i’m not asleep my mind is alive

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD– feel free to add on!

“I made a promise Mr Frodo— a promise! Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee. And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.”

In general all the scenes where there’s no words/dialogue, and the music and visuals and actor’s performances are allowed to carry the story instead….something that’s impossible to do in a book. The standout moment for me is the moment after the ring is destroyed, Bard-Dur collapses, and it’s portrayed as.relief beyond words.

THE SOUNDTRACK IN GENERAL

The scene in mount doom that’s like “don’t you let go. Don’t let go.”

The hobbits returning home to find everything the same,  and being heartbroken because they’ve changed so much.. I’m not saying it’s better than the book’s plotline where they returned home to find the Scouring of the Shire™, but it’s impactful in a completely different way

The scene where Eowyn hears Theoden’s last words, instead of Merry hearing them like he did in the books. Again, not necessarily “better,” but impactful in a different way

“my brother, my captain….. my king.”

Flm!Boromir in general. He’s a drastically different character than he was in the books, and YMMV on which version you like better, but I’m so glad film!Boromir is here

“No parent should have to bury their child.”

Arwen’s expanded role in general, and the way they we actually got to see her make her choice to stay in Middle Earth

That subplot in the Two Towers where Aragorn tames a wild unruly horse, basically becoming the protagonist of a Horse Girl Movie

THE PACING!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My time has come.

Legolas’ miniature character arc of growing to understand death. Gandalf dies? Just pure shock. He looks like he got punched. Boromir dies? He’s just so. Sad and confused. Like a little kid who doesn’t know what dying is but he knows it’s bad. They think the Hobbits are dead? Legolas bows his head and murmurs a farewell in Elvish, but he still doesn’t seem to comprehend. He thinks Aragorn is dead? He practically shuts down because now he gets it. Battle of the Black Gate, when it looks like Aragorn is about to die? That is the only moment besides Moria when we see Legolas is genuinely afraid.

“Never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an Elf.” “What about side by side with a friend?” “…Aye. I could do that.”

Éomer finding Éowyn after the battle instead of in the middle of it and letting out that gut-wrenching scream.

“They have a Cave-Troll.”

Basically the entire fight sequence in Balin’s tomb, which was much shorter in the book.

That EPIC charge down the mountain at Helm’s Deep. Looks like a freaking Renaissance painting.

Boromir training the Hobbits to fight. It’s just so pure and wholesome.

Actually that whole scene because it’s the one moment—before the crebain show up—that we get to see the Fellowship just being friends without some immediate crisis.

Sam getting to say a proper goodbye to Bill the Pony because I have FEELINGS about that pony, okay?!

Arwen and Aragorn having an essentially telepathic connection. Idk if it’s better than the books, but honestly it’s a good way to expand her character without changing it completely—which is what they were gonna do originally by having her show up at Helm’s Deep to fight.

Here he is all grown up!

His name is Maui and he still takes a pat like no phrawblem

But he’s still giving you the stink eye because he’s actually a New York bodega cat at Willy’s Deli in Brooklyn and you know how New Yorkers are about Bostonians

That’s a great cat right there

Like the freak outs under pictures of protests from the 70s-90s because signs and shirts say faggot and dyke and queer, as if these words weren’t a key part of identity and activism.

Beyond just English, I saw a couple people making fun of the term “gender x” in an anime…but why would a Japanese production adhere to English standards?

Or the way people talk about pronouns as if every language uses pronouns the same way as English.

stop everything, this is bitty doing research for his thesis

there's more lmao, unhinged bitty energy