The scenes showing the creation of Saruman's army worked well for me. It was interesting to see the orcs at their work, burning, smelting and forging. However, it is a little gratuitous and unnecessary. All we need to know is that Saruman has an army, and also that he is mean to trees. Do we really need to see how said army is birthed and outfitted?
I too liked Saruman's fingers over the Palantír. It reminded me of Gandalf's line about Saruman's hands being like an extension of the claw of Mordor, cruel and cold.
I didn't like the portrayal of Saruman merely as a vassal of Sauron. I found book Saruman to be far more interesting, with his own desire for power and his independence from Mordor.
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I get the feeling that there is some nagging doubt in the back of his mind, a thought of good that he must overcome.
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That's interesting; I never thought of interpreting his brooding as such. I thought that he was simply thinking about metal and wheels in his unscrupulous mind. I shall watch a little more closely next time, and see if I can feel the inner conflict.
All in all, a fairly short and innocuous sequence. Not much else to say from this corner.