The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

***The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*** is the second installment of *The Lord of the Rings* series and the fifth one over all of Middle-earth.

## Summary

The company of the Fellowship has split up. Frodo and Sam have went on to complete the mission. Meanwhile, Merry and Pippin are being taken to Isengard. The Orcs are being presued by their companions, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Instead, the trio comes across Gandalf, who has returned from the dead as Gandalf the White and leads them for the battle against evil.

## Synopsis

***Note: This is a summarization to the film's extended version.***

### Prologue

In a  flashback of the previous film, a view of Moria's mountains is seen and the sound of Gandalf's cries. Frodo again witnesses Gandalf fall into the abyss with him attacking Durin's Bane and falling into a cavern of water. However, Frodo wakes up alarmed and shouts Gandalf's name. Sam went to check up on Frodo, who replied that it was just a dream.

### Hunt continues

They believe them to be dead with Aragorn kicking
in anger that they failed them. Legolas giving out a prayer in Elvish for
believing Merry and Pippin are dead. However, Aragorn tracks their movement in
the grass and notices that they laid together and Merry unhatched his dagger
belt and they were chased by the Orc attacing them. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli
make it to the edge of the scene, with Aragorn concluding they ran in there.
Gimli questions what madness drove them in there.

### Treebeard

In a flashback, the hobbits make it into Fangorn
forest at first believing the orc chasing them is gone. Merry and Pippin are
thrown onto the ground by Treebeard, both surprised when they face the white
figure.

#### Gandalf reborn

Back in the present time, Aragorn, Legolas and
Gimli enter the forest. Gimli notices the orc blood spilt on a leaf. Then, Legolas feels the white Wizard approach

## Cast

* Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
* Ian McKellen as Gandalf
* Liv Tyler as Arwen
* Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
* Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee
* Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
* John Rhys-Davies as Gimli / Treebeard
* Bernard Hill as Théoden
* Christopher Lee as Saruman
* Billy Boyd as Pippin Took
* Dominic Monaghan as Merry Brandybuck
* Orlando Bloom as Legolas
* Hugo Weaving as Elrond
* Miranda Otto as Éowyn
* David Wenham as Faramir
* Sean Bean as Boromir (Extended Edition only)
* Karl Urban as Éomer
* Andy Serkis as Gollum
* Brad Dourif as Gríma Wormtongue
* Craig Parker as Haldir
* John Noble as Denethor (Extended Edition only)
* Bruce Allpress as Aldor
* John Bach as Madril
* Jed Brophy as Sharku / Snaga
* Paris Howe Strewe as Theodred
* Sala Baker as Lugdush
* Calum Gittins as Haleth
* Bruce Hopkins as Gamling
* Nathaniel Lees as Uglúk
* John Leigh as Háma
* Robbie Magasiva as Mauhúr
* Robyn Malcolm as Morwen
* Sam Comery as Éothain
* Olivia Tennet as Freda
* Alistair Browning as Damrod
* Ray Trickett as Bereg
* Stephen Ure as Grishnakh

## Trivia

* Production notes
* Set notes
* Film Connections

* David Wenham was cast as Faramir due to his striking resemblence to Sesan Bean, who portrays Faramir's brohter, Boromir.
* Viggo Mortensen broke two of his toes when he kicked the Uruk helmet while filming and actually, people thought he was acting
* It would take six hours to render Gollum for six shots. Instead, Weta had to render Gollum in a shot or more.
* The 10,000 Uruk-Hai battle chants for the Helm's Deep battle sequence were provided by a stadium of 25,000 cricket fans, who chanted the war chants, "Derbgoo, nashgshoo, derbgoo, dashshoo," spelled out on the Diamond Vision screen, with Peter Jackson himself leading the crowd.

## Set Notes

* Parts of the Helm's Deep building are later re-used for Minas Tirith's building parts.
* The Dead Marshes were filmed at a water filled-parking lot, thus allowing others to see Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Andy Serkis performing on set.
* The Main Door of Helm's Deep was built so heavily and so well that the real battering ram that was built to knock down the gates failed to do so until the door was weakened.

## Prop notes

* There were Christmas lights placed on set when Galadriel was on screen and her eyes glowed.
## Film chronology

- The events take place after *The Battle of the Five Armies* and *The Fellowship of the Ring* and before *The Return of the King*

## Film connections

* Frodo and Sam departed from the Fellowship in The Fellowship of the Ring.
* Merry and Pippin were kidnapped by the Orcs and Uruk-Hai in the previous film
* Gandalf fell with the Balrog in Moria in *The Fellowship with the Ring*.
* Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn began hunting for the Orcs near the end.
* Boromir was killed defending Merry and Pippin in *The Fellowship of the Ring* moments before dying.
* The company separated in *The Fellowship of the Ring* and later reunite in *The Return of the King*.