The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Continuity mistake: At Minas Tirith, Gandalf tells Pippin, "Go back to the Citadel!" and while Gandalf battles the Orcs, the area of the two adjacent benches, one is a two legged bench and the other is a three legged, change in consecutive shots. For example, the legs of a man lying under the three legged bench are in a shot, then they're gone, then back again in the same position. (01:36:15)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: After Gandalf yells at Pippin, "This is no place for a Hobbit!" he hits one Orc up close, then another in the wide shot. The third Orc he swings at with his staff actually falls back, before the staff is anywhere near him. (01:36:20)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: In Shelob's lair Frodo runs away from her and points the light of Eärendil at Shelob to keep her at bay. He then dives, head first, down a sloped passage and as he does both of his knee pads are seen. (01:42:10)

Super Grover

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

Visible crew/equipment: In Shelob's lair, when Frodo is caught in the web, in the first close-up while hanging there the camera pans down to his feet. Both ankles are wrapped and have foot supports and the wire cables attached to his ankle straps are visible, especially his left. In the next back shot, as Frodo turns around the wrist/arm support at his right arm, while he holds Sting, is seen too. (01:42:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After getting caught in the web at Shelob's Lair in Cirith Ungol, Frodo's Elven cloak and the rest of his clothes are covered in web material. Following this, there are quite a few consecutive shots in which the amount, position, or existence of web on his body, changes within the close-ups and wide shots. (01:43:20)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: Frodo falls at Shelob's Lair, and he lifts his head to see Galadriel, as she reaches her hand out to him, In the first close-up of Frodo he has a green leaf in his hair, in the second close-up, it's a brown leaf and in the third close-up it's the green leaf again. There are also differences with other leaves around him. (01:45:25)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: At Minas Tirith, Grond breaks through the door, then Trolls and Orcs attack. After Gandalf yells, "Volley! Fire!" there is a shot of Orcs, one of which is somewhat bald at the bottom of the screen in the foreground, who run towards the right of the screen. Then other shots including Gandalf slaying a Troll. The last shot of this scene is the same shot of the Orcs running to the right of the screen. (01:48:15)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: At Minas Tirith, Grond destroys the door and the Trolls attack. Gandalf charges at one Troll in particular and proceeds to slash the Troll in the belly, and the Troll drops down, yet Gandalf's sword never even touches the Troll at all. (01:48:30)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: In Minas Tirith, as Gandalf slashes at the Troll to his right with his sword, his left foot disappears and reappears in the Troll to his left. The stirrup under his left foot is completely visible at that point too. (01:48:30)

Super Grover

Deliberate mistake: When Théoden and the Rohirrim ride out of camp, as Éomer shouts, "Form up! Move out!" and in the following close-up when Théoden shouts, "Ride! Ride now for Gondor!" please note that Théoden's sheath is at his left side and Éomer's strap hangs down his left shoulder to his right side - whereas normally they are the opposite way. Both shots are flipped for direction continuity. (01:49:30)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Sam rolls down Shelob's back and falls, we see Sam's sword in the sheath at his waist. However after he stabs Shelob between her pincers, she knocks Sting out of Sam's hand, pushes him and when she tries to stab him, as he rolls we see an empty sheath. Then after he picks up the light of Eärendil, he falls and we see his sword (not Sting) in the sheath once again. (01:51:00 - 01:51:45)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: Sam rolls down Shelob's back, then he grabs Sting and takes a stance against Shelob. In the next overhead wide shot, Sam stands at the ready and Shelob positions herself at the stairway. Frodo's wrapped body is nowhere to be seen at the bottom of the stairs in this mostly CG shot. (01:51:05)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: After Sam rolls down Shelob's back, he holds Sting up towards Shelob and as she advances forward Sam trips and falls back. In the shot facing Sam as he falls, when he hits the ground his left knee pad is seen. (01:51:05)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: When Sam withdraws Sting from Shelob's eye, the sword is covered in eye gloop and he is holding Sting in his left hand. The shot switches further out and the gloop is gone and Sting has moved to his right hand. (01:51:10)

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)

Super Grover

Revealing mistake: After stabbing Shelob the last time, Sam picks up the light of Eärendil and trips near Frodo's body. As Sam hits the ground his right knee pad is visible. (01:52:00)

Super Grover

Continuity mistake: After Shelob retreats into her lair, Sam runs over to Frodo and begins to remove the webbing. In the first front shot we see Shelob's green blood on his hands. In the next shot from the side, the amount and shape of the blood on Sam's hands has changed. Then back to another front shot and the stains are the same as in the first shot. (01:52:25)

Super Grover

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

Continuity mistake: When Frodo is stabbed by Shelob (the giant spider) and wrapped in her web, Sam thinks he's dead because he's not moving at all. From Sam's point of view Frodo's eyes are fixed wide open. A cut to a side view of Sam lifting Frodo shows Frodo's eyes shut. The next cut back to the original point of view shows Frodo's eyes back fixed open. (01:52:30)

Continuity mistake: After Frodo has been wrapped in the spider web, Sam tries to rescue him and frees his face. In the next shots, the web is sometimes over Frodo's chin and sometimes under it, although no one touched it. (01:52:35)

nightline

Legolas: So, it's a drinking game?
Gimli: Last one standing wins!
Legolas: [after several drinks.] I...I feel something-a slight tingle in my fingers. I think it's affecting me!
Gimli: Ahh...what'd I say? He can't hold his liquor... [falls over.].
Legolas: Game over.

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

Trivia: When Gandalf is talking about the gathering of the armies of Sauron, the next shot shows the Corsairs on a ship. Walking from right to left is Peter Jackson in a cameo as a Corsair pirate. In the extended version he is pierced in the chest by Legolas' arrow and dramatically dies. (00:38:30)

More trivia for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Answer: Aragorn is 210 years old when he dies. Some of the early texts give his age at death as 190, but Tolkien eventually confirmed that 210 is the correct age.

Tailkinker

More questions & answers from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

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