Funny / The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

"Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took. I might have known."

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• The Extended edition begins after the prologue with Bilbo discussing Hobbits. A montage over this of Hobbit life includes a hobbit about to get a kiss being distracted by a passing pastry, another hobbit carrying a barrel of ale on his shoulder and filling his cup from it as he walks, several hobbits struggling with putting up a tent and a hobbit dozing on a grassy knoll just as Bilbo points out that they've never been considered great warriors, nor counted among the very wise.
• Frodo and Gandalf's first scene together is marvellous. After Gandalf claims a wizard "arrives precisely when he means to," Frodo gives him a 'you are so incredibly full of crap' look, and then they both start laughing.
  • Gandalf's response when Frodo tells him that before he came to the Shire, the Bagginses "were very well thought of - never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
    Gandalf: If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.
  • When Frodo told Gandalf that many Hobbits consider him to be "disturber of peace", Gandalf skeptically replies "Really?" But then he looks around in apparent worry.
• Gandalf drives by a small crowd of hobbit children begging for a display of fireworks. He complies; the children cheer, and Mr. Proudfoot, who was watching, indulges in a chuckle, but on seeing his wife, hastily adopts a face of disapproval to match hers.
• Gandalf banging his head on a ceiling lamp, and then one of the archways in Bilbo's home with a very healthy *thump*. Even funnier when you realize that it was an accident.
• "It's the Sackville-Bagginses! They're after the house! They've never forgiven me for living this long!"
  • Bilbo keeps offering Gandalf food and drink, which Gandalf keeps politely refusing in favour of tea.
• The Extended Edition has Bilbo giving Frodo a heartfelt speech about how he considers the boy his only true family. In the middle of this touching moment:
  Frodo: Bilbo, have you been at the Gaffer's home brew?
  Bilbo: No! *Beat* Well, yes, but that's not the point!
  • Before this, Bilbo has a Spider-Sense moment when his ears twitch, indicating the dreaded Sackville-Bagginses are coming. He and Frodo then hide behind a cart and wait until they're gone.
• Gandalf going to his cart and grabbing more fireworks, actually giggling in amusement.
• Merry and Pippin's first scene, the one with the firework:
  Merry: You were supposed to stick it in the ground!
  Pippin: It is in the ground!
  Merry: OUTSIDE!
  Pippin: This was your idea!
  • ...And then it blasts off, leaving both of them with an Ash Face. Said firework promptly turns into an enchanted firework dragon that tears through the air right above the heads of the party, putting a good scare into them before winging off into the sky and exploding.
  • Remember, kids: When all else fails? Blame the other guy.
  • Made even more hilarious by the fact that Billy Boyd really did scream when the firework goes off. Yes, the scream in the movie really is Billy.
  • He also claims to have pissed himself, earning the nickname "Pissylegs" from Dominic.
    "And that is Billy shrieking like a girl."
  • Shown above is Gandalf coming up behind them as they're planning to steal another firework and catching them by the ear: he proceeds to press-gang them into washing the dishes as punishment.
    • Also the sheepish grins that they both give him, not even trying to deny what they've done.
    • Just the tired, completely unsurprised way Gandalf says their full names speaks volumes as to how often these troublemakers have caused chaos.
      "I might have known."
• Just after Merry and Pippin's firework mishap, the dragon firework is soaring down and scaring the crap out of the whole congregation. Frodo warns a drunk Bilbo, who brushes him off like a drunk old man would.
  Frodo: Bilbo! Bilbo, watch out for the dragon!
  Bilbo: [not looking] Dragon? Nonsense, there hasn't been dragon in these parts for a thousand years!
  • If you notice carefully, the dragon firework tried to get Bilbo before Frodo pushed him down. It's as if Smaug was trying to get revenge on Bilbo.
  • Or as if Gandalf had specifically designed the firework-dragon to "attack" Bilbo to troll his old friend.
• In the Extended Edition, Sam getting jealous when he sees another hobbit flirting with his long-time crush, Rosie Cotton, as he and Frodo are leaving the Green Dragon.
  Frodo: Don't worry, Sam. Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one.
  Sam: [concerned] Does she?
• When Bilbo hosts the party, he greets a fellow hobbit woman with an huge amount of children walking with her. He asks "Are these children yours?" and when she says yes he whispers "Good gracious, you have been productive". The hobbit woman hears him and gives him a broad-smiled nod.
• Bilbo returns home after his disappearing act, walks through to a room and Gandalf is standing just inside. "I suppose you think it was terribly clever." - cue Bilbo looking around in surprise until he finds him.
• Samwise Gamgee's defense when Gandalf catches him eavesdropping on his Exposition Dump about the One Ring, and what Frodo has to do:
  Sam: I ain't been droppin' no eaves, sir, honest! I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me.
  Gandalf: A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?
  Sam: I heard raised voices...
  Gandalf: What did you hear?! SPEAK!
  Sam: N-nothing important! That is, I heard a good deal about a Ring and a Dark Lord and something about the end of the world, but... Please, Mr. Gandalf sir, don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything...unnatural!
  • At which Gandalf raises his eyebrows and goes 'No?' as if that isn't a bad idea. By now Frodo is smiling.
• The "Shortcut to Mushrooms" sequence:
  • A case of Tempting Fate being Played for Laughs; Frodo is amused by Sam's intense determination not to lose him, asking what could happen while they're still in the Shire. A second later, both of them are knocked over by Merry and Pippin, running blindly through the cornfield trying to escape Farmer Maggot.
  • Sam's utter exasperation as he hauls Pippin off Frodo and dumps him randomly in a patch of the cornfield. Some fans note that this gets even funnier when you remember that Pippin, as the Thain of Tookland's son, is one of the closest things the Shire has to royalty. Sam doesn't care at all.
  • After running into Merry and Pippin stealing from Farmer Maggot's crop, Sam finds himself laden down with a large selection of vegetables, while Merry and Pippin promptly scarper with Frodo. Sam is left standing there for a moment while Farmer Maggot's scythe is getting closer and closer...then drops the vegetables and runs for it after the others.
    Farmer Maggot: You know what's gonna happen when I catch up with you?!
  • This clearly isn't the first time they've done this, either:
    Merry: I don't get why he's so upset! It's just a couple of carrots!
    Pippin: And some cabbages. And there was that sack of potatoes we lifted last week. And the mushrooms from the week before.
    Merry: Yes, Pippin! My point is, he's clearly overreacting. Run!
  • As Merry and Pippin are bickering over this, the camera pulls back to show that all the hobbits are, unbeknownst to them, running towards a cliff.
  • After falling off said cliff:
    Pippin: (having just missed landing in a small pile of horse poop) Oh, that was close.
    Merry: (groaning) I think I've broken something. (holds up a broken carrot) Oh.
• At the west gate of Bree we see how much the village caters to both the Big and Little Folk - the hobbits knock, Harry opens a hatch, sees nothing, then opens a lower hatch.
• When Frodo finally makes it to safety at the Prancing Pony, he asks to speak to Gandalf, but it doesn't go exactly to plan.
  Barliman: Gandalf? Gandalf... Oh yes! I remember! Elderly chap, long white beard, pointy hat! (Beat) Not seen him for six months.
  Frodo: (Oh, Crap! expression)
• This exchange:
  Pippin: What's that?
  Merry: This, my friend, is a pint.
  Pippin: It comes in pints?! I'm getting one!
  Sam: (as Pippin leaves) You've had a whole half already!
  • In that same scene, when Pippin is blabbing about Frodo's real identity, he's going into lavish detail about exactly how he's related to Frodo, taking his listeners through the finer points of hobbit genealogy. It's very very short, but a Genius Bonus as well, because hobbits adore studying family trees.
• Harry hears what sounds like hoofs, then opens the hatch. At that exact moment, the Nazgûl charge their way through the west gate of Bree as if it were made of cardboard. Then they just continue on their way to the Prancing Pony as if nothing was there. What makes it really hilarious is the face Harry makes as he opens the hatch just in time to see them ride the gate, and himself, down.
• Unintentionally Hilarious, but the scene of the Nazgûl breaking into the Prancing Pony in order to kill the hobbits as they sleep. They raise their blades and begin stabbing into the beds, only to find that it's all a simple pillow set-up while the four are safely in an inn across the way. It's funny to see the most feared servants of Sauron being fooled by one of the oldest tricks in the book, as well as how pissed off they are. Clearly they know how foolish they must have looked.
• Four words: "What about second breakfast?"
  • What makes this truly hilarious is the look that all the hobbits, even Frodo, give Aragorn as if he's some sort of idiot, as well as Pippin's horrified expression as he realizes Men usually only have three meals a day when Aragorn just walks away with a bewildered expression.
  • Aragorn throws an apple back to Merry, who catches it and hands it to Pippin. The apple intended for Pippin, now distracted, smacks him on the head.
• By her own words, Arwen has been searching for Aragorn and the hobbits for two days, and she still takes the time to roast him for letting her catch him off his guard while he's trying to find medicine for Frodo. Aragorn just gives her an exasperated look.
• There's a lot of funny at the Council of Rivendell, despite the somber mood.
  • Gimli, son of Gloin, responds to the existence of the most powerful magical artifact in his world by attacking it with an axe. It doesn't work, but points for trying!
    • Considering an elf lord is the one who says the One Ring must be destroyed, he just might have thought, "Challenge accepted" before the attempt.
    • Elrond raises from his seat and looks like he wants to stop Gimli, but decides against it for some reason. Maybe he thought Gimli making a fool of himself would be instructive to the rest.
  • When Sam crashes the council.
    Sam: Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me!
    Elrond: No, indeed - it is hardly possible to separate you, even when HE is summoned to a secret Council and YOU are not.
  • Also the look on Elrond's face when Merry and Pippin also crash the council. You half expect him to call for a hobbit-wrangler. Or an exterminator.
  • Elrond during the entire scene, really. Poor guy isn't having the best day. He calls a meeting that he quickly loses control of (to the point where you can see him doing a literal Face Palm at some points). When Sam jumps in he takes it in stride - his amused reaction seems as though he knew Sam was eavesdropping. But when Merry and Pippin come in as well, he's taken completely aback. You know he's got to be wondering just who was assigned to stand guard over the "secret council" to keep out the riffraff. Elrond comes off as a bit of a beleaguered boss throughout the whole thing, though he holds it together rather well.
    • A meta-example from the DVD commentary: when Elrond sternly informs the council that the Ring has to be taken to Mordor and that "One of you must do this deed," Orlando Bloom comments "Why don't you do it, mate?"
  • Pippin possibly introducing Middle-Earth to Buffy Speak:
    Pippin: You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission... Quest... Thing.
    Merry: Well, that rules you out, Pip.
    • Pippin even gives a little nod to Merry before doing a Double Take.
  • For those familiar with Elrond's backstory, the fact that there is a prominent engraving of an eight-pointed Fëanorian star on the ground in the council. Elrond included the symbol of the most hated Elven house right in the middle of his abode, presumably because he was raised by two Fëanorians himself and no one could stop him.
  • Frodo's face during that exchange is also golden. And Gandalf's look of disbelief. It must be seen to be believed.
  • At the conclusion of the council, Elrond declares, "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!" and the music swells heroically...
  Pippin: Great! Where are we going?
  Merry: (gives Pippin a shocked "really?" look)
  Frodo: (looks concerned)
  • The moment is even better on the extended DVD release: the first disc of the movie cuts right there.
  • When one considers the inevitable response, this is quite possibly the very best setup for a comical Answer Cut ever to be put to film.
  • And then when the Fellowship makes its Heroic Exit, Frodo has to desperately whisper to Gandalf, asking which way he's supposed to turn after passing through the gate.
• The Fellowship are held up in Moria while Gandalf tries to remember the way. Pippin whispers to Merry that he's hungry.
  • Gandalf eventually choosing which path to take. Merry assumes he's remembered the way to go: Gandalf replies, "No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here," making it sound like he picked their route just because it smelled better than the others.
• Pippin's giveaway of the Fellowship in Moria, while most certainly not having a good outcome, gets played up much better than it was portrayed in the book: instead of intentionally dropping a rock to listen for a clatter, he twists an arrow stuck in the neck of a skeleton sitting on the lip of a well, which accidentally causes its helmet to fall down the shaft with the skull still inside of it. Then the entire suit of armour topples over after it, dragging the chain and bucket with it! Pippin's winces with every single bounce of the whole set (and the expressions made by everyone else in the room) are priceless, especially since the clattering continued for a good twenty seconds.
  Gandalf: [after the clattering has finally stopped, furious] Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!
• The Fellowship enters Lothlorien, and Gimli is grumbling about elves and boasting about himself.
  Gimli: I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox. [turns to come face to face with a bow with arrow drawn] Oh!
  Haldir: [amused and ever so slightly smug] The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark.
  Gimli: [grumbling]
• Legolas firing two arrows at once is pretty cool, but it also looks like he's recreating the poster for Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
• The scene where the whole party is struggling through waist-deep snow while Legolas just calmly walks along the top of it.
• After digging their way out of an avalanche caused by Saruman, the entire rest of the Fellowship all beg Gandalf to turn back and let them go through the Mines of Moria instead. Gandalf, after a moment's hesitation, replies "Let the ring-bearer decide." There's a certain amount of dark humor in the fact that Gandalf, the wise and incredibly ancient old wizard is both 1) clearly letting Frodo make the decision because he doesn't want the blame if it goes badly and 2) very clearly knows exactly what awaits for them in Moria and is all-but-begging Frodo not to choose that option.
  Frodo: We will go through the mines.
  Gandalf: (glumly) So be it.
• The scene were Boromir has kindly taken it upon himself to teach Merry and Pippin how to swordfight, only for Boromir to accidentally cut Pippin's hand when sparring. This earns the easily-6ft Captain of the White Tower a hilarious tackle to the ground from both 4ft-halflings.
  • As Sam and Frodo watch, Sam turns to his master and shakes his head. Particularly amusing as Merry and Pippin become veterans of the Riddermark and Gondor respectively and Sam, who didn't have any training, went on to defeat Shelob.
  • It gets better when Aragorn tries to lend Boromir a hand but is easily overpowered by the Hobbits' tactics also earning himself a spot on the floor.
    Pippin & Merry: (in unison) "For the Shire!"
• A rare exchange between Legolas, Merry, and Pippin:
  Legolas: Lembas! Elvish waybread! One bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man! (the hobbits give 'Oh really?' nods)
  Merry: How many did you eat?
  Pippin: Four.
  • What makes it better still is that Merry asks this in a tone of voice that clearly says he himself ate a bunch of the stuff too, and knew Pippin well enough that he did not need to ask Pippin whether he'd had any as well, but how many he'd had.
• When the orcs are coming for them in the Mines of Moria, Boromir's irritated, utterly deadpan mutter of "They have a cave-troll". It's not an Oh, Crap! moment, it's more like "Well, dammit", mixed with a generous helping of "Of course they have a cave troll."
  • Also filed under This Is Gonna Suck. And yes, it does.
• In the Extended Edition, Gimli utters a Dwarfish insult^translation"I spit on your grave" to Haldir and Aragorn beside him exasperatedly closes his eyes thinking "Just what we needed...". The expression on Haldir's face makes it even better. He knows exactly what Gimli said.
• This little gem from an otherwise very serious moment when Pippin and Merry distract the orcs from Frodo by acting as live bait:
  Pippin: [happily] It's working!
  Merry: I know it's working. Run!!
• During the final battle, Aragorn is grappling with an Uruk-hai as Legolas calmly kills every other one on the screen (half a dozen of them) before finally turning around and shooting the one that's got Aragorn by the neck.
• Aragorn's horrified face as the Uruk captain pushes himself onto his sword is rather entertaining.
• One from the end of the first movie.
  Frodo: I'm going to Mordor alone!
  Sam: 'Course you are! And I'm coming with you!
• When they arrive at the walls of Moria, Gimli says Dwarf doors are invisible when closed.
  Gandalf: Yes, Gimli, their own masters cannot find them if their secrets are forgotten.
  Legolas: Why doesn't that surprise me?
  • And then when Gandalf's dramatic effort at opening said door doesn't work:
    Pippin: What are you going to do about it?
    Gandalf: Knock your head against these doors, Peregrine Took! And if that does not shatter them, and I get a bit of peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words.
• Gimli's comment about the Mines of Moria is made even funnier by his strong accent.
  "This, my friend, was the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine! A mine!"
• Legolas, in a rush to follow Frodo and Sam across the river, single-handedly pushing the last boat into the water... all while Aragorn just stands there and watches.