The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings in Radio, Television, and Film
Summary for The Two Towers 2002
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the Uruk-hai across the plains of Rohan as the Uruk-hai return to Isengard. Many of the Orcs with the Uruk-hai are rebellious and distrustful, but the Uruks terrorize them into subservience. Pippin boldly escapes from his captors long enough to leave a mark on their trail so that anyone who may be following knows at least one hobbit is still alive.
Frodo and Sam cross through the rocky hills of the Emyn Muil. They are pursued by Smeagol, now called Gollum, who having betrayed knowledge of the Ring's existence to Sauron has been let out into the world to cause more mischief. He seeks only to recover the Ring for himself. Gollum overtakes Frodo and Sam but they capture him and force him to swear his loyalty to Frodo. Gollum agrees to lead them to Mordor, but he cuts through the Dead Marshes, where Frodo is nearly lost in the enchanted mists.
Theodred, Prince of Rohan, is slain in battle and his father Theoden, the king, grieves for him. Eomer, Theoden's nephew, hears of the passing of the Uruk-hai through Rohan. He disobeys the king's order and leads a company north to intercept the Uruk-hai. The Rohirrim overtake the Orcs at the edge of Fangorn forest and destroy them, but Merry and Pippin escape into the forest in the dark of night.
Treebeard, leader of the Ents, befriends the hobbits and takes them to an Entmoot, where the Ents debate whether to join the war against Saruman and Sauron. As the Ents deliberate, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet and befriend Eomer, who lends them horses and asks them only to come to Meduseld when their rescue mission is complete.
When Eomer returns to Meduseld, Theoden -- upon the advice of Grima Wormtongue, who is in secret league with Saruman, banishes Eomer and a great army of Rohirrim. Eomer leads his men to the north, where he hopes to continue defending Rohan against Isengard's servants.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli search the edge of Fangorn Forest for the hobbits, but instead they find Gandalf, now restored to life as Gandalf the White. Gandalf briefly tells them how he defeated the Balrog of Moria, but then leads them to Meduseld, where he uncovers Grima's plots and restores the ailing King Theoden to good health.
By now, however, Isengard has launched a great assault upon Rohan. A huge army begins to leave Isengard. The Ents have finished their deliberations and they refuse to join the war. Treebeard offers to put Merry and Pippin anywhere on the edge of the forest they wish. Pippin asks him to take them toward Isengard. There, Treebeard discovers that Saruman has slain a huge number of trees on the edge of the forest. Treebeard summons the Ents, who march upon Isengard in anger after its army has departed.
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum reach the Black Gate and Mordor and Frodo realizes there is no way into Sauron's realm. The gate is too well guarded, and reinforcements are arriving on a daily basis. But Gollum reluctantly admits there is another way. Frodo orders Gollum to lead him and Sam to the back entrance.
As the trio pass south through Ithilien, Frodo and Sam are captured by Faramir, brother of Boromir, who is leading an attack against one of the armies marching to Mordor. After the battle, Faramir takes Frodo and Sam to Henneth Annuin, a secret refuge, where Gollum follows them and is taken captive. Frodo pleads with Faramir to spare Gollum's life, and Faramir reluctantly agrees to do so.
Ten thousand Uruk-hai and Men invade Rohan. Theoden leads his people to the great fortress called the Hornburg. Along the way, the refugees are attacked by advance scouts from Sauron's army. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli help to defend the Rohirrim against Saruman's warg-riders, but Aragorn is lost. As his companions mourn him for dead, Aragorn drifts down a river and awakens when Arwen (watching over him from afar) magically guides a horse to help Aragorn. As Aragorn returns to the Rohirrim, he sees Saruman's army and guesses both its size and its destination (the Hornburg).
At the Hornburg, a small army of Elves from Lothlorien arrives to reinforce them. But when Saruman's army comes up, it proves overwhelmingly powerful. Through a nightlong battle portions of the great fortress are lost as the defenders are driven back. At dawn, Theoden decides to make one last ride against the enemy, and Aragorn joins him.
But while the Hornburg has been under attack, the Ents have ruined Isengard. Saruman's fortress is captured and he is imprisoned in the great tower. Gandalf nonetheless rounds up Eomer's army and the Ents and leads them to the Hornburg in time to help destroy Saruman's army just as Theoden rides out of the fortress.
However, Sam foolishly reveals that Frodo is carrying the One Ring. Faramir resists the urge to take the Ring for himself but decides to take Frodo, Sam, and Gollum back to his father in Minas Tirith. Frodo argues fruitlessly against this decision. On the way to Minas Tirith the company passes through the ruins of Osgiliath, where a Nazgul almost captures Frodo. Faramir now realizes that the Ring must be destroyed, and he releases Frodo, Sam, and Gollum to complete their mission.
Gollum, who has been of two minds about how faithful he should be to Frodo, now conceives an evil plan to betray Frodo and get the Ring for himself. He once again encourages Frodo to follow him to Mordor, and Frodo agrees without any idea of what lies before him.
Cast for The Two Towers 2002 |
|---|
| Elijah Wood | Frodo Baggins |
| Ian McKellen | Gandalf the Grey/Gandalf the White |
| Liv Tyler | Arwen |
| Viggo Mortensen | Aragorn |
| Sean Astin | Samwise 'Sam' Gamgee |
| Cate Blanchett | Galadriel |
| John Rhys-Davies | Gimli/Voice of Treebeard |
| Bernard Hill | Theoden |
| Christopher Lee | Saruman the White |
| Billy Boyd | Peregrin 'Pippin' Took |
| Dominic Monaghan | Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck |
| Orlando Bloom | Legolas Greenleaf |
| Hugo Weaving | Elrond |
| Miranda Otto | Eowyn |
| David Wenham | Faramir |
| Brad Dourif | Grima Wormtongue |
| Andy Serkis | Gollum/Sméagol |
| Karl Urban | Eomer |
| Craig Parker | Haldir |
| Bruce Allpress | Aldor |
| John Bach | Madril |
| Sala Baker | Man Flesh Uruk |
| Jed Brophy | Sharku/Snaga |
| Sam Comery | Éothain |
| Calum Gittins | Haleth, son of Hámas |
| Bruce Hopkins | Gamling |
| Paris Howe Strewe | Théodred, Prince of Rohan |
| Nathaniel Lees | Uglúk |
| John Leigh | Háma |
| Robbie Magasiva | Mauhur |
| Robyn Malcolm | Morwen |
| Bruce Phillips | Rohan Soldier |
| Robert Pollock | Mordor Orc |
| Olivia Tennet | Freda |
| Ray Trickett | Bereg |
| Stephen Ure | Grishnákh |
| Billy Jackson | Cute Rohan Refugee Child |
| Katie Jackson | Cute Rohan Refugee Child |
| John Noble | Denethor (extended edition) (as John Nogle) |
| Hannah Wood | Woman in Cave |
| Sean Bean | Boromir (extended edition) |
| Jørn Benzon | Elf archer (Helm's Deep scene) |
| Victoria Beynon-Cole | Hero Orc |
| Philip Grieve | Hero Orc |
| Phillip Spencer Harris | Ranger 1 |
| Lee Hartley | Hero Orc |
| Dan Hennah | Man of Rohan |
| Paul Holmes | Orc |
| Peter Jackson | Rohirrim Warrior |
| Alan Lee | Man of Rohan |
| Timothy Lee | Wildman |
| Henry Mortensen | Reluctant rohan child warrior |
| Piripi Waretini | Uruk-Hai soldier |
