re: Finally an answer to why Gandolf didn't just fly the ring to Mt Doom

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Um... maybe it's because I know what the book's version is, but I think it sounds like he says "fly".

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How can you think that? Run and fly sound nothing alike. He obviously says run.. Did you really watch it?

The nazguls had their flying mounts too early for this to happen. Remember Gandalf was lost until they got to Rivendell. I believe that after the Nazguls were taken down at the river going to Rivendell they got their flying mounts. After the fellowship leaves Galadriel and maybe before that they sense an ominous presence flying over them, has to be the Nazgul flying. This would have happened long before they could have gotten to the eagles' airy.

Also, here's the part with the balrog from the book.

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With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard's knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. "Fly, you fools! ' he cried, and was gone.

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Starting at 2:22

It really does sound and look like "fly" to me.

That's the exact link you gave me. I didn't find anything else.

Hold your hand over your mouth and then say fly and run. Notice that you blow air out when you say fly and not when you say run. Look at Gandalf's hair, it moves when he says fly and fools. He says fly.

Yeah, it is the same one. That's weird, the one time I looked it sounded like fly, then the next it was run. Strange..

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I always thought that the eagles would have been detected by Sauron and he would have placed a heavy guard in and around the mountain to prevent the ring getting to the fires/lava. You'd think he would have some people/arcs/other creatures on standby around there. I don't think the eagles could have gotten into that cave so they would have had to drop someone to do the last part anyway. Of course if Sauron was smart he would have definitely either placed an extremely heavy guard around any entry ways to the fire/lava and/or put some heavy walls or doorways in the way. That way Frodo would have had a lot harder time than just walking in.

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You've got the detail of it. The entire point of Frodo taking it (aside from being the most incorruptible) was deception - the utter unlikelihood that one or two people could just walk right up to Mt Doom. Sauron's spies were legion. An eagle flying in the open with the ring would certainly have been detected and dispatched. Probably would have made it easier for Sauron.

I disagree. I'm pretty sure it was said by Gandalf that Frodo and his companions would be perfect because no one would suspect a simple hobbit to take the ring to Mt. Doom. Sauron was expecting it to be a more powerful being, which would eliminate the eagles from taking the ring.

Or something like that.....

Also, it didn't occur to sauron that they would try to return the ring to mt doom to destroy it:

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"He is in great fear, not knowing what mighty one may suddenly appear, wielding the Ring, and assailing him with war, seeking to cast him down and take his place.That we should wish to cast him down and have no one in his place is not a thought that occurs to his mind. That we should try to destroy the Ring itself has not yet entered into his darkest dream." -The Two Towers, "The White Rider"

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Agree. That a lowly nobody with zero powers or abilities can become the hero and save the day. Not wizards or eagles or elves or dwarfs or kings. It is what of what the Hobbit and LOTRs is really about.

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True, and although the remarkable courage of hobbits, among the weakest of the middle earth races, is often pointed out, it is virtue that actually makes them qualified to be heroes: namely, the ability to resist the acquiring of unimaginable power. Even more than that: the ability to resist such power over the course of a terrible, long journey with the sole purpose of throwing this power away. Gandalf, galadriel, Aragorn, and other virtuous and strong characters could not bear this burden and withstand the temptation of the ring like Frodo could. Of the various owners of the ring, the only ones able to voluntarily give it up who were exposed to its corrupting influence over a long period of time were bilbo (he did have some difficulty) and Frodo (who also had difficulty). (I doubt it would have corrupted Sam, and certainly not tom bombadil, and maybe not faramir.)