Lord of the Rings: Two Towers

January 4, 2003

Scale: 9/10 Should you see it? YES How’s the writing? GOOD Any gaping holes in the plot? NO What stands out? A sequel that is every bit as good as the original See it in the theater or wait to rent? WORTH THE THEATER

The only problem with seeing this movie is that I’ll have to wait until December to see the next one.

I bought “The Fellowship of the Ring” and watched it right before seeing The Two Towers, and I recommend this for anyone who didn’t obsessively watch the original movie, as it will help to refresh your memory of the characters and the plot thus far.

The movie was excellent, the writing was excellent, the sets were amazing (so good that you didn’t notice them, and they seemed like the whole thing was filmed on location in Middle Earth).

The bit with the Tree Shepherds (or whatever they were called) kept interrupting the flow of the movie, but it was necessary for the development of the story overall…. The frustration I felt with the interruptions was probably a good technique to help us to feel the frustrations the characters were experiencing.

  • hope decker

    this was realy not helpful you should put in more info insteed of your own thoughts!

  • legolos IS SO SO SO SO HOT!!!!!!

  • Lord of the Rings III was good. I think
    that Jackson captured the overall tone and spirit of the books better than I
    dare say anyone else could have. Imagine George Lucas doing it! :)

  • Dear LOTR fans, if any of you have knowledge of resources for excellent language learning material based on the Trilogy, I would love to hear from you. Especially Smeagol/Gollum based dialogue. What a character!

  • Kristine Marshall

    Okay so Jackson changed the plor a little(well, maybe a lot). The idea was NOT to be completely loyal to the books. Heck, no book that good and that thick could possibly be converted to the screen 100%. And as for the European study of costume-HELLO? This is Middle-Earth, not Europe! the deal is to make it looks historically fantastical. I read the Two towers before seeing the film and guess what? I thought the film was way better!
    PS I like Elijah Wood as Frodo. I think he's HOT!

  • Kristine Marshall

    Okay so Jackson changed the plor a little(well, maybe a lot). The idea was NOT to be completely loyal to the books. Heck, no book that good and that thick could possibly be converted to the screen 100%. And as for the European study of costume-HELLO? This is Middle-Earth, not Europe! the deal is to make it looks historically fantastical. I read the Two towers before seeing the film and guess what? I thought the film was way better!
    PS I like Elijah Wood as Frodo. I think he's HOT!

  • John Cummins

    Well, by now you've all seen ROK as well. I really enjoyed the movies and have read LOTR many times. Yes, Jackson didn't get it perfect but he did do better or stuck closer to the text than anyone has in a whole long time. AND he got the overall flavor and certainly centered on the ring. Frodo and Sam were absolutely awesome and both deserve Oscars or whatever they give people.

  • Funny to read these reviews/comments.


    While I deffinitely enjoyed the movies, I have to agree with the ones who hated the changes in the plot. Change can be good as an "artist's" interpretation, yet when these changes distort the personalities of the main characters, that does not "kick ass".


    To all of you misspelling names: read the books first so you don't have to look stupid (do it at least for this purpose). But more, read the books first to enjoy the movie and realize that there is room for much more and better. Especially with today's special effects industry.


    Heck I even think that the Japanese could do a better job at making a series based on Tolkien's books. Meaning I would deffinitely want to see the movie with stuff added and not cut or altered in the plot.


    I think Jackson's artistic vision is too limited too. An elementary study of European medieval "fashion" would have provided genuinely realistic and awesome costumes for the characters - the costume part in the movie stinks of savings in a Hollywood style.


    I could deffinitely go blabbing on about the things I did not like in the movies. But I won't.


    I did like the movies very much, but they did not provide me anything as close as Tolkien's books. I was left with some bitter taste of... well, "incompleteness", you name it.

  • cassie

    The movie is the best thing ever ritten. I loved it. I love legolas and pipin. they rock. Legolas is soooooooooooooooo hot!

  • Carol

    Peter Jackson is a truly inspired individual, that has taken this fantastic fantasy and made it even BETTER. I am 55 years old and I am in total love with all of the movies, and not to mention Legolas. GREAT WORK AND even GREATER vision. GO Peter Jackson and his entire CREW....... I can not wait until the next and final movie....

  • Amanda

    E.T. phone home.....wait that's not the right movie!This movie kicks ass!!!!!!!!!can't wait to see the third one!!!!!!!!!!!i own the first and second and seen em 12 times each!!!!!!want the third helms deep is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! L.O.T.R. RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • George

    I thought the first movie was fantastic and loyal to the books. The second movie frustrated me because of the changes, the reason being that the changes did not add anything to the story. I have no problem with Peter Jackson making changes, but only if they make sense. If he wants Aragorn to have an additional love interest, fine. But changing the basic nature of key characters - Faramir, Frodo - was a huge mistake. The changes regarding Rohan are massive - the people look like a bunch of old losers. What happened to the proud people from the North? A few elven archers show up at Helm's Deep, that's fine. Peter wanted to sprinkle a few more eleves around because he likes them, so what?


    A huge mistake - the ents, I can't even talk about it.


    So much of this movie was excellent, why ruin it for fans of the books? I may wait until I have read reviews for the 3rd movie before seeing it so I won't be disappointed again.

  • Morgan

    Okay, I was dissapointed with the second Lord of the Rings movie along with my friend. Now don't worry...I'm sure you're all already sick of hearing how different the books and the movies are so the movies are crap-but it was still okay. I personally love love love the books more than I will ever consider loving the second movie because of how much they changed. And they did change a lot in the first movie from the book that I think they should've kept. And what is it with the ending of the Two Towers?! They end like, halfway through the second book or something!

  • Jenna

    Dude, so what if Peter Jackson left out a little bit?! Have you ever seen the Harry Potter movies and read the books?! There was a whole sht load left out of them! Why don't you go critisize that director's work of art?! And the fuking Star Wars movies and books, don't even get me started! Geez! At least someone tried to make a movie, I would love to see any of you people do nearly as good a job as Jackson did on the LOTR movies! That yould take a frickin' MIRACLE!!! So Peter Jackson is my hero. He chose all the right actors to play the characters (so what if he left out Tom Bombadil?), he chose the best place in the world to be Middle Earth, and he deserves much better than to have people critisizing his masterpieces!!! I am a LOTR fanatic, I have been reading the books since I was 7 and now I'm 14 so that's a good 48 times each! I think he did a great job and I can't wait to see The Return of the King! I wonder what Shelob will be like.....


    Jenna


    (P.S. ORLANDO BLOOM AND ELIJAH WOOD AND BILLY BOYD ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

  • Mars

    Legolos is cute but when I saw him in one of the special features on the dvd, he is ugly.
    why? why does he have to be ugly in real life. I also like his hair.
    CUTE!!!!!

  • kayla

    legolos is my hottie

  • kayla

    legolos is my hottie

  • Fready

    GO LEGOLOS!!!

  • Manwe

    So what if there were minor plot changes?
    Jacskon has no obligation to copy the books, be happy he was as faithful as he is.
    Ive read LOTR seven times, and have read bios of tolkien, and evrything else he ever wrote.
    The most important thing about the movies are that they retain the soul of the books. Details might be MARGINALLY different, but the spirit is the same. Ideas of freindship, scrifice, free will and fate. 90% of the dialogue in the Aragorn Arwen bit is from the appendix, so tolkien actually wrote it! The movies are not supposed to be a carbon copy of the books, rather, they are to compliment the books. While I personally love the books more, the movies are utterly mind-blowing, beautiful and heart rending. They have everything, and KUDOS to PJ!

  • Lorne

    I just watched TTT on DVD -- I thought I'd give it a second go. I nearly walked out of the theatre when I saw it the first time. My comment then, and my comment now is the same -- Peter Jackson got so much right, but so much MORE WRONG. The previous reviewers that said the writing was fantastic have never read the story. HE RUINED THE STORY!


    The unmitigated gaul of that pompous ass of a director to re-write Tolkien. Gaping ruinous holes in plot (in no particular order):


    1) Faramir is the most noble human (next to Aragorn) to walk Middle-Earth and he made him into a thief who only redeems himself, barely, in the end.


    2) Treebeard and the Ents were roused by the destruction of the forest, true, but not by some scriptwritng grade-school dropout of a "plot device" like Pippin tricking Treebeard into discovering this -- utter, unbelieveable crap. The Ents were the ones who turned the tide inthe battle -- they trash Isengard and then crush the army outside Helm's Deep. In Peter Jackson's world there is a mauradering horde of routed orcs running amok in Rohan now -- who cleans up that mess?


    3) Frodo in Gondor? Frodo confronting a Nazgul in Osgliath??? Sauron DOESN'T KNOW WHERE THE RING IS, but not according to Peter Jerk-off Jackson's version... now he knows EXACTLY where it is -- a Nazgul had it in his grasp not but a few miles outside of Mordor...


    5) Arwen is going to leave Middle Earth -- Arwen is the main/only reason that Aragorn is able to continue the fight. I swear by all the gods, if Jackson has Aragorn marry Eowyn, I will scream and storm out of the theatre... then I will save every penny I have so that I can go to New Zealand and throw rotten fruit at the bastard.


    I love what he did to the world of Middle Earth - I hate what he did to the story. I have read LotR every year since I was 12 -- over twenty-five times now. It is the most fantastic story of the 20th Century -- the first true piece of fantasy literature of the last century. And this will be the first and only film version of it that anyone will attempt to make. And that fat bastard ruined it.


    Done with my rant

  • Vana

    I love orlando bloom so much i have pictures of hm all ove


    I LOVE ORLANDO BLOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11


    LUV ALWAYS VANA

  • chris

    I can't imagine anyone who read the books would actually like Peter Jackson's vision of the Two Towers. Sure, the acting and special effects were good, but he took the second book and butchered the story.


    Eomer was not exiled from Rohan. There was no attack by worg riders when leaving the capital city of Rohan. Aragorn never fell over a cliff. Aragorn never had dreams about making out with Arwen (none were mentioned in the book anyway). There were no dwarf jokes told in Helm's Deep. Haldir and the elves did not come to help defend Helm's Deep, it was the Ents. Faramir did not attempt to take the ring from Frodo. Frodo was never in Gondor.


    Hell, the only thing they actually got right and did well was the Ent's destruction over at Saraumon's place and the twisted mind of Smeagol/Gollum.


    I almost walked out of the movie and went to see Star Trek: Insurrection, which I heard was a pretty bad movie. In truth, after seeing both, I wonder which was actually worse: butchering of a perfectly good franchise (ST) or butchering of a perfectly good story (LotR).

  • moises cast

    jenifer is LEGOLAS not "legolos" and his second name is greenleaf , is the place where he came from, I'M a big fan of the books, and the movie is the best i've ever seen

  • moises acst

    the best history ever

  • Jennifer

    E-Mail me if your a big FAN!

  • Jennifer

    I Love LEGOLOS! Is he a big part of the movie? I have to go see TTT! Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......Go LEGOLOS.......YEA...:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
    :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

  • jennifer

    I havn't seen it yet........Does Legolos Play a big part?....I love him So much!....

  • Katie

    I thought the movie was a definate 10 out of 10! I loovved it sooo much! It had good effects, and the fighting scenes were amazing! You MUST see it!

  • Apsara

    I loved FOTR and TTT!! The acting, directing, cinematography, the score...all excellent. I absolutely had to go see TTT, and I had only given birth just ten days earlier!! I'm such a geek about this but I don't care--can't wait until ROTK:)) (the books, don't forget about the books--they're filled with amazing details--you just can't believe one man wrote this! luv it luv it luv it!!!

  • Sunshine

    I loved TTT, I am a dedicated fan who went out and saw it. I had to travel just to see it but it was worth it. If I had to rate it out of 10 I would give it 20.


    Sunshine

  • Stefanie

    All I have to say is; well done to all of those who brought Lord of the Rings to life. If you thought the books were amazing, the movie outdoes them twice over. Unlike most fantasy movies, I actually felt like I was there, and it felt like my life was in their hands. Peter Jackson did an incredivle job of bringing this to life, and I must say once again; well done!

  • jenny

    two words, kick ass.

  • aly

    the two towers... what can i say?? its only one of the most amazing films i have seen this past year! The acting, the directing and the writing all go together like peices of a puzzle to make a perfect movie. cant wait for the third!!

  • Bogdan

    I think very higly of Tolkien's books, and though his books ar amazing the movie bringthat fantasy to life like nothing ever seen before.It's so real, that after a while, you'll begin to think that Middle-Earth's real.Peter Jacskon, I have to say, it's a real genius; the way he inspiredthe characters to play their parts,the way he (and his crew) brought the legend to life-it's truly wonderous. In my opinion, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is the best picture ever-made.

  • joe

    Tim, Tim, Tim. Ents. But yeah, I don't think they really survived the cross-media translation as much as some of the other stuff.

  • Shelby Van Nieuwenhuizen

    The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers is the
    most amazing movie I have seen in the last year!
    The acting is fabulous, the writing is great,
    and the music in this movie literally gives you
    goosebumps because it goes so well with each
    scene that is happening! I have already seen
    The Two Towers 3 times in theaters and would gladly go see it 20 times! I love it soooo much!!

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