Continuity mistake: At Cirith Ungol, the white paint stripes on Gorbag's face change position, thickness and whiteness in the shots while in the tower and when he falls downstairs. (02:18:35 - 02:19:20)
Continuity mistake: Just before and after Sam yells, "Frodo get down. Hide!" the sores at Frodo's neck caused by the Ring's burden are visible. Frodo then falls to the ground after seeing the Eye and the sore on the right side of his neck is seen again, but completely different. The sores change many times in consecutive shots. (02:29:00)
Continuity mistake: At Minas Tirith, Gandalf says, "Peregrin Took, my lad, there is a task now to be done," then we see him walk through a narrow passageway, exit and walk past crates, rope, etc. In the next shot as Pip walks past the same things, regardless that he is shorter than Gandalf, the crates, rope, etc. are positioned differently now. (00:43:45)
Audio problem: At the drinking game, after Éomer says, "No pauses," in the next shot facing Legolas, when Éomer continues to say the two words, "No spills," his lips are closed. Even as he turns his head, his hair does not obstruct the view of his closed lips. (Extended Edition) (00:19:15)
Continuity mistake: When Éowyn whips off her helmet and stabs the Witch King, her hair is neatly parted, long and straight. Yet, as she crawls in pain, away from Gothmog, her hair is in nothing less than a total mess. Then when Éowyn, still injured, crawls to Theoden her hair is once again nice and tidy. (Extended Edition) (00:40:35 - 00:41:10)
Continuity mistake: After Arwen's vision, when an Elf escort says, "...we cannot delay.", in the close-up he faces her and his hair is behind his shoulders. In the next wide shot as Arwen begins to leave, the escort now turns to face her, his hair is in front of his shoulders and the neck/shoulder area of his cloak is different than the previous and following close-up. In the next close-up, his hair is behind his shoulders again. (00:28:20)
Continuity mistake: After falling near Frodo's body, Sam thrusts the Phial of Galadriel toward wounded Shelob as she recoils into her lair. In the shots behind Sam his hood is at his left shoulder, but in the shots from the front and in the overhead shot as he reaches Frodo's body, his hood is centered. (01:52:00)
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)
Continuity mistake: In the battle of Pelennor fields, you can see that an Orc scratches the top of Aragorn's face with his blade, making blood form around Aragorn's forehead. In the next shot, all the blood is gone.
Continuity mistake: During the scene between Denethor and Pippin in the Main Hall at Minas Tirith, Denethor is eating and has a red mark running down his chin. There is a shot from Pippin's perspective showing the right side of Denethor's chin with the mark. The next shot is from Denethor's left with Pippin in the background, and Denethor turns towards the camera and the mark is gone. The shot is then returned to Pippin's perspective, and the mark has returned for the rest of the scene. (01:08:50)
Continuity mistake: On the fields of Pelennor, Éowyn throws the spear at the Mûmak's hind leg and in the wide shot her horse rears up. As she holds the reins, neither she nor Merry have a sword in their left hands. Yet, in the next close-up each of them hold swords in their left hands. (02:06:50)
Deliberate mistake: After Skully orders the catapults to release the decapitated heads, shots of the Gondorian soldiers are flipped, which is noticeable in close-ups of their legs - note the sword sheaths that hang at their right sides, instead of left. (01:59:50)
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)
Continuity mistake: At Edoras, after Gandalf throws the blanket over the palantir, Pippin's hair is on the floor above his head. However, in the next shot, his hair is completely under his head.
Deliberate mistake: Some moments after Gandalf whacks Denethor, the wizard rides Shadowfax up the stairs and all the archers' quivers hang on their right, instead of left. Then, the wizard shouts, "Send the foul beast into the abyss!" in a close-up that is flipped - note Gandalf's cloak broach, which is backwards. Another following close-up of the wizard is also flipped. All done for direction continuity. (02:01:55)
Continuity mistake: When Aragorn shouts for Legolas, he turns to see the Mûmak heading towards him and the mountainside to the right of Minas Tirith is gone, though it should be visible at this angle, such as when earlier, as the Corsair ships arrive, that mountainside is visible in the wideshot facing Minas Tirith. (00:39:20 - 00:41:45)
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: During the "It will be spring soon" speech between Sam and Frodo on the slope of Mount Doom, notice that the light hits their faces differently based on the shot. If it is a wide angle shot, the light is on the right side of their faces/bodies. However, if the camera is in tight for a close-up, the light is shining from the left side.
Revealing mistake: The two doors of the CG Black Gate continue to open wide, as Aragorn and the others ride away from the approaching Orc army. When Aragorn rides as he shouts, "Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers....when the age of men comes crashing down," at the top of the screen the 'closed gate' is visible above the shadow. (01:13:00)
Continuity mistake: Gandalf and Pippin walk to the prow of Minas Tirith, and while the wizard says, "Childless lords sat in aged halls, musing on heraldry..." the camera passes the two tall stones at the prow. The depth of the stones are the same at both the narrow top and wide bottom, they are irregularly shaped and the actual points are curved. The prow's short side stone walls meet the two front stones at their edges and part of the wall is broken. However, after Gandalf says, "The rule of Gondor was given over to lesser men," in the next shot facing Mordor, the stones are completely different. The two tall stones come to a perfect point, they are straight at all sides and the design of the stone differs. The wall is not broken and both sides jut out past the side edges of the two tall pointy stones. (Extended DVD.) (00:48:40)
Answer: There are only five wizards. Saruman and Gandalf are heavily involved, as we see. Radagast, while not mentioned in the film, has a particular affinity with the birds and animals - it is he who sends the Eagles to the last battle, and to rescue Gandalf from Isengard. The final two, Alatar and Pallando, known as the Blue Wizards, went into the far eastern regions of Middle-Earth and never returned. Tolkien felt that they would ultimately have fallen from grace, much as Saruman did.
Tailkinker ★