Rating: 
Summary: It makes a good movie even better
Review: Like the Extended Edition for "The Fellowship of the Ring", this Extended Edition expands upon the version of "The Two Towers" that was presented in the theaters. There is approximately 40 minutes of additional material woven back into the movie. The most important (and the most effective) additional scenes are the ones that involve Faramir. One of the complaints some people had about "The Two Towers" was that in the book Faramir was pure of heart and was not tempted by the ring at all. In the movie, his character was changed so that he was a real threat to Frodo's journey. Faramir's additional scenes explain his motivation towards the Ring and why he behaves the way he does. There are also flashbacks with Boromir, more scenes with the Ents, and the additional scenes make for a richer Lord of the Rings experience. There are also two discs of bonus material to supplement the film. Some of these bonus documentaries are very similar to those from the "Fellowship of the Ring" DVD. The similar documentaries have material specific to "The Two Towers", but it covers the same topics as those from "The Fellowship of the Ring". Examples of these documentaries are the ones on "Weta Workshop", "Bigatures", and "The Atlas of Middle Earth". There are also documentaries that are completely new. One of my favorites is the documentary about adapting the book into a screenplay. This documentary showed how Peter Jackson had to make decisions about what to include in the film, what scenes and characters to cut, and why certain changes had to be made (Jackson gives a very good explanation for Faramir's change). The other major documentary was about Gollum. Gollum was a character on whom the success of the entire series hinged. If he was poorly animated or wasn't believable, "The Two Towers" would ultimately fail as a film (and this would also bring down "The Return of the King"). The Gollum documentary shows how Gollum was created, and exactly how much work went into making the character look so well on the screen. It also shows just how important Andy Serkis was in creating the character. He was a lot more than a voice actor, he was the character actor for Gollum. Just as the Extended Cut of "Fellowship" was essential viewing for fans of Lord of the Rings, so is the Extended Cut of "The Two Towers". While these additional scenes didn't complete the film in the way that those from "Fellowship" did, they do make "The Two Towers" a better movie.
Rating:
Summary: two towers
Review: "Two towers" takes off when "fellowship" ended. Frodo and sam continue to Moridor to destroy the ring with the help of Gollum. Meanwhile Aragorn helps to defend rioden against a massive Orc army with help from Ents lead by Tree Beard. This is an epic slassic that has no comparison. Its better than the first and the third should be even better.
Rating:
Summary: L.O.T.R. Movies exceed expectations
Review: I have been a fan of Tolkien for many years, and have read and re-read the Hobbit, Fellowship,Two Towers, & Return of the King many times over. I've yet to tire of these wonderful books. When I heard about the triology of L.O.R. books being put to film, I was excited, but skeptical that anyone could do justice to the books that I love so much.... I was wrong. What Peter Jackson and crew have done with these films is astounding! Not only because of the fact that the characters are living and breathing on screen, and the imagined sites of both paradise & hell are made real, but most of all, because the bitter and sweet essences of good and evil are exquisitely portrayed by the fine cast, not to mention the heart-wrenchingly beautiful soundtracks by Howard Shore which stand on their own as very fine pieces of musical art. You MUST see the extended versions of both Fellowship and Two Towers...there has not been a set of films like this in my lifetime, and I doubt there will be any to top them in the future....
Rating:
Summary: Boromir Explained
Review: This review actually pertains to the theater showing of the extended version, which I had the privilege to see on Sunday. It honestly was a treat to see the extended version of the movie on the big screen, although I'm really looking forward to the various commentaries on the disks, as well as the other extras. The extended version of the movie adds a lot of little scenes here and there that clarify and reinforce some key plot points. I imagine I missed a few of them as well, but I was glad to see that the ending was drawn out a little bit and some loose ends were tied up in this version. The scene that fascinated me the most was the Boromir flashback. What I'd read about it claimed that it explained Faramir better. Well, Faramir still wasn't really true to the character that Tolkien wrote, but his motivations were explained more clearly. What was also clarified was what Boromir knew when he went to Rivendell. I plan to re-watch Fellowship again with a different perspective on him. I am so excited about this series and thrilled with the production that Peter Jackson has put together. It's a class act all the way.
Rating:
Summary: As good as the books ever were!
Review: You ahve to buy the extended edition--if you don't then you might as well not even buy it at all. The extended edition is the way it was meant to be seen--it just had to be cut down for length in the theatres. The movie shows what Tolkien never could have described. The battles, which are a primary part of both The Two Tower and Return of the King can't be described like they can be shown on a big screen TV (which couldn't have been done either before computer aided film-making had advanced to the degree that it has today). If you don't like this movie you just don't understand what life is all about!
Rating:
Summary: What a movie should be....
Review: I finally got around to watching this and I'll have to say that it was worth the wait. The movie is pretty hefty to watch in one sitting, as it is close to 4 hours long, but it doesn't seem like a 4 hour movie. The added scenes seem to make the pace of the movie a little better and they definately fill in the holes that the Theatrical version had. It is definately a middle piece in the tradition of Empire Strikes Back in that it ends on a somewhat up but down note. Part of the bad guys vanquished, but there is still the task ahead. Frodo seems to grow into his role as the ring bearer and Samwise is the support mechanism. Not sure about the stuff with the Ents, but it was still pretty cool nonetheless. The Elves coming to support Helms Deep was pretty cool because it was looking pretty grim at that point. The battle scenes that followed were some of the coolest battle scenes put to celluoid. Everything seems to be gearing up to the Return of the King and more stuff was added to this movie leaving no doubt who that would be. As I said in my review of the other Rings movie, I wish more filmmakers would take lessons from Mr. Jackson. He's raised the bar on fantasy movies in that it doesn't have to be bad. He's also raised the bar on CGI characters in that they don't have to be annoying. Gollum was just as real as any of the other characters. This movie has raised the bar on other movies as well. I haven't see the Return of the King movie, but since it is the conclusion of the series and if it is as good as the other two, it should win the Oscar for Best Picture. In fact, the Oscar should be for the entire 9 hour effort because the whole triology is a movie in its own right. With all the subpar stuff coming out of Hollywood, it is refreshing to see a good movie come out.
Rating:
Summary: Extended version superior to theatrical release
Review: I was pleased with the theatrical version of "The Two Towers," but found it inferior to "The Fellowship of the Ring," still the greatest fantasy film ever made (though "Return of the King" may top it). Peter Jackson's brilliant expanded edition, part of yet another 4-disc DVD set that continues to redefine home video, has increased my understanding of the storyline and given a big boost to my respect for this second installment. This extended version is marvelous, one of the great films, truly a rival for the crown currently worn by "Fellowship." The characters are deeper, richer, the story meatier, the relationships better developed, and the build-up to the battle of Helm's Deep longer and more effective. I always felt the theatrical version of "Two Towers" was a bit of a choppy mess, hurling us from one locale to another without the over-arcing grace and feeling evident in the first film. Jackson has restored that sense of majestic pacing in the extended version, which I heartily recommend over the original release. "The Lord of the Rings" cinematic trilogy is without doubt the most important film series of our time. Jackson has far surpassed even the earlier works of Lucas and Spielberg in bringing Tolkien's wonderful literary artwork to the screen. Having just digested the new version of "Two Towers," it's obvious to me that the books and the films are equals. Jackson did take some liberties, particularly in "Two Towers," with some of the characters, but in adapting such a difficult book for the screen, he deserves major credit for what he has achieved. Why neither of these magnificent films has won the Best Picture Oscar is beyond reasoning, but "Return of the King" might at last take home the prize. Jackson emphasizes story over razzle-dazzle, though the computer-generated effects in "Towers" and "Fellowship" are miles beyond anything I've ever seen. There isn't anything in "Towers" that quite rivals the Balrog sequence in the first film, but Jackson's staging of the battle of Helm's Deep, the Ent attack, and his overall vision of Middle-earth continue to boggle the mind. We are also treated to some memorable performances from a low-key, expert cast. I have only a few minor complaints about "Two Towers," chiefly that we don't get enough of Gandalf, whose presence elevates the series into the realm of the sublime. Though Viggo Mortensen, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Christopher Lee, Bernard Hill, Brad Dourif, and others deliver strong performances, the movie all but belongs to Andy Serkis, who (along with various software programs) plays the unforgettable Gollum. George Lucas really dropped the ball with "Star Wars" by inflicting us with such dreadful acting. Jackson doesn't make the same mistake. "The Two Towers" is vastly improved by the additional scenes restored to the new DVD release and stands as a powerful middle-section in a series that will doubtless become a landmark achievement, bigger than "Star Wars," way bigger than "Indiana Jones." The extended version does a great job setting us up for "Return of the King," which opens just a couple of days from now. I'm excited to see it on the big screen, but can't wait until next year, when it gets the deluxe DVD treatment. Now that will be more valuable than any One Ring you could imagine.
Rating:
Summary: I may seem a heretic, but I prefer Jackson's version
Review: I will say that I do enjoy the book, and feel it is one of the best works I have read. However for the second part, I prefer the movie. One change that everyone complains about is Faramir. However, I think the movie is much closer than everyone makes it out to be. In the book, Faramir may have fought the ring, but he did in the movie as well. The only real difference is that in the film, he seems to have a slightly harder struggle. In the book, he would not have kept a hold of Frodo and Sam unless he was pulled by the ring. In the movie, he would have taken the ring immediately without any hesitation if he did not have any strength. Jackson specifically says that he wanted to show the ring's power to keep from taking away from its threat, and I have a feeling that that was what Tolkien wanted as well, but it did not quite come out right, because of what Faramir did, not just what he said. So, in my opinion the movie does a better job here. Secondly, everyone is upset that the Ents do not fight back immediately. However, I do not think that it happening that way in the book fits too well with the way that they remained so seperated for so long. If they have been trying to stay to themselves so hard, I do not think they would have agreed to fight so easily. Everyone else can complain about the changes as much as they want to, but in my book, the major differences were improvements, and made the movie one of my favorites. And I have a feeling that the same will happen for the third movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, brilliant movie, but....
Review: Wow! This trilogy is the one of the closest things to perfection that has ever graced the silver screen. Peter Jackson has created such masterful work, that i cannot bare to state anything but praise for this movie. Yet, after watching this new extended version, i must confess i will stick to the original. 4 hours long....my gosh. If you're thirsty for everything you can get before you see Return of the King, then by all means, get this version. It has some excellent developments to the story that do make it richer. But unfortunately most of the material in these new scenes is already inferred in the original version, and it tends to dumb down the original's effectiveness and pace by adding too much detail to an already elaborate tale. 43 minutes worth no less! And a lot of it is purely humorous and witty, which numbs the emotional power of this movie notably. In any case, regardless of any negative review, i would have seen this version, and so should you. But you should accept the original as the truer, most powerful version of this epic story. (By the way, unlike this one, the Extended Edition of the Fellowship of the Ring is amazing, rivaling the first one for supremacy.)
Rating:
Summary: Extra Scenes too choppy
Review: I love this movie - but many of the extra scenes don't mesh very well or break the mood. Case in point, toward the end of the movie, an extra scene involving Fangorn forest and the destruction of the Uruk-Hai after the battle of Helm's Deep abruptly cuts to Aragorn hugging Eowyn and then abruptly cuts to another scene with no transition. Also, many of the extra scenes are humorous, but they don't fit in the overall somber mood of the movie - such as when Pippin and Merry discover all the food and tobacco that Saruman is hoarding in Isengard. One scene that should not have been deleted is a scene in Osgiliath (a flashback), involving Faramir, Boromir and their father. This scene explains a lot about what drives Faramir and helps to flesh out Boromir....
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