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I'm talking about the magic that resembles The Force (from Star Wars) that Saruman and Gandalf use against each other in the wizard duel in Isengard, I'm referring to the one in The Fellowship of the Ring, the fight that culminates in Gandalf's imprisonment.
Now, I am aware that the duel didn't happen in the book, however, did LOTR books contain any magic like the one used in said duel?
I'd like to add another data-point. From The Pyre of Denethor as Gandalf and Pippin approach the House of the Stewards where Pippin had left Beregond to keep the servants from setting fire to Faramir's pyre. Beregond is guarding the door against those servants, but Denethor inside has other ideas.
Thereupon the door which Beregond held shut with his left hand was wrenched open, and there behind him stood the Lord of the City, tall and fell; a light like flame was in his eyes, and he held a drawn sword.
But Gandalf sprang up the steps, and the men fell back from him and covered their eyes; for his coming was like the incoming of a white light into a dark place, and he came with great anger. He lifted up his hand, and in the very stroke, the sword of Denethor flew up and left his grasp and fell behind him in the shadows of the house; and Denethor stepped backward before Gandalf as one amazed.
So I think Gandalf could have given those Jedi a run for their money.
I'm not sure what would qualify as magic similar to that used in the duel in the Fellowship film, or how this relates to the Force. However, I can think of two incidents in The Fellowship of the Ring in which magic exerts a physical force on an object. Both occur during the journey though Moria (The Bridge of Khazad-dum).
I [Gandalf] spoke a word of Command. That proved too great a strain. The door burst in pieces.
and
At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. ... The bridge cracked.
Magic exerted a physical force on a person in The Tower of Cirith Ungol (The Return of the King), when the Watchers try to prevent Sam from entering the tower.
... he felt a shock: as if he had run into some web like Shelob's, only invisible.
and (a little later)
... Sam thrust forward once again, and halted with a jerk, staggering as if from a blow upon his breast and head.
There are actually two kinds of magic in Tolkien, but unfortunately he uses the word "magic" for both, which can lead to some confusion. In Letter 155 he distinguishes them:
for the purposes of the tale, some would say that there is a latent distinction such as once was called the distinction between magia and goeteia
And goes on to provide the following illustrative passage:
The Enemy's operations are by no means all goetic deceits but 'magic' that produces real effects in the physical world. But his magia he uses to bulldoze both people and things, and his goeteia to terrify and subjugate. Their magia the Elves and Gandalf use (sparingly): a magia, producing real results (like fire in a wet faggot) for specific beneficent purposes. Their goetic effects are entirely artistic and not intended to deceive: they never deceive Elves (but may deceive or bewilder unaware Men) since the difference is to them as clear as the difference to us between fiction, painting, and sculpture, and 'life'.
When people speak of magic in Middle-earth being "subtle", "low-key", "artistic", etc, it is actually the goeteia that they are talking about, but magia does exist and is used: Gandalf's lightning bolts and ignition of flammable objects, his "Word of Command", Glorfindel's unveiling at the Ford of Bruinen, and so on, even including the Fellowship's collection of magic items.
There's no evidence to suggest Force-like "action at a distance" that I'm aware of, but based on the above passage one might speculate that if it were possible, Sauron would use it for destruction and as a weapon, whereas the Elves and Gandalf would use it more constructively and positively, or for defence.
The only magical duel that Tolkien described in any real detail was that between Finrod Felagund and Sauron in the Silmarillion, and I'll quote it in full because it's a good example of the way these things work in Tolkien:
Thus befell the contest of Sauron and Felagund which is renowned. For Felagund strove with Sauron in songs of power, and the power of the King was very great; but Sauron had the mastery, as is told in the Lay of Leithian:
He chanted a song of wizardry,
Of piercing, opening, of treachery,
Revealing, uncovering, betraying.
Then sudden Felagund there swaying,
Sang in a song of staying,
Resisting, battling against power,
Of secrets kept, strength like a tower,
And trust unbroken, freedom, escape;
Of changing and shifting shape,
Of snares eluded, broken traps,
The prison opening, the chain that snaps.
Backwards and forwards swayed their song.
Reeling foundering, as ever more strong
The chanting swelled, Felagund fought,
And all the magic and might he brought
Of Elvenesse into his words.
Softly in the gloom they heard the birds
Singing afar in Nargothrond,
The sighing of the Sea beyond,
Beyond the western world, on sand,
On sand of pearls on Elvenland.
Then in the doom gathered; darkness growing
In Valinor, the red blood flowing
Beside the Sea, where the Noldor slew
The Foamriders, and stealing drew
Their white ships with their white sails
From lamplit havens.
The wind wails,
The wolf howls.
The ravens flee.
The ice mutters in the mouths of the Sea.
The captives sad in Angband mourn.
Thunder rumbles, the fires burn-
And Finrod fell before the throne.
This supports the speculation I made above: note that Sauron uses his song offensively whereas Finrod is primarily defensive.
Another passage from The Two Towers that seems of some relevance:
The old man was too quick for him. He sprang to his feet and leaped to the top of a large rock. There he stood, grown suddenly tall, towering above them. His hood and his grey rags were flung away. His white garments shone. He lifted up his staff, and Gimli's axe leaped from his grasp and fell ringing on the ground. The sword of Aragorn, stiff in his motionless hand, blazed with a sudden fire. Legolas gave a great shout and shot an arrow high into the air: it vanished in a flash of flame.
Given the context, which I won't spoil for new readers, this could be interpreted another way, but I've always understood it to be actual power that stopped the attack of the travelers because it immediately follows He lifted up his staff and because of the common thread of fire. (Why else did the arrow vanish in a flash of flame if not magic?)
There's no specific citation, but in general magic in the Tolkien 'verse is of a deeper, more subtle kind. "Seeing thoughts" is mentioned, as well as an ability to compel others. Fire and light can be conjured and controlled on a smallish scale, and with great power weather can be at least influenced. Places can be set as magical traps, such as the Ford of Branduin and the Pass of Caradras, but from their rarity I suspect it's not an easy thing to set up. Gandalf is probably the flashiest wizard due to his particular study of fire and light, but that in itself doesn't make him any stronger than any other wizard or high elf.
Overall I'd say the answer is a qualified "No".
Well haha funny question! It appears that certain (if not all) effects known from force powers can be replicated by Arda's world inhabitants.
Of the force from both Dark and Light side, of course. In the dark side area of specialty there is something called Sith alchemy...well it seems Dark Lords Sauron and Morgoth have great expertise in this regard. They can breed various kinds of monsters enhanced and altered from other life forms (to some extent even sentient) and have great power over substances of which the physical world is made (Sauron is also great artificer, making many 'magical artifacts').
Mental powers that allow to use some form of telepathy or empathy are both possible among force-users abilities as well as in Tolkien universe, mind trick is also replicated in Tolkien to some extent. We know of the Dark Lords abilities to mind control or have direct influence over his subject's minds in various ways (in fact the One Ring is a tool that allows to dominate minds much better), there appears that ability known as Force-fear (dark siders ability to cause fear in oponents by acting on certain parts of mind) is also existing within Tolkien world, many entities appear to have supernatural fear aura (Nazgul, other undead and more demonic entities like fallen Maiar who emanate with power and dread, incapacitating enemies).
Some characters in Tolkien world can even wipe someone's memory like a Jedi or a Sith would. I talk here primary about dragon Glaurung who used his 'dragon-spell' to wipe out memories of Nienor, though he also could use his spell to other effects like paralyzing with gaze and hypnotizing, no idea whether all dragons could do it, but judging by the fact that the spell of dragon Smaug during the events of The Hobbit worked exactly like a mind trick would..., it appears that all dragons have large amount of mental power (and glowing eyes of doom :) hehehe):
Bilbo was now beginning to feel really uncomfortable. Whenever Smaug's roving eye, seeking for him in the shadows, flashed across him, he trembled, and an unaccountable desire seized hold of him to rush out and reveal himself and tell all the truth to Smaug. In fact he was in grievous danger of coming under the dragon-spell.
And another quote, here it might be more mundane but I think it is safe to assume that Smaug's voice could have the same 'magical' quality like in case of Saruman or Sauron allowing them to charm persons they address (mixed of course with their cunning oratory skills)
Now a nasty suspicion began to grow in his mind-had the dwarves forgotten this important point too, or were they laughing in their sleeves at him all the time? That is the effect that dragon-talk has on the inexperienced. Bilbo of course ought to have been on his guard; but Smaug had rather an overwhelming personality.
Well it is often said that hobbits are more resistant to such things, let's call it magic resistance and in this case the spell works better when person looks directly into dragon's eyes.
There is also case of mesmerizing 'candles of corpses' on Dead Marshes, Morgoth also used his eyes to daunt many captives and so enslave them (another form of mind control):
And desiring above all to sow fear and disunion among the Eldar, he commanded the Orcs to take alive any of them that they could and bring them bound to Angband; and some he so daunted by the terror of his eyes that they needed no chains more, but walked ever in fear of him, doing his will wherever they might be. Thus Morgoth learned much of all that had befallen since the rebellion of Fлanor, and he rejoiced, seeing therein the seed of many dissensions among his foes.
...But ever the Noldor feared most the treachery of those of their own kin, who had been thralls in Angband; for Morgoth used some of these for his evil purposes, and feigning to give them liberty sent them abroad, but their wills were chained to his, and they strayed only to come back to him again. Therefore if any of his captives escaped in truth, and returned to their own people, they had little welcome, and wandered alone outlawed and desperate.
- Silmarillion
Of course the 'telekinetic' ability is also seen used by Gandalf (it might be also the reason why he has control over his smoke rings, moving them in air where he wished so), also in the encounter in Fangorn it appears that Gandalf used staff to remove the axe from Gimli's grip, though some would say the wording is ambiguous, also the encounter with Denethor as mentioned implies that Gandalf and so by extension others of his kind are able to some extent manipulate environment with forces of will, after all it is told that:
...Valar may work many things with thought rather than with hands...' though they are divine beings, in Star Wars terms the closest thing they could be compared is some sort of manifestation of the Force (and Morgoth would the origin of the dark side with all the black arts surrounding it sorcery, necromancy and so forth).
As for Force-lightning there is some curious thing written in Tolkien notes gathered in HoME (History of Middle Earth) concerning the death of Finwe (the first elf-king) when Morgoth murdered him in the Aman, when later his body was found:
In that evil time Finwe was slain by the Marrer himself, and his body was burned as by lightning stroke and was destroyed.
Interesting hehe well there is also the case of Ainur (Maiar and Valar) being able to manipulate the weather and so conjuring the storms with lightning :) or Sauron in Numenor "defied the lightning and was unharmed", Gandalf even used a lightning-like flash in a cave to instantly kill several orcs that came to grab him (not to mention that Sauron was also said to be able to immolate elf-king Gil-Galad "heat of Sauron's hand, which was black yet burned like fire, and so Gil-Galad was destroyed").
In general, the magic in Tolkien's universe is much stronger than "the force" in Star Wars.
In Star Wars, the strongest jedi would have a hard time moving a hill.
In Tolkien, the strongest "mages" in the Silmarillion can break a mountain in two.
In Star Wars, the strongest Sith ever conquered immortality.
In Tolkien, an underling named Sauron merged his soul with a magical object of his creation to make himself immortal even if he were to be vaporized.
In summary, yes most of the "mages" in LOTR can easily pull off stuff like Palpatine or Yoda, but they have better things to do.
For some unclear reason, very little of their magic is used for brute force / simple stuff like the force (although the nine are arguably brutish, strong, and magical) but instead affects the aura of a vast expanse of land (Elrond shrouds Imladris, Galadriel illuminates Lorien, Sauron projects his darkness across the land) or influences major forces of nature, like the mountain Kharadras or the river Bruinen.
