21st Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: Legolas sends an arrow directly to Grima atop Orthanc, and as Grima starts to fall back the arrow is quite visibly well below the coat's fur. However, when Grima actually hits the ground, the arrow is now higher up, protruding from the fur. (Extended Edition.) (00:16:35)
20th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: When Gandalf, Theoden, et al arrive at Orthanc, they stop when they're greeted by Treebeard and then are confronted with Saruman. The positions of the huge spiked wheel in front of Orthanc, Treebeard, the riders, etc., from the time they ride in, as well as the amount or even existence of debris in the water, changes drastically in consecutive close-ups, overhead and wide shots. (Extended Edition) (00:11:20)
20th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: When Frodo and Sam wake up in the culvert, the area of ground just outside of it in the interior shot looking out differs from the exterior shot as Sam stands at the opening. (00:06:15 - 00:07:25)
20th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: As Frodo and Sam walk by the cross-roads of the Fallen King, they pass the large severed stone head. The area around the head, including plants, branches, etc., differs between the two close-ups and the overhead shots. (Extended Edition) (00:51:25)
19th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: At Minas Tirith there is a wide shot of Gandalf on the balcony, and as he begins to cough while he smokes, Pippin lies in the bed behind him. Yet, in the very next close-up, as Gandalf continues to cough, Pippin now stands beside the bed, with his new Gondorian garments actually spread out on the made bed in front of him. Then, in later shots the unmade bed is perfectly visible. (Extended Edition) (00:52:10)
19th Dec 2004
Trivia: Among other cameos in this last film are Howard Shore, at the 'drinking game', and as Pirates on the Corsair ship when Aragorn confronts them are: Rick Porras, co-producer; Andrew Lesnie, director of photography; Richard Taylor, WETA creative supervisor and Gino Acevedo, WETA prosthetics supervisor. After arriving on the Corsair ship, the first Orc that Aragorn kills on Pelennor fields, is Viggo's son Henry, who was a young boy in TTT. In pickups for RotK, 3-4 yrs later, he had since grown to be taller than his father and was given the Orc suit for a cameo. (Extended Edition)
19th Dec 2004
Trivia: The Cirith Ungol stair ledge was built as a wet weather set on the squash court in a hotel in Queenstown. In November of 1999, Sean Astin's (Sam) close-ups were shot in the taping of the first RotK shots, and as a side note Andy Serkis (Gollum) had not been cast yet. The set remained standing on the squash court and as things would go, it wasn't until a year later on November 30th, 2000, that Elijah Wood's (Frodo) first close-ups were actually shot on that ledge.
19th Dec 2004
Trivia: The scenes at the Black Gate were shot at the army munitions training ground because of its wide, flat, desert type landscape. Before the shoot, the land had forty years worth of demolitions, land mines, mortars, grenades, etc., lying all over. The government asked the army to clear and dispose the ammunition for the filmmakers, but due to the soft ground many could've remained undetected. When the crew arrived for the shoot, an army officer lectured them and showed them different types of munitions to warn them of the possibility of finding more on the site, as dirt was kicked up during battle sequences. There were bomb disposal people surrounding them and sure enough shooting halted as things were discovered and cleared. The cast and crew were told that if they strayed from the designated areas and lost limbs, the army was not responsible.
19th Dec 2004
Trivia: The New Zealand army was used as extras for Aragorn's Rohirrim/Gondorian army. Though its presence was appreciatedly efficient, its fighting was overly enthusiastic, and did not lean towards pretend fighting. Quite a few injuries were incurred as a result of the army's fierce fighting with the stunt doubles, and WETA weapons were often destroyed in the melee.
19th Dec 2004
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)
19th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: The fray, size and shape of the rip on Frodo's knickers at his left knee changes throughout the film. For example it goes from large to small to large again, and so forth.
18th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: After Sam and Frodo slide down the rocky terrain wearing Orc armor, they run to the side and Sam's chin strap hangs down and is not buckled. Yet, in the very next shot and the following shots when the army of Orcs approach, the chin strap is tightly buckled. (Extended Edition.) (01:00:55)
18th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: Sam and Frodo wear the Orc armor and slide down the rocky terrain. After they spot the army of Orcs approaching the run off to the side and sit. In the next few wide shots the rocky area behind and around them is completely different. (Extended Edition) (01:00:45)
17th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: Gandalf says, "This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron," and next is a side shot of Frodo pouring tea as Gandalf sits at the table. The Ring is beside the small light colored creamer at the edge of the table, with the spout's interior perfectly visible. In the next close-up of the Ring from Frodo's POV, as Gandalf says, "For 60 years..." the very dark colored glaze on the rim and spout of the creamer are visible. Obviously not the same creamer in the shots from this POV. Then in the close-ups of the Ring from Gandalf's POV, like when he says, "...and the Ring survived," not only do the crumbs differ, the actual table differs - the wood's grain is completely different. (00:38:00)
17th Dec 2004
Visible crew/equipment: After Gandalf removes the One Ring from the fire and places it in Frodo's hand. The large overhead set light is reflected in the Ring, above Frodo's reflection, as he turns it between his fingers in the second close-up of the Ring. (00:37:20)
16th Dec 2004
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)
15th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: When Bug speaks with the beautiful widow the second time, about performing a noninvasive autopsy on her husband, her long hair continually changes position in the shots that face her.
15th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: At the Black Gate, as the Mouth of Sauron speaks, in the wide shots Gimli's height is way above Legolas' shoulders and is blocked by the bow and knives. However, in the close-ups he barely reaches Legolas' shoulders and is blocked by neither the bow or knives. Similarly this occurs in many shots throughout. (Extended Edition) (01:09:20)
15th Dec 2004
Deliberate mistake: In the Extended Edition, the location of the Tomb of the Stewards is shown to be behind the city of Minis Tirith, at the cemetery on the mountainside, accessible via a long bridge. Flaming Denethor later runs to the far prow of the city, leaps off and plummets. The distance between the two areas makes it is obviously entirely impossible for someone, even adrenaline charged Denethor, to run this distance while his oiled flesh burns. Admitted on the commentary that it's poetic license, due to director Peter Jackson's long awaited vision for this dramatic shot. (00:13:15 - 00:30:50)
15th Dec 2004
Continuity mistake: Gandalf enters the Tomb of the Stewards and in the shot facing him he grabs the guard's spear. The guard on the opposite side stands against the wall as he holds the spear in his right hand and walks toward the center of the hallway as he watches Gandalf ride. Yet, in the next shot facing Denethor, the guard now holds the spear in his left hand as he stands with his back against the wall again.
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