Rating: 
Summary: The Two Towers - Electrifying entertainment!
Review: Congratulations to Peter Jackson and all of his associates for bringing Tolkien's work to silver screen in all its glory! One obvious telltale to how successful this movie is the fact that over this weekend, one could not simply go to the movie theater and get tickets for the next show. The lines for this silver screen masterpiece were to say the least, amazing. The Two Towers and its predecessor, The Fellowship of the Ring are what movie going is all about! Hopefully, the producers will follow the same pattern they set with the first movie and put the DVD for the theatrical release out in May and the extended version next November. The premise: The Two Towers opens with what can only be described as an utterly astonishing sequence of the battle between Gandalf and the Balrog. As is revealed at the end of the previous movie, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are trailing the Oraki who have captured Merry and Pippin, taking them to Saruman. Frodo and Sam are on their own quest, attempting to take the "one ring" to Mordor for its destruction. Along the way they have Gollum to deal with. The movie builds up to the battle of Helms Deep. The Battle of Helms Deeps makes the epic battle scenes of other popular movies over the last few years pale in comparison. If you have to wait in line or purchase advance tickets for this movie, it is absolutely worth the wait. Now we've only a year to wait for the conclusion to this masterpiece in The Return of the King. {ssintrepid}
Rating: 
Summary: The trailer was deceptive. The movie has major story errors.
Review: The Two Towers had fantastic cinematography and effects, just like the first; however, it seriously deviates from the book. Now I know that a movie can't follow any book exactly and I was impressed with how 'The Fellowship of the Rings' was amazingly close to the book. But the Two Towers takes some of the most key events, characters, and relationships and totally changes them around. The first movie did not. Great action... I think parts would be hard to follow for someone who hasn't read the books. There were some serious director liberties taken in this movie... many, many more than the previous. Some major events resembled the book. Others were totally changed and made less effective. Readers of the books who liked the first movie will be seriously disappointed with this movie. Too bad. :(.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent entertainment
Review: Peter Jackson has done it again! He has outdone himself on the Two Towers. This is a must see movie especially if you followed The Fellowship of the Ring. I am a big fan of the books and I must admit that Jackson tries to stay as true to the books as possible. Who knew that Gimli the dwarf was a comediene? How about Gollum and his split personality? The closer he gets to Mordor the weirder Frodo gets. And Sam? well he is just Sam. Treebeard was quite a spectacle too. Merry and Pippin really got his ire up showing him the trees sauruman destroyed. I would recomend this movie to anyone. My best friend's 8 year old son went with us and he loved it and kept up with it. Go see it you will love it too.
Rating:
Summary: Be prepared for the adventure of a lifetime!
Review: That basically much sums up "The Two Towers", which is the next chapter in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy novel, as well as director, Peter Jackson's, film version. PLOT SUMMARY: This chapter, contrasted to "The Fellowship of the Ring", is a much darker, more twisted, and evil chapter. The film follows three main subplots: Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Sam Gamgee's (Sean Astin) journey through Mordor to Mount Doom; Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Legolas's (Orlando Bloom) hunt for the Orcs, which later into the story, turns into a huge battle; and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin's (Billy Boyd) escape from the Orcs and meeting a giant-talking tree, Treebread (also voiced by John Rhys-Davies). Saruman the White (Christopher Lee) has turned more evil and powerful, and wants nothing more than the Ring, which of course, is what Frodo has. He creates an evil army set out to destroy all the men of Middle-Earth. Gandalf the Grey (Ian McKellen) has also returned, and sets out to help Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. Aragorn believes the three should help the people of Middle-Earth. When they sought out Theoden, King of Rohan (Bernard Hill), Aragorn urges the old king to persue war against the Ugluk, Saruman's followers, even though there are not enough men left to fight. The Ugluk are getting closer to the castle where the people are staying, and there's no stopping them. So King Theoden finally agrees, and a huge battle begins. Also, while all this is going on, Aragorn is introduced to Eowyn (Miranda Otto), who is Theoden's daughter. Aragorn and Eowyn are attracted to each other, but Aragorn tries to keep his promise to Arwen (Liv Tyler), who has decided to go and help her people, after a lecture from her father, Lord Elrond (Hugo Weaving), about sacraficing her life to become mortal. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam seem to be lost finding their way to Mordor. No sooner can you say, "my precious", than are they encountered by Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), who has been following them all this time, attracted to the Ring. Sam notices that Frodo has been starting to fall under the evil spell of the Ring, and tries to keep Frodo grounded, especially after Frodo takes the risk of letting Gollum guide them to the gates of Mordor. The final subplot consists of Merry and Pippin, who manage to escape the Orcs after they are attacked by a group of men. They escape into the dark forest, and come across a talking and moving tree, called Treebread. Treebread is from a species known as the Ents, and as he carries them through the forest, Treebread mentions that there are not many Ents left, for Saruman's slaves have been cutting them down. Merry and Pippin at first want to go home back to the Shire, but then they realize that if they don't go and help their companions, then the Shire may be no more when they get there. So they end up persuing Treebread and the rest of the Ents to fight Saruman, which starts a battle all on it's own. OVERALL THOUGHTS: Unlike "The Fellowship", "The Two Towers" has more complex plots, which can be confusing if you haven't seen the first film, and they do not go into detail about how the Ring became an evil source of power, also like they did in the first one. I guess Peter Jackson expects that most of the people who go to see "The Two Towers" have either already read the books, or have at least seen "The Fellowship of the Ring". The acting is quite superb, more so in this one than in the first. The chemistry between the actors is much stronger, and the dialouge is better. The special effects and the CG Gollum are absolutely amazing! The battle sequences are exceptional, visually intense and stunning. There is not as much humor or character development in this chapter, but this chapter was more about the battles and the power of the Ring. Peter Jackson is a true genius, but you cannot give him all of the credit. J.R.R. Tolkien was also a true genius, for creating such a breathtaking story. Even the love triangle between Aragorn, Arwen, and Eowyn was interesting, and didn't take up too much time, either. We only get to see Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) towards the end as she is talking through Elrond's mind. So Blanchett has more of a cameo role. People also might get a little confused since there is no real beginning and no real ending, but most people can soon forgive it...and it makes you eager for the final chapter, "The Return of the King", due out in theaters next Christmas in 2003. "The Fellowship of the Ring" begins it..."The Two Towers" continues it...and "The Return of the King" concludes it. It's
"The Lord of the Rings" trilogy! I highly recommend "The Two Towers". Score:
100/100
A+
Rating:
Summary: Virtually Perfect
Review: Excellent excellent excellent. The acting was absolutely flawless. The images, props and landscapes capture the spirit of Tolkien. Golem/Smeagol was better than I'd ever imagined him to be. Here are my minor complaints: The Ents could have been a tad better (too small, and voices not as old and wise as I imagined). Some sequences of Aragorn were so blatant in depicting him as a sexy macho man it almost reminded me of zoolander. Legolas riding a shield down the stairs while picking off orcs with his bow was just lame and unnecessary. The comic relief provided at Gimli's expense was good, but maybe needed to be counterbalanced a bit - he didn't come off as tough as he could have. Enough of the nitpicking. 3 hours went by like it was 1 hour. I want more more more!!!!
Rating:
Summary: PRECIOUS, PRECIOUS, WANTS HIS RING BACK...
Review: Be prepared to be greatly entertained even if you flunked LoTR 101. The story progresses with the Ring still in the custody of Frodo(E.Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin). There are two new 'little people,' Merry and Pippin, who spend most of their time riding on the backs of beasts or on the limbs of a tree. You will like them and I did not mind the trees either, they were quite entertaining and essential for the start of the disembowelment of the black power under Saruman The White. Purists will say the Director took liberties on interpreting the Books an I say good on the Director as there were a lot of numbing dialog in the book, that is not in the picture. All and I do mean all of the cast were there and 100% with the movie. They are to be commended for their togetherness and long hard months making this movie of the century. Kudos for all of you! And for entertaining us with a well thought of story. You will marvel at the cinematography and especially the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand, what a masterpiece of scenery. The sets were not to be believed, they were so perfect, Down to the last stone in the Castle tower. The love between Aragorn (Viggo M.) and Arwen, (Liv T.) is a sweet never ending
affair that exudes their admiration for each other. Mckeller, as (Gandolph The White) does a great job for his part to destroy Saruman The White. The scene of him calling his great white steed and then riding him, no saddle or bridle will amaze you. Now for the part I thought was the most realistic of the creatures of LoTR and that is 'precious, precious,' Gollum, a Smeagol, an ancient relative of the Hobbits. Andy Serkis does all the crawling around over the rocks and chasing the fish in the stream and the Animators fill in Gollum, and there is no time when you will not think that precious, precious, Gollum is anything but, real and alive. Even on the very close-ups of his face, absolutely amazing. If for no other reason Gollum is worth the trip and money to see this amazing film. But you will have 10,000 reasons to go see this movie and an empty spot in your psyche if you do not...I want to mention Orlando Bloom who has quite a big part in this movie and as young as he is he carried himself well, also, Karl Urban as Eomer did a brief but great job.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Sick of reviews for the Trailer
Review: I don't think trailer reviews should be written. Anyway, I just saw the Two Towers and it was defenitly better than the Fellowship. And Thats hard to do. It did totally fool aroud with the story, however. Faramir never wanted to posses the ring, and he never took Frodo and Sam to Osgalith in the book. The scene with Osgalith was the only dissapointing part. I especialy liked Gandalf going toe-to-toe with the Balroq on Zirak-Zigal. LOTR trivia: Gandalf's sword Glamdring was once held by Turgon king of Gondolin. The film ends at least four chapters before the book does, but I think this is to compinsate for th Return of the King's length. That book is shorter than the first Harry Potter(ugh, I hate HP). That probably mean's Jackson has cut out the Souring of the Shire. Oh well, you can't have everything in life.
Please excuse any misspellings, as I am horrible with the English language.
Rating: 
Summary: "Braveheart" with Elves
Review: I have actually seen this film and it was very disappointing. While it is without a doubt some of the best cinematography ever, it was really nothing more than a war film and basically "Braveheart" with elves. It is 100% unadulterated testosterone. The two female characters in the film are "fluff" and do exactly as they are told. Not to mention that I had a huge cramp in my back after sitting watching battle scene after battle scene for three hours. To the other reviewers, no one cares whether you liked the trailer or not, that's the gimmick to get you to spend your money on the film. Don't you get it? It's an advertisement and those are always suppose to make the product look good even if it is a piece of trash. Save your money and peace of mind this holiday season and see a film that doesn't cater to war mongers.
Rating: 
Summary: I JUST SAW THE MOVIE 12/20/02!!!
Review: Well some of you aren't going to want to read this but,the movie was only 4 stars. The action great, CG was great, following the plot of the book not so great. Now I'm not one of these nerds who think it has to be word for word like the book but some of the scenes were way off. The Treebeard scene was one of the lesser ones but still off(Why can't they just agree to a war what was the point of having to be tricked?)Also Aragon falling off the cliff? What was the point of that(Why couldn't he just ride to Helms Deep with the others?) And finally, the one and only thing that really upset me was the next to last scene Faramir and Frodo.Faramir Bad?? What happened to I wouldn't pick it up if it was on the highway and the walls of Gondor were falling(or something like that)? Now it's tell the king I have a most powerful gift for him(traitor). Peter Jackson really let the book readers down on this one I think. Now my mom may not mind but for someone who has read the book this is to big of a director's change. Leaving something out is one thing but changing the story is another. All in all this is a great middle movie to the series.Just read the book before you go. Smeagol is the best CG creature ever(Star What!!!)Don't be fooled though this isn't a movie it is the continuation of the first one. You jump right in and take off till you once again hit a sudden stop no looking back.Well once again the long wait till the DVD comes out.This will be the best movie ever after the third part is finally out no movie can come close!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I loved the Fellowship of the Ring movie, and was eagerly awaiting the Two Towers. Although a devoted Tolkien reader (generally re-reading LOTR once a year), I don't consider myself a "purist", and was willing to forgive Fellowship for it's deviations from the story because it kept within the spirit of Tolkien, as well as being necessary to adapt to a much shorter medium than the books.
However, I was deeply disappointed by the deviations The Two Towers movie made from the book - deviations which I felt fundamentally altered many of the characters involved. Example #1 is Faramir - his whole character is altered by his stout resolution to take Frodo to Gondor. The whole contrast between Boromir and Faramir is now completely lost. The scene takes up valuable minutes that could be spent on something else, and far from adding to the story, seriously detracts.
Also disappointing is the healing of Theoden, and his subsequent recovery. In the books, Gandalfs healing powers are 10% magic, and 90% wisdom. The movie completely reverses this relationship, making the healing a simple magical duel between Gandalf and Saruman. In Tolkien, Wizards accomplish their greatest feats through their extensive knowledge and lore. Changing this to magic feels like a cheat. Also, after being freed from his affliction, Thoeden seems to show very little willingness to accept the advice of Gandalf, another serious departure from the books which seems pointless.
Third major variation I was disappointed with was the Entmoot. The Ents make decisions very slowly. To show them deciding not to help, and then flipping about on a moments notice when Treebeard sees what he should have known all along seems bizarre in the extreme.
I also had a problem with the treatment of Gimli. The comic relief added to Fellowship was fun, and added to the story. In the Two Towers, however, the comic relief seemed to consist of making Gimli into a buffoon, something not at all keeping in character with the story.
I thought the added scene depicting an attack on Theoden and his people was O.K., and added some extra action, but the fall of Aragorn seemed a pointless excursion.
A minor quibble- Gollum was not visually not at all as I imagined him, but I recognize that everyone will have their own opinion of what he should look like. But really, he didn't look nearly as wizened as one would expect after 500 years of being stretched and tormented by the ring. Clean him up and fix his teeth and he would look like a healthy hobbit, not a creature barely recognizable as one.
I was also deeply disappointed that the two best scenes from Two Towers were removed - the confrontation with Saruman, and the fight with Shelob. But since these seem to be simply moved to ROTK, that doesn't detract from the series as a whole, I suppose.
Two Towers remains competently executed, and the actors do an excellent job portraying the parts they were given. I simply have serious problems with the scriptwriter. Overall, Peter Jackson has used up most of the good will from me that he earned in Fellowship of the Ring. I'll be watching Return of the King, but praying it resembles Fellowship more than Towers.
|
