The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers

Review - While it's not nearly as impressive as The Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers does offer some great visuals and at least one outstanding performance.

Picking up, almost directly, where the Fellowship left off, The Two Towers spreads itself wide as it's characters travel separate roads to each of their unknown ends.  Frodo and Sam travel ever closer to Mordor, Merry and Pippin, kidnapped by Orcs, face their own dangers, and Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn race, a few days behind the Orcs, in search of their kidnapped friends only to be lead to the defense of men in their stronghold at Helm's Deep.  That's a mouthful.

The problem here is each story feels thin as the world of Middle Earth encompasses sooo much.  The names of people and places come very quickly and fade almost as fast.  I'm afraid that my ability to comprehend the goings-on were shadowed by my desire to be thrilled.  As The Two Towers is the film with no beginning and no end I may be overly judgmental and I think the film warrants a second viewing.

Concerning my desire to be thrilled. The Two Towers did not impress me as I had hoped.  Helm's Deep was less climactic than I'd expected.  The Ents, not as impressive or as interesting as I had hoped.  And the 'humanity of it all' or 'desperation' of the characters seemed non-existent to me.  Again, I think I need to see it all again.

Concerning the same topic.  I was literally blown away by Gollum.  Andy Serkis, by far, has garnered the most impressive acting in the two films.  Digitally rendered (this ain't no Jar-Jar Binks) Gollum is a twisted soul.  Torn by his love and loathing of the One Ring Gollum fights amongst himselves over his desires to do good and to repossess the ring.  His dialogues are outstanding.  At all times, painful, comic, manic, and more real than any portrayal in, I expect, the three films. I'd give this guy an Oscar nod in a red-hot minute.

As for the graphics.  They're good and at times epic but nothing that feels new or groundbreaking.  Still there is plenty to ogle over and little to be depressed about.  Except maybe waiting another whole year for the, The Return of the King.

-m-