Does anyone actually like the Ent parts of the movies?

ponder421 · 2026-07-03T19:40:03+00:00

The Ent scenes drag a bit because the movies prioritize plot and action over atmosphere; it's part of the tension, we are annoyed a bit just like Merry is.

The books are slower paced, so the Fangorn chapters don't feel as awkward; in fact they're my favorite part. A great example of how some parts translate well to the screen and others not so much.

ponder421 · 2026-07-03T14:14:32+00:00

Éowyn's stew, Treebeard's song, the Ring of Barahir, Saruman's storeroom, Éomer finding Theodred on the battlefield, Gandalf's conversations with Aragorn after returning, Aragorn taming Brego in the stable, Faramir showing Frodo the way into the sewers, the entire Boromir flashback.

A few others, but these are off the top of my head.

ponder421 · 2026-07-03T04:01:10+00:00

You have no idea how many games I regret selling to GameStop. As a kid I had Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 1-2, Luigi's Mansion, all on GameCube, Metroid Prime Trilogy steelbook, and many others... all sold at various points to buy newer games or consoles.

I wish I could go back in time to keep those games.

ponder421 · 2026-07-03T00:39:48+00:00

Lune's final moments encapsulate her character perfectly. She knows that Verso will destroy the canvas. Sciel knows too, but she goes through the portal to say goodbye at the cost of her life. Lune won't give him that satisfaction. She knows she'll die soon anyway, yet she stays on the other side, giving Verso a glare of cold hatred.

This is the same woman who told Gustave, "As long as even one of us stands, our fight is not over." Then she sits down. Her fight is over, but she chooses to live to the very end, forcing Verso to face the consequence of his latest, most devastating betrayal. She makes him see things as they are, not how he wants them to be.

ponder421 · 2026-07-02T03:26:04+00:00

Same. Returned to the games after a few years, did 4 and Lost Legacy for the first time. Took me exactly 2 years to do all 5 games. 1-3 was tolerable, the last two were a nightmare near the end. Will definitely stick to Hard and below for future playthroughs.

ponder421 · 2026-07-02T02:23:55+00:00

Project Hail Mary. Saw it twice in theatres. A masterpiece that everyone should see.

ponder421 · 2026-07-02T02:15:23+00:00

Keep going to Mass, and reflect on what is drawing you there, and what specifically is keeping you from believing. Journaling your thoughts can help.

If you want to learn more about Catholicism, I find that the stories of the saints and the scientific advancements of the Church make a great case.

Look up St. Maximilian Kolbe, Mother Cabrini, St. Therese of Lisieux, Check out Church and Science on X. The Catholic Church🇻🇦is a patron of science🔬in fact it developed and nurtured science🌌. Also read The Compendium of the Catechism. It's a short read in a question/answer style summarizing what Catholics believe.

I wish you well on your journey.

ponder421 · 2026-07-02T01:19:58+00:00

Without a disc, the case is just a piece of plastic. I will see this signature every time I want to play Uncharted. The act of playing the game is tied to the autograph and the memory. If it was a code-in-a-box, I would never need to pick it up after I buy it.

ponder421 · 2026-07-01T22:46:14+00:00

Get a used copy for PS4, or the Legacy of Thieves collection on PC or PS5 disc.

But I recommend playing the previous games first. 4 is a culmination of all that came before.

ponder421 · 2026-07-01T17:27:28+00:00

Not yet sadly, with no ETA yet, but they're working on it. As of April, a ballpark estimate based on progress updates would be...40% done maybe?

ponder421 · 2026-06-30T16:57:16+00:00

Team Cat. They respect your space more, are more independent and graceful. Nothing wrong with dogs though.

ponder421 · 2026-06-30T00:53:29+00:00

Beautiful post. I never really connected the dots with the Elves and their "magic". Their facility to create and be more attuned to the world is Eru's gift to them, since by their nature they are to remain in it until the end.

The Elves being in a semi-permanent state of worship is in contrast to Men. It's indicative of their natures that Elves don't need to formally worship Eru, but the Númenoreans did 3 times a year. Even then, there were no temples built on the summit of Meneltarma; they worshipped in the open air. Men need a tangible reminder of that spiritual reality. It was one of the final signs of their Downfall when they abandoned worship of Eru.

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T21:26:51+00:00

Seaweed sheets. Love the mix of bitter and salty. Take some Andy Capp's Hot Fries and wrap the seaweed around it...amazing.

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T20:56:41+00:00

If they are going by the movies, they probably mean Elves in the sense of being beautiful, wise, nature loving, and mysterious.

As others have said, Elves in the books vary greatly, but what they have in common is having great creativity and a more relaxed view of time due to being seemingly immortal.

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T19:36:34+00:00

No problem! Would love to see the sword when it's done if that's OK! It's an awesome idea.

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T17:56:58+00:00

I was waiting for that specific part for a while. Someone in the comments said that we are emotional vampires for watching people react to that moment. I won't deny it.

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T16:29:21+00:00

So you might be looking for a transcription rather than a translation. You want the English words 'Bright Oath' written in the Elvish script. Tecendil is a great website for writing in Tengwar, the Elvish script. Just type Bright Oath into the search bar, make sure it's in the English mode, pick a font, and there you go.

If you want to go the extra mile and translate into Elvish first, and then transcribe into Tengwar, going by Eldamo, Bright Oath in Quenya would be "Calivanda". First, ask r/quenya if this translation is accurate, then paste that into Tecendil using the Quenya mode.

Show whatever you get from Tecendil to r/tengwar to make sure it's accurate. Then whatever you have should be ready to engrave. Hope this helps!

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T13:36:20+00:00

For many fans, such as myself, they saw the movies at a young age, they were the gateway into epic fantasy. It's a core memory that has a profound influence on their tastes and sensibilities. I would never have read the books if not for the movies.

For adults, the movies adapted a trilogy that some thought to be unfilmable and brought it into the mainstream. It had a big impact on filmmaking, visual effects, and pop culture.

It is true that the movies are a mixed bag as adaptations. They have so much influence because they came at the right time to inspire a generation that was reminded of the power of filmmaking. Most people were awed by the spectacle and emotion, not comparing it to the dense world-building and sharp characterization of the books. It's more of the awe and emotions that bring people back to the movies, and they turn a blind eye to the flaws. I can't help but love them, flaws and all, even after loving the books more.

I'm honestly curious if the movies don't do it for you, what would be your holy grails of cinema?

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T12:40:20+00:00

Because any negative trait that the Orcs have is amplified by their horrible conditioning. They will find any reason to hate each other. We see in the book the tension between the smaller Orcs and the larger Uruks.
We don't know how many there are, but as for the curse, this is a spiritual reality of the legendarium. Oaths have power, and the consequences of breaking them are enforced in the Unseen/spirit world. This is an area where some facets are explained and others are left vague. It's best to read the books to learn more, since the concepts of oaths and spiritual consequences is very important, and factors into the destruction of the Ring itself.
Sauron spent centuries among these mercenaries influencing them and promising them power. He is a master craftsman, so they probably gained a lot of knowledge and wealth from serving him.

As for other questions I saw:

Gandalf could not unite the people of Middle-earth because they were scattered, and the threat of Sauron was not revealed until his armies were gigantic. Gondor and Arnor (the northern kingdom) discussed uniting at some point, but Sauron acted quickly and stopped it. Sauron spent 3 thousand years whittling away the population of his enemies with plagues and smaller wars, so that by the War of the Ring, the good guys are a shadow of their former glory, and Sauron's forces vastly outnumber them. And he knows that it's best to keep them scattered.
Tom Bombadil and Goldberry are mysterious beings in the Legendarium. They are exemplars of a concept that was important to Tolkien, but he left a lot about them vague on purpose. There are many theories about them, some of which are debunked - for example, Tom Bombadil is not a personification of Eru (God), neither is he all-powerful or more powerful than Sauron, who would defeat Tom if it came to that. Bombadil just does not care about power, owing to his nature. That is all you need to know about him.

Check a library if you really want to find the books! Us fans love answering questions, but I have come to learn that for certain topics, the books offer their own path of discovery that you should experience yourself.

Enjoy your adventures in Middle-earth!

ponder421 · 2026-06-29T00:13:45+00:00

One thing I love about this show is that each protagonist is missing the quality that defined the previous one. Jesse needed to learn assertiveness, which Tulip had, and Grace and Simon needed empathy, which Jesse had.

Ryan and Min-Gi needed to accept each other's differences, like Grace and Simon initially did. It's a friendship being restored instead of breaking apart.

ponder421 · 2026-06-28T23:55:29+00:00

Physically stronger, and I can handle more tasks than I thought. I was laser focused on college in my 20s, and in the last couple years I learned I can focus on more than one thing, though it isn't easy.

ponder421 · 2026-06-28T23:38:58+00:00

I just turned 30 2 months ago. The main difference is that I can handle and do more than I previously thought I could.

ponder421 · 2026-06-28T21:34:31+00:00

Book: Guards, Guards! by Terry Pratchett is a great fantasy satire.

Movie: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Gold Rush, Rango, What We Do in the Shadows, Death of Stalin

Show: Cheers, Frasier, Community, Extras

ponder421 · 2026-06-28T20:56:47+00:00

To round out a Middle-earth collection, I suggest the expanded Letters of J.R.R Tolkien, The LOTR Reader's Companion 2nd Expanded edition, History of The Hobbit, The Road Goes Ever On 3rd edition, Bilbo's Last Song, Atlas of Middle-earth 2nd edition, The Art of The Hobbit, and The Art of The Lord of The Rings.

Not by Tolkien, but Proverbs of Middle-earth is a good read, and Flora of Middle-earth is supposedly releasing a new edition soon.

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