Rating: 
Summary: An objective opinion about the movie
Review: Before you vote my review unhelpful for the 3 stars, please read what I'm saying here. I never read the Lord of the Rings books. Despite always having meant to, its something I never got round to doing. Therefore, on the release of the films, I have jumped at each chance to see them. When the Fellowship of the Ring came out, I saw it on its opening day in the UK and enjoyed it very much. Yesterday I saw Two Towers on its opening day in the UK, and I have to say I was disappointed.I am reviewing from an objective viewpoint, having never read the books. But the first half of the movie grated on me, boring me with dull cliches. The film picked up a lot in the second half, especially around the major battle, which was visually stunning and genuinely exciting. Whenever the scene changed, however, I felt my heart sink, lest I have to endure another disappointing performance from Elijah Wood (far worse than his good performance on the first film), let alone the inconceivably annoying Smeegal character. I feel that one of my problems with LOTR is that the good and evil characters are so clearly set out. There is good and there is evil, plain for everyone to see, and no interesting character studies in between - even Star Wars has some of this. Every evil character was so obviously evil that it would be impossible to imagine anyone falling for them. Furthermore, the attempt to introduce comedy into proceedings was totally unnecessary. Both the jokes about the dwarf and Smeegal (though whether the latter was intentionally funny or not is debatable) were boring and detracted from the film. Even worse was Sam's cheesiness at the end ('We just have to fight for the good that's in the world!) which was cringeworthy crowd-pleasing pap. Aragon and Legolas are both played to perfection, and the cinematography is stunning, making the battle scene a real delight - perfect cinema. But overall this film was far too mixed to really entertain me over the whole course.
Rating: 
Summary: Very good follow up to Fellowship.
Review: I thought it was a very good follow up to Fellowship of the Ring. Great effects, great score, great characters, and one of the most exciting hours at the end including a truly mind blowing battle. My only problem with it is that I didn't think the pacing was all that good. Where as Fellowship was 2 and 1/2+ hours and seemed like an hour and half or so to me (being so enthralled), The Two Towers, bein ga 3 hour movie, really did seem like one. Too many ups and downs and flashback scenes of aragon and Arwen that I really just didn't find all that interesting. I'm not sure why, but I really don't like how the love relationship is handled. Anyway, its a worthy chapter in the Trilogy and I recommend it immensely. On a side note I hope they make The Hobbit. I Think it will definitely be made after the success Fellowship had and the success that TTT and Return of the King are bound to have. I do think it is a better movie to do later though because the dragon is really going to be a hard CG character to make look real. I had just recently saw Reign of Fire and I thought they did a decent job on it considering they only had a mid-level budget. Jackson has 100 million for each of these movies and with success only comes bigger budgets so if they do make the Hobbit the dragon should be really amazing. Thanks for reading. ;)
Rating:
Summary: I am very impressed
Review: I saw this movie today and there could be no better way for it to be made. It starts out perfectly; setting the scene. It ends with a similar feel to The Fellowship of the Ring, only much darker. The Helm's Deep and Rohan scenes were amazing... very well done. The Ents are really amazing and fun to watch. Gollum is also a very entertaining character and very well created. The scenes of the Elven Haven of Rivendell are just as beautiful if not more than The Fellowship of the Ring although fairly short. Aragorn's dreams of Arwen are very touching and lovely. The only thing I don't like is that I have to wait an ENTIRE year for the next movie, The Return of the King, to come out. Start the Countdown...
Rating:
Summary: WAY AWESOME MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEE IT!!
Review: This movie is SO AWESOME! It is definately one of the best movies ever. I've been waiting since last year to see this movie, and it totally rocked! It was released today, and I went to see it. I had really high expectations for this movie. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was one of my favorite movies, and I was hoping (and expecting) this movie to be just as good, if not better. And it totally was! This movie is undescribably good. It's exciting, it's partly romance, it's got a lot of action. I do recommend that you see the first movie first, because this movie would make much more sense. This movie continues the stories of the characters from Fellowship of the Ring. Their paths have split up, and they're in groups doing different things. It's got adventure and fighting in it, just like the first movie, and it has more of the characters' stories. Oh yeah, and the special effects are totally awesome! This movie is a must-see for anyone who even slightly likes Lord of the Rings. If you thought the first Lord of the Rings was okay, you'll most likely like this one. If you liked the first Lord of the Rings, you'll most likely love this movie. It is one of the greatest movies ever. I actually liked it better then the first Lord of the Rings movie, which is totally amazing. This movie totally passed beyond my high expectations. Everyone, SEE THIS MOVIE! IT IS COMPLETELY, TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I'm not exaggerating at all! The only bad thing is, now we have to wait a whole more year for the last movie! Oh well, everyone can just watch the other two Lord of the Rings movies untill then ^_^. Anyway, I totally reccomend this movie. It completely rocks.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful but Disappointing
Review: I agree with the other reviewers that this is indeed a wonderful film, beautifully created with great acting. That said, it was quite disappointing in the many points where it diverged from the book. I'm not such a stickler that I can't handle a few differences -- I agreed with all of the changes made to Fellowship that were necessary to make the story flow on screen. But making Faramir a bad guy? And what's the deal with the wimpy Ents? Visually appealling, but an intellectual let down. I almost wish I didn't love the books so I could have enjoyed the movie. Almost, but not quite.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars from someone who has not read the book (SPOILERS)
Review: I just saw this film tonight with some friends. I was the only one among my three friends who had not read the book. Consequently, I was the only one who thoroughly enjoyed the film. I'm told that the women and children of Rohan were not at Helm's Deep during the great battle there, but in the film they are. I'm also told that the scene in the film in which backup arrives for the battle in way of Elvish archers was nowhere to be found in the book. And there was one scene in particular that I knew was so stupid that it could not possibly have been in the book (I didn't even need to be told): it is when, during the battle, Legolas jumps on an enemy shield and rides it down the stairwell on the wall and firing at the orcs at the same time. It looks almost like he's skateboarding down the stairs while shooting arrows. My friends (who read all three books) complained that the last 30 minutes (at least) only barely followed the book at all. As for myself, I wouldn't know because I haven't finished the book yet. In fact, I haven't even finished the fourth chapter. My only substantial complaint about the film was the incredibly cheesy scene with Legolas I've just referred to. Overall, as someone who has not read the book, I think it is a 5-star film all the way, and a worthy sequel to FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. The fantastic acting performances have returned with full force. And although the musical score could have been greatly enriched by some more Enya songs, it's still almost as grand and as stirring as the first film. The character development and interaction is just as interesting and fun as the first film. I was especially fascinated by the character development of Gollum. They really turned him into a very interesting character instead of simply a cardboard villain that we're supposed to loathe. The ending of this film is as open and intriguing as that of any other film I've ever seen. Now, I'm not at all interested in sitting around for a year for the next film to come out (although I'll certainly be looking forward to it). I'll definitely be devouring this and the third book to see what happens. So, 5-stars from me for now. But based on what I've heard, after I read the book, I'll probably lose a lot of respect for the film.
Rating:
Summary: Much Better Than The First
Review: While my view of the first Lord of the Rings movie remains the same--standing alone I don't like it--I can highly recommend the second. In this one, almost all of the aspects that I didn't like in the previous film were missing. The omnipotence of evil and its dominance in the first movie over the characters/events of the story is fundamentally different. In the 2nd edition--which I just got back from seeing--the good guys were shown, not as the weak and crying sops that they were in the first, but as a noble and strong group of people who fight back when threatened. (Its relevance to our situation today was not missed on this viewer.) This is just one of many improvements, though. Aragorn's shown as a character more like the one you may have come to respect and admire, if you have read the books. Gandalf is treated in much the same way. In this movie he is stronger, wiser, and much more valiant. Frodo, though, is still portrayed by Wood as a weakling even though a weakling who is growing into strength and understanding. The movie was thus not free of all the misgivings I had with the first. I can forgive a bit of crying by him, however, when Aragorn is shouting (with sword in hand): "show them no mercy for they will show us none!" And when Sam, in response to Frodo's asking "What is it that we are holding on to?" says something along the lines of "That there is still good in this world--and that it is worth fighting for!" I can forgive almost anything. The movie does not cry out for any sort of forgiveness, however. It's special effects are an achievement never before reached--they are much better in this movie than even the first. And the storyline is told in much better form, delivering one suspenseful piece of the plot after another, until it culminates in a chair-grabbing battle scene close to its end. No, if this movie cry's out for anything at all, it is but for the same thing that some of its many characters deserve: our respect, our admiration--and our applause.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't read the book right before seeing it.
Review: *Spoilers Ahead* - though being the second most read book of the 20th century, it shouldn't spoil much for many. I went into the second movie with very high expectations, and I think with good reason. Peter Jackson did an amazing job with the first film, and as far as effects, the second film does not disappoint, with a couple small exceptions. The aspects that I was not as pleased with were major story changes and pacing. In Fellowship, I was most irritated by Arwen's role increase, particularly as I am not a Liv Tyler fan. In Towers, there are a lot more serious changes that, I feel, dramatically alter Tolkien's work. My criticism: - The army of Elves does not march to Helm's Deep to help. The "Last Alliance of Men and Elves" was just that - the LAST. This is a MAJOR change. Tolkien's Elves were done interfering in the world of men.
- Eomer and his Riders do not come to help as late as they do - the forest moves in at dawn. That is the aid that Gandalf brings. The orcs disappear in the trees.
- The Ents make the decision at Entmoot to go to war. It's not the Hobbits' doing at all.
- Faramir is not tempted by the Ring. He does not make Frodo go to Osgiliath. He gives them provisions and helps them on their way. The point in the book is that he's the opposite of Boromir.
- I wish that another actor voiced Treebeard, as there is one cut that goes from Gimli to Treebeard and you can tell it's the same voice.
- The movie ends short of the mark. The last line in the book is "Frodo was alive, but taken by the enemy." The movie ends before Shelob's Lair.
- The whole Saruman possessing King Theoden was a little over the top. I sincerely doubt Tolkien meant anything about actual spiritual possession.
- Frodo's fall into the Dead Marshes was a little overblown as far as the effects. It seemed amateurish compared to other effects in the films.
- The other effects problem I referred to earlier are the shots of Merry and Pippin walking with Treebeard; you can really tell that a blue screen was used.
- Gimli was made into a joke. He didn't have a serious line in the film. And did they really need to bring Dwarf-tossing back into it? The good stuff: - Gollum was well done. I was happy with his animation and with the personality conflict that showed through.
- The Nazgul steeds were also well imagined, as it's not the clearest of descriptions in the text.
- Lots of good Legolas action - especially the mount onto the horse - you'll see what I mean.
- Music was excellent. Kudos to Howard Shore yet again.
- Great battle sequences at Helm's Deep.
- There are others, but I'm much more irritated right now then impressed, so I'm not remembering them all. Overall, it was good but unsettling. It starts fast, but slows, then quickens, then doesn't have a main pace. It doesn't have near the character development that the first film had - and, of course, shouldn't need it, as many have already been established. But it feels like something is missing - that connection you had with the characters in the first film just wasn't there. This is a very difficult book to adapt, and I don't begrudge them the job. I just expected it to be truer to Tolkien's vision. Of course, you really must see it regardless. It's beautiful and still the best anyone's ever done with the story. I greatly look forward to the Extended DVD and Peter Jackson's explanation of these story changes.
Rating:
Summary: Hope put on the edge...
Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second part of the trilogy, which is a a superb transition between the The Fellowship of the Rings and the future The Return of the King. The begining is rather fragmented and it resembles the moment of losing hope that the broken fellowship is sensing. Frodo is off on his quest with Sam trying to find a way into Mordor to destroy the ring while they are being stalked by Gollum. In a different direction, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are trying to hunt down the uruk-hai and orcs that have kidnapped Merry and Pippen. Meanwhile, Saruman is sending troops into Rohan and someone is clouding the thoughts of Rohan's King. Many different subplots emerge and they all seem to lead towards one common threat, the evil within Mordor. The Two Towers deals with many different issues such as immorality, love, compassion, hope, and many more in a very real manner while the looming war is drawing nearer.
Rating:
Summary: Keepin' Up With The Jacksons!
Review: Thats what the rest of Hollywood will have to do after Peter Jackson has finished his trilogy. "The Two Towers" surpasses its predecessor in every way possible - scale, action, humor, plot and acting. As "Fellowship.." was clearly Elijah Wood's film, this one has Viggo Mortensen written all over it. Aragorn all but steals the show and engages in some of the most spectacular battle sequences ever filmed. I'm sure that all know the story by now, but the Helm's Deep sequence at the end of the film is truly all that it has been hyped up to be. A jaw-dropping, knee shaking, and breathless sequence that can only be described as a medieval version of the Alamo.
Jackson's skillful eye for detail has made this remarkable film an instant classic, and ranks this trilogy right alongside the original Star Wars trilogy in terms of epic entertainment. A thrill a minute ride that will be sure to ellicit numerous viewings...saw it today and I am going to see it on Friday already!! Don't want to spoil anything, but the Ents' assault on Isengard was my favorite part, with Helm's Deep a close second. Could strongly challenge for a Best Picture Oscar...yeah, its that damned good. Don't miss out!!!
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