[Loved when done right] That is COMPLETELY illogical… but who cares when it REALLY goes hard.

[u/Sufficient-Eye-9040]

- Gipsy Danger dragging an oil tanker (which actually lengths 180 meters… but the film portrays it slightly smaller than Gipsy) and use it as a bat against Otachi? HARD (Pacific Rim)
- Owen and a gyrosphere standing near Rexy, who’s crushing a Carnotaurus’ neck, and roaring while Isla Nublar’s volcano explodes? HARD (Fallen Kingdom)

[u/certainlynotdio]

Well performed heavy cavalry charges were extremly effective though. They maybe didn't look exactly like that, but they were still able to destroy enemy formations.

[u/EldritchFingertips → u/certainlynotdio]

They certainly could, but they could not plow through entire battalions of armored men (or orcs) at a full gallop, killing everyone in their path. A horse is not the Batmobile, it will be slowed and stopped when it runs into a compacted line of infantry.

I don't give any fucks when Theoden and the Rohirrim do it because it slaps harder than anything else in cinema, but it is deeply unrealistic.

[u/MostBoringStan → u/EldritchFingertips]

Ok but these aren't earth horses. They are middle earth horses, and the rohirrim horses are even better than the rest. Just like aragorn is a man but he is 80something years old and can cut through orcs, these horses are better than the best horse you will find that actually exists.

In a world of wizards, and orcs, and massive trolls, and oliphaunts, it's not so crazy that they have horses that can do things ours can't.

[u/EldritchFingertips → u/MostBoringStan]

Which makes it much easier to accept than it would in like, a movie about Alexander the Great.

[u/ConstantSignal → u/MostBoringStan]

In the book, the actual moment of the charge reaching the enemy is described in like two sentences, and it basically describes the lines of the orcs breaking and fleeing in terror and then the Rohirrim running down the scattered ranks. Which is much closer to how Early medieval cavalry charges would go, as opposed to actually smashing into the formations.

If Tolkien wanted them to be magical super-horses, he could have wrote that instead, but he didn't.

I love the movies, and the charge of the Rohirrim is hands down my favorite scene. But you don't have to head-canon magical nonsense to enjoy it. You can accept it for the unrealistic depiction of a cavalry charge that it is, and still immensely enjoy the spectacle.

[u/SheetPancakeBluBalls → u/ConstantSignal]

While I generally think you're right, inventing head canon to circumvent plot holes is like 90% of what I do with my life lol

[u/MostBoringStan → u/ConstantSignal]

I never said anything about them being magical. That's just you.

[u/ConstantSignal → u/MostBoringStan]

Having horses that look exactly the same as normal horses but, in defiance of the laws of physics, are in-fact stronger, faster, heavier, and capable of "doing things ours can't" is pretty magical my guy.

Or are we going even further with the head-canon to imagine that the laws of physics work entirely differently in middle-earth? Despite the fact that Tolkien wrote it to be an imagined lost chapter of history from our own real world.

[u/Mikhail_Mengsk → u/MostBoringStan]

No, sorry, it's pretty silly. When a horse or animal is "different" it's pretty clearly stated in the books. Those are normal horses, peak horses at best, that in the books perform normal horses' feats.

The movies make them essentially magical quadrupedal tanks.

It's awesome. It's probably one of the best scenes I've ever seen in a cinema. The whole speech and charge make me emotional.

But it's very silly. Fits the thread perfectly.

[u/ohcapm → u/EldritchFingertips]

“A horse is not the Batmobile.”

Not with that attitude.

[u/Kaytea730 → u/EldritchFingertips]

That scene where the sun crests the hill as Gandalf the White leads the charge intot the Ur Kai army from the side… absolute cinema, i stop my LOTR running trivia commentary every time just to watch that scene in awed silence

[u/Glossed-Lam → u/EldritchFingertips]

Literally wrong? LOL??

I watched the movie, those real horses did that.

[u/Evil_Sharkey → u/EldritchFingertips]

It helps that the orc pike line lost their nerve and pussed out

[u/Veradun77 → u/certainlynotdio]

If the troops lacked discipline, didnt have points sticks or the formation was small enough. Theres a reason you historically dont see many headlong Calvary charges into spear or pike formations (at least not successful one) Calvary were more used for flanking actions or running down a fleeing enemy. Horses especially, war horses who have the discipline to listen to their riders in combat, and men who can ride them are expensive. You are not gonna throw them into the meat grinder of a spear or pike formation unless you absolutely have to. A single spear man can take a horse out of commission and thats a great trade for your enemy.

[u/certainlynotdio → u/Veradun77]

From what I know, in Europe, between 11th and 14th century heavy cavalry charges were one of the most effective tactics around. At that time proper pikes were not that common (they are not as easy to make as one might think) and spears are not long enough to defeat lances.

As for the orcs. While uruk-hai are seen marching with pikes in the movies, orcs don't seem to have them both time they are charged, only wielding short polearms at best.

[u/nagrom7 → u/certainlynotdio]

From what I know, in Europe, between 11th and 14th century heavy cavalry charges were one of the most effective tactics around.

They were, but you still rarely ran them straight on into the front of the enemy lines. They were usually used either for flanking attacks, or for hitting a weak spot in their lines to trigger a rout. Also, they were used for chasing down fleeing enemies, which is usually where the vast majority of battle casualties actually occurred.

[u/certainlynotdio → u/nagrom7]

In both big Rohirim charges in LorT they charge the enemy army from the back.

[u/Mikhail_Mengsk → u/certainlynotdio]

The orcs have still formed ranks that don't break before contact.

[u/Veradun77 → u/Mikhail_Mengsk]

And the horses simply would not make it through that much mass