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The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) Customer Reviews (58 - 60 of 99 Reviews)

Great Movie, all time favorite
Director Peter Jackson's movie version of The Two Towers pays full respect to the most sorrowful part of J.R.R. Tolkien's mighty Lord of the Rings trilogy.

This is a sadder, more frightening film than The Fellowship of the Ring, but it is also more exciting, more visually dynamic and more sweeping in its vision. This, film fans, is an epic with a capital E.

FILM REVIEW
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(PG-13; epic battle sequences, scary images) Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen. Directed by Peter Jackson. 179 minutes.
The story picks up almost exactly where Fellowship ended, with the original adventurers separated, and Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) facing the next perilous journey alone. All we see from the first film is the wizard Gandalf's apparently fatal plunge into the center of the Earth as he battles the horrendous Balrog monster - a special-effects scene as masterful as modern technology and artistic imagination will allow.

A short while later, an even more astonishing techno-wonder awaits in the character of Gollum, a creature generated entirely by computers based on the body and voice of actor Andy Serkis. Gollum has been kept largely under wraps in advance of the movie, the better to astonish audiences with his shocking authenticity. This is by far the most expressive, least mechanical, computer-generated figure ever seen on screen, and the movie's most engrossing character to boot.

Once a Hobbit-like being named Smeagol, Gollum was corrupted by the One Ring that Frodo now carries. Gollum dogs Frodo, hoping to steal the ring back. Frodo's appeal to the part of him that is still Smeagol reveals a divided person who carries the battle between good and evil in his own head.

Frodo's goal is the ring's destruction in the pit where it was forged, thereby stopping the resurrection of the disembodied Sauron, who has set his wicked wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) to the task of wiping out beauty, peace and freedom among humans, hobbits and their friends.

The movie crosscuts from place to place as Frodo and Sam struggle toward Mordor, tracking friends Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) in a magical forest overseen by ancient, tree-like beings called Ents, as well as the race by dwarf Gimli (voice of John Rhys-Davies), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) to save their friends.

The action peaks when the Fellowship warriors find a reborn Gandalf (Ian McKellen in another sharp, detailed performance) and rally the humans of Rohan to fight Saruman's massive forces. (Be advised that the movie earns its PG-13 rating with thrilling but often horrific combat.)

Mr. Jackson, who wrote the screenplay with Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair, interprets Tolkien's stormy vision with tremendous insight and empathy. Frodo's weakening spirit, Gollum's pathos, Sam's loyalty, the fury and dread of the final assault on Helm's Deep - it's all there on the screen, as powerfully as it was on the pages of the great novel. Mr. Jackson has taken a few liberties with the book, but none that destroy its sense or sensibility.

Plot complexities are explained in part with flashbacks, flash-forwards and narrative recaps. It is possible the tale could confuse some who are not familiar with the books, but even non-readers of Tolkien stand to be swept up in the film's urgent pace and emotional intensity - not to mention its breathtaking visual riches.

The Two Towers is every bit the momentous event fans have been hoping for. All it lacks is three more hours of the story. That comes Dec. 17, 2003. Mark the date.

The Lord of the Rings is an achivement? yes but a great film
I have seen all three films in theatre and own the Fellowship on the 4 DVD special edition... To make a film on this scale is an achievment .. more than 7 years spent and the results show.. unfortunately i disagree with those who call it a masterpiece.. It is boring.. plain and simple.. as an aspiring screenwriter i find that any film which relies so much on CGI and believes filmgoers come solely to see fantasy/action sequences and not hear a story is taking us for granted.. the book has a superb sructure. will not discuss it here.. but it slowly builds up and takes you on the journey with the characters.. every character from Aragorn to merry and pippin are shaped so well by Tolkien.. The film fails becasue it does not have a structure which involves the audience.. We are just taken through a series of action pieces in the first film.. the second film does better but not much while the third film-climax is more absorbing but because of the first two stinkers a first timer loses the plot.. On my own part I loved the Arwyn-Aragorn story, the scene where she sees him and thier child is possibly my favourite moment in the film.. pure cinema.. wordless and says everything.. A few personal notes of why you may want to pick up the DVD.. the making of the film is nothing short of amazing.. the DVDS 3 and 4 are chock pakced with info about the pre-prod, prod and post and are must have for thier extensive detailing about the prokject.. well worth the money to anyone who wants to find about the hardwork and effort that goes into making a film.. Should the lord of the Rings have been written by a professional screenwriter who understands the craft and structure of an epic.. which is what the LOTR is.. YES.. I think Peter Jackson is a brilliant filmmaker and his hardwork shows but him and Franz Walsh shine through in only certain moments when they don't let the CGI steal the human element from the film.. Having said that pick up the DVD, at that price it's a steal whether you're a lord of the rings afficiando or just a lover of films... On my own part I would have loved the LOTR as a series of six films with each book being divided into 2 parts and each part at 3 hours.. it would have been a more fulfilling experience.. but then that's what i think...

Two-towers- full of dissapointment!
A cynic is what an idealist calls a realist. So, after reading this review, please do not call me a cynic.
First of all, one needs to be sympathetic with the film-maker. 'The Two Towers' is the second part of the trilogy- stuck in the middle- neither here nor there. Hence, a lot needed to be done to make the film gripping. However, the only highlight is the battle at Helm's Deep, which, at best, can be called good. Gandalf's return as the White Wizard was fun to watch. However, trying to enjoy the rest of the film is in itself a battle- a losing one. A long, dreary 3-hour torcher is what this film boils down to. Pardon me for being harsh, but I cannot help compare it to its predecessor, which was nothing short of a masterpiece! 'The Fellowship Of The Ring' was a complete film- complete in the sense that it left one satisfied. It had the calm, serene and beautiful Shire on one hand and the dark and dreadful Mines of Moria on the other. Several scenes in it left one gaping. Nothing of the sort is found in this film.
Having said that, one has to realise that the book(the original story) itself might not have permitted extravagance.
So, if you want to enjoy a good film with astounding effects, do not go in for this film. However, if you want to complete the trilogy, then do, by all means, watch 'The Two Towers'. Don't let the link go missing. But, please, do NOT even dream of comparing it to either its presecessor or its successor- which are in a league of their own.

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