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February 17, 2025
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Summary, Recap, & Review
Explore this detailed summary of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, including a movie review, a list of book and movie differences, and FAQ.
9
Spellbinding Sequel
The second Lord of the Rings is the perfect continuation of the first film. The stakes get higher and the characters grow stronger as they face impossible odds.
Pros
Great character development for each character, no matter the screen time.
Amazing and action-packed ending.
Cons
The first half was slow with a lot of travel and politics.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It follows multiple characters on their quest to destroy the One Ring and stop Sauron and Saruman's armies from claiming Middle-Earth. Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor takes an unexpected turn while the remaining members of the fellowship chase after an army of Uruk-hai. In this article, you'll find a detailed plot summary, a review of the film, book and movie differences, and FAQs.
The Two Towers | Summary & Recap
The Path to Mordor
The movie begins with Frodo Baggins dreaming of Gandalf being taken down by the Balrog. He sees the wizard fighting the creature even after his fall. Frodo and Samwise Gamgee are still on their journey to Mordor, but they’re lost. They are also being stalked by Gollum. They pretend to be asleep and capture Gollum when he gets too close. Frodo strikes a deal with him, saying that they’ll unleash him if he leads them to Mordor. Gollum agrees.
Elsewhere
Towns are being attacked by the Orcs in the kingdom of Rohan. The King of Rohan, Théoden, is ill and his son is dying. His niece and nephew, Eowyn and Eomer, plead for him to take action but his advisor, Gríma Wormtongue, whispers lies into his ear. When Eomer attacks Gríma, he banishes Eomer from the kingdom.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are after the Orcs and Uruk-hai, who have kidnapped Merry and Pippin. The two Hobbits are nearly eaten by the Orcs but a group of riders charge in and slaughter the creatures. The remaining fellowship comes across these riders the next day and they give them two horses.
They ride to the site of the slaughter and discover that Merry and Pippin escaped into Fangorn Forest, pursued by an Orc. The Hobbits are saved by a tree, who introduces himself as an Ent named Treebeard. He takes them to the White Wizard to decide their fate.
The Marshes and the Gate
Gollum leads Frodo and Sam through the Dead Marshes, a swamp filled with dead bodies. When the ring takes control of Frodo, he falls into the water and Gollum saves him. That night, Frodo talks to Gollum and reminds him of his real name, Smeagol. Smeagol and Gollum are the same person, but have a split personality. They’re interrupted by a Black Rider, also known as Ringwraith or Nazgul, who flies in on the back of a winged creature.
They finally arrive at the Black Gate of Mordor, where they see an army marching in. The cliff Sam is on collapses and he ends up half-buried in rock. Frodo saves him from being spotted by soldiers just in time. When Frodo tries to run for the gate, Smeagol grabs him and begs him not to go, stating he knows another way in.
Gandalf the White
Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli finally reach the end of the Hobbits' trail when a figure obscured by blazing light appears before them. They attack, believing it to be Saruman, but as the light fades, they see… Gandalf! He explains that he killed the Balrog atop a tower. He drifted through time and returned as Gandalf the White. He has entrusted Pippin and Merry into the care of the trees. Together, what remains of the fellowship makes for Edoras, the Rohan capital, to speak to King Theoden.
When they arrive, Gandalf frees King Theoden of Saruman’s influence. The king plans on executing Gríma, an agent of Saruman, but Aragorn convinces him to let him live. The king refuses to risk open war against Saruman and evacuates all the citizens. Gandalf departs on his own to find allies. He tells Aragorn to look for his coming at dawn on the fifth day.
Captured
Frodo, under the influence of the ring and Dark Lord, is becoming increasingly angry with Sam for calling Smeagol/Gollum names. That night, Smeagol breaks free of the other personality telling him to take the ring and harm the Hobbits. The next day, the group spots another one of Sauron’s armies, but they’re attacked by a hidden group. This group of humans then kidnaps Frodo and Sam, thinking they work for Sauron.
Fallen Warrior
Grima informs Saruman that the king will evacuate his people rather than fight as they will be vulnerable as they travel. The citizens are attacked by Saruman's Wargs and the king entrusts Eowyn to get the people to safety. The king, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the soldiers go to battle against the Wargs and Orcs. During the battle, Aragorn falls over a cliff and is thought to be dead.
Everyone else makes it to safety behind walls that are thought to be impenetrable, but Grima informs Saruman of a way to break their defense.
Temptation of Power
Captured by humans, Sam and Frodo learn that their captor is Boromir’s brother, Faramir. Frodo learns that Boromir died. When Faramir sees Smeagol, Frodo tries to save him but Smeagol is captured. Feeling betrayed, he tells Faramir about the ring. News arrives that Osgiliath is under attack. Faramir decides to take Frodo to Osgiliath, hoping to give the ring to his father and gain the upper hand against the dark forces.
The Battle of Helm’s Deep
It turns out Aragorn survived his fall and washed up on shore. His horse finds him and he rides to Helm’s Deep. Along the way, he spots an army, ten thousand strong, that’s on its way there. He warns the king. They prepare for war with only three hundred men. The people of Rohan, women, and children who can't fight are hidden in the caves. Desperate, the King orders that young boys, farmers, and elderly men fight as well. When all hope seems lost, the Elves arrive to fight alongside them.
However, the incoming army is clever. Even with allies, the Orcs manage to breach the walls with ladders and break down the door. Using the information Grima gave them, one of the Orcs blows up the small tunnel at the wall’s base, taking the entire thing down. Enemies flood in as all hope seems lost.
Last Hope
As dawn arrives, they retreat into the keep, believing the battle is lost. Aragorn remembers what Gandalf told him about dawn on the fifth day. He and King Theoden ride out in time to see Gandalf arrive with Eomer and his riders. They flank the enemy, launching a surprise attack, leaving no choice but to retreat. The humans and the elves are victorious and the citizens of Rohan are saved.
Nature’s Revenge
Still hanging out with the trees, Pippin and Merry wait as the tree people decide whether to join the war or not. In the end, they decide they will not. Angry, Pippin and Merry plan to return to the Shire knowing that, one day soon, the war will reach their home. As they’re leaving, Pippin suggests they go south. They arrive to find trees burned down and Treebeard calls upon his brethren in rage.
The Ents go to war, attacking Isengard. They flood the city and the caves, taking down Sarumon’s stronghold.
Osgiliath
Frodo and Sam arrive with the humans to find Osgiliath under siege. Black Riders charge in and, influenced by the ring, Frodo nearly gives it to them. Sam stops him just in time, but in return, Frodo nearly kills his friend. He regains control but feels utterly defeated. Sam encourages Frodo to continue on his quest. Faramir overhears Sam’s speech and, seeing that their path is the right one, sets them free.
Frodo, Sam, and Smeagol make their way back to Mordor. Along the way, Smeagol's alternate personality takes hold again, since he is still wounded by Frodo’s betrayal. He plans to reclaim the ring by leading Frodo and Sam into danger.
The Two Towers | Review
CGI and Visuals | 9/10
Overall, the second film has great visuals for its time. The style is very similar to the first movie. The landscapes and creatures look beautiful and menacing. The CGI for Gollum looks very life-like and his movements are fluid. The ending battle is visually appealing and epic.
I only noticed a few scenes where you could tell the background is a green screen. This is especially noticeable when a close-up of the Black Rider is shown. There is also one scene where Legolas grabs Gimli’s horse and swings himself onto it as they charge the Wargs, which made me laugh because it looked quite awkward.
Storyline and Plot Development | 7/10
The first 30 minutes of the movie is a little all over the place because the passage of time is not specified, so it seems like characters are just popping up out of nowhere. For example, Eomer is banished while Aragorn and the others are looking for Pippin and Merry. Eomer’s men suddenly slaughter the Orcs holding the Hobbits hostage and run into Aragorn the next day. While there is a plausible explanation for this timeline, I felt it wasn’t shown well on screen.
The pacing at the beginning is slow, but the build-up is worth it. We see King Theoden trying to prepare three hundred men against ten thousand and it seemed so hopeless. So when the Elves arrived, I actually felt so relieved because I’d been so invested in their survival against impossible odds.
Character Development | 10/10
Each character has some form of character development, for better or worse. Frodo is becoming increasingly angry because of the ring’s influence. Gollum/Smeagol overcomes his desire for the ring, only to have it come back at the end. Legolas and Gimli’s dynamic is great as they grow as friends. Gimli being the comic relief in this movie is the cherry on top.
To me, Pippin and Merry had the best character development despite having little screen time. Merry, one of the comic reliefs from the last movie, becomes angry when the Ents refuse to go to war and tries to convince them to take action.
In the end, it’s Pippin, the most reckless of them all, who has the clever idea that changes the Ents’ minds. He convinces Treebeard to go south, tricking him into seeing the destruction Saruman has brought to his kind. This convinces the Ents to attack Isengard and take down Isengard itself.
Sound and Music | 10/10
As always, the music in the films is on point. The soundtracks are mesmerizing and fit the tone of the film well. The sound of incoming battle, of the creatures, and Gollum’s voice are done perfectly.
Reception and Impact | 9/10
The second movie has similar praise compared to the first one and many felt it was the perfect continuation. There are some who didn’t enjoy the first half of the movie because of the pacing, but really liked the action in the second half as things picked up.
Final Score | 9/10
The Two Towers | Book and Movie Differences
Merry and Pippin’s Escape
In the movie, when the riders attack the Orcs, Merry and Pippin crawl away, cut their bindings, and are then chased into the forest by an Orc that wants to eat them. In the book, their escape is much funnier and fits their personalities very well. During the skirmish, they crawl away and stop to eat food at a safe distance from the battle.
The Ents' Decision
In the film, the Ents decide not to go to war and only change their mind after they’ve seen the destruction Saruman brought to their land. In the book, the Ents decide to go to war and march on Isengard while chanting “We go to war, to hew the stone and break the door. To Isengard with doom we come.”
Faramir’s Personality
The movie makes Faramir very much like his brother. He is tempted by the ring and the power it has to save all of Gondor from Sauron and Saruman. He desires this so much that he takes Sam and Frodo hostage and takes them to Osgiliath. In the book, he is a much better man. He is not tempted by the ring and he gives the Hobbits good advice instead of kidnapping them.
Helping Hands
Before the start of the final battle, the Elves arrive in the movie to aid King Theoden and Aragorn. However, the Huorons, a type of Ent, aid them instead in the book. The end of the battle is also different as well. In the movie, Gandalf arrives with Eomer and his riders, which causes the enemies to retreat. In the books, Eomer was locked away at the beginning instead of banished, so he was inside Helm's Deep during the battle. Gandalf arrives with Erkenbrand’s people instead.
The Ending
The movie ends with Sam, Frodo, and Gollum parting with the humans and heading for Mordor. Meanwhile, Gollum makes plans to have the two Hobbits killed along the way in order to get the ring back. The book ends with Frodo being taken by Orcs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Two Towers in LOTR?
+How is Gandalf alive in the second LOTR?
+What happened to Arwen in the second LOTR movie?
+What is Gollum?
+Why did Gandalf not remember his name?
+In what order should I watch LOTR?
+How long is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers?
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