Movie Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The second of a planned trilogy, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers picks up precisely where its predecessor, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, left off (in fact, there’s no story recap at all, so I’d recommend seeing the first movie again before you buy your tickets to the second). You’ll recall that the first movie was nominated for a variety of awards including for its script, effects, direction, and as best picture. It deserved those nominations. Because the first movie was so well done, I don’t lightly tell you that the second movie is even better than the first.

In The Two Towers, we join Frodo and Sam in the midst of their journey to Mordor. The two are soon joined by Gollum (Smeagol) who, though utterly untrustworthy, forms a temporary alliance with the two in the hopes he can recover his “precious” in the process. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli chase after the Orcs who have captured Merry and Pippin. Though they fail to catcch up with the missing hobbits, the three do end up allied with the humans of Rohan in a fierce battle to save the last stronghold of the people from the overwhelming forces sent on the march by the evil Saruman.

Will Frodo succumb to the powerful lure of the ring? Will Gollum succeed in leading the hobbits astray? Can the humans possibly survive the all powerful assault in store for them? Will the elves desert humanity once and for all and leave Middle Earth all together? Some questions are answered in The Two Towers. Others remain temptingly just out of reach, at least until next year’s third and final installment.

Obviously, the fans of Lord of the Rings are legion, and they’ve all read the books. But despite knowing just exactly how everything will pan out, it’s impossible not to be on the edge of your seat for The Two Towers, testament to those who adapted an excedingly complex storyline into a screenplay that is utterly gripping. Director Peter Jackson is himself a fan, and it’s obvious. Only a man truly in love with Tolkien’s masterpiece could have put together movies so true to the novels. The entire cast from the first movie is back for the second installment - they’ll be back for the third, as well, since all three movies were filmed simultaneously a couple of years ago.

Although everyone is good, several actors are standouts and deserve to be recognized as such. Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins is utterly convincing as a complete innocent who is being forcibly awakened to the evils of the larger world. His confusion and pain is evident, and we suffer with him as we watch. And Viggo Mortensen, who plays the human Aragorn, is truly terrific. He is utterly confident and cavalier, but it’s obvious his confidence is covering his deep sadness as well as a certain amount of fear. Mortensen, who was not included among the nominees for a Golden Globe already honoring the film, was slighted. He should have been honored among the best because he is among the best.

The special effects also deserve a special mention of their own because they are superlative. Although there are moments involving the interaction between Merry and Pippin and the Ents that are obviously computer generated (the jerkiness gives them away every time), there are battle scenes that will literally take your breath away with their sheer scope and realism. The CGI Gollum is beautifully rendered and animated. And the make-up surpasses even that done for the first film. Watch for The Two Towers to garner more award nominations for, at a minimum, these two categories.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is rated PG-13. There is no nudity or sex, but the violence is horrific, and the entire plot very dark and frightening. The 12 year-old I was with didn’t have a problem with the horror aspect of the film, but he’s a horror buff who's likely built up a certain immunity to being scared. He’s also a particularly intelligent boy which enabled him to follow a plot that’s complex to say the very least. Unless you have a child like this one, I’d keep anyone under 14 out of the theatre. Anyone else, however, who is a Lord of the Rings fan, a fantasy fanatic, or just an avid movie-goer will find more than a little to love about this movie. I recommend it to all.