Lord Of The Rings: The
Two Towers
Certified
K-Billy Top 20 Film
The Plot:
The second chapter in the J.R.R. Tolkien saga, the hobbits Frodo and Sam brave terrible dangers in an attempt to have the evil ring destroyed, while Aragorn, Legolas and their allies strive to rescue the abducted hobbits Pippin and Merry from the clutches of evil. The great wizard Gandalf also makes his miraculous return to aid in the struggle against the united towers of Saruman and Sauron. (From Yahoo Movies)
My Thoughts: (Reviewed by K-Billy)
After the breaking of the Fellowship at the end of the first film, our character’s journey moves onward as Frodo accompanied by Sam move ever closer to Mordor. However they finall encounter the creature Gollum in this chapter of the journey and he soon becomes their guide to the dark land, but can scarcely be trusted. The poor hobbits Merry and Pippin have been captured by the soldiers of Sauraman and are being transported to his tower at Isengard under the belief that they carry the ring of power. And our three favorite hereos, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, are determined to save the two little hobbits from their fate. It is during this journey that the three encounter the people’s of Rohan, horsemasters of the plains who are on the verge of destruction at the hands of Sauraman. With the help of the heir to Gondor’s throne and his two companions, the peoples of Rohan will stage their defense in the grand battle of Helms Deep as the quest to destroy the ring continues on in The Two Towers.
Whats that I detect, could it be a sequel worthy of the original. Could it be a sequel that is equally perfect in it’s own right. Of course it is. The Two Towers carries on the Lord Of The Rings trilogy in entirely exciting fashion. All of our beloved characters have returned in the sequel to the film which has arguably the best ensemble cast ever. And in The Two Towers we are introduced to new characters such as Theodon of Rohan, Eowyn, and Eomer. And let us not forget Faramir, captain of Gondor. With many sequels the objective is merely to capitalize on the firsts success with complete disregard for the story. However since Lord Of The Rings was concieved as a trilogy the quality never waivers and as such we as the audience are treated to another magnificantly entertaining film that further seals the fate of the trilogy as the best of all time. Even more surprising would be the fact that special effects in this film actually top those of the Fellowship. This to me is amazing considering the new standard set by the first film. But once again what comes down to The Two Towers success is the acting.
With all of the original characters who survived the first film there was no doubt in my mind that Two Towers would carry on the same quality as the original in the performance dept. In some cases the actors actually improve on their previous outings, especially Elijah Wood who brings to this film a much more burdened and conflicted character as the ring slowly starts to take control of him. As for the rest they are all equally excellent. Of the new characters probably the best is that of Gollum, voiced by Andy Serkis. If you were expecting a repeat of the Jar Jar Binks debacle then think again. For this is the best computer generated characters you will ever see. He is the epitimy of the junkie, always needing his fix so to speak, his drug of choice, the ring. In many ways Gollum is a look into the future as to what we can expect to take place inside of Frodo if he doesn’t destroy the ring. For Gollum is always conflicted, to the point of being scizoprenic. Eowyn is well played by Miranda Otto as the character that feminists will love, and though Eomer has little screen time, there is a ferocity to the performance by Karl Urban. One of my other favorites of the new cast happens to be Bernard Hill’s Theodon. I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal as the stubborn leader. And the last new noteworthy performance would have to be Faramir played by David Wenham. Surprisingly his role in the film is in sharp contrast to the books. For in the books he is pure of heart and allows Frodo and Same to continue on their way, but in the film he portrays the same qualities of his brother and is somewhat corrupted by the ring. Altogether an excellent cast. Oh and who of course could forget Ian Mckellan’s Gandalf, in his latest incarnation as the even wiser white wizard. Simply wonderful.
I find myself amazed to be saying it but this film’s effects top the Fellowships. I suppose it was naïve of me to think that the sequels wouldn’t be more visually impressive but my god did they really raise the bar with The Two Towers. Now before I sound like too much of a moron let me say that special effects in no way make a film good. In many films they are merely a superficial tool to cover up the mediocrity of the story itself. However the reason that they do not cheapen and instead heighten the Lord Of The Rings experience is because these films required the effects, they could not have existed without them simply because of the complexity of the environment and the creatures, battles, etc. that could not have been done without CG. So in this respect the special effects are necessary and the test is whether they are convincing. And let me tell you, when thousands of Uruk-Hai are storming the fortress of Helm’s Deep with arrows flying and bodies falling, you will be astounded. When thousands of horses gallop down a steep mountain into a gathered force of enemies you will be amazed. And after this film you will realize how far we’ve come in our technology and just how good the WETA digital team is. Almost even more impressive is that in many cases the actual real landscapes and backgrounds are as impressive as those digitally created. New Zealand really is a beautiful place, as is evident in this film.
Perhaps not entirely surprising, Peter Jackson has done it again. He once more brings an epic feel to this truly epic film and confidently secures his place among one of the most prominent directors out there. I don’t really see where it could’ve possibly been possible for this movie to slip into mediocrity and thankfully it never does. Of course some liberties may have been taken with the story but the essence and spirit remains the same. Once again the acting all around is excellent with the best ensemble cast I’ve seen and new to the mix is the impressively conflicted performance of Gollum, an entirely interesting new character, and the best CG character ever in a film. And speaking of CG the effects will blow you away. Prepare for another rollercoaster experience of the highest quality. For The Two Towers may just be the best movie sequel ever, right up there with the Godfather Part II. This is shaping up to be the greatest trilogy of all time, and I can’t say that I’d be surprised if Return Of The King blows all our minds. I’m extremely excited to see the conclusion but the middle chapter is amazing in it’s own right.
Starring: Elijah Wood,
Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee
Directed by: Peter Jackson
Rated PG-13