[Elladan and Elrohir]

I remember vividly my first look at Barad-dur (sadly, it was not in the theatre). The camera flies past that first mini-tower or whatever it is, and I was like, "THAT'S Barad-dur? Pitiful!" Then, of course, you see the full thing slowly revealed, and I was in shock and awe. That and the first time we see Aragorn in Bree were really what cinched the movie for me.

I know Elijah Wood is probably the most controversial casting choice in the entire movie trilogy, but no one disputes that he's an excellent actor, and here he gets his first chance to shine a little bit. He certainly holds his own with the fabulous Sir Ian.

The Black Riders are pretty jarring, because, like in the books, you have no clue who these guys in black are or what they're going to do. After their appearance, with the exception of the scene at the Green Dragon, the Shire -- and actually the world -- ceases to be a friendly place. So then, the Nazgul set the tone and the mood for, really, the rest of the trilogy.

Howard Shore's score is brilliant as usual. The Mordor and Ringwraith themes are awesome, and "The Black Rider" track is one of his best.