The Two Towers: Extended Edition

WOWO!!!  It is Magnificently, Wonderfully, Amazingly, Fantastic!!!!!!!!  Like SERIOUSLY!!!!!!  I once said that I wanted to own all the Theatrical and Extended Editions of all the movies so that if I wanted to watch the movies, but didn't have the time to watch the Extended, I could watch the Theatrical.  Well I have changed my mind.  I am NEVER watching the Theatrical edition of The Two Towers again.  Not if I can help it.  The Extended Edition is soooooooo much better!!

So I first started writing this post between watching TTT EE and ROTK EE back in August.  I got half of the post written before watching ROTK, but after watching it I came down off of the high that I had been on while watching them and I just didn't have the right drive for finishing this.  Well I watched TTT  EE again last Saturday and finished the post while watching it.  Everything in this purple, is from the second time around. 


So lets start at the beginning.

The Foundations of Stone
I always forget how the movie starts.  I always think that you immediately go to Sam and Frodo in the Emyn Muil, not to Gandalf fighting the Balrog.


Elven Rope
This scene was really funny.  It is one of my favorite scenes in the book and I was really happy that it is in the Extended.

Frodo: What food have we got left?
Sam: Let me see.  Oh, yes.  Lovely.  Lembas bread.  And look!  More, Lembas bread.  That has always been one of my favorite parts.


The Taming of Smeagol
Gollum and his, "Nice Hobbit," to Sam when he leads them out of the Emyn Muil always cracks me up!


The Uruk-hai
Although the bad guys have them this is one of my favorite parts.  And I love the extended part of this.

Pippin: Merry!
Merry: Hello, Pip.
Pippin: You're hurt!
Merry:  I'm fine.  It was just an act.
Pippin: An act?
Merry: See I fooled you too.  Don't worry about me Pip.  I love how Merry is always thinking of Pippin.

Uruk-hai: Manflesh!
Uruk-hai: They've picked up our scent!
Pippin: Aragorn!  I LOVE and ADORE that!!!


The Three Hunters
Aragorn: Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall.

I love these three.  They way they all interact is amazing.


Massacre at the Fords of Isen
When Eomer finds Thoedred.  OUCH!!!!!


The Banishment of Eomer
I love the interaction between Eomer and Eowyn.  How, when Eowyn is standing before the throne and Eomer walks past her, he briefly touches her shoulder.  Karl and Miranda did a perfect job.


Night Camp at Fangorn
Ssssssqqqqqqqquuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll!!!!!!!  Grishnakh is stabbed just in time!!!!!!  The Rohirrim charges in!!!!!


The Riders of Rohan
This is one of the best scenes.  Gimli's face is hilarious and guys! Legolas is taking up for a dwarf!!!!  Can you believe it?!!!  ;)  And the pain on Eomer's face: "Thoeden no longer recognizes friend from foe.  Not even his own kin."  Ouch.  And then when he says that they left none alive the way Legolas places his hand on Gimli's shoulder is really sweet.  And I have always found it rather amusing that Eomer says, "Do not trust to hope.  It has forsaken these lands," and Estel (Hope) is standing right in front of him.


The Fate of Merry and Pippin
I really love how Viggo channeled his pain into his acting in this scene.  I mean breaking your toes hurts.  I speak from experience.  But you never would have guessed that that was anything but acting.  And I love how Merry and Pippin ducked under the horses.

Treebeard takes Merry and Pippin to.....The White Wizard!!!!


The White Rider
This is another really good scene.  Gandalf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

"In one thing you have not changed,dear friend.  You still speak in riddles."

"This new Gandalf's more grumpy then the old."

Aragorn and Gandalf here!!  The way they go back and forth is so sweet!!

And Shadowfax!!!  Was there ever a greater horse?


The Song of the Ent-wives
I couldn't hear the words of the song very well and I thought that it was interesting how they stuck some of Tom Bombadil in there.




The Heir of Númenor
I loved this little added scene.  Especially when Aragorn tells Gandalf the Sam went with Frodo.


The Ent Draft
This scene was hilarious!!!!!!!  Merry and Pippin are so funny!!  And again they stuck in Tom Bombadil and the Old Forest.  I don't know why.  But I didn't find it annoying.

Merry: You're taller.
Pippin: Who?
Merry: You!
Pippin: Than what?
Merry: Me!
Pippin: I've always been taller then you.
Merry: Pippin, everyone knows I'm the tall one.  You're the short one.


King of the Golden Hall
I love Eowyn in this scene.  How she repels Grima.  And Gandalf and his staff!!  His 'so' needs Legolas's support.  And how he winks at Aragorn and Aragorn's indulgent smile!!  Oh and I love how Aragorn and Legolas take out the guards and Gimli takes care of Grima.  Holding on to him by his cloak.  And how Hama holds Gambling back.  And poor Eowyn.  Falling in love with a man who cannot return the love.  And how Aragorn kneels to Theoden after preventing him from killing Grima.  And how Aragorn holds out his hand to help Grima up.  And how Eowyn, Legolas and Gimli are all standing together above them.

"Leave me alone, snake."
 "Your words are like poison."
 "Hmm.  You wouldn't part and old man from his walking stick."
Gimli to Grima: "I would stay still if I were you."
"I know your face.  Eowyn, Eowyn."  And Eowyn's smile is dazzling.

Theodred's funeral and the scene afterwards with Gandalf and Theoden is sad.  Although it always has looked to me as though Bernard Hill is laughing when Theoden is supposed to be crying.


"When last I looked Theoden not Aragorn......was King of Rohan."




Brego
This scene is really cool.  I love how he works with Brego and seeing that, Brego finding him and waking him up makes so much more sense.  Not that it didn't make sense before.  But seriously, who turns out a horse with a halter and rope still on?  I mean I know that they needed it there so that Aragorn could then ride him to Helm's Deep, but seriously?

Love Eowyn and her sword.


The Forests of Ithilien
Poor Sam.  Having to see what the Ring is doing and being unable to do anything about it.


Gollum and Smeagol
This scene cracks me up!!!  I used to detest Gollum and I refused to watch the Gollum scenes.  Now I pity him and he makes me laugh a lot of the time.


Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Who doesn't love this scene?  I mean it is one of the best of them all.  I'll bet Andy and Sean had fun making faces at each other!
"Whats taters, Precious?  Whats taters?"
"Po-ta-toes!  Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew.  Lovely, big, golden chips with a nice piece of fried fish."
Gollum spits.
"Even you couldn't say no to that."
"Oh, yes, we could.  Spoiling nice fish.  Give it to us raw......and wrrrriiiggling!!"
"You're hopeless."

ssssssssqqqqqqquuuuuuuueeeeeeeaaaallllllllllliiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggggg!!!!!!!!jumpingupandown (not really)wringingmyhandsandmoresssssssssqqqqqqqqquuuuuuueeeeeeaaaaaallllllllliiiiiiinnnngggg!!!!!!!  It's Faramir!!!   It's Faramir!!!  Captain of Gondor!!!!!!  Faramir!!!!!!!!  And it's the Faramir that we knows and loves from the books!!!!!!!!  The whole speech while he is looking at the man that he shot!!!!!  Sadly we must leave them for a while and go back to the others.  Not that we don't like the others.


Dwarf Women
Good old Gimli!  A really like how he and Eowyn interact.  And then what Theoden says.
"I haven't seen my niece smile for a long time.  She was a girl when they brought her father home.  Cut down by orcs.  She watched her mother succumb to grief.  Then she was left alone, to tend her King in growing fear.  Doomed to wait upon an old man who should have loved her as a father."


One of the Dunedain
Eowyn can't believe that he is 87.  And poor Aragorn.  That stew looks awful!!


The Evenstar
Ah!!  Love this scene.  I can't ever find words to describe my feelings concerning this scene.  It is just perfect.  Liv's little smile when Viggo strokes her ears!!

Arwen: "I don't believe you."

Yes.  Then the Warg scene.  Love Legolas and his bow.  (Note: I tend to like any good guy who uses a long bow.)  But they way in which he swings onto the horse in front on Gimli, is just ridiculous.  That whole scene is cool.  How Aragorn cuts the head off of an orc, sees that Gimli needs help. Yanks out the spear as he rides and then spears the Warg that is attacking Gimli.  Or Legolas and Gimli, "This one counts as mine!"

And then when Legolas and Gimli realize that Aragorn is gone.  "Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing."  And the disgust ans Legolas's face when he hears the orc. Then standing up there on the cliff.  It is so sad.


Helm's Deep
Ah! Helm's Deep!  An amazing piece of building. I love how Eowyn is in front.  When she enters, she is a Princess leading her people.  And when Freda and Eothain meet back up with their mother is sooo sweet.  And when Gimli tells Eowyn that Aragorn fell, is sooo sad!

YES!!!!!!!!  When Brego finds Aragorn!!!  I love this horse!!


Arwen's Fate
This scene always kind of annoys me because that's not how it was!!!  Elrond wasn't like that!!!  One of my problems with Peter Jackson.  And btw, Arwen's mourning dress is gorgeous!!!!


The Window on the West
Faramir!!!!!!!  Back to my Captain!!  And the scenery here?  Wow!!  One of these days I am going to New Zealand.

  "We are Hobbits of the Shire.  Frodo Baggins is my name.  And this is Samwise Gamgee."
"Your Bodyguard?"
  "His servant."  Love the look on Sam's face.

"You're a friend of Boromir?"
  "Yes.  For my part."
"It will grieve you then to learn that he is dead."
  "Dead?  How?  When?"
"As one of his companions, I'd you would tell me."
  "If something happened to Boromir, we would have you tell us."
"His horn washed up on the river bank, about six days past.  It was cloven in two.  But more than this, I know it in my heart.  He was my brother."  The pain on his face kills me right there!!!


Sons of the Steward
OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I mean I love seeing the brothers together and I loved this scene so much, but still!!  Owwwww!!!!  Ok, so one of my biggest problems with Peter Jackson was the changes that he made to Faramir's character.  I mean in the Theatrical, he is like the opposite of what he is in the book.  What with intending to take the Ring to Denethor and all.  I hated it.  Now?  Having seen this scene and everything that Denethor says and Denethor's whole attitude towards Faramir, it make sense!!!!!  And now it's, 'I love you Peter Jackson!!!!!'  In the Extended Edition he gave us the Faramir from the books!!!  And ugh.  I so want to punch Denethor!

"One moment of peace, can he not give us that?"  And then the way he musters a smile!  I am crying right now guys!  I love Boromir more and more each time I watch these movies!!

"Remember today, little brother.  Today, life is good."  Hope the Boromir/Faramir 'Remember today, little brother' edit, now make sense.  And hurts like you wouldn't believe.  One of these days one of those edits of yours is going to make me keel over, it will hurt so much.  Just joking.  They are really amazing.


The Forbidden Pool
Oh Sam!!!  I love Sam so much in this scene!!


Aragorn's Return
I LOVE this scene!!!!!!!!  Gimli's and Aragorn are so sweet.  And Legolas.  Ever the smart mouth.  And Aragorn's entry into the great hall.  I have yet to see a more magnificent one!!

Gimli: Where is he?  Where is he?  Get out of my way!  I'm going to kill him!  You are the luckiest, the canniest.....and the most reckless man I ever knew!  Bless you, laddie!  And Aragorn's smile!  To sweet for words!

Aragorn walking along and nearly runs into someone.  Looks up.
Legolas: You're late.  You look terrible.  These two are completely hilarious!!!!  And then the look between them when Legolas hands him the Evenstar.  Legolas knows how much it means to him.

If you look very closely, right before Aragorn says, "Send out riders, you must call for aid", in the background, between Viggo and Bernard's heads, you can see a woman playing with a child.  It is sooooo cute!!

Theoden says, "War is upon us", and then you see crebain in the sky!


Ent-Moot
Ent-moot is very interesting.  All the different kinds of Ents.  And the looks on Merry and Pippin's faces of course.



The Glittering Caves
And Legolas: "Aragorn, you must rest.  You're no use to us half alive."  They have those lines between Aragorn and Eowyn!!  I mean I know that part is really sad, but I'm still glad that they have it.  And in the background Legolas is very sweetly giving Aragorn and Eowyn their privacy and is so caringly ushering people past them!   And "There's a reason we were talking in Elvish!"

"Let him go, Lad, let him be."  Gimli is the one telling it to Legolas instead of the other way around like it usually is.


The Host of the Eldar
Aragorn and Haleth are ssssooooo adorable!!!!!!

I reached the part where Legolas handed Aragorn his sword.......AND THEN I HAD TO GO MAKE SUPPER!!!!  Isn't that AWFUL??

SSSSSSSSSQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!  It's Haldir!!!  As much as I hate PJ for this part.....I still love that the Elves come!!!  The smile on Haldir's face when he looks at Aragorn and says, "We come to honour that allegiance."!!!!!  And the smile of pure joy on Legolas's face when Haldir says, "We are proud to fight beside men once more"!!

And right here let me insert this song.  

I have loved this song and this video of this song, for a long time, but it just occurred to me that is is as though Haldir is speaking from the grave.  I mean I knew that it was supposed to be from the point of view of someone who had died, but that is was Haldir never occurred to me.  (The song was originally written about the Falkland War.)

I also need to insert this.  I don't know if I have mentioned it before, but I don't normally read fan-fiction.  I just don't get along with most of it, however there is one piece that Mel read to me awhile ago that astounded me and is very beautiful.  It made me cry!!  It is about Haldir.  I won't even try to summarize it because I would not be able to do it justice.  Just read it.  Here is the link: Vesta


The Battle of the Hornburg
"Let's hope they last the night."

"I'll have no pointy-ear out scoring me!"  I love the way that Gimli fights.  Lets slide underneath them give them a big hello.....and then chop their legs off!!  



Old Entish
Merry's face when he is waiting for Treebeard to tell them what the Ents have decided!


The Breech of the Deeping Wall
You can here Gimli's voice ringing out over everything else telling everyone how many orcs he has killed!!

"Is this all you can conjure, Saruaman?"  A very bad question to ask Theoden King!!

 And Aragorn's, "Bring him down Legolas!"

PETER JACKSON!!!

How Gimli jumps down to Aragorn, proving Legolas's "Your friends are with you Aragorn".


The Entmoot Decides
Good old Pip who has always been cheered up by Merry, is now trying to cheer Merry up.


The Retreat to the Hornburg
Legolas and a Lorien Elf are dragging Gimli out of there!!  I love that it is an Elf and not a Man!

Oh Haldir!!!  And the vengeance with which Aragorn attacks them after he has held a dying Haldir!!  It isn't wise to mess with Aragorn's friends!  He WILL avenge them!!

And of course the famous, "Toss me" scene!!  I love those two!!

Legolas shoots the rope holding up the ladder.  Wow Legolas is pretty strong!!  He pulls Aragorn and Gimli up by himself mostly, another solider helps him at the last.


Master Peregrin's Plan
 I absolutely ADORE this part.  It shows that Pippin isn't just this silly little Hobbit who can never think of anything worthwhile.  In the books, it is his getting them away from the Uruk-hai that shows his brilliance, but they don't have that part in the movies so I am glad that they put SOMETHING in to show Pippin's worth.  

"Are you mad?  We'll be caught!"
"No we won't.  Not this time."  I love how he is so sure of it.!!


Osgiliath
 Again one of the scenes that I don't really like.  I can understand why it is there, but I don't like it.


The Last March of the Ents
"I'm sorry, Treebeard".  He is saying sorry that Treebeard's friends died, but not sorry that he showed Treebeard.  And Merry, "YES!!"


The Nazgul Attack
I always adore Sam at this moment, well more then I usually do anyway!!  I love how he stands up to Faramir.  You know Sam's quote from the book about how any Black Riders will have to ride over him to reach Mr. Frodo?  Well I always think of it when I see this part.


Forth Eorlingas
"You said this fortress could never fall while your men defend.  They still defend it  They have died defending it!!"

And how Legolas dumps everything off of the table!!  I would have done it in the same situation, but I still find it kind of funny!!

And Aragorn remembers Gandalf's words!!  Here comes another of my favorite parts!!!  Prepare yourself for more squealing!!

"Let this be the hour that we draw swords together".  LOVE THAT LINE!!

Ok, guys.  This part is just awesome.  Not only is it an amazing charge and I love it when the Rohirrim rides, but Legolas is using a sword, and he and Aragorn are right behind the King.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!  GANDALF!!!!

I love the look 'between' Aragorn and Gandalf here as well!!  And how Aragorn says, "Gandalf".  AND Eomer!!!!!!  And Theoden says, "Eomer"!!!!   I SOOOOOOOOO LOVE THIS PART!!!

"Not alone, ROHIRRIM!!!  TO THE KING!!!"


The Flooding of Isengard
Angry Ents are TERRIFYING!!  I love how they treat the orcs!!  Kicking them sky high for footballs, using them as clubs to knock down other orcs, picking them up and knocking their heads together!  They don't need any weapons of any sort!!  And Merry and Pippin throwing rocks!!


The Tales That Really Mattered
Black Riders will have to ride over him to reach Mr. Frodo!!  The look on Faramir's face.  And Faramir is the one who shoots the arrow.  Also the tears in Sam's eyes when he says, "Don't you know your Sam?"

You flash to Helm's Deep.  Theoden cries, "Victory!", Gandalf's smile is full of joy, Aragorn is smiling too!

"That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo.  And it's worth fighting for".

"Then it is forfeit".  They amazingness of that statement....it shows his quality.  And how Sam brushes off the hand on his shoulder.
 




Fangorn Comes To Helm's Deep
I absolutely love it that they have this in here!!  Eomer yelling, "Stay away from the trees" and the wonder on Legolas's face!!


The Final Tally 
These two are so funny!
Legolas while rubbing his hand along his bow, "Final count......42".
 "Forty-two?  Well that's not bad for a poiny-earred Elvish Princeling (Legolas's face right here is priceless!), I myself am sitting pretty on 43".
"Forty-three" (with that Legolas smirk).
":He was already dead!"
"He was twitching!"
"Because he has MY AXE embedded in his nervous system!  

Can't you just imagine what Aragorn's face would have been like if he had witnessed that exchange!!


Flotsam and Jetsam 
"He doesn't too happy up there, does he?"
"No, not happy at all, Merry."
"Still, I suppose the view would be quite nice from up there."
"Oh, yes. It's a quality establishment. I hear the staff are very good."

Merry measuring them!!!

"What are you doing?"
"Nothing. The world's back to normal, that's all."
"No, it isn't. I'm starving."  Pip saying that proves that it is!!
"Good luck trying to find something decent around here.  Probably only dead rats and mouldy bread."

They see the pipeweed.

" I don't believe it."
"It can't be."
"It is!"
"Longbottom Leaf.  The finest pipe-weed in South Farthing."
"It's perfect. One barrel each.  Wait. Do you think we should share it with Treebeard?"
"Share it? No. No.  Dead plant and all that. Don't think he'd understand.  Could be a distant relative."
"I get it. Don't be hasty. "  I love how Pippin taps his nose!!


Farewell to Faramir
"Captain Faramir......you've shown your quality, sir." (Faramir steps back)  "The very highest."
"The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee......where Gardeners are held in great honour."  I ADORE that interchange!!  With Faramir and Sam being my favorites, I think you can guess why!!

The fear on Faramir's face when Frodo says that they are going over Cirith Ungol.

"Go, Frodo. Go with the goodwill of all Men."

" May death find you quickly if you bring them to harm."

"Mr. Frodo didn't mean for them Rangers to hurt you. You know that, don't you? He was trying to save you, see?" 
"Save me?" 
"So there's no hard feelings. Forgive and forget." 
"No, no, no hard feelings. Gollum, Gollum.  Yes, master. Nice Hobbits." 
"Very decent of you. Very decent, indeed, Gollum."  That interchange makes me laugh SOOO hard!!


"The Battle for Middle-earth Is About To Begin"
"The battle for Helm's Deep is over. The battle for Middle-earth is about to begin."

"I wonder if people will ever say,
'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring.'
And they'll say,
'Yes! That's one of my favourite stories.'
'Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?'
'Yes, my boy.  The most famousest of Hobbits. And that's saying a lot.' " 

"Well, you've left out one of the chief characters:
'Samwise the Brave.'
I want to hear more about Sam." 

"Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam."
"Now, Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun. I was being serious." 
 " So was l."


Gollum's Plan
I could wring HIS filthy little neck!!!