The Lord of the Rings

I've now seen the extended versions and the regular versions. Can't say I know what the difference is (more of Grond in the extended?), but they're both good. However, this time this critic watched it with the Riddler, who made me wonder, why doesn't Gandalf use more magic, where are the non-white Middle Earth inhabitants, why didn't Gandalf use magic this time, why does Sauron look like a vah-jay-jay, again with the magic. I don't have the answers. Maybe they're in the book. And maybe the book gives a more explicit PTSD explanation for why Frodo leaves the Shire at the end.