EXCLUSIVE: A spoiler heavy TWO TOWERS FAQ Part 2!

Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers: The questions just keep pouring in! And we're doing our best to keep up with them all. Here is the 2nd part of the FAQ...Please be warned. As with the spoiler filled review,

HEAVY SPOILERS

are present in this FAQ as well.
Links to also check:
CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF THE FAQ!
CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE OF THE FAQ!

CLICK HERE FOR THE REVIEW!
Onto part 2 of the FAQ...

One thing I've heard no mention of (but am looking forward to) is the passing of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum through the Dead Marshes. Is this included, and if so, how does it stand up, visually, to Tolkien's writing?
The dead marshes..are, well, beautiful! Actually, they are exactly how I pictured them in the book. Very swamp like, with fires burning all around, and dead bodies floating under the surface of the water. Frodo actually looks "into the eyes", which Gollum advises against, and ends up falling in. He is then almost pulled down by the likes of the spirits that reside in the water. Very creepy stuff. A justice to the way Tolkien described in the book.

How does the Palantir play into effect, some early rumors were that Saruman would get wizard-kebabbed and the Palantir would fall down with him. Since Saruman doesn't die, it being such a big part in the book, is the Palantir exchange of owners similar in the movie?
Sorry to say, but the Palantir doesn't even makes it's way into the film at all. I think we might have seen one brief shot of Saruman consulting the Palantir, but that's about it. The Palantir gets thrown out of Orthanc by Wormtongue, but this does not happen in the film...at least in The Two Towers. We might see this scene at the beginning of Return Of The King.

Were there any moments that, like in the Fellowship, the music, and the given circumstance wrenches your emotions, like that of Gandalf's fall, or Sam and Frodo's boat sequence?
Yes! Very much so! In being a huge fan of movie scores, this one topped the year off for me! It is absolutely brilliant! Howard Shore has outdone himself this time around. The cues were perfect, and the recap of themes that were present in Fellowship don't play TOO strongly, which makes The Two Towers more of it's own movie, rather then just a sequel. The music was beautiful.

Was the Legolas and Gimli Uruk-hai killing contest included in the film?
Yes! This scene has been included and it's great...especially for fans of the book!

One of the scenes took place during Helms Deep where Aragorn threw Gimli at an Uruk-hai during the battle? Is there any truth to this?
Actually yes, but this is one thing I want to leave unspoiled. I think fans will get a kick out of the events that lead up to this point. I'm going to leave this one up to the fans to see for themselves. Everyone will realize why once they see the scene...

How does Treebeard sound?
Very cool. With John Rhys-Davies, who plays dwarf Gimli also voicing that of the almighty Treebeard, you'll hardly be able to tell that they are the same. A lot of effects are put onto his voice to make Treebeard extremely menacing to all life forms. He sort of reminded me of the giant turtle in the middle of The Never Ending Story, another great fantasy film.

To get a small sample of Treebeard's voice, click on over to The One Ring.net where they are hosting some audio files from the Treebeard toy that talks!

Does Sam use his Elven rope that "unties itself"?
Yes, but only to tie Gollum up after they first encounter him. No untying happens onscreen.

Does Sam hit Gollum with a pan? If so, when?
I think this happens during their first encounter with Gollum as well. Gollum attacks Frodo to snatch the ring, and both Sam and Frodo commence beating Gollum to the ground. I think Sam might have used his frying pan to mellow Gollum out.

Does any of the Fellowship use their Elven cloaks to camouflage themselves?
Yes. Frodo and Sam hide from the men who serve Sauron at the black gates of Mordor.

Does Faramir take Frodo and Sam all the way back to Minas Tirith, or do they just get as far as the ruins of Osgiliath?
As I remember, I think Faramir told them that he was bringing them to the ruins of Osgiliath, but I am not 100% sure on this. It seems to make sense that this is where Faramir brought them as the city was in shambles, but it was also under attack.

Is Gollum caught at the Forbidden Pool of Henneth Annûn?
Yes. It's straight from the book...Frodo denies having anything to do with Gollum, and right before he is about to be shot down, Frodo tricks him into following him...which eventually leads to Gollum's capture by Faramir's men.

Do the Huorns show up to "mop up" the escaping Uruk-hai after they are routed by Gandalf and the Rohirrim at the end of the Battle of Helm's Deep?
No. This is not shown onscreen. The last we see of the Helms Deep battle is when the Riders Of Rohan return to their king with Gandalf The White.

Does Treebeard really bring Merry and Pippin to Gandalf? If so, does Gandalf reveal his identity to them onscreen?
Yes. Treebeard advises the Hobbits that he must consult The White Wizard as to who they were. We then see Merry and Pippin's reaction to the wizard, but the wizard's identity is shielded from the audience.

Do we see Theodred's death at the Fords of Isen?
No. We don't see this happen. The battle is still being waged by the Ents against Orthanc as the movie ends.

Are the Southrons and Easterlings racially different in appearance than the men of Gondor and Rohan?
I think this is the idea, but it was hard to tell a they had so little screen time. The men serving Sauron looked like they might have had a darker skin tone then that of the men of Rohan, but they were wearing full armor, including helmets with masks, and a line of black eye liner around their eyes.

Does the Two Towers have the universal moral and human values that Fellowship had? Or is The Two Towers is just the fantasy epic adventure with a good plot that everybody is talking about?
I think the filmmakers knew what the ultimate theme of Tolkien's books were, and it shows up on film. The entire movie we feel a strong quality of caring for all living things in Middle-earth, and we see that is what our heroes are fighting for.

Do they explain the story behind Gollum, you know, the whole Smeagol/Deagol thing?
Nope. Seems like we might see some of this in Return Of The King. The only thing that The Two Towers alludes to is when Frodo reminds Gollum of who he really is..Smeagol, a Hobbit like creature, way back when. Gollum becomes perplexed by this and start to remember...

How much do we see of Eowyn? Since her full part doesn't come until ROTK, do they add anything with her?
Eowyn fans can rejoice because her character is very prominent in this film. She seems to be sort of a leader of the people of Rohan. I think this is why Aragorn takes a liking to her.

We have seen pictures of Theodred, but no mention of him in any review...where is he?
We see Theodred dead in his bed as Wormtongue tries to corrupt the innocence of Eowyn. No compassion is felt at all from Wormtongue as he realizes that Theodred is dead. After Gandalf release Theoden from the possession of Saruman, he is left with the fact that his son has passed away, and grieves for him at the family tomb with Gandalf.

Does Frodo have that psychological struggle going on between himself and Gollum as indicated in some articles?
yes indeed, and it makes for some great scenes where the audience feels a bit uneasy about the ring bearer. There is even a scene where Frodo actually draws Sting against Sam. The ring is polluting Frodo's mind, and towards the end of the film it controls him more and more.

CLICK HERE FOR PART ONE OF THE FAQ!
CLICK HERE FOR PART THREE OF THE FAQ!

CLICK HERE FOR THE REVIEW!

Stay tuned later this week when we do our official book to film comparison!
And thanks to all that contributed to the FAQ!

Dont't forget to also check out: The Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers