Magic
and science are forces that tend to oppose each other, magic being a power that
tries to subvert or overpower the laws of science more often than not… or such
would be the case if it was a tangibly real entity. Regardless, magic is
something that fascinates many people who seek something extraordinary, whether
it would be a stream performer who simply wants to bend our perceptions of
reality or a movie that seeks to practically outright destroy. It is something
that leads to one of the greatest genres in media: fantasy; it gives viewers
something much greater than something that is bound to come (not to downplay
science fiction, which at times can be a form of fantasy), which can let the
creators make something that isn’t limited by reality and science. Any creature
can exist, but instead of being seen as some alien form, it is treated with a
strange sense of reverence, awe, and adventure (much like the old Ray
Harryhausen movies, which were imaginative and fantastic, even ones that were
based on some sort of reality).
One
such piece of fantasy, one that usually has a good set of rules but still has
moments of breaking it’s set laws of physics for the sake of the plot, is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(Extended Cut). The second of three films based on the book trilogy of the
same name, The Two Towers is a movie
of epic scale, ranging from its battles, landscapes, and creatures that inhabit
the world. As one would expect, the film has its fair share of magic, either
something as blatant as wizards casting spells or something much more subtle,
such as the enchantment of objects. While the story is certainly given a much
greater sense of depth with the extended cut, much more questions can arise in
regards to the consistency of the world in terms of its laws of physics and
magic. It's made clear that the normal laws are broken
either by magic, to fit the epic scale of the film, or way just not have been
properly timed.
It
is strange that Elves seems capable of creating everything for any situation,
including food that keeps a man full after one bite, cures for the deadliest
poisons, and other creations that keep them lasting as long as they do. While
not readily apparent in the theatrical cuts, some extensions in the extended
cuts make them more obvious (which in turn makes the audience question their
crafting skills in the climactic battle in Helm's Deep). The first piece that
was more apparent to the eagle-eyed viewer is the fact that the arrows of
Legolas, an Elven archer, do not oscillate back and forth when launched
(something that was introduced in the first film). While one may initially
think this would just be a CGI goof, it becomes apparent it isn't when humans
fire their arrows. Although subtle (usually due to the lack of close-ups or the
speed in which they fire), the arrows of humans actually do oscillate. This makes levels of accuracy completely
different, as oscillation throws an arrow off track, due to the constant
bouncing around of its body back and forth. This also provides a legitimate
factor as to why elves are such expert marksmen. This stayed consistent
throughout all three movies. One can argue multiple reasons, including the fact
that Elves are simply better equipped; arrows made from stronger materials have
shown less oscillation, due to the stronger levels of resistance such materials
posses. It can be said that, as beings who live in high society (their own high society, but one that's regal
nonetheless) or in the woods, these are people who can either acquire richer
materials or simply have greater knowledge in harvesting and building materials.
That
being said, elves are known to have some knowledge in enchantment and magic. In
fact, a key item that was given context in The
Fellowship of the Ring extended cut reveals that a rope given to a Hobbit
named Sam, one of the main characters and friend of fellow Hobbit, Frodo, is
enchanted to be unbreakable and support heavy weights, despite the fact that it
is practically no thicker than a piece of twine or a fine necklace. When Sam
and Frodo are descending a mountain, it easily supports them (although in all
fairness, these are people who are no taller than 3'6" in their universe).
This can also be defended by another scene stemming from the first movie, in
which the body of a deceased member is put on a boat that careens off of a
waterfall, which can be gauged at about 200 feet tall (although one can't
accurately gauge it, based on the fact that it falls at an unchanging sense of
speed, as well as not showing the boat fall all the way). The amount of
pressure the boat is able to withstand must be quite large, because in the
second film, the boat is discovered by his brother with nary a scratch on it
(including the body still being in its original position). The fact that it
hadn't at least sank due to being overflowed with water is another marvel
altogether.
Once
again, it can be argued that this is either due to enchantment or extreme
craftsmanship, due to the previous reasons. Although with something like a body
staying in its original position, despite the boat practically be flipped in
the air due to weight distribution, it can also be argued that this just wasn't
properly thought out, much like another oddity that became evident in the
battle of Helm's Deep. Despite the many marvels of the Elvish race, it's
evident that their armor is penetrable from weapons still. Many elves
slain by either an arrow or axe. The strength and means of enchantment that
becomes evident in the extended cuts makes the viewer question whether or not
the writers truly thought out some of these ideas. If they can make a rope that
won't break, a boat that can't be destroyed by calling off a waterfall, and
arrows that can't bend due to pressure, why can't they make an armor that can
resist other forms of steel? Is because they have greater access to wood than
high quality steel? Or can their enchantment work on more "natural"
substances? This is supported by the ideas that Dwarves are masters of
metalurgy, who were the primary forgers of steel, making a material called
"Mithril," which somehow withstood impalement from a large spear
wielded by a cave troll in the first film (although how the wearer was did not
have his internal organs crushed due to the immense pressure, caused by an
acute focal point, is another story). Still, it supports the idea of different
species being specialized in certain craftsmanship, which creates a sense of
consistency that outweighs many potential gaps of believability in the physics
of the film.
Gravity
also has interesting moments that defy the laws of nature. Even without
concrete numbers, the practicality of everything is more or less absurd. Case
in point, in the opening of the film, which recaps the (literal) fall of
Gandalf, a gigantic creature known as a Balrog, made up of fire and stone,
falls for about 25 seconds (give or take, given there is some slow-motion) down
a cavern before Gandalf eventually takes his fall. Despite the disparity of
size and weight, Gandalf catches up to the creature rather quickly in about 17
seconds. While the Balrog certainly has greater wind resistance compared to
Gandalf, the creature's sheer mass and size (it stands at about two stories
tall, and the fact that it's body is most likely some sort of magma and stone),
it should have been much harder for Gandalf to catch up. Due to his smaller
size and weight, not only would it take longer, but he would also have a slower
terminal velocity that he'd be capable of reaching. That being said, there are
various hypothesis. The fact that he goes into a nose dive greatly reduces the
level of air resistance needed to catch up to him, but that doesn't change the
fact that once he gets knocked off from the Balrog, he stays at the same level
as it (even falling a bit faster than the Balrog for a couple of seconds),
which potentially discounts the theory that the makers fully knew (or cared)
about the physics behind it. The creature does have "wings," which
would normally increase the wind resistance, even if falling down some
cavernous hole, although it also seems to be a moot point, as it has no
webbing, just the "boney" shape that is similar to that of a bats.
With that, the amount of increased wind resistance would be somewhat negligible.
It could just be that Gandalf has some mystical ability to defy the
laws of gravity. He has sent people flying into the air before (albeit when he
has his staff, which acts as a magical conductor). However, he is usually only
able to do this when it is aimed at someone. This may bring an even greater
sense of confusion when at the end of the movie, when an army of horsemen led
by Gandalf (by which I mean at least a hundred) come riding to the rescue down
a hillside. Unfortunately, they're moving at a 45 degree angle downward, which shifts their base of
support rather heavily, as well as their center of gravity. While some maintain
a questionable level of balance, many of their base of supports fall behind
their center of gravity, which would hypothetically send them all rolling in
the dirt (probably all over each other in the process). Although even if they
did maintain balance, the amount of horses they have crammed together would at
the very least have them tripping over each other. Regardless, this is a scene
in which logic was pushed to the side for the sake of the story and sheer epic
scale of the battle at hand, in which they charge a huge army.
Lastly,
something else that's altered every now and then is timing. This is clearly
done more consciously, as many of the times, the timing of either actions are
adjusted for the sake of the action. This is a rule that's bent quite a bit by
Jackson over time. One such case is when Aragorn throws a spear during an
ambush when a village is being moved to Helm's Deep. He practically flings it
effortlessly, and when it leaves his arm, it actually speeds up faster that he throws it. While it certainly wouldn't be
too hard to throw something that averages at 9 lbs., the laws of acceleration
should not have allowed the spear to move faster than the force exerted on it
can potentially create, meaning it can only travel as fast as Aragorn's arm can
move.
This
isn't the only moment of timing that seems strange. When an army of Ents (which
are living trees that have usable limbs not unlike a person) begin to attack
the tower of Isengard (a fortress of a wizard named Saruman, a supporter of the
main antagonist Sauron), they destroy a dam holding the water back. However,
when it is destroyed, it becomes clear that the speed of the water alternates between moving quickly and slowing
down while everything else moves normally. What's interesting is that this is altered for the creatures, who
naturally move slowly because of their lack of dexterity. The water does not
move past them until the ones that cleared the dam are out of harm's way. It
can be discounted that they have the ability to manipulate time, considering
how seconds later, hundreds more must hold their ground when the pent up water
comes pouring towards them. It's clear that, for those moments, time is altered
for the sake of those around the scenery, as it's easier to manipulate CG
characters rather than footage (which becomes apparent that the water is used
from, as the features seem subdued compared to the CGI Ents).
Certainly
some factors can be explained in Two
Towers because of the aspects of magic or specialty based on certain races,
much like the idea of craftsmanship of the Elves, who can somehow make certain
things indestructible, while other objects remain weak and vulnerable. For
other issues, it can be questionable as to whether or not it's done for the
sake of the story or if the physical consistency in the world was an
afterthought. Regardless, most of it is something that is largely consistent,
and if it isn't, there's a clear reason behind it when it's for the sake of the
scene at hand, such as with timing or ignoring certain laws of gravity. Even if
it is questionable, it doesn't change the fact that the movie remains largely
entertaining and epic, which can make many of these problems forgivable in the
long run... even if it does prod the back of your mind for the rest of it.
