[Just your average movie goer]

I noticed in The Lord of the Rings that the orcs could progressively more and more ridiculous in each movie.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, we had very cool looking orcs and we finished the movie with a showdown between Aragorn and Lurtz the Urak-hai.

Yet somehow, when we come to the third movie, we have a fat pig-faced orc saying "The age of man is over, the time of the orc has begun." He looks ridiculous and although he was a guy in costume, he STILL managed to look like a really shitty CGI. And he was so comical, he was not at all scary. In fact, every time he appeared, any tension that was occuring at the time was lost because he was so stupid.

In Return of the King, I kind of expected that the orcs from Mordor would look like the cool orcs we saw in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring because those orcs were orcs from Mordor!

But instead, we got the biggest group of retards ever assembled in an otherwise credible movie trilogy.

I was going to say the biggest group of retards outside of a George Lucas production, but then I remembered Waterworld, Robin Hood - Prince of Thieves, Con Air, the Mad Max films and a host of other shit.

What the hell happened? Did the people in the WETA department just suddenly go insane or something? Did the script writers just crack up under the pressure of the deadline?

It makes me wonder. Would you guys concur?

[Heccubus]

The one from Two Towers pissed me off. I hated him, and I'm glad he got eaten.

[Just your average movie goer]

I nearly cheered out loud when he got squashed. He was horrible.

[Caolan]

I liked the evil pasty orc from the third movie. AND I thought he was pretty creepy. But I really like the title of this thread. I think "The Most Ridiculous Orc" would be a great children's book title.

[barend]

I chose the pigfaced orc... because he's ment to be 'gothmog' who was not an orc, but some reason alot of people think he was. the book was unclear but due to the wording - you are left with the impression that he was either a black numernorian like the 'mouth of Sauron' or the 2nd in command of the ringwraiths.

but all that aside the later two were refrences to Peter Jacksons earlier works. Grishnkh (the one from the Two Towers) was kind of cool i thought. the guy who played him was...

[Just your average movie goer]

Yeah, I always thought Gothmog was a man in the book... which really makes his infamous "The age of man is the over, the time of the orc has begun." line sound even more stupid.

I'm assuming they keep this orc-supremacist stuff to themselves when they're around their human allies?

I think "The Most Ridiculous Orc" would be a great children's book title.

Too true! Once you pointed that out... that'd be great, wouldn't it?

[Just your average movie goer]

but all that aside the later two were refrences to Peter Jacksons earlier works. Grishnkh (the one from the Two Towers) was kind of cool i thought. the guy who played him was...

Was..... ?

[Despondent]

I liked it when they killed the young orc, "not good enough" in fellowship.

What is the basis for orcs? embryo of the muck, I'm really not sure.

but I noticed the word "sorcerer" has "orc" in it.

[Supes]

The pig just didn't do it for me.

[Rory]

I liked the evil pasty orc from the third movie. AND I thought he was pretty creepy. But I really like the title of this thread. I think "The Most Ridiculous Orc" would be a great children's book title.

I agree with Caolan. The pasty faced orc was pretty bad ass. In particular, I really liked his line "The age of man is over, the time of the orc has begun." Not only did this line capture the dire nature of the upcoming battle, but it also provided some much needed orc motivation. Plus, this orc was fucking brave, and together, and all around cool, and you got the feeling his people respected him. Remember when they started catupulting huge pieces of rock down upon the orc army, and this guy ordered his men to stand their ground? And They Did! They totally stood their ground! This character and the actions of the men he commanded gave a slightly different view of the orcs, that, though they represent something all around evil and unsavory, they are still a passionate people who are willing to fight for what they believe in.

[Just your average movie goer]

And when a rock was hurled at the inspiring leader himself, he leapt out of the way of it... hypocrite.

I have to disagree about this guy. I'd also like to point out that he was fat and pudgy, in case anyone forgot this. Also, very importantly, his character in the book was a MAN so his line about the age of man being over is really stupid.

What's more, that line was real Hollywood commercialised crap - it wasn't as bad as the dishwashing detergent, pirates of the Carribean - the army of the dead - call them what you will..... but it was still pretty awful.

In addition to this, every second of him being on the screen was wasted film that was needed elsewhere (like in Saruman's final seven minute scene for example).


Lastly, in The Fellowship of the Ring, we had Lurtz, LURTZ! That huge urak-hai who killed Boromir and bloody nearly took down Aragorn too.

Lurtz set a very high standard for the rest of the urak-hai and the other orcs. None of the others came close, not even the urak-hai berserker warriors in The Two Towers. But Gothmog in Return of the King couldn't have been further removed.

And if by strange fate, Lurtz and Gothmog should ever have come to meet...

I think the results can be easily imagined but not adequetely described. However, I don't think it would take Lurtz very long.

[Just your average movie goer]

Gothmog - I will be in charge of this division. You will take your orders from me. When I tell you to stay where you are, you will stay where you are. When I tell you to...

Lurtz (rips Gothmog's head off and squashes him)

[Despondent]

(being a percussionist) A friend and I got a big laugh out of the monsters with the drums. Just couldn't take them seriously.

[Just your average movie goer]

They were pretty dicky, weren't they? I also loved how when the gate was breached and the trolls came through, it looked like a cut scene from War Craft 2 or something (but not as realistic... ) .

[Rory]

And when a rock was hurled at the inspiring leader himself, he leapt out of the way of it... hypocrite.

Hey, cut the guy a break. He was pretty much the general of the orc army! If he died, they would have fallen into chaos. Furthermore, theres a difference between fleeing the when a rock sort of flies in your general direction, and moving out of the way seconds before the rock actually hits you. Its a matter of statistics. A rock that appears to be flying in your general direction probably has only a 10% chance or so to hit you. That rock, if he hadnt moved, was definetly going to hit him. There's a difference between bravery/discipline and stupidity. That orc was disciplined, may even have been brave, but certainly wasn't stupid.

Lurtz set a very high standard for the rest of the urak-hai and the other orcs. None of the others came close, not even the urak-hai berserker warriors in The Two Towers. But Gothmog in Return of the King couldn't have been further removed.

I don't think I really need to point out that Lurtz was hardly general potential. He did okay as the leader of a small group or orcs, but I doubt he had the intelligence or the discipline to handle an entire orc army. Gothmog represents a welcome change, an orc who makes up for brute strength with a cunning military mind.

I wasn't sold on his makeup, but overall he brought more to the movie than he took away from it.

When Gothmog said "the age of man is over, the time of the orcs has begun" he was pretty much speaking the truth. Assuming the two great human cities are overthrown, the members of sarumans army will probably take over, the bulk of which consists of orcs. Certainly there are some wildmen in there too, but they are probably in the minority. Furthermore, its doubtful the wildmen (or whatever they are) would become the powerful dominating force that the men of rhodin and gondor were. If its going to be anyones age, its going to be the age of the orcs. And besides, Gothmog is an orc, who is proud of his people. Hes being a little optimistic. And really, it would just be awkward to say "the age of man is over, the time of orcs and those other men that we are allied with who arent the first type of men has begun."