being transported to Isengard, and hence to Saruman’s domain. Although the film does not make a clear distinction, there are actually two kinds of Orcs (“Uruks”). The Orcs of the White Hand (a special breed created by Saruman) can operate day and night, while the Orcs of the Eye, like goblins and other nocturnal terrors, are restricted to darkness.


As the scattered and diminished Fellowship attempts to regroup, the forces of darkness grow in strength. Saruman continues to build his ma- chinery of war, destructively laying waste to the countryside and creating battalions of bestial soldiers to do his bidding. Saruman’s first planned military assault is on Rohan, a peace- ful country ruled by the failing king Théoden (Bernard Hill). Fortunately, the forces of light are aided by the reappearance of the wizard Gandalf, who returns with greater power as Gandalf the White. Meanwhile, Pip and Merry escape from their captors by the fortuitous ap- pearance of the Riders of Rohan, and during their escape come across Treebeard, an ancient Ent and chthonic force in the form of an old, gnarled tree. Yet the most important character introduced in THE TWO TOWERS is Gollum (Andy Serkis), a tortured, deformed creature


once named Sméagol who is enlisted by Frodo—and, reluctantly, by Sam—to guide them to Mordor and Mount Doom. Gollum agrees to do so, secretly plotting to recover “the precious,” the One Ring, for himself. Despite its considerable strengths, THE TWO


TOWERS interweaves several plots and intro- duces numerous new characters that, on first viewing, may be confusing to those who don’t know the source material. The central action— Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring—takes on an added dy- namic with the appearance of Gollum. In turn, this plot must compete with the escape of Pip and Merry from the Orcs and their subsequent meeting and journey with Treebeard; the return of Gandalf the White; the romance of Aragorn and the elf Arwen (Liv Tyler); and the introduc- tion of key characters such as Éowyn (Miranda Otto), Éomer (Karl Urban), Faramir (David Wenham), Boromir’s brother; Denethor (John Noble), Faramir and Boromir’s father; Théoden, King of Rohan; and Théoden’s false counselor Gríma (“Wormtongue,” played by Brad Dourif). If this isn’t enough, THE TWO TOWERS ends with the huge Battle of Helm’s Deep, which is, in effect, only the first, preliminary battle for


Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) discover that their progress is being followed by a strange figure of a man.


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