Saturday, October 1, 2022

Rings of Power, “Udûn” - Part One, Review!

It has come down to the Battle of the Southlands in this part of “Udûn” for Rings of Power!  "The battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin", to quote Gandalf!  A gauntlet paws the ground and then fingernails of Adar who says in Elvish, “New life.”  He stands up to see the sea of torches held by his Orc army.  Adar gives his speech about how much they suffered and that their enemy has small numbers.  An Orc growls as Waldreg stands next to him, he has the look of uh-oh, wrong army.  Adar mentions they have a brotherhood also about brothers and sisters, has there been a female Orc, how do they have children?  The Orcs begin to chant “Nampat!” again.  They march on the bridge to Osgiliath.  Adar simply opens the door, Waldreg at his side, is he like a commander?  It seems empty and Adar orders a search.  

A better strategy would be lay traps and destroy the bridge.  Did they see Willow (1988)?  Above them on a rampart is Arondir with his back to the wall.  Adar sees the stone sculpture of the black blade.  Waldreg asks him about Sauron.  The Orcs are looking for the Elf meaning Arondir.  As if in answer, Arondir takes down several Orcs with arrows, and then a fire arrow that starts the collapse of a tower!  Arondir leaps outside of the fortress as it starts to fall on the Orcs.  There was an endless line of Orcs and maybe about a hundred, less?, went to the tower.  The Southland survivors cheer in the valley below. They have lanterns and no Orc noticed?  Bronwyn tells them that they have to prepare at the village.  The three Númenorean ships sail the night seas.  Isildur is restless and checks on his horse, Berek.  There should be slight rocking in the hull of the ship. He shares an apple with Berek and then goes to the deck.  Galadriel questions him if he wants to see land, she is still in armor, very uncomfortable not in battle. Do Elves sweat?  

She has seen land hours ago.  Isildur says he is a stable sweep, Galadriel respects laborers, and that the true Númenor is gone.  Galadriel says it still exists even within a stable sweep.   I like this meeting between them.  He says his name and Galadriel knows he is the son of Elendil.  Isildur then notices the dawn sky.  Elendil, in his scale armor, greets Isildur as “soldier” and his son leaves.  Galadriel asks about his wife and Elendil tells her that she had drowned!  Elendil reports to Queen Regent Míriel that they have another day to sail and a day to ride.  She has a looking glass and focuses on the area that dissolves to the black hilt, nice shot!  It is morning, Arondir is trying to hammer the hilt apart, Gimli-style, but the hammer shatters.  He tells Bronwyn it can’t be destroyed so Arondir goes to hide it without anyone else knowing.  


An Orc head is placed on a spear.  Bronwyn tells the villagers that they can survive the night, they fill up the Orc pits, and ready scythes and arrows.  Tar is poured on a cart with straw.  Arondir adds that they have to wait for the Orcs to cross the bridge to attack.  Bronwyn notes that the tavern is where all of the non-fighters can go, one place?, they come from different villages and should spread out.  Orcs have torches.  Arondir hypes the crowd and Bronwyn sends out the command to get into position.  Co-commanders, love it!  Theo wants to fight, but Bronwyn has him in the tavern to defend the others. The Eowyn situation at the Battle of Helm’s Deep.  She gives him a spear and he wants her to repeat her words when he was a frightened boy.  Alone, Arondir gives Bronwyn some Alfirin seeds that she had given him to plant before the battle.  



He says they will plant the rest in a garden with Theo.  Under a tree, Arondir and Bronwyn kiss, “first comes love…”.  The sun begins to set and then it is night with a full moon, the village is quiet, torches provide light.  Another day or so until the cavalry arrives.  Arondir sees a torchlight in the distance and then others.  Theo also spots them from a opening in the tavern, for some reason they have a number of lanterns, that tavern should be lit up like a night club!  The Orcs enter the village, Bronwyn tries to spark a flint next to a cart, a growling Orc surprises them like a jump scare!  An Orc is sent to scout the area by the cart!  Bronwyn attacks it with a scythe, it turns to kill the other woman (what was she doing?), and Bronwyn finishes it off taking his torch to light the cart!  She cuts the line sending the cart exploding into the Orcs!  They didn’t notice the fight?  An Orc says that they missed them, but another cart sets up another fire line, he didn’t realize that they are trapped between the fires!  


Arondir goes to work with his arrows as well as other villagers.  I just saw a video on archery in movies and tv, Cordova has his archery skills on point with a straight arm to target drawing his arrows!  The Orcs break through the debris, there should be tar instead of just wood, and Arondir notes that they are moving towards the tavern!  They have brought a battering ram, but villagers attack with their war cry, “Fight for the Southlands!”, brave.  They are using spears which is good not to go into close combat with Orcs.  An Orc attacks Arondir’s position, kills a villager, and they both roll off of the roof.  Arondir backs into a large Orc that tosses him through a fence!  This is very Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) with the bald mechanic at the Flying Wing scene.  He gets really tossed around and bashed by the Orc.  The first part of “Udûn” has the battle turned against the Southlanders, the Númenoreans are far away, so they have to find a way to survive!  More of the battle in the next part!   


#RingsOfPower, #Udun, #IsmaelCruzCordova, #NanzaninBoniadi, #TyroeMuhafidin, #MaximBaldry, #MorfyddClark, #LloydOwen, #CynthiaAddaiRobinson, #JosephMawle, #GeoffMorell






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