The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

Rated PG-13 for epic battle sequences and scary images.

179 min Theatrical / 223 min Extended Edition

He wants the precious. Always he is looking for it. And the precious is wanting to go back to him… But we mustn’t let him have it. -Gollum

Synopsis

The Two Towers picks up right where The Fellowship left off; Gandalf and Boromir having died, Merry and Pippin taken by the Urk-hai with Aragorn, Gimili, and Legolas in pursuit, and with Frodo and Sam making their way to the darkness of Mordor together.  Where the previous film had a continuity that followed Frodo and the Ring, this film splits into three tales with some new additions to the cast.  Frodo and Sam are being pursued by a vile creature that is known only as Gollum.  He was once the keeper of the Ring until Bilbo won it from him years ago.  Though Gollum had lost the Ring he still had a connection to it and had been following the Fellowship since they entered Moria.  Now, with the two Hobbits alone, he has his chance to take it back. 

Merry and Pippin escape when a bounty of Rohirrim riders attack their captors, the Urk-hai and Orcs. In a desperate attempt to flee, they slip into Fangorn forrest, only to meet a strange creature that goes by the name of Treebeard.  He is an Ent, a tree that thinks, breathes, and speaks.  He vows to take care of Merry and Pippin who are attempting to pursuade Treebeard and the other Ents to join the war and help save their friends, but Treebeard’s timeline is a little less pressing than the two Hobbits.

In pursuit of the two other Hobbits, the trio of Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimili run into their own adventure.  Gandalf is alive and resurrected into an even greater yet colder Wizard.  He is now Gandalf the White.  He leads the trio to the Gap of Rohan and the great city of Edoras, where King Theoden has been under the spell and influence of Saruman and the traitor Grima Wormtongue.  Gandalf knows Saruman is ready to launch an attack on Edoras and all the people of Rohan.  Gandalf releases King Theoden from his spell and the people of Rohan flee to Helms Deep to face a battle that is overwhelming in the favor of the enemy.  It may be the end for mankind.

Review

The Two Towers has a very different feel to it than the Fellowship which focused around developing character’s, relationships, and plotlines.  The Two Towers was essentially the action climax that never fully happened in the Fellowship.  With new character’s entering our already complicated story and with the plot diverting into three different directions it seems like a lot to digest, but it moves so quickly the viewer moves on to the next event without having time to reflect on what happened.  When the film ends it feels like half the length of it’s predecessor, yet it is the same length.  This middle portion of the epic tale is more entertainment based than story or plot building which felt necessary after the Fellowship.

This film is just as extraordinary to look at as the first, but on a much larger scale.  Enormous landscapes and battle sequences take this movie to the next level of special effects and visuals.  While the art is still inspired by Alan Lee’s work, there is an added vastness to this films physical boundries.  With the character’s spred all across Middle Earth this film feels much larger and much more hopeless.

The battle of Helm’s Deep is one of the most intense and technically challenging battle scenes ever on film.  The degree of emotoinal points countered with some of the most hardcore action sequences to date makes this forty-five minute battle go by quickly, but at the same time tortuously slow.  The time it takes for Dawn to come and the circumstances it takes to get there is entirely authentic.  By the time this film is over a feeling of complete mental exhaustion will sesttle over you.

Cast

• Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins
• Sean Astin as Samwise Gamgee
• Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn Son Of Arathorn
• Ian McKellen as Gandalf/Mithrandir
• Sean Bean as Borimir
• Orlando Bloom as Legolas
• Ian Holm as Bilbo Baggins
• Christopher Lee as Saruman
• Billy Boyd as Pippin
• Dominic Monaghan as Merry
• Bernard Hill as King Theoden
• Miranda Otts as Eowyn
• Brad Dourif as Grima Wormtongue
• Bruce Hopkins as Gamling 
• Craig Parker as Haldir
• Cate Blanchett as Galadriel
• John Rhys-Davies as Gimili/Treebeard
• Andy Serkis as Gollum/Smeagal
• Karl Urban as Eomer
• David Wenham as Faramir
• John Noble as Denethor 
• Liv Tyler as Arwen 
• Hugo Weaving as Elrond
• Marton Csokas as Celeborn

The additional character’s in this story really shook things up.  Miranda Otts as Eowyn creating the conflict of interest with Aragorn and Arwen was a beautiful personal conflict.  It really makes her interact with the rest of the cast, and while you may be screaming “homewrecker” at her, who could deny her affection for Aragorn?  Any woman in their right mind would, and that makes her role even more realistic besides the fact that she played it brilliantly.  Bernard Hill as King Theoden is one of my favorite fictional character’s ever.  The tortured and conflicted, yet strong man was interpreted so well by Hill.  He was not just a pawn in the story, but one of the most astounding performances ever.  His subtle way of exploiting his own self doubt and inner conflict without detracting from the story is pure genuis in the acting category.  Also along for the ride was the most amazing CGI character ever evolved: Gollum/Smeagal.  Never before has a computer generated character come across the screen as so three dimensional.  There is never a moment where you ask yourself if Gollum is CGI because he is so realistic.  Played by Andy Serkis, this interpretation of a character that is so twisted and demented would be difficult to pull off by your most talented actor, and yet combined with technology and the amazing voice over and physicality of Andy Serkis; Gollum becomes one of the greatest good/evil character’s of all time.

Ratings and Suggestions

By the end of this film you are either completely hooked and enthralled by this trilogy or you plain and simply can’t stand it.  It’s also rated PG-13 though is a bit more violent and even it’s implications more absolute than the Fellowship.  In each Lord Of The Rings movie you will get at least one hardcore decapitation from Aragorn.  Peter Jackson must have just liked the idea of Viggo offing with peoples heads.  By this time these character’s are no longer just entertaining vessels telling a story onscreen, they are in your heart and mind and you really care about what happens to all of them, which is what makes Return Of The King so powerful.  Our heroes have in one way or another touched us in some very real or profound way, and that is the essence of an amazing story.  The Two Towers was the deciding factor and the result was my heart stolen by one of the greatest stories ever told.  Four out of Four stars.