The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Audio problem: When Aragorn is sleeping in his tent, he wakes suddenly, grabbing his blade and sitting up, there is a guard at the tent entrance. He speaks to Aragorn and then bows and steps back out. As he does this, he says something like "Sir, King Theoden awaits you." The problem is, his lips do not move after the words, "Sir" as he backs out his face IS still visible for the words "King Theoden" that are heard. (01:15:30)

Continuity mistake: After Aragorn's dream, the soldier delivers a message from Theoden, while standing at the doorway of Aragorn's tent and there are long ties hanging from the grommets on one side of the flaps. Yet, in the next exterior shots when Aragorn leaves, there are no ties in the grommets. (01:15:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Aragorn enters Theoden's tent, there are two tables, one to the left and the other on the right, with a variety of items on them. The objects' positions or existence change throughout this scene. Including the gust of wind wide shot facing Aragorn and the overhead shot of Elrond carrying Andùril. (01:15:50)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: Aragorn is summoned to Theoden's tent, where he is greeted by Elrond, who removes the hood from his head. Just before Elrond steps towards Aragorn, in the close-ups, the hood at his shoulders changes position within these shots. (01:16:05)

Super Grover

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King mistake picture

Continuity mistake: As soon as Aragorn walks into Theoden's tent, behind him stands a suit of armour. While speaking with Elrond about the Army of the Dead, there is a sudden gust of wind and the armour falls in the background in this one shot. Throughout the entire scene preceding and following this one shot, this armour is seen upright. (01:17:20)

Super Grover

Audio problem: When Aragorn is talking with Elrond in Theoden's tent, a gust of wind, which shakes the tent, knocks over the suit of armor that stands behind Aragorn in this one shot, which makes absolutely no sound when it hits the ground. (As mentioned in another mistake, it is standing in the next shot, that is why there is no audio of it falling in this shot.) (01:17:30)

Continuity mistake: After telling Éowyn, "I cannot give you what you seek," Aragorn leads Brego away for his departure from Dunharrow and the edge of the rolled blanket, secured in the saddle bag on Brego's left, faces Brego. However, when Aragorn approaches Gimli the edge of that blanket, on Brego's left, now faces away from Brego. (01:20:05)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: Legolas' horse changes several times. Most notably in the sequence in which Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn enter, then follow the Paths of the Dead, the horse changes from dappled grey to pure white with a grey mane and back, between a number of shots. (01:20:30 - 01:24:15)

Other mistake: After Gollum attacks Frodo and Sam on Mount Doom, Sam fights Gollum off with his sword. He then turns around and calls out for Frodo. There is a brief medium shot of Frodo scrambling up the mountain (at about 01:20:35 on disk 2 of special edition). If you look carefully in the background, you can see snow and running water in the background. This is common on Mt. Ruapehu, where the scene was shot, but a bit out of place on Mt. Doom. (01:20:35)

Continuity mistake: On the Paths of the Dead, while Legolas tells the history of the Dead Men, there is a close-up of Gimli's face, and Legolas' bow and arrows are seen too. In the next shot, the position of his blades on his back differ, as they are now slanted, with the bow and arrows seen between them. (01:23:25)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: The braids over Legolas' ears on his scalp, change in position, shape, and how it is braided, in consecutive scenes or shots, as well as the amount of his side hair that is swept up into the back braid. Some examples are, as he and Gimli ride Arod on the Paths of the Dead, Legolas says, "...and Isildur cursed them," and then after Aragorn says, "I do not fear death," before he runs into the Dimholt Gate. Also later in two consecutive shots, when Legolas says, "And what about a friend," and then when they battle at the Black Gate. (01:23:45 - 01:24:40)

Super Grover

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King mistake picture

Continuity mistake: Inside the Haunted Mountain, Legolas and Aragorn turn around to see all the ghosts appear. The shot has been flipped - their Elven brooches and Legolas' quiver are the wrong way round, and Aragorn is holding the torch in his right hand and his sword in his left, whereas in the previous and following shots, the torch is in his left hand and the sword is in his right hand. (01:24:25)

Continuity mistake: When Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli reach the Dimholt Gate, a ghostly gust of wind rushes towards them and scares the horses away. Aragorn lets go twice of Brego's reins in consecutive shots. Also, the shot just before Aragorn shouts, "Brego!" Gimli faces the camera and Aragorn is some distance away from Gimli and Legolas, but in the next shot when Aragorn does shout, their positions have changed quite a bit. (01:24:30)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: At Dunharrow, Merry watches as everyone rides off, and in the shot of his back Éowyn's fingertips reach his right shoulder. In the next front close-up, she's still further back, note her fingers behind his head, but he starts to rise off the ground even as her hand is just coming closer. (01:26:05)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: As Faramir and the Gondorian soldiers start to ride down the path in Minas Tirith, there is a close-up of Faramir passing a particular building, and then over a dozen shots later, when Gandalf shouts, "Faramir!" Faramir still rides past the same building. In the next wideshot with Gandalf, they are on a different part of the path, yet in the next close-up Faramir is once again still at the same building as earlier. (01:29:00)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Faramir and his men ride down towards the front gate of Minas Tirith, certain men and women in the crowd actually reappear in different areas along the path. (01:29:00)

Super Grover

Deliberate mistake: While Faramir leads the Gondorian soldiers as they ride down the path in Minas Tirith, in the wideshot just prior to when Gandalf shouts, "Faramir!" they pass particularly distinctive buildings and a statue - this wideshot is flipped, the swords are at the soldiers' right sides. Then about ten shots later, they pass the same buildings and statue as they ride towards the front gate. (01:29:40)

Super Grover

Audio problem: When Faramir and his men ride out of Minas Tirith, Gandalf tries to dissuade him from going. Faramir says, "This is the city of the Men of Númenor. I will gladly give my life to defend her beauty, her memory." It then cuts to a tight close-up as he rides past Gandalf when he continues saying, "her wisdom," and his closed lips do not move at all. (Extended Edition.) (01:30:10)

Super Grover

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King mistake picture

Continuity mistake: There are trebuchets atop the walls of Minas Tirith; however, in the front wideshot (not side shots), as Faramir and the rest of the Gondorian soldiers ride towards Osgiliath, with Minas Tirith directly behind them, all the trebuchets are gone. (01:31:10)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: In the scene at the beginning of the siege of Minas Tirith, as Denethor looks down, when the Troll is heaving the first rock onto the catapult, the first shot shows the rock being flat with a flat bottom. In the next shot, once on the catapult, the rock is taller. (01:31:50)

Gimli: Certainty of death; small chance of success...what are we waiting for?

More quotes from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Trivia: Sam's line at the end of the film ("Well, I'm back") is also the last line of the novel.

Cubs Fan

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Question: When Déagol finds the ring, Sméagol asks to have it. When Déagol asks why, Sméagol says because it's his birthday and that he wanted it. Was it really Sméagol's birthday or was he already so quickly drawn by the ring's power that he only claimed it was in hopes that Déagol would hand it over?

Answer: In the book, it absolutely was his birthday.

Brian Katcher

What chapter in the book where smeagol kills deagol?

DFirst1

The Fellowship of the Ring, chapter two 'The Shadow of the Past.'.

Brian Katcher

Answer: It probably wasn't his birthday on that exact day, that would be too much of a coincidence. But close is definitely possible, or at least closer than Deagol's. Both were immediately drawn by the ring, heavily enough that they fought over it and Smeagol becoming the ultimate winner. Both did everything to keep it.

lionhead

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