing the trilogy myself recently, most of what I'm hearing from this is either nitpicking or flat out misinterpreting certain moments.

[@SasukeTurkey]

More Nostalgia Critic reactions please.

[@Jakokokoroko]

+Lelouch Vi Britannia If Lelouch Vi Britannia commands it you have no other choice Renegades...

[@d-manthecaptain1382]

+SmilePlease TRUE^

[@thetrueforce7226]

Yes my lord as the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire you're wish is my command as Jacob Stephen son of Ericson and the new Knight of Zero of the Knights of the Round I shall serve you hail Britannia and Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia.

[@Harmegeddon]

+Lelouch Vi Britannia Yes Lord Lelouch.

[@FreeKentHovind]

HEY, try out "Top 10 Things Star Wars 4-6 did Wrong" by the Unusual suspect!

[@NU121493255]

Could you do NC: Old vs New- Lord of the Rings video next, please?

[@dyanapomp]

the movies would have been 12 hours long? lmao, the extended edition is actually 11 and a half hours, and adding the additional credits they're 12 hours long 😂

[@Thundarr100]

I think he meant that they would be 12 hours long EACH

[@DragonClaw95.]

13:20 That still only counts as one!!

[@bosshitmonchan2920]

You should react to Nostalgia Critic's Top 11 dumbest Superman and Spider-Man moments.

[@viktorriquelme3735]

Boss Hitmonchan they did it

[@kobeanderson6718]

This is one of my favorite Nostalgia Critic episodes

[@katapitasma]

do more nostalgia critic

[@323starlight]

I personally think that the Eagles only help when they're absolutely needed, when there's no hope for the main characters. either that or Sauron's Evil prevents them from getting close to the volcano. like... an evil energy that prevents them from entering mordor. notice how the eagles never go deep into Mordor until Sauron is dead.

[@ripopol]

do the top 11 best cliches

[@tsnophaljakarax9963]

I feel like Doug screwed up that "Dwarf-Tipping" joke at the end. From what we know from the movies, he should have said "Dwarf-Tossing"

[@johnstriker480]

Fun FACT: Christopher Lee upset about the deletion of his death scene in the theatrical version of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King..... No s***. I'd be p***ed too.

[@rambofan334]

Christopher Lee deserved more respect.

[@OsefKincaid]

I'm surprised he didn't mention the army of the dead sweeping the battlefield like it's a vanish commercial. Dumbest thing in all three movies.

[@Droogie128]

OsefKincaid that + the eagles = 2 deus ex machina moments needed to complete the movies

[@BlueWoWTaylan]

I mean, they weren't suppose to be in the Minas Tirith battle. Although it was a cool moment, the Army of the Dead actually just help with clearing out the Umbar fleet and have Aragorn and the Gondor / Ranger reinforcements to board the ships instead. For Eagles, you can say ''Why would the Valar allow Sauron to become a new Dark Lord ? '' since they are god-like beings and do nothing. It is because they are mostly indifferent like most immortals, elves and so on. They only help because of Maia like Gandalf or Galadriel asking their king. And despite how bad it is portrayed, flying into Mordor is no easier than walking into Mordor. You think Sauron's big freaking eye wouldn't see a flock of huge eagles carry the Ring into Mount Doom and he will do nothing about it ?

[@nowdied]

This got me nostalgic... What book series was like Narnia where the character had a box of matches that represented how many lives they had? I read it when I was younger. Chronicles of Chrestomanci?

[@mgunter]

All the endings could of been it's own movie, but it would be under 2 hours so it would be too short for a LotR movie

[@justinw-s1694]

heres my thoughts on the final one if the eagles had been used it would have made a short and dumb single movie but with what they actually did it made for one of the greatest movie trilogys of all time

[@katherinesanderson8990]

I think I've only seen the extended version because I thought that the Saruman scene in the last movie was y'know always part of the movie.

[@DBfan12]

Please react to more nostalgia Critic! Whether its reviews, top 11s or editorials!

[@98953812]

13:14 That was perfect. XD

[@doubledamn2599]

This NC video always makes me want to see Doug Walker do a LotR Abridged.

[@trathanstargazer6421]

I think one of the more popular theories bout the eagles, and one I personally believe, is that Gandalf's last words, "Fly you Fools.", was that he was telling them to use the eagles to fly them there, and then when he came back as, the white, he had forgotten about it because he had died (Not to mention it was too late.). The reasoning behind not using them earlier, before the mountains (Mines of Moria.), is because Gandalf thought that the spies (The flock of birds and possibly others.) that were on the look out for them would have spotted them and Mordor would have had time to prep for their arrival. Sense this was during Fellowship and Gandalf had no idea of Mordor's current strength at the time, from a strategic point of few, it was a good plan. Make the halfway journey (Getting out of the Mines of Moria/Cross the Mountains.) so that when you do use the eagles, they have no time to prep and it'll come as a surprise. Course, that plan went to hell when Gandalf died and we got the trilogy. The use of eagles afterwards I still sin, and they were overused as a source to tie up loose ends, and that is sin-able, but if this theory is true then I can't sin it. Other then that, loved the reaction guys. ^^

[@deathlegionair]

Romance.. it comes in two main forms, Romantic Friendship, and Romantic love. One deals with a close relationship between friends that goes beyond the boundaries of a normal friendship but does not develop into a sexual relationship. The other is a sexual relationship.

[@MasterfulPaladin]

Isn't it in the books or somewhere that those eagles normally actually hunt and eat those Fellbeasts?? I might be incorrect, but I know someone told me this once.

[@sacredbeastzenon]

Maybe it's just me, but pausing the video and then saying something sounds more logical. Otherwise you miss parts of the video.

[@SolidMike84]

+sacredbeastzenon Agreed.

[@Wildcard-Jack-47]

sacredbeastzenon their is a guy i watch who does that and gets fucking hate for it

[@RevolverOcelot1]

Jacky Boy blastphoushd??

[@Wildcard-Jack-47]

Michael Relaford yep

[@NopeJustPatrick]

It's a primarily tactical choice, and given their tendency to digress when talking, I think it makes perfect sense sense. You wouldn't want them to forget something in the beginning because they (hypothetically) spent 20mins on #5, right?

[@alucardfu2]

The ending always gets me in tears regardless of how happy I am or my age

[@sadenb]

The change of Arwen's storyline was the single greatest decision by Jackson and his team and the given storyline reflects one of the most personal and critical them of Professor Tolkien

[@GirlofCulture]

Helms Deep is still a better fight than GoT The long Night..

[@joyunicycle]

If you hated Legolas' Perfect Moments in LOTR, just check out the Hobbit series. His perfection in those movies will make shield surfing look like an everyday natural occurrence.

[@relmcheatham]

The Clue reference nearly killed me. XD

[@greasey8695]

If the main guy's such a big fan of the Nostalgia Critic, why does he insist on talking over it and then not rewinding?

[@raptorus7773]

In the book the eagles aren't really gods, and weren't able to go past there roost very far because of some hunters and their longbows, and when the armies go out to fight the eagles come too. either way, i kinda like the eagles Comments please don't hurt me. ;-)

[@cinematicgoodness7325]

you aint alone. i friggin love it when the eagles show up especially at the end of return of the king: when they save the army from the loud dragons and when they save frodo and sam from the erupting mount doom.

[@ducksauce9187]

yea its a good moment.. but have the eagles fly them to the place in the first place

[@ziriebenton6659]

+cinema gamer I looked up those dragon looking things and it turns out that they're actually called fell beasts. And doesn't anyone else doubt that those eagles would've been shot down by an army? Because it sure didn't happen in the hobbit battle of the five armies.

[@DukeCondor]

Did you see any fucking archers in that army they sweeped tbh? Lol

[@BlueWoWTaylan]

You are talking about the Goblin armies and some mountain orcs that is focused on fighting Dwarves vs Sauron , who knows about the Eagles and their weakness and have his own counter to them + a huge and better prepared army that almost destroyed the army of the West, even with the Eagles' help before the Ring got destroyed. Most people really underestimate Sauron's power, even without the Ring. If it was just as easy to fly the ring to mount doom and be done with it, they would've done so a long time ago.

[@crippledcrusader1321]

18:10 well Doug doesn’t get what Tolkien was going for in the books. The books had a clear message of anti war, so of course there’s going to be a lot of symbolism.

[@scottphillips6005]

I know there's an actual other reason but I don't remember it, but to be fair, the eagles may have been able to match the lesser wraiths and their mounts, but they would have been screwed against the Witch King. If they had taken the Ring via the eagles, the Witch King could have easily intercepted them.

[@jasondamrau9147]

I really like the scene where Frodo and Sam were talking about how each other would be talked about in stories. It makes sense even with how they were in the books with how much they loved to tell stories

[@MoostachedSaiyanPrince]

I think the issue Doug has with the scene isn't what they're talking about, it's HOW they're talking about it, despite what he said about the lines. At 26:28 just ignore the words actually being said, because there's nothing wrong with the writing/dialogue itself IMO, since if the lines are read right, it wouldn't come across the way Doug sees it. Instead pay attention to how Frodo and Sam are looking at each other and the tone of voices they're using, especially once Frodo stops walking to turn around and look at Sam. If anyone spoke to me with that look on their face, I'd absolutely believe that they're completely in love with me. It doesn't come across as friendship, it comes across as absolute undying love. The way the lines are read come across as people being cheesy romantics, instead of two friends. To the point where I legitimately suspect the actors played Frodo and Sam to be gay without telling the director what they were doing.

[@deamongimli]

If I am not mistaken, in the Hobbit the eagles say A; that they don't give a shit about the affairs of others and B; that if they carried the company over or around Mirkwood then they would be shot by men who believed that they were coming to eat their cattle (which the eagles admit that they usually do) and they don't want to deal with that shit.

[@PowerSpirit50]

Who else skips over their long talking in the beggining?

[@salvadorgarcia9897]

👋🏻

[@xxzephiniahxx4581]

everybody ever that ever watches them

[@shadowboxing7029]

I like that they give a bit of background on what they're about to watch it gives you th feeling that they genuinely give a shit about their audience, unlike many reactors that usually have no fucking clue and don't bother to do any research, their reactions are bullshit just to get subs.

[@Ben_Kimber]

I do once it goes over about a minute, then I get impatient.

[@greysonalex]

yup. i come for their reaction not idle chit chat

[@thecursedumbreon6755]

The hobbit had good and great moments that cleaned away most of the bad

[@abelmantor7557]

I don't mind close ups in movies , but when they're overused i'm just like "Enough already ! "

[@bryanegelhoffsanimationtec257]

Brotherhood Workshop are the only guys to make a valid excuse to not use the eagles.

[@Drengade]

Pointing it out here, even in the movies, not just the books, it is obvious the cracks of Doom (where the ring must be dropped) is not open to the sky, there is one entrance. The eagles would have to drop off a few people who would have to fight their way up the mountainside through sauron's army.

[@galonski64]

The NC reaction are wonderful. I wonder if you guys may do the anniversary ones as reaction. I never seen anyone really do, it might be fun, I do not know, but to see you guys do say Kickassia and the others, would be neat.

[@CallumDowney]

Funny thing is I'm rewatching this and when he's talking about the multiple endings near the end of it I get a commercial so it faded out (I see the irony) (3 times total)

[@SuperDominic4]

Sharkey and Worm are important to the Scouring of the Shire, which is why Pippin & Merry return in full armour.

[@Zeuseus6609]

Regarding Balin's tomb in the Fellowship of the Ring, the inscriptio is "Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria" so It's the original Balin from the Hobbit Book.

[@bluetarantulaproductions6179]

Sometimes when I think of Lord of the rings I always think of that scene from Clerks 2 with Randel making fun of the flaws of Lord of the rings

[@robertdurant6616]

Denathor always made me think Peter Jackson's version of the Emperor from the Star Wars Prequels

[@bobboduckee4253]

The reason they didn't go save Gandalf is because he's in the middle of a bridge that is only supported on one side. It is not safe to run and add more wait to the very tip seeing how the other side was weakened and ultimately crumbled by magic.

[@hebrew26commandmentspower55]

Nostalgia Critic is so underrated lol ...his Avatar review is still legendary😂😂😂

[@Caedus696]

I just wanted to say, for number 1 yall kinda laughed when NC brought up the excuse of them getting corrupted but in the books that is the very reason they dont use the eagles and gandalf even says it. He said that the eagles were too prideful of a race and that he felt the rings corruption would burn through them too quickly.

[@LuizAntonio-zs7ko]

I... don't think the ring would fit through their talons.

[@Caedus696]

Luiz Antonio The ring adjusts to fit the bearer.

[@theleap2946]

I have to agree with the Gimli put-downs. I mean, the guy was a freaking bad ass. He was a competent warrior and quite engaging.

[@TallMist]

Do the Nostalgia Critic Top 11 Dumbest Spider-Man moments!

[@av_8596]

0:33 God damn! That was a good impression!

[@Wiiiiiii259]

can somebody show this to jinx so he'll know what a reaction video should look like!

[@cernunnos1240]

the power of the ring is proportional to the power of its' wielder. that's why Frodo is relatively unaffected by it. that's why gandalf refuses to touch it when he gives it to frodo.

[@callumjames7854]

With a lot of the close up shot they was done to make sure the make up was right and everything looked good on camera so the could know if they had to redo that take or not. They did it with the Hobbit movies a lot too.

[@xxmultimediareviewerxx4020]

if you haven't done them, please react to the fan made rwby trailers by mark zhang. they are pretty good.

[@OmegaS-117]

Tom Bombadil was in the Lord Of The Rings The Fellowship Of The Ring video game on the Ps2

[@kinagrill]

Denethor is more sympathetic in the extended version of the 3rd movie. We see a lot more to him and there's also a removed idea of him having had a palantir and has been slightly corrupted/touched by it via evil wizard and eyeball. So his flaws got enhanced in a way. Also with regards to the Eagles... they are the offspring of a literal angel and not just eagles gandalf can summon. It'd be a literal deus ex machina if they just picked up frodo, flew him to mount doom and let him drop in the ring.

[@ashtynplunkett8572]

I didn't know that Sarumans death scene was only in the special edition. I've had the special edition all my life so you can't really blame me.

[@weenniethepoop5667]

how about the fact that noone even remotely tries to save haldir? i mean aragorn scremas, but that's it.

[@jprophet2870]

Kasper Lenjou at least he lived in the book

[@patclifton2173]

Kasper Lenjou You could tell he was already dead or too far gone to save. Besides, Aragorn was too far away to get there in time to save him. And actually, Aragorn managed to reach his corpse, just not in time.

[@Kaefer1973]

Some of the changes of the book were grave mistakes though since they changed the overall tone and meaning of the story for the worse (the books including powerful neutral forces, while every being of influence in the movies was on one side or the other, which made the world a lot more simplistic and thus more unrealistic and less relatable)

[@volk551]

How I would fix the Giant Eagle thing one simple scene with the heroes coming out of Moria I'm having a small chat with each other about who can speak Giant Eagle and learning none of them can.

[@hebrew26commandmentspower55]

Legolas was like the Michael Jordan of Elves ... he couldn't do any fucking wrong ... he never got injured nor did he ever have a rival opponent.... He took down a 60 foot elephant without any wounds .... like seriously lol ... even Gandalf took some wounds and he's OP as fuck 😂

[@HunhowsShadowStalker]

I have the biblical edition of Lord of the Rings, meaning the entire story in one big book (over a thousand pages). I spend my entire summer vacation reading it non-stop.

[@Amonny]

Multiple endings? There is just one ending. The scene that ends the movie. People have no idea what an ending is.

[@DukeCondor]

I read something about The Eagle's actually can't touch the ring or something, it does something to them. But yeah, they could have just ridden one to Mt. Doom.

[@FREEK777ful]

Even in the books, the eagles are one of the weak points. I don't think Tolkien completely thought out the reason they were in the books in the first place. What I do know, is that they stay out of the affairs of everyone else unless it's clear they have to get involved, or their King's BFF, Gandalf, asks for their aid.

[@UltimaXReborn]

To be fair, Sauron would immediately notice giant eagles (the highest servants of Manwe) entering into his lands, and he was a very powerful being. The land route was to avoid notice.

[@thedarknesscallingme]

+JonZilla Tolkien didnt want the eagles used as a solution to problems, especially this one. In one of his letter Tolkien writes about the eagles "I have used them sparingly, and that is the absolute limit of their credibility or usefulness". There are also several other reasons why they dont use the eagles to take frodo to Mt Doom right off the bat: 1 - The eagles were designed to be emissaries and spies for the Valar, not warriors. Thus they were limited on what sort of influence they had on the impact of middle-earth 2 - The eagles are not infinite in number. Whilst it's never stated by Tolkien exactly how many eagles exist, there is a strong indication in his works that they have a delicate population and so will not risk going extinct by fighting risky wars or battles 3 - The eagles dare not fly too far from their nests as it is too risky for them. In the Fellowship of the Ring when Gwaihir rescues Gandalf, the wizard asks him how far he could carry him. to which Gwaihir replies "Not to the ends of the earth, i was sent to bring tidings not carry burdens". There is also the threat from arrows from both Orcs and Humans. in The Hobbit when the eagles rescue Thorin and Co. The eagles say they wont take them into the lands of men because they fear the bows of man. 4 - Sauron is aware of the eagles existence and power, thus it would be very dangerous for an eagle, which is just a large animal and not an armoured warrior, to travel into Mordor or across lands occupied by the orcs. As stated above they fear bows and so would be at risk of being shot out of the sky.

[@littlekuribohimposte]

Elrond said "Even now his eye turns to Rivendell." Sauron knew they were coming. So if they flew, every single orc would be shooting them down

[@Ben_Kimber]

They did something to the Migs in the Middle East...oh wait...wrong eagles. Still, just like in the Middle East, the eagles held air superiority in Middle Earth...

[@alexk.35]

In my opinion, there isn't really isn't wrong with these films. I absolutely ADORE the movies. The only thing worst honestly is just the annoying slowmos lmao. Sam is a great character, and the soundtrack is unreal.

[@OsamaBinLooney]

the eagles arrive BEFORE the ring fell into the lava though, they were just inside the volcano at that point still fighting Golum, and wasn't the ring at its MOST powerful since then it took over Frodo?

[@starkill8896]

please do a reaction video The Nostalgia Critic review of The Happening.

[@oddtalesstudios3539]

I just realized...everyone keeps coming back because they succeed in death saves!

[@charlottekelly7613]

Okay, Lord of the Rings is my all time favorite movie series. Now, with the eagles, they did it for simplification, run time on the movie, and the fact that if they did use the eagles from the beginning, there wouldn't be a movie. It'd be like a 30 minute tv special. At least that's my opinion.

[@bryanegelhoffsanimationtec257]

Only Brotherhood Workshop have made a successful way as to why the Eagles wouldn't work!

[@reddevilben2112]

the game war in the north does explain the eagles thing

[@austinmorrison6953]

Maybe when people were calling Denethor a Shakespearean villain they were referring to the books?

[@scotttrail522]

4:00-4:05 Nostalgia Critic: "Lord of the Rings went from being the story that could never be filmed to the best known film fantasy of all time." Hmm. . . Right after Bambi's "best known" ONLY realism movie.

[@FritzMonorail]

I think that the lord of the rings movies just get more perfect every time watch them.

[@8mad]

Nostalgia Chick did a sort of reviews of the Lord of the Ring movies, even talking about the books and discussing the impact of the movies, filming, and some of the decisions made. Though there are 4 parts to it, 1 for every movie and 2 for Return of the King. PLZ react to them!

[@jdb79jdb79]

@3:21 Hey, it's the Angry Video Game Nerd from CineMassacre.

[@JiReyAnimation]

You guys should react to the Nostalgia Critic's Commercial Reviews. :)

[@gravytrain2074]

10/10 would watch a movie with the hobbits coming back to the shire to find in attacked by Saruman like in the books...

[@AJSSPACEPLACE]

in my opinion you shouldn't have to read a book to understand a move. The movies should be able to make sense on their own.

[@vccancerkill5047]

It wasn't luck that won the day although some may have been on they're side. When frodo is made aware of the ring Gandalf tells him that it may have been meant for him to find and that there are other forces at work in the world besides the will of evil.

[@zavexcapricious2519]

the close up shots are there because they were testing out the HD graphics, so it shouldn't be on the list

[@NU121493255]

About #1, I'm going to have to side with Linkara on this one (he explains it in his review of The Hobbit #2 comic).

[@thebonezone252]

Jon snow is reacting! He's in the right!

[@rhythmframebige6090]

Friendship is magic

[@Swiss_Cynic]

One thing i dont get is why do the elves flee? I mean where can they go to be save from Sauron if he conquers middle-earth? Orks can build ships right? And the eagles would face the same problem. Can Sauron produce more of these flying units? Even if not, the eagles would die out without safe land right? Because one argument i hear is that the eagles dont care about what is going on and in that situation this just doesnt make sense.

[@kipperbill]

Come on nostalgia critic, you say the ending dragged on, but then you drag on with how much you talk about each flaw! I mean Jesus!

[@joannebatts3780]

KipperBill even the transitioning with the countdown was excessive. Agreed.

[@sannicfann3338]

while that can be a legit criticism that Legolas is too perfect it kinda makes sense, being almost 3000 years old it would make a lot sense he's far more skilled than an average man or dwarf warrior

[@shadowboxing7029]

I agree with some and not with others but holy shit does he drag this video out. Those transitions and that annoying ass singing. Also when did you guys meet Craig Parker?

[@RenegadesReact]

Athelas it was at fanboy expo in Knoxville, Tennessee a few years ago.

[@shadowboxing7029]

Renegades React Oh cool, was not expecting a nod towards one of my fellow Kiwis. :)

[@joshuablack1358]

I think Gondor calls for aid

[@JustAJinx-ci6hg]

I had a problem with the fact that they didn't just use the Army of the Dead to wipe Mordor out...

[@Ben_Kimber]

They fulfilled their oath to aid Gondor, and Aragorn swore to release them from their curse and let them be at peace once they had done so.

[@otto1923]

The eagle thing was because of the power of the evil lord (I suck at name so I'm not going to try) and that's why they couldn't help. Also, no mortal MAN could kill the wraith thing. That's why Marry and her could hurt/kill it. They weren't man at all ("I am no man."). Marry was a hobbit and she was a female.

[@alinac5512]

To the first point: he had a demon dangling from his leg, I think they couldn't pull him up cause it would have pulled up the demon too. Plus they were beeing shot at.

[@rambofan334]

The whip detached.