James: Damn! That was a great synopsis of The Two Towers which expresses the bewilderment that I've heard from many a movie-goer who hasn't read the books. The problem is that they have attempted to take several thousand pages of Tolkein's works and fit them into a few movies. I think they decided to cater to those who have read the books and more or less know the background of the story. Tolkein was a scholar of archaic European languages and literature, and I'm told he wanted to translate the mythic style of ancient tales into a modern form. Many of the languages, names, and places in the books are loosely derived from actual places, names, languages, and ancient legends and myths. Tolkein created a complicated world, most of which is explained in The Silmarillion, which is a very large book detailing the pre-history of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. If you aren't already familiar with this world, you're screwed as far as seeing the movies goes. You might as well come in from outer space and, with virtually no knowledge of human beings, sit down to a few hours of CSPAN. I think there is a sort of pyramid of Lord of the Rings movie-watchers. Many will probably be like you, and have very little knowledge of the characters, places, plots, or ideas from the books. Then there's me: I read all the books in junior high school, and I spent a fair amount of time reading stuff written by Tolkein enthusiasts, including a guide to Middle Earth beasts with illustrations. I also saw the cartoon movies repeatedly as a child, so I know what's going on and I had a great time seeing it on the big screen. I remember being completely excited and terrified when I read the part about the Mines of Moria and the Balrog. Reliving that in a visual format is like adding new levels to an existing experience. At the top of the pyramid are the folks who are so intimately familiar with Tolkein's works that they can actually pick apart the movie by noticing, say, occasions when Eastern Elves speak in Western dialects. I think people in my category make up the bulk of the pyramid's volume, and probably get the most enjoyment out of seeing the films. By the way, to answer some of your questions: the cock-rocker was introduced as a preternaturally expert tracker in Fellowship of the Ring. In fact, that is his primary occupation, other than being heir to the thrown of something. Gandalf emerges in the second film as "Gandalf the White," who is a somewhat different character than the previous "Gandalf the Gray" by virtue of having died and come back from the dead. Gandalf the White is much more powerful, mystical, and serious, and is able to summon Shadowfax, who is sort of the Platonic form of a fast horse. Saurumon probably is a loose reference to Solomon, but don't ask me to try and analyze the meaning of this allusion. The two towers were Mordor (Sauron's place) and Isengard (Saurumon's place). The book's title is due to the alliance between Mordor and Isengard, the development of which is the central event for this part of the saga. In all honesty, the films span thousands of years of Tolkein history, and even in the books The Two Towers is kind of a confusing bridge between the more significant Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King. It's kind of like reading the book of Judges in the Bible. After Moses, things kind of break down and go every which way. It mostly accomplishes character development, some historical explanations, and expresses a condition of hopelessness against a rising imperial power (Sauron and Mordor) which intends to erradicate/enslave all of humankind. After laboriously establishing this hopelessness, The Two Towers concludes with a pair of turning-point victories. These set the stage for the rising action of Return of the King, which culminates in the dramatic defeat of Sauron, the destruction of the Ring within Mount Doom, and the fiery end of Gollum, overpowered by his lust for the Ring.